The first hour
- Close the door.Keep the room door shut so the irritant does not spread down the corridor. Do not prop it open to air the room.
- Check on neighbors.Ask guests in adjoining rooms whether they feel any irritation. Offer to move them if they do.
- Shut down shared air paths.Engineering can switch off the room's air unit and, if the building design allows, limit airflow that might carry spray to other rooms.
- Ventilate outward only.If the window opens, a person with eye and respiratory protection can open it and leave. Ventilation should push air outside, not into the hallway.
- Take the room out of order.Block the room in the property management system and note the cause so no one sells or enters it by mistake.
Why this residue is stubborn
The active ingredient in pepper spray is oily. It lands as fine droplets on the floor, bedding, curtains, walls and the air unit, and it does not evaporate like a solvent. Vacuuming dry can stir it back into the air. Wiping with plain water often just spreads it.
Bear spray is usually larger in volume and more forceful than personal pepper spray, so contamination often reaches the ceiling and far corners. Downtown properties near transit and event venues see personal canisters most often, but guests heading to or from the mountains sometimes carry bear spray, and an accidental discharge from a full can is a much bigger cleanup.
What usually happens to each item
- Item
- Linens and towels
- Common outcome
- Launder separately, several cycles if needed
- Notes
- Bag them in the room so the residue does not spread on the cart
- Item
- Pillows and duvet inserts
- Common outcome
- Often replaced
- Notes
- Hard to rinse fully
- Item
- Drapes
- Common outcome
- Professional cleaning or replace
- Notes
- Spray often reaches them near the window
- Item
- Carpet
- Common outcome
- Extraction with a degreasing step
- Notes
- Dry vacuuming first can make it worse
- Item
- Mattress
- Common outcome
- Depends on how close the discharge was
- Notes
- A soaked mattress is usually replaced
- Item
- Air unit
- Common outcome
- Filter replaced, coil and blower cleaned
- Notes
- Otherwise the unit spreads residue when restarted
Questions for anyone cleaning the room
- What protective equipment will the workers wear?
- How will you avoid pushing residue into the corridor or neighboring rooms?
- Which items will you clean, and which do you recommend replacing?
- Will the air unit be cleaned as part of the scope?
- How do you confirm the room is no longer irritating before it is released?
Common questions
How do staff know the room is safe to re-enter?
A simple test is whether a person entering without protection feels any sting in the eyes, nose or throat after a few minutes. Any reaction means more cleaning is needed.
Should the room be sealed and left alone for a while?
Waiting does reduce airborne spray, but the residue on surfaces remains. Plan cleaning rather than simply leaving the room closed.
General information for Downtown Denver, not a quote or professional advice. In an emergency, call 911.