African Cleaning Review JulAug'14 by African Cleaning Review

PROMOTING PROFESSIONAL HYGIENE AND CLEANING

July/August 2014 | R43.50 (incl. VAT)

Washroom dispensing systems Cleaning industry and social media Hard floorcare trends HACCP certification in laundry industry

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2014/07/28 10:32 AM

PROMOTING PROFESSIONAL HYGIENE AND CLEANING

July/August 2014 | R43.50 (incl. VAT)

Washroom dispensing systems Cleaning industry and social media Hard floorcare trends HACCP certification in laundry industry

11814 ACR JulAug cover.indd 2

2014/07/28 10:32 AM

10th

edition

S IN

CE 1998

2015

The one international trade show in Africa for all sectors of the professional cleaning industry

30 July 2015

Gallagher Convention Centre Midrand | Johannesburg | South Africa Supported by:

NATIONAL CONTRACT CLEANERS ASSOCIATION

For show details and to book your stand contact: Tel: +27 11 238 7848 Email: info@cleantex.co.za www.cleantex.co.za

Media Partner

BOOKINGS NOW OPEN 11814 ACR JulAug cover.indd 1

2014/07/28 10:31 AM

10th

edition

S IN

CE 1998

2015

The one international trade show in Africa for all sectors of the professional cleaning industry

30 July 2015

Gallagher Convention Centre Midrand | Johannesburg | South Africa Supported by:

NATIONAL CONTRACT CLEANERS ASSOCIATION

For show details and to book your stand contact: Tel: +27 11 238 7848 Email: info@cleantex.co.za www.cleantex.co.za

Media Partner

BOOKINGS NOW OPEN 11814 ACR JulAug cover.indd 1

2014/07/28 10:31 AM

contents july/august 2014 • Vol 15 No. 4

Clean Look washroom solutions Independent studies prove that a spotlessly clean, contemporary appearance for the washroom has a disproportionately positive influence on a visitor’s overall impression and experience of a facility. As a result, whenever property owners and facilities managers now update or modernise Away from Home washrooms, there is a much-increased focus on careful coordination of style and colour to improve the overall aesthetic image of the washroom. Rubbermaid recently launched their new Clean Look family of dispensers. Read more on pages 18–19.

Opinion

One way to avoid negative restaurant reviews online

Industry News

Features

8 24

Editorial

FM Review

GSA to celebrate 10th edition in 2015

Educational

Social media – cleaning industry gets social

Advertorial

Bidvest Steiner CBI – The value of case studies Kärcher SA celebrates new Head Office and 30 years in SA

22 16 28 30

Laundry Review

People and Events

New Products

HACCP certification takes laundry to next level Laundry Group plays its part in energy saving

All editorial contributions can be sent to the editor who reserves the right to publish editorial based on the strength of its content. No articles or photographs may be reproduced, in whole or in part, without written permission from the publishers. Although every effort is made to ensure the accuracy and reliability of material published in African Cleaning Review, e-squared publications and its agents can accept no responsibility for the veracity of the claims made by contributors, manufacturers or advertisers. Copyright of all material published in African Cleaning Review remains with e-squared publications and its agents.

Upcoming Features 2014

Washroom dispensing systems Hard floorcare

Benchmarking for facility professionals Broll to manage Investec Property Fund portfolio City of Johannesburg first to issue green bond

Sealed Air acquires Accel brand and healthcare businesses Minimum wage in contract cleaning sector under review Antibac soap chemical Triclosan banned Kränzle SA expands dealer network Controversial ‘Reitz video’ cleaners form own company Cleaning up in waste collection Dettol supports WHO water sanitation goals

African Cleaning Review is aimed at end-users, contractors and suppliers of products and services to Africa’s Cleaning, Hygiene, Maintenance, Pest Control and Facility Management Services industries. It is published every other month by: e-squared publications. Tel: +27 (0) 11 238 7848 or +27 (0) 72 611 1959 Fax: +27 (0) 86 672 4794 PO Box 1976, Halfway House, 1685, South Africa email: africancleaningreview@cleantex.co.za Website: www.africancleaningreview.co.za Editor/Publisher: Johann van Vuuren +27 (0) 11 238 7848 email: africancleaningreview@cleantex.co.za Features: Teresa Settas +27 (0) 11 238 7848 email: africancleaningreview@cleantex.co.za Advertising: +27 (0) 11 238 7848 email: africancleaningreview@cleantex.co.za Administration and Accounts: Nandé Jacobs email: africancleaningreview@cleantex.co.za

Sept/Oct issue: • Outdoor cleaning

• Food hygiene

Nov/Dec issue: • High pressure systems • Transport cleaning

Diarise the dates 10th Edition of CleantexPulire 28–30 July 2015 Gallagher Convention Centre Midrand, Johannesburg

Online version of ACR African Cleaning Review is now also available electronically. If you have not received the ACR email newsletter, then email us at: africancleaningreview@cleantex.co.za

New appointment at Hygiene Systems Gauteng product launch – Prime Cleaning Suppliers Kärcher SA turns 30 Hand dryer incorporate anti-mosquito technology New climb and decent assist system

Official Publication

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African Cleaning Review July/August 2014

from the editor

opinion

One way to avoid negative restaurant reviews online By Chicopee Europe

Trends and developments raise standards The implications of poor washroom hygiene relate directly to effective hand washing and the quality of dispensers available in these hygiene-sensitive areas. This issue explores the latest trends in washroom dispensing systems and elicits the views and recommendations of leading product and service suppliers. Issues including hygiene, innovations, functionality, quality and cost effectiveness play a major role when facilities decide to invest in washroom-dispensing systems. To reduce costs but still provide a quality service is a challenge cleaning-service providers regularly experience, and it is therefore imperative to remain in touch with trends and developments, especially those related to hard floor care. Product manufacturers recognise the need for cleaning equipment that improves worker safety, reduces labour costs and enhances service quality. The hard floor care feature takes a closer look at the benefits and advantages of utilising microfibre mopping equipment, to raise levels of effectiveness and standards in sensitive healthcare environments. At the time of going to print the NCCA Gauteng branch announced that this year’s golf tournament will take place on 16 September and the 25th anniversary function is scheduled for 27 November 2014 at Montecasino. It was decided that each region would organise its own celebrations rather than hosting a national event, so please diarise these important industry event dates, as and when they are stated. With this in mind, please also pay special attention to the Golden Service Awards article shedding more light on the decision to celebrate the 10th edition during 2015.

African Cleaning Review July/August 2014

Restaurant visitors have become critics. Reviewing has been enlightened by the development of websites like TripAdvisor, in which anyone can share their views on a particular dining experience.

he rise of the connected world – symbolised by the nowubiquitous Android and Apple smartphones – has enabled easy access to such sites, both for posting reviews and using them to decide where to eat. As documented before, this trend is only going to become more significant as people interact more extensively and frequently with social media platforms. Twitter users can cause a controversy – and damage a brand – with a single negative tweet, should it go viral. Picture-based forums like Pinterest hint at how this situation could get worse for restaurants with poor standards: a picture speaks a thousand words – so imagine someone snapping something unhygienic in your restaurant and then sharing it with the world. Twitter users can, and do, already share pictures, but this will become an increasingly important consideration for restaurateurs. Foodservice business owners need to be fully aware of this network of reviews and critiques of their restaurants online. Some tools have been launched that can even allow owners and (for larger organisations) their marketing teams to monitor online commentary more closely and

effectively. Big chains, for instance, may get vague comments about an unpleasant or unhygienic dining experience at one of their restaurants. But which are they referring to? Tools like the recently launched Venuelabs are adding location traceability to the mix, so comments about a restaurant can be understood in the context of location. Is a negative comment an anomaly in an area that usually speaks positively online about your restaurant? Or is a pattern emerging for one outlet in particular? These additional tools and features of tracking online commentary show that the biggest foodservice businesses are keen to gain a meaningful understanding. For many smaller businesses, an extensive range of software and dedicated staff to monitor social media commentary is beyond the resources available – and might be overkill anyway. Nevertheless this is a factor that shouldn’t be underestimated in terms of its importance to your restaurant(s) and brand. Foodservice businesses of all shapes and sizes should do their best to engage customers online and keep an eye on comments – positive and negative – to have a chance to deal with potentially damaging comments.

opinion However a sure way of avoiding the most damning, potentially most damaging, material that can make it online is to apply thorough and comprehensive food safety and hygiene practices. Poor service, comments on mediocre food or high prices are all things you will want to tackle; but few can compare with photo evidence of poor food safety or hygiene. Perhaps the most significant step in your online strategy is to go back to the cleaning supplies inventory, and your approach to food safety and hygiene. Chicopee products are available in SA through Industroclean. For more information visit www.industroclean.co.za

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African Cleaning Review July/August 2014

industry news Sealed Air acquires Accel brand and healthcare businesses

n a recent press release Sealed Air Corporation announced that it has completed an acquisition of Virox Technologies’ Accel® brand and its related healthcare businesses in the United States and Canada. The acquired assets include the brand, the current healthcare business and existing customer relationships. Through its Diversey Care business, Sealed Air has had a long standing exclusive, global relationship with Virox and this new arrangement will enhance Diversey Care’s marketing of Virox’s proprietary Accelerated Hydrogen

Peroxide® (AHP®) technology. In addition to increased focus on healthcare surface cleaning and disinfection applications, Diversey Care continues to provide all the benefits of AHP to the broader institutional markets like Education, Government, Facility Management, Retail and Food Service. “We see a unique opportunity to leverage Virox’s patented technology and Professional and Technical Services (PTS) model around the world to deliver thought leadership in the cleaning and disinfecting arena,” said Ilham Kadri, President of Sealed Air’s Diversey Care

Division. “Their PTS model leveraged with our sales coverage, application expertise, and global distribution will create an environment for the success of our AHP- based solutions in the Oxivir® brand globally.” AHP is a patented, synergistic blend of commonly used, safe ingredients, that when combined with low levels of hydrogen peroxide dramatically increase its disinfecting and cleaning ability. It provides the unique benefits of speed and efficacy, while being gentle on people, surfaces and the environment.

Minimum wage in contract cleaning sector under review

he Department of Labour reported that public hearings on the review of the minimum wage in the contract cleaning sector concluded towards the end of May. “The next step is for the department to consolidate all national inputs submitted during the national public hearings and written inputs into a single document,” it said in a statement. “The Employment Conditions Commission will do a review of

the data collected and submit a consolidated report with recommendations to Labour Minister Mildred Oliphant.” The public hearings started at the beginning of May to obtain input from parties involved, such as workers, employers, and unions. The review of the minimum wage in the sector is expected to end in November. The new three-year minimum wage sectoral determination

is expected to start in December 2014. Workers argued that the current hourly rate determination was unfair, in that workers due to get minimum wage increases had their working hours reduced by eployers, the department said. They also cited noncompliance with labour laws and a lack of benefits as problems. Employers favour inflation-linked minimum wage determination.

Antibac soap chemical Triclosan banned

riclosan, a chemical widely used in products such as liquid soaps and body washes has been banned in US state Minnesota after a growing body of research suggests that the chemical could harm consumers’ health. This is the first US state to have outlawed the key antibacterial ingredient due to environmental and health concerns. According to the Food and Drug Administration, Triclosan is used in an

African Cleaning Review July/August 2014

estimated 75 percent of antibacterial liquid soaps and body washes sold across the US. While the ingredient has not been proven to be hazardous to humans, studies in laboratory animals have raised concerns that it can disrupt hormones that are critical for reproduction and development. There are also fears that Triclosan could contribute to the development of resistant bacteria. A University of Minnesota study

published last year also found increasing levels of Triclosan in the sediments of several of the state’s lakes. The chemical is said to break down in water to form potentially harmful dioxins. The European Union (EU) has been concerned about the use of Triclosan for some time. During March this year the European Commission voted to phase out the use of the substance in some product groups including disinfectants and algaecides.

industry news Kränzle SA expands dealer network

uring July Kränzle South Africa announced the appointment of Johannesburg based Phoenix Direct Cleaning Solutions as an official dealer for the Gauteng province. The company’s strategy of appointing dealers across South Africa bolsters its capability to provide superior sales and technical service to its clients. “Our range has always been specifically directed at the professional user and we feel the time is ripe to make a concerted effort to offer the range to the contract and industrial cleaning sector. We are therefore delighted with the Phoenix Direct Cleaning Solutions’ appointment as this extends our network to this very important cleaning market,” says Kränzle SA Managing Director Rod Dolpire. Kränzle high pressure cleaning equipment is manufactured in Illertissen, Germany and consists of a complete range of machines to cater to all high pressure cleaning needs.

The Kränzle South Africa Head Office based in Cape Town has extended the range of high-pressure machines to suit local conditions combined with accessories that increase its applications. In addition to importing ready for use equipment Kränzle

SA imports pumps and motors for assembly into cabinets, frames and systems, specifically to client requirements. For more information or product brochure email: sales@kranzle.co.za

Controversial “Reitz video” cleaners form own company

he five University of the Free State (UFS) workers who were humiliated in a racially inspired video launched their own cleaning company during June. Mothibedi Molete, Mankoe Phororo, Emmah Koko, Nkgapeng Adams and Sebuasengwe Ntlatseng launched Mamello Trading, with the assistance of the UFS on the Bloemfontein campus. Vice-Rector of external relations Dr Choice Makhetha said the company was already registered in 2012 but a lot of work had been done since then. “Training took 12 months,” she told a group of guests, who included

the families of the former workers. She also said they would like other companies to support Mamello Trading, adding the new business owners had gone through all the stages of training and have received start-up materials. The UFS had signed a four-year cleaning and gardening service contract with Mamello Trading to clean the university’s southern campus, commencing on 1 June 2014. The value of the contract was not disclosed. “There is no need to put a value to the contract. With all due respect, the kind of work we are doing is far beyond monetary terms. Right from the beginning we

have not been talking about figures. We are talking about the quality of work that has been done, restoring human dignity and no amount of money would replace that,” said Dr. Mahetha. The former Free State head of the Human Rights Commission Mothusi Lepheane also indicated there was no need to mention a contract figure. “We do not want to quantify this kind of journey in monetary terms,” he said. Lepheane managed the human rights’ case of the five Mamello directors, while working for the commission nearly six years ago. Mamello Trading currently employs four supervisors and 10 workers.

African Cleaning Review July/August 2014

industry news Cleaning up in waste collection

rash is being turned into gold in Cape Town where a group of woman in the local community made it their task to collect rubbish bags. Business woman Thina Maziya, owner of the recycling company Verigreen, works with 100 women who collect plastic from their areas. This is then consolidated and taken for processing. The garbage plastic is recycled and

turned into refuse bags branded as Supa Mama. Maziya’s business model is said to cut out the middleman by dealing directly with the women collecting the plastic waste and by offering higher remuneration for their recycling efforts. Collection points have been set up near the areas where the women live and work. “We have also set up a safe SMS weekly payment system via

a CashSend system therefore the woman don’t have to carry cash,” says Maziya. The company plans to employ 500 collectors in time and hopes to hire women owner-drivers to fetch the plastic from the collection points. The plan is to recycle five tons of plastic waste a week. For more information visit: www.facebook.com/VerigreenSA

Dettol supports WHO water sanitation goals

lean water is the cornerstone of a healthy life; only this is not possible in Africa where millions of people still do not have access to proper sanitation; this according to a new report by the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF (United Children’s Fund), entitled Progress on Drinking Water and Sanitation 2014. Dettol representative and member of The Global Hygiene Council Dr Kgosi Letlape confirms that a lack of proper sanitation leads to a number of health

African Cleaning Review July/August 2014

related illnesses in South Africa. “Poor sanitation not only adversely affects the availability and quality of water, but also has the same harmful effects on a community’s current and future wellbeing,” said Dr Letlape. The report shows that more than 700 million people globally still lack ready access to improved sources of drinking water and nearly half are in sub-Saharan Africa. This is precisely why for almost a decade Dettol has reached out to over 500 communities, almost 20 000

schools and 11.5 million children to bring the message of good hygiene communities across South Africa, with a primary focus on underprivileged communities. Through its school programme Dettol educates children on good hygiene practices and the importance of washing hands. Each child receives a Dettol soap bar and the school is given posters of the ‘6 steps of hand washing’ to hang in classrooms or washrooms. Hand washing recognition charts are also given to the school to ensure children become the custodians of healthy habits. Dr Letlape advises that the key to increasing the practice of proper hand washing with hygienic soap is to promote behavioural change through motivation, information and education.

feature washroom dispensing systems

Paper and soap dispensers Washrooms are becoming a more important part of buildings and therefore more money is being spent to equip these facilities adequately and raise to a standard that fits in with the overall image of a facility. Washroom equipment manufacturers, distributors and service providers offer their opinions on why it is so important to make the correct decisions when investing in dispensing systems. Issues such as hygiene, innovations, functionality, quality, maintenance and cost effectiveness offer a broader perspective on this topic.

Product support by product experts and product presentations on behalf of clients forms a valuable part of the company’s after sales service.

Importance of quality product investment

Justin Van Der Westhuyzen Hygiene Systems MD, Justin Van Der Westhuyzen Hygiene Systems South Africa is a manufacturer and distributor of washroom dispensing systems and allied consumables. The company has a thorough understanding of the washroom service sector and offers user friendly hygiene systems exclusively to distributors.

African Cleaning Review July/August 2014

By investing in quality matching washroom equipment and well researched products, you can be assured that the hygiene contracts signed by your company will result in long-term contracts. It is easy to import less expensive, inferior quality products. However, these are not made to last forever, so selling it for six months will make your profit margins look good, but in six months’ time (a) you don’t have the product to supply as the supplier was a fly-by-night business, therefore you cannot continue your customer’s range and (b) when the products start failing, which they ultimately will, there is no recourse and there is no backup from a spares capacity, and therefore there is no longevity. From Hygiene Systems’ point of view, we sell what we know will

last for up to five years; we are not interested in low quality products and we are certainly not interested in products that do not match. We spent a lot of time and money developing a number of ranges like the Family Affair, for instance. The name says it all: it is a group of products featuring similar lines, a similar look and consistently made from the same manufacturer. In the old days it was a matter of supplying a stainless steel soap dispenser from China, plastic air freshener from Taiwan and a local paper towel dispenser (as an example of mix and match). This is not the case any more; the market now demands a similar looking range that creates synergy in the washroom. However you can’t be complacent. The market evolves and clients are always looking for something new and different. We have therefore developed a top end, unique look Excel stainless steel dispenser range, manufactured from Grade 304 brushed stainless steel that can be customised with a client’s branding.

feature washroom dispensing systems Offering flexibility The Family Affair range was designed to take a specific set of consumables. We then developed the Excel range around the working mechanisms and consumables of the Family Affair. The result is our customers can, at the end of a contract, literally upgrade the dispensers from plastic to stainless steel at a much lower cost, because they donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have to purchase a full stainless steel dispenser. The existing Family Affair dispensers fit directly into the Excel stainless steel covers. This flexibility feature offers a cost effective product upgrade that will result in the customer holding on to the service contract for years to come.

The overall washroom look The overall look of a washroom is becoming increasingly important. Companies and facility owners are spending a lot more money on the washroom; in fact, they are spending a lot more on their corporate images as a whole and a washroom is a very personal space. An unpleasant washroom

experience can ruin your company and facilityâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s image in an instant. It is critical that the visitor experiences a clean and well-presented washroom. This is where a matching dispenser range can make the difference by presenting a neater and more professional image.

Stainless steel products The longevity of stainless steel is legitimate. It is a genuine investment in any business based on the assumption that you are purchasing quality. Hygiene Systems Excel range is made from Grade 304 stainless steel, which means it is not a mix of metals that contain iron and other material. that can rust and deteriorate in environments like coastal areas. Stainless steel products do require some maintenance and it is important that the appropriate silicone maintenance kit is used to avoid product deterioration. The Excel stainless steel range is unique in the market because it offers a complete washroom range from a toilet roll holder through to a seat sanitiser, air freshener, urinal sanitiser,

soap dispenser, paper towel dispenser and sanitary bin. This is an important feature compared to the mix and match scenario, which is a step back in time.

The price difference issue Yes there is a price difference between stainless steel and traditional dispensers, but ultimately the buyer should be aware that, by investing in inexpensive and inferior quality dispensers, it is a given that a replacement will be required sooner rather than later. Labour in South Africa is becoming more expensive, the fuel price is on an upward curve; add to these the cost of transport, e-tolls and labour transportation, and it makes sense to invest in quality, low maintenance products. Excel dispensers are virtually maintenance free and offer wide service intervals of up to 60 days, compared to standard dispensers, which have to be serviced monthly. Low cost dispensers have a reputation of breaking down, resulting in more service time, with its associated costs, spent on product maintenance.

African Cleaning Review July/August 2014

feature washroom dispensing systems Inferior paper quality will result in the user pulling sheet after sheet from a dispenser using much more than they

vehicle and cut down on packaging costs. So overall the service provider benefits, as hidden costs are avoided.

need. So, on its own, the quality of the paper in the dispenser

Dispenser evolution

is the controlling factor. An additional benefit of stainless steel longevity is that, when a service contract comes to an end and dispensers have to be removed, it is still in pristine condition and paid for. This means the service provider becomes super-efficient and competitive when tendering for the next contract. It almost creates a residual value within your business.

Reality of vandalism Vandalism is a worldwide problem, not restricted to South Africa. Stainless steel or steel products are considered to be a lot stronger, but technology has changed and we now have plastic products that are literally impossible to break. In the end, you cannot prevent damage to washroom dispensers. We do our best to prevent this by manufacturing dispensers as strong as possible from the highest quality plastic available, but we do find that customers are still concerned about vandalism and cost. We have developed anti-theft brackets for our plastic range of products. Locking mechanisms are quite important but sometimes it is easier to use a cheap lock on products. However, if you are prepared to spend a little more, you can have a plastic dispenser with a very powerful locking mechanism, and at the same time a very strong cover. We have had our SDI range of soap dispensers running for years, and vandalism on those soap dispensers is extremely low due to their high resistance to physical impact.

African Cleaning Review July/August 2014

Paper Sensor Systems offer savings? Control of consumables is definitely something to consider. The time delay on a paper dispenser means that the client will pull the first sheet of paper and may be in too much of rush to wait for the second sheet and will move on, which results in a paper saving advantage. However, the quality of the paper used in a dispenser is ultimately the differentiating factor. It is vitally important that the quality of the paper is superior. A superior quality client can use one or two sheets of paper, irrespective of whether the dispenser is sensor driven or manual, to dry their hands properly. Inferior paper quality will result in the user pulling sheet after sheet from a dispenser, using much more than they need. So, on its own, the quality of the paper in the dispenser is the controlling factor. Hygiene Systems has developed a smaller paper towel dispenser and at the same time we have managed to house a longer paper towel on a smaller roll inside. We are very focused on environmental impact, service, fuel and labour costs. If we can put more paper in a dispenser without compromising the size of the dispenser, that means the service provider wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have to go back as frequently to change that roll. More paper per roll means you can store more in a smaller area; you can transport more paper in a smaller

We are all familiar with the traditional dispenser that requires top up from a 25 litre hand soap container. This system has terrible shortfalls. The controlling of consumables was impossible, theft was rife, and wastage was high; in addition, the dispenser became grubby and contaminated. The next development was a pre-filled pouch that fitted neatly into a soap dispenser, making servicing a lot easier and it offered more consumable control. However another problem still remained: the pump was not replaced during servicing creating hygiene concerns and in many cases the dispenser pump would fail over time. The step from there was to develop a dispenser that would prove to be hygienic in the long term. This then led to the development of the HXII dispenser with a pump sachet refill system. The pump and sachet refill ensures that soap refills are not only hygienic and uncontaminated but pump fails are a thing of the past. The introduction of foam dispensers brought a more luxurious look and feel to the washroom. They are less prone to pilferage, smoother, operates better and is definitely gaining more popularity in the market. Everybody is trying to achieve cost savings today and although foam is considered a luxury the reality is you get a greater return (as much as 35 percent in certain instances) on the foam refill compared to liquid soap. The HXII can dispense foam, liquid and gel refills in one convenient dispenser.

feature washroom dispensing systems company interprets market trends and needs and then sources high quality, cost effective products from local and international manufacturers and rates customer service as its highest priority. Typical products, in addition to hot air hand dryers, include soap and paper dispensers, sanitary bins, wall bins, etc. These products are also available in locally produced stainless steel.

The importance of dispensers in the overall look of a washroom

Norman Smith Costa Lambrianos (Pty) Ltd MD, Norman Smith Costa Lambrianos (Pty) Ltd, initially established as a hot air hand dryer distributor, underwent a business restructuring exercise over the past year to address the needs of the Away from Home hygiene rental and outright purchase market. As a wholesaler the

Over the past 10 years the washroom market has become a lot more dynamic in that requirements moved away from simply fixing dispensers to a wall. The market has become more demanding and aspects such as aesthetics and durability play a huge role in the decision making process. Washroom ranges that offer uniformity and style are no longer a â&#x20AC;&#x153;nice to haveâ&#x20AC;? but have indeed become an imperative. Service companies are increasingly looking at a range that will set them apart from

the rest. Costa Lambrianos (Pty) Ltd identified this trend and offers a local range (Regal) and an international range (Harmony) that offer cartridge interchange and top-up ability, therefore converting a unit from top up to a cartridge is easily achieved.

Top-up vs sachet/cartridge systems It has taken the market 20 years to break down the perception that sachets/cartridges are a more expensive option. For too long the emphasis was simply on providing a dispenser for the wall and the hygiene aspect was not fully factored in. In todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s environment the washroom must be equal to or more superior than at home, therefore we have seen a marked increase in demand for sachet/ cartridge dispensers. However, a lot of groundwork still has to be done when comparing South Africa, where 80 percent of dispensers are still the top-up version, to the European market where nine out of 10 units on the wall are sachet/cartridge dispensers.

African Cleaning Review July/August 2014

feature washroom dispensing systems This is especially concerning in healthcare environments, the food manufacturing industry and fast food establishments, where sealed sachet/ cartridge systems should be the convention rather than the exception. Sachet/cartridge dispensers are increasingly finding their way into corporate offices, but it remains a daunting exercise in an environment where clients determine the price, and it is far too easy to revert to top up in order to save. That the sachet/cartridge system is more expensive, is in fact a myth and a misperception. People don’t consider the “cost in use” factor, they simply look at the cost of a five litre soap container and then draw comparisons with the equivalent in sachets/ cartridges. It is only when you perform a proper cost analysis, taking into account soap control, leaking, soap dilution, rust, damaged triggers and plungers, that you realise that by replacing top-up dispensers more often, you are actually spending more, not less.

African Cleaning Review July/August 2014

Trends Sensor systems are definitely becoming more appealing, both from a hygiene and control point of view, and in environments such as healthcare, food processing and upmarket hospitality establishments. Washrooms are becoming smaller, therefore there is a need for more compact units that sacrifice the amount of product it can actually hold – thus explaining the changeover from liquid soap to foam. More and more service providers are making the move to foam dispensers. It is an obvious choice: the average person will push a dispenser 2–3 times and if it is liquid soap, most will wash down the drain without being used. With the foam, even if you push it 2–3 times, the millilitres used is less, because of the bulk effect created by foam, plus it is more effective in the lathering process. Both stainless steel and a stainless steel-look range of dispensers are becoming more and more sought after despite the cost factor and there are a number of reasons for this. Stainless steel is:

• p referred for upmarket buildings because of its appeal; • longer lasting, therefore it becomes an asset on the wall; • not prone to chips, scratches or discolouring; and • able to function as multiple use dispenser units. The use of a specific product range is the way to go in the future. Service providers want a dispenser range that they can identify with to remain competitive. Similarly, end users are becoming more and more critical about what they put on the wall in their washrooms, and are therefore moving away from the “liquorice allsorts” effect previously seen in washroom facilities.

feature washroom dispensing systems When using foam soap, people tend to use between 16 and 45 percent less water than when they wash their hands with liquid soap. Foam contains no thickening agent, therefore it is more biodegradable and less harmful to the environment.

Annette Devenish Infection Protection Products (IPP) Marketing Manager, Annette Devenish There are vast ranges of washroom dispensers available in South Africa. The world has become very small, making the availability of dispensers from Europe, Asia and the US easier. For instance the interest in the Amsterdam show bears testament to this. IPP is a local manufacturer of interchangeable washroom dispensing systems and associated consumables. The company specialises in offering products in large or small runs, with a degree of difference to its distributors in a market where exclusivity remains paramount.

of product within the same look and feel. We make every effort to customise as much as we can for each specific distributor, so that they have a full range of uniform dispensers with their own branding, colours and look. Consumables produced by our company feature hygienic germ-free sealed cartridges that simply clip into the dispenser. The cartridges, in the form of plastic bottles, can be recycled and therefore comply fully with environmental recycling standards. These consumables assist greatly in the time it takes to replace consumables in a washroom, plus they offer the added advantage of improved consumable control. It has become common practice by a building manager to insist on receiving the empty cartridge before a new one is issued. This cuts down on pilferage and provides improved control over consumables, but also ensures that the correct cartridge is replaced.

improved control over consumables. The cost control aspect of hands-free, touchless dispensers is a definite advantage over manually operated units because of the time delay upon activating the fluid a second time. However, this also restricts the amount of fluid dispensed, often creating a problem in healthcare environments where sanitisers and soaps need to be dispensed in greater dosages in order to conform to WHO recommendations. IPPâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s hands-free Sanimatic range offers 1, 2 or 3 activation settings, which allows hospitals to set the unit on one spray/dose for general areas, and two and three dose activation for ICU and theatre areas. In addition, the Sanimatic dispensers also feature a patented concertina-style bottle that collapses on use resulting in a space-saving advantage when collected for recycling.

Local production Imports do present a sense of competition to us as a South African producer of dispensing systems. However the weak currency provides us with an opportunity to supply the market with quality products and consumables. We are also well positioned to manufacture dispensers to specific South African requirements that include unique innovations, interchangeable parts and of course, robusticity. The majority of imported dispensers are manufactured for single purpose use, but the South African market is small and many washroom service providers seek their own particular look and feel in a dispenser range. To meet the demand of a broader market we manufacture all our dispensers with interchangeable parts, therefore our dispenser ranges offer a great variety

Foam vs liquid soap We have noticed a definite trend towards foam dispensers over liquid soap. When using foam soap, people tend to use between 16 and 45 percent less water than washing hands with liquid soap. Foam contains no thickening agent, therefore is more biodegradable and less harmful to the environment. Foam also saves time and money, because as less foam is consumed it lengthens the replacement intervals. Best practice Hand Washing favours foam as it is dispersed more evenly and the pleasant experience actually encourages more frequent use, which is a boon for hygiene sensitive areas.

Sensor activated systems

Safer to touch

The main driver for increased demand in sensor-activated dispenser systems is the elimination of touch points and

Manual dispensers are often avoided at all cost by the general public, mainly due to a common perception that germs

African Cleaning Review July/August 2014

feature washroom dispensing systems are transferred upon touching the same dispenser. This has changed with the introduction of silver ion technology into all our dispensers. The technology is based on silver’s natural ability to prevent harmful microbes from growing. During the manufacturing process of these dispensers, silver ions are added and homogenously distributed throughout the material. Silver constantly migrates to the surface of the products and breaks down microbes on contact. Silver ions kill the bacteria on the surface by penetrating the cell membrane. This exciting development renders all our manual dispensers as hygienic as touchless dispensers, and at a fraction of the cost.

Stainless steel as an option IPP introduced the Ecolux stainless steel range during 2013, due to an increased demand for this type of product. We produce upmarket, slimline, compact and elegant dispensers as well as a larger slimline ranges. All consumables are supplied with valves attached. Our latest stainless steel range “Regal”, allows service providers the choice to have a full range of ABS dispensers and a full range of stainless steel dispensers, all utilising the same consumables. This feature results in a huge advantage, especially from a stock-holding perspective. The stainless steel used is of the highest quality and features a brushed finish.

Importance of buying into a range If your company wants to present a professional image in the market and wishes to be identified as a service provider, then you need to have a full range of uniform looking hygiene dispensers. There is nothing worse than walking into a washroom where different types of dispensers appear on the wall, each with a different service provider’s branding, as a result of contracts changing over the years. A far more striking scenario is, when upon entering, you are greeted with the “WOW” effect, where all dispensers match and the company’s uniform branding is evident. It is also a fact that if you consolidate on a range your consumables require far less stockholding.

African Cleaning Review July/August 2014

Signature range features antibacterial protection As part of a major investment in hygiene innovation, Initial launched two new ranges of washroom products in 2013. Both the Signature and Reflection ranges have been extensively developed, designed and tested. The entire project required more than 4 500 man days and the units have been tested for long-term reliability and robustness. For example, the soap dispenser was tested for almost a million operations.

he Signature range has been created with integral antibacterial protection and is designed to raise hygiene standards and help reduce the risk of cross contamination within all organisations, from offices and manufacturers, to hotels and restaurants. Signature products feature antibacterial ions embedded within the plastic and painted coatings to provide hygienic protection on key touchable surfaces. Products also incorporate surfaces specifically designed to be more hygienic, making it easier for dirt, debris and bacteria to be cleaned and removed from the surfaces. The antibacterial properties of the range have been evaluated to meet global standards for antibacterial plastics (ISO22196 and AATCC147 or JIS Z 2801). The Signature range comprises stylish bathroom hygiene products available in white and silver, including: feminine hygiene units, hand hygiene units including paper towel dispensers, soap dispensers and hand sanitiser dispensers, for the ultimate hand washing and hand drying solution, and waste management solutions and air hygiene units. “We have created the Signature range to ensure our customers – and

their employees or customers – get the very best in hygiene solutions. The full range meets every hygiene need, and provides a modern, stylish design to enhance the appearance of the washroom, as well as tackle washroom hygiene,” said David Lewis, MD of Rentokil Initial South Africa. The Signature range of washroom products won the prestigious Red Dot Design Award for product design excellence in March 2014, and the President Design Award for Design of the Year 2013. The Reflection range is Initial’s new premium stainless steel range, exclusively designed for Initial by a Norwegian designer. Tested as extensively as Signature, and with the same attention to robustness and reliability, the range is the ideal solution for high-end customers who want to enhance their brand image whilst offering the highest levels of hygiene. Reflection is crafted from the finest grade stainless steel and the units are highly durable to deal with heavy usage, and are made to last. The Reflection range comprises premium washroom hygiene products available in stainless steel, including paper towel dispensers and soap dispensers for the ultimate hand washing and hand drying solution.

feature washroom dispensing systems

Initialâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Signature range of bathroom products won the prestigious Red Dot Design Award for Product Design Excellence in March 2014, and the President Design Award for Design of the year in 2013.

The Rentokil Initial Group specialises in pest control, hygiene services and interior landscaping for businesses across the globe. Using leading environmentally-friendly technology, their experts deliver a wide range of tailored services to businesses of all kinds. Rentokil Initial South Africa has operations in all major business centres across the country. For more information on Initialâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Signature and Reflection ranges, or to arrange for a free workplace and bathroom hygiene survey at your workplace, contact Rentokil Initial on 0800 77 77 88.

African Cleaning Review July/August 2014

advertorial Bidvest Steiner

Why consider a washroom rental contract? By Anli Moller

The main benefit of entering into a washroom rental contract is that it voids large initial capital outlay compared to purchasing dispensers outright. In circumstances where one or two dispensers are purchased for a small office, the capital expenditure might not be that large, but when you have to install a full range of dispensers (soap, paper towel cabinets, wall bins and toilet roll holders) for a large building it can prove to be a costly exercise, says Bidvest Steinerâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Anli Moller. With a rental contract your monthly washroom expenditure remains constant and can be budgeted for, compared to outright sales where you are never sure when a unit will break or require replacement â&#x20AC;&#x201C; so you end up with unexpected expenses.

African Cleaning Review July/August 2014

A rental contract includes the installation of all washroom dispensers. However when purchasing dispensers you need to be aware that the services of a contractor will have to be secured to facilitate installation. All Bidvest Steiner installation teams are fully trained to perform the task correctly by installing the dispensers to ensure optimum operation. Rental contracts also include the servicing of washroom units. This includes batteries (where applicable) and consumable refills. Let me explain further â&#x20AC;&#x201C; when you have an air freshener on a rental contract, we offer the client a fresh environment with a working dispenser. Bidvest Steiner will ensure the batteries and refill are serviced to live up to the promise. We do not simply sell a can containing air freshener. When

considering in-house servicing of, for instance, air fresheners (buying a unit from retail), you can have a situation where someone in the office has to check the unit regularly and purchase refills when needed and, as we all know, when it is least convenient, the batteries will need replacing. It is a given that dispensers will malfunction from time to time; sometimes it is more serious than anticipated, with leaking valves or the roller towel of a paper dispenser becoming stuck. With a rental contract in place, it will cover dispenser maintenance, thereby ensuring that dispensers perform at optimum levels at all times. In terms of the washroom rental contract, faulty dispensers will be replaced with fully-functional dispensers (theft and vandalism excluded).

advertorial Bidvest Steiner Rental contracts also allow for the regular servicing of sanitary bins, a task that cannot be left unattended or performed on a piecemeal basis due to serious hygiene ramifications that create an unpleasant washroom experience for staff. A rental contract also allows for the monthly delivery of consumables directly to your premises at no additional cost. At facilities where storage space is a problem consumables can be delivered in smaller quantities without any additional cost, as Bidvest Steiner’s bulk buying power will sustain pricing. Orders over and above soap or paper requirements can also be entertained and delivered directly to the client. When entering into a washroom rental contract with Bidvest Steiner clients can be assured that consumables will be readily available to ensure smooth operation. When purchasing dispensers from a trader, the situation may arise where the trader will not keep adequate stock of particular consumables, thereby leaving the client high and dry without any recourse, resulting in compromising hygiene standards in their facility.

A washroom rental contract ensures a “one stop shop” experience for all hygiene requirements. Dispensers and consumables will be supplied by the same supplier, thereby eliminating negotiations with different suppliers that entertain different delivery schedules upon the receipt of a formal monthly order. Another benefit of a washroom rental contract is that when a dispenser breaks, Bidvest Steiner is able to replace it with the same product because

Golden Service Awards to celebrate 10th anniversary KIMBERLY-CLARK PROFESSIONAL* will host the 10th edition of the prestigious Golden Service Awards during 2015. The awards event, introduced in 2005, celebrates excellence in the professional cleaning industry. The Golden Service Awards 2015 event will hail a decade-long recognition of the local cleaning industry, and the human touch that makes all our living spaces habitable. KIMBERLY-CLARK PROFESSIONAL* will officially launch the 10th Golden Service Awards in February 2015. The company and the awards committee members have spent the last few months sifting through industry survey feedback, following the 2013 Golden Service Awards event. This resulted in the revision of a number of key areas going forward, including award categories and the nomination criteria, whilst exciting and innovative categories and judging processes will be introduced to ensure the Golden Service Awards retain their sparkle in the South African awards calendar. Nthatisi Vilakazi, Trade Marketing Manager at KIMBERLY-CLARK PROFESSIONAL* revealed that the company is delighted with industry participation in the post-2013 event survey. The

feedback received showed that some areas require refinement and the relevance to stakeholders should be updated and re-defined. The result will be evident when the 2015 GSA is launched. The 10th Anniversary GSA 2015 awards will experience a huge leap from the 2013 event in terms of the technology used, the refreshing changes to certain categories and new awards of recognition. KIMBERLY-CLARK PROFESSIONAL* has spent the majority of 2014 refining these awards and for this reason has opted to forgo this year’s event in favour of holding a bigger 10th Anniversary event. From August this year, KIMBERLY-CLARK PROFESSIONAL* will be consulting with the majority of stakeholders who have made the event the success it’s been in previous years, which will set the scene for the 10th Anniversary celebrations. Designed to recognise service excellence in the cleaning and support services industry, the Golden Service Awards provide a benchmark for quality and is the ideal opportunity for contract cleaning companies and in-house cleaning teams to promote the excellent work carried out by their cleaning teams, giving them the recognition they deserve.

of its considerable stockholding. In many instances of outright purchases the supplier is unable to replace the dispenser with a similar product and the client ends up with a washroom featuring an array of non-matching dispensers. This also creates the ultimate nightmare for the cleaner who needs to install those refills. Anli Moller is the Marketing Manager at Bidvest Steiner, South Africa’s major supplier of washroom and associated services.

editorial GSA

Nthatisi Vilakazi

African Cleaning Review July/August 2014

facilities management review

Guide – Benchmarking for facility professionals The International Facility Management Association Foundation offers a free how-to guide designed to assist facilities management professionals in making informed decisions on benchmarking and achieving benchmarking goals. The paper, entitled “Benchmarking for Facility Professionals”, was written by Peter Kimmel, an IFMA Fellow and the principal of FM Benchmarking; it is sponsored by ISS and was reviewed and edited by a team of subject matter experts.

“W

ith the help of organisations like IFMA and the IFMA Foundation, FM professionals are turning to colleagues for guidance more than ever before,” says IFMA Foundation Executive Director Jeffrey J. Tafel, CAE. “Benchmarking is one of the most valuable ways that individual FM professionals can benefit from the broad experience and expertise of the larger discipline. The IFMA Foundation is pleased to offer this useful guide for the advancement of the profession, free of charge. We have no doubt that readers will appreciate Peter Kimmel’s insights and guidance, and we thank him for his ongoing contributions.” Benchmarking has become a valuable tool for many FM professionals seeking data-driven guidance. With the increasing amount of data available to modern facility management professionals, benchmarking can provide new insights that were previously out of reach. With the help of this free how-to guide from the IFMA Foundation, FM professionals will gain a stronger understanding of what benchmarking is, how it works and how to best utilise it for their specific needs. Included are discussions of multiple approaches to benchmarking to suit varied objectives. The guide differentiates between how facilities managers may apply benchmarking differently from corporate

African Cleaning Review July/August 2014

real estate executives and shows how benchmarking can be implemented in manageable phases. For those who wish to take benchmarking to a new level, the guide illustrates how to identify the best practices that will be most effective for different types of facilities and how this can result in benefits such as reduced operating costs. “Benchmarking has been a major interest area of FMs for many years,” says Peter Kimmel. “While the concept is familiar to most facilities professionals (loosely, “a way to compare one’s metrics to those of others”), the details of what comprises benchmarking have held different meanings by FMs – and all meanings are correct. This guide sheds some light on, and provides structure to, those perspectives. “The objective in writing the guide was to find a way to encompass the different ways one can benchmark, show which work best for which types of objectives, and then go into detail on how to implement a benchmarking solution for one’s organisation. When applied properly, benchmarking will not only show a facility professional how well a building is doing compared to others, but also how to improve that building’s performance, including reducing operating costs. In today’s economy, cost reduction is more important than it has ever been.”

This report was made possible by the generous support of ISS (www.issworld.com): “ISS is delighted to sponsor this how-to guide in response to a groundswell of real pressure and momentum for benchmarking solutions in the industry. The potential value of benchmarking to clients and outsourcing providers means that it’s critical to develop effective solutions now,” says Peter Ankerstjerne, ISS Global Marketing Director. The guide is available to download for free from the Foundation’s website at: www.ifmafoundation.org

facilities management review

Broll to manage Investec Property Fund portfolio Investec Property Fund Limited has awarded the contract for the property management of a portion of its portfolio to Broll, effective 1 July 2014.

nvestec Property Fund Limited is a JSElisted REIT (Real Estate Investment Trust) invested in a portfolio of 61 properties across South Africa valued at R6 billion, of which Broll will manage 52 properties on a national basis. The objective of Investec Property Fund is to grow its asset base by investing in well-priced incomeproducing properties in the office, industrial and retail sectors to optimise capital and income returns over time for investors. Effective and proactive property management in this growing

portfolio is crucial for achieving the Fund’s performance goals. For Investec Property Fund, this contract puts a portion of its property management in the skilled hands of one of South Africa’s most respected property managers. Broll manages properties for a further nine listed property funds, with its unique understanding of the dynamics and key drivers for portfolios in this sector. For Broll, receiving the property management contract for the Investec Property Fund portfolio brings its total

assets under management across all service lines to R94 billion, of which 20 percent is outside the borders of South Africa. Delivering specialised services and solutions in the property sector, Broll is fast becoming Africa’s leading commercial property services group. Adding to its unique holistic property services solution proposition Broll’s CBRE international affiliation provides exposure to global market trends, innovative ideas and multinational corporate tenancies.

City of Johannesburg first to issue green bond

he Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE) listed its first green bond on 9 June 2014. The R1.46 billion bond issued by the City of Johannesburg will be used to fund green initiatives within South Africa’s largest city. The bonds are priced at 185 basis points (1.85%) above the R2 023 South African government bond. The bond auction, which took place in the week before the listing, was 150 percent oversubscribed. The bond, referred to as COJGO1, will mature in 2024. The bond will be used to fund climate change mitigation strategies, especially those that include greater use of gas and natural energy. One of the city council’s green programmes includes the installation of 43 000 solar water heaters by City Power that will collectively save the equivalent of 22.5GW-hours of electricity a year, enough to run a small town. “The green bond will provide the city with a funding source to improve

and expedite the implementation of its climate change mitigation strategy, a low carbon infrastructure, minimal resource reliance and increased natural resources,” says Parks Tau, Executive Major of the City of Johannesburg. “The JSE has always been linked to the development of our city and we are pleased to work with the City of

Johannesburg to bring this bond to market. Funding green projects are important in all cities to ensure their greater sustainability,” says Graham Smale, Director of Bonds and Financial Derivatives at the JSE. Johannesburg is the first city in the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group to issue a green bond.

African Cleaning Review July/August 2014

educational social media

Cleaning industry gets social By Graeme Golucki

Social media is an all-encompassing term for interactions created and shared in a virtual community or network. It can take on many different forms such as blogs and micro-blogs, social networks, photo and video sharing, and discussion forums. According to a Nielsen Media Research report, Americans spent 121 billion minutes in July 2012 on social media websites.

oday, social media is not just for teens to come up with clever #hashtags and post “selfies.” In fact, cleaning-industry organisations are actively participating and leveraging the power of social media to boost their businesses. For example, ISSA’s LinkedIn group recently surpassed 14 000 members. That’s thousands of professionals networking and discussing cleaning topics on a daily basis, in one small corner of the social media universe. Social media provides businesses a variety of ways to interact with their colleagues and customers. Websites such as Facebook and Twitter offer an inexpressive way to communicate and build brand awareness. Some sites, such as LinkedIn, can be used to recruit new employees and build relationships with peers through knowledge sharing. All three sites and several other social networking channels available today can be used to build buzz and promote events and products. Many companies these days use social media as an avenue to directly interact with customers. Other organisations use it to share industry news and updates, supporting the industry at large and opening channels of conversation. A growing number of industry professionals believe the use of social media sites such as Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn should be as important as traditional marketing and should be second nature in the 21st century. From manufacturers and distributors to building service contractors and cleaning service professionals, there

African Cleaning Review July/August 2014

is a way for all players in the cleaning industry to take advantage of this powerful, and often free, marketing tool. “If you promote your business via print, the web, email, trade shows, etc., why wouldn’t you expose your business in a venue that is virtually free? It’s now a standard piece of the marketing mix and provides another means of staying connected with customers and industry insiders,” said JoAnn Durette, Vice President of Marketing for Mats Inc. Kevin Montejano, Sales and Marketing Assistant at KBM Facility Solutions, agrees. “Social media can be a truly efficient and effective way to provide information and communicate with individuals as well as within a specific target group,” he said. “It allows our company to easily customise content and communicate to various groups with the information most important to that particular group. Linking various social media platforms drives interest in your company and when it is done well it can drive traffic to a business.” Durrette concurs with Montejano’s assessment. “Social media is important because it continues to grow and that can’t be ignored,” she said. “There are so many significant reasons to use social media. From a business standpoint, it offers real-time communication with customers and the opportunity for increasing brand loyalty. All of the sharing, liking, and interacting provides brands with credibility and brand awareness. Also, sharing links can help drive website traffic.”

There are myriad ways to leverage social media depending on your business and goals. It is vital that businesses have a strategy not only for specific social media channels, but for the practice overall. Take the time to develop an internal plan for interaction. For example, companies such as KBM view it as a way of educating as well as networking. “KBM’s strategy with regards to social media is two-fold,” said Montejano. “One part is to authenticate and provide overview knowledge of our company and the specialised facility maintenance solutions we provide. The other phase is to establish KBM as an educational resource to our client and employee base. This is done through posting links to educational information such as e-newsletters, white papers, and case studies.” Other companies such as Mats Inc. take a different approach. “Our overall social marketing strategy is simply to interact with our customers and industry friends to expand and deepen relationships and to be a valued resource for helping their businesses grow,” said Durette. Louise Taillon, Director of Training for Wood Wyatt, a division of the Sani Marc Group, knows that not only is it important for a company to have a set strategy for social media, but that strategy needs to differ depending on the social network. “A company’s strategy for Facebook should be different from its strategy for Twitter or LinkedIn. Each type of social media has a different audience with different expectations. Some content can be shared on all forms of media, but you

educational social media

really need to look at having a strategy for each,” she said. Interacting with clients and customers through social media can be fortuitous in a number of ways. “In addition to increasing our network, KBM has very successfully utilised our social media platforms to partner with clients to highlight philanthropic events,” said Montejano. “Social media gave us a tool to increase our bandwidth to successfully contribute to their event, coordinate and track efforts, and ultimately build a stronger partner relationship.” Participation in social media has not only helped Mats Inc.’s sales, but it has also given their customers a feeling that they are part of the brand. “Our company’s most successful social media campaign to date involved Facebook and a contest for developing new colours for an existing flooring line,” said Durette. “The contest encouraged designers to use our previously developed online custom colour design tool to create and submit their own original colour to us. In addition to the considerable contest activity, we also had a surge in custom colour flooring projects.” For other users, the success stories are a bit more personal. “One of the best compliments I received was when I attended a trade show and several people walked up to me and said ‘You’re @EnviroWeezy [Taillon’s Twitter handle]. I follow you! Please keep the great information coming – I really appreciate what you post’,” said Taillon. “In another instance, I was meeting with a potential customer when all of sudden

she recognised my name from LinkedIn and commented on how much she appreciated my recent posts.” So how does a company get started on social media? Taillon, Montejano, and Durette all agree that the best way is to jump right in. “The important thing is to start! Depending on your specific business, my advice is to start with a social media platform that is focused on business-to-business relationships such as LinkedIn and Twitter,” said Taillon. “Get on LinkedIn and find groups where you can demonstrate your expertise, post informative articles, and make comments.” As each platform has subtle nuances, Taillon offers different advice for getting started on Twitter versus LinkedIn. “The key to Twitter is finding the right people to follow and to follow you. It needs constant activity. You can’t rely on posting links only,” she said. “To be successful, you need to add comments to other posts and re-tweet information that would be relevant to the audience you want to follow you. Be prepared to tweet two to three times per day, including new posts and re-tweets.” Montejano concurs that businesses should jump into the social media pool. “I would recommend to those not utilising social media to get on board! The ability to brand your company and have another avenue to be recognised and legitimised is golden,” he said. “While social media alone rarely increases business directly, when utilised properly it can generate much more interest in your company.” One point that Durette stresses is to not forget that social media, by definition,

is all about interaction. “Listen to what people are saying and get a feel for the types of conversations, topics, and information. Find your own style of communication that fits with your brand message,” Durette advised. “Don’t send out lots of random messages. Interact in a genuine way, make a point to highlight useful articles and acknowledge insights, comments, and feedback. Liberally recognise and appreciate those who take the time to interact.” Companies and individuals using social media should realise that building a social following is a marathon, not a sprint. While ISSA’s Twitter account has more than 2 500 followers, that base didn’t appear overnight. Don’t get frustrated if you don’t receive 500 “likes” just one week after creating a company Facebook page. Be sure to still promote your social media ventures in more traditional marketing outlets such as print collateral and business cards. Increase your social media acumen by taking advantage of helpful tools such as the self-described “social media guide” Mashable.com. Plus, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn all offer free guides that will help you create a business page and jump into the social media pool head-first. Watch and interact with your peers in various channels to see what they’re doing right and wrong and hone your approach accordingly. So go get out there and get social! Once you’re LinkedIn, you’ll definitely “like” it and be all a-Twitter with social media for your business! Graeme Golucki is based at the ISSA HO, North America.

African Cleaning Review July/August 2014

feature hard floorcare

Easy hard floorcare By Diana Biggs

Advances in floorcare have seen technology aimed at reducing labour costs while enhancing the quality of service provided. In this issue we look specifically at trends in microfibre hard floor products and holders. Issues such as types of microfibre, holder hardware, reduced chemical use and dirt trapping capability fall under the spotlight.

n recent years, companies have spent billions of dollars upgrading their offices, technology, and assembly lines to save time and improve working conditions for employees. Often, however, they’ve overlooked one of the most vulnerable groups: cleaning and maintenance workers. Most employers remain unaware that the US Department of Labour ranks cleaners and housekeepers fifth for on-the-job injuries that result in lost work time. Yet as workers’ compensation rates and employee turnover rates continue to climb, companies have begun to pay attention and are now seeking ways to prevent or lower these costs. This trend has created a revolution in technology, as industry manufacturers scramble to develop new products aimed at improving worker safety and reducing labour costs while enhancing service quality. This is a very important time for the cleaning industry, including distribution. In fact, distribution is the key to funnelling this technology to facility service providers (FSPs), and smart distributors will use these innovations as door openers to new accounts, or to help retain accounts they don’t want to lose.

African Cleaning Review July/August 2014

Floorcare Advances One area that has seen a tremendous amount of new technology in recent years is floorcare, formerly one of the most difficult tasks in cleaning and maintenance. Gone are the “rag on a stick” days. Floorcare is now a hightech, scientifically studied business. But with all the new options, how do you know which floorcare products are best? The following is a look at two trends in hard floorcare products and what you need to look for to select the correct ones for your customers.

Microfibre Before settling on a particular microfibre line, you should know what microfibre is and what it can do for your customers. Microfibre consists of very fine fibres of polyester and polyamide that are microscopically split. These split fibres attract dust, are highly absorbent, and are long lasting. A good microfibre product can also reduce the need for chemicals, which enhances safety, saves money, and reduces waste. For hard floorcare, microfibre pads are quickly replacing cotton string for several reasons. Microfibre wet mops are lighter, thinner, more controllable, and easier to manoeuvre around and

under objects. Microfibre is also a dust attractant, trapping tiny particles and reducing the need for a second pass, saving labour and increasing efficiency. Probably the two most important things you need to consider when selecting microfibre hard-surface products are: 1. Holders. These are the plates that hold the microfibre pad. • Go with products that are lightweight and durable, such as aluminium. • Look at the holder hardware. All-plastic connections will crack and wear down.  • Evaluate the holder connection to the handle. Threaded holders require re-tightening while pushpins do not.   • Choose hook-and-loop strips. Glued strips simply will not last as long as those inserted into grooves and crimped securely to the holder. 2. Pads. A good microfibre pad can be used for wet mopping or dust mopping. Depending on your customer’s needs, you can offer sized washable or disposable pads or rolls that can be cut to size. Regardless of size, you should always:

feature floorcare

• L ook for 100 percent “split” microfibre. Mixes of traditional polyester PEN (polyethylene naphthalate) yarn, cellulose, acrylic, and more traditional fibres like cotton and rayon are less efficient.   • Choose pads with layers of microfibre. Polyurethane foam in the middle layer, while highly absorbent, is very difficult to sanitise and will deteriorate in high-temperature laundering. • Look for multiple rows of stitching to ensure long life.  • Choose high-quality hook-andloop backing. The backing often is the first part to degrade.  • Ask for a written guarantee. Make sure claims are backed in writing and provide this warranty information to your customers.

Handles Perhaps the most important aspect of manual hard-surface floorcare maintenance is the mop handle.

Here, too, innovations have opened up a variety of options and choosing the right one can help your customers in many ways: • Handles that adjust in length can meet each user’s personal needs. Since internal locking cams can slide during operation, pushpin or lockinglever styles are a better choice. Also, adjustable handles ship less expensively.  • Lightweight handles cause less strain and are more comfortable to use, especially for long periods of time. Fibreglass or aluminium are the best choices.  • Handles that don’t collect contaminants are preferred, such as fibreglass or aluminium. Wood absorbs grease and grime, and steel rusts.  • Foam or vinyl grips make handles more comfortable to grasp and can help reduce chafing and blisters. • Ergonomic handles are designed to fit the user comfortably and can make maintenance tasks less stressful and easier on the body,

helping to reduce a wide variety of injuries, from carpal tunnel syndrome to musculoskeletal disorders. Simply adding foam or a bend to a product does not make it ergonomic. Obtain documentation backing the manufacturer’s claim. If a product isn’t certified ergonomic, find one that is.  • Choose the right products from the right manufacturer. The correct manufacturer can provide sales sheets, fliers, sales incentives and even help you sell new products to FSPs by accompanying you on sales calls or conducting onsite training seminars at your key accounts. If your customers perform manual hardfloor maintenance, you owe it to them to offer the most innovative, cost-effective, time saving products on the market. Take this opportunity to establish yourself as a leading-edge distributor. If you don’t, your competition will. Diana Biggs is an inside sales representative for Delta Industries

African Cleaning Review July/August 2014

feature floorcare

Microfibre mop heads for complete floor cleaning A good example of how microfibre can assist in obtaining superior hard floorcare results is the Top Down charging system from Filmop.

Top-down charging of microfibre mop heads results in fast and easy charge up of up to 30 mop heads at a time. By utilising the Top-Down microfibre charging bucket even saturation is achieved where mop heads are charged with just the correct amount of solution. Less chemical solution is achieved where 5.6 litres of ready-to-use solution charges 30 x 25,4 mm mop heads. It is a complete hands-free system allowing quick attachment and removal of mop heads, and it eliminates hand wringing. Furthermore it saves energy because you save on the drying cycle by loading mop heads into the charging bucket directly after washing. Filmop has further perfected microfibre technology by offering the unique Rapido microfibre no touch, no wringer mopping system. It holds more soil than conventional microfibre heads because it contains more yarn and features a finer yarn structure thus providing more magnetism and more “hooks” to hold more soil and water. The long looped design gets into

African Cleaning Review July/August 2014

grooves and pores and it easily reaches into edges and corners. The absence of foam padding makes it safer for use in healthcare settings as foam can harbour bacteria or disintegrate. The ultra-twist microfibre and advanced Velcro backing results in superior life expectancy and it is washable at up to 980˚C.

number of mops used. The charging bucket with hermetic cover is then closed and the charging bucket turned upside down for 30 minutes to ensure even saturation. The Top-Down system is now ready for use and can be transported to the wheeled cart.

How to use the mops Mop preparation Place the Rapido microfibre mop heads into the plastic 5 gallon charging bucket. The plastic divider keeps mops compact, and aligns it to ensure the mops are positioned to be easily affixed to the Velcro frame. The charging bucket can hold up to 30 x 25,4mm microfibre mops, enough to cover a floor area of 836 square metres.

Saturation in a sealed bucket Dosage is achieved by pouring about 5.6 litres of cleaning/disinfecting solution into the charging bucket containing 30 mop heads. The dosage of solution can vary according to customer preferences and/or the

Unsnap the cover of the Top-Down charging bucket and attach the Rapido Velcro backed mop head onto the mop frame. It is important to note that dust mopping or sweeping a floor is eliminated as the long looped mop head design sweeps, dusts and mops in one step. In order to achieve optimum distribution of the cleaning/ disinfection solution, start by pulling the mop from the door to the opposite side of the room, leaving a trail of solution in the centre of the floor. From this point work backwards with “S” movements and draw from the trail of solution created in the centre of the floor as you proceed to mop the rest of the floor. (Refer to the above graphic.)

feature floorcare Case study – Filmop wet dusting floor maintenance By Virginia Petru

Can you imagine dusting, cleaning and disinfecting hospital floors with one step rather than two? Also are you willing to believe that it can be achieved without hauling buckets of cleaning solution back and forth all day? It is not hard for Holly Norris, environmental services director at Reston Hospital Centre in the US to imagine. She has been familiar with Filmop’s microfibre wet dusting floor maintenance system since her military service stationed her in Europe. After all, Filmop has been the number one microfibre choice in Europe for decades. After joining the staff at Reston Hospital Centre, Norris knew she wanted to bring microfibre into the facility for the many benefits she experienced in Europe... significant savings in chemical, water and labour, a well as greater cleaning efficiency and longer mop life expectancy. After researching all microfibre options. And after consultation with Meaghan Brown of S. Freedman & Sons, a cleaning supply distributor, she was convinced the Filmop system was the best fit.

Wet dusting replaces two-step process The primary component of the Filmop wet dusting system is the patented Top Down Charging Bucket. This compact, sealed, 19 litre container holds up to 30 flat mop-heads, and is then filled with 5,6 litres of cleaning solution. The mop heads soak up the cleaning solutions during the “charging” time of 20 to 30 minutes, and are ready for quick attachment to mop handles for cleaning. The Top Down Charging Bucket replaces heavy water buckets and traditional string mops. The system also replaces the time-consuming two-step floor maintenance procedure of dry dusting followed by damp mopping. In just one wet dusting step, staff use longlooped microfibre mop heads, charged with a disinfecting solution, to completely dust, clean and disinfect floors. Additional health advantages are realised with wet dusting, as dust particles are captured more efficiently. Studies show between

15 000 and 25 000 dust particles are released into a 0,765 cubic metres of air during a typical dry dusting process, a typical dry dusting process, which is eliminated in wet dusting. The result: healthier indoor air for better patient care.

Hair-free, corner clean floors In hospital housekeeping, little things can add up to big things. Take hair, paper clips, fibre fragments, or syringe caps, for instance. “If you spend two or four hours on cleaning and finishing a floor, a single hair can ruin your efforts. Just one strand is so noticeable. With Filmop flat mops there are no hairs or loose fibres left on the floor,” explains Norris. String mops can present a challenge with wayward fibres. Through chemical exposure and laundering, the strands wear and break down, depositing small fibres on the floor surface. Secondly, the strands get caught on bed corners, resulting in more fibre deposits. Additionally, using a string mop can be like cleaning with rope on a stick, as there are gaps in the connection of the mop to the floor surface. Filmop’s long-looped, flat mop-heads ensure even and consistent floor contact and pull dirt from the corners and baseboards. By design, microfibre strands grab onto small items and hair, and remove these from the surface instead of just pushing them around. The larger debris (such as paper clips, syringe caps) is easily seen by staff using a flat mop and deposited at the room entrance for pick up and disposal. By contrast, these items can be caught in mop strings and pushed around until deposited in a corner. Or, it gets so entangled in the strings that it remains there, even through laundering.

A clean mop for every room Top Down Charging Buckets are easily transported on carts to the cleaning area.

The sealed containers, which are slightly larger than a breadbox, take the space of perhaps five traditional string mop heads and weigh considerably less. A single Filmop long-looped mop head, completely charged with cleaning solution, weighs and incredibly light 28 grams, compared to a traditional string mop that weighs about 4,5 kg when wet. Filmop mop heads are quickly changed on lightweight handles that grab and release the mop head in seconds. The system makes it easy to use a clean mop head for each room, as well as for cleaning walls and vertical surfaces. Additionally, the system maximises disinfecting effectiveness with a unique procedure that re-charges the mop head with solution with each pass of the mop. The long-loop microfibre transfers more solution onto the floor than traditional string mopping and ensures a more thorough dwell time for proper sanitation.

Fray-free, fabric-free, foam-free = long life In her testing of microfibre options, Norris reports another microfibre mop head, constructed with foam or fabric padding, had a 15 percent failure rate after one week, as the product frayed and became unusable. The failure rate with string mops was slightly better, however Norris was still spending several thousand dollars a month for replacement. “The string mops frayed and the chemicals really ate through them. I would get maybe ten laundry cycles out of them,” she notes. By comparison, she is replacing the Filmop mop-heads, made without filler, every six to eight months. At the end of the day, the Filmop system delivers tremendous benefits for Reston Hospital Centre. Would Norris ever consider switching back? As she notes, “It would be hard to go back to a system that would require more work, cost more and be harder on employees”.

African Cleaning Review July/August 2014

advertorial CBI

The value of case studies They say that a picture paints a thousand words – but a testimonial or case study from a respected client can do much the same, and bring even more added value in terms of integrity and increased interest from potential new customers. An endorsement from a trusted source is worth a lot in the competitive contract cleaning sector. Case studies give companies credibility, demonstrating the impact their products and services have had on the business success of their valued clients. They are an excellent way of adding value in terms of boosting brand image, providing evidence of your organisation’s topnotch support and merchandise/ equipment range.

free for everyone to see. The fact that no one is compelled to take time out of their lives to write these reviews adds to their worth, meaning that they were suitably impressed and satisfied – or not, as the case may be – to make the effort and post their thoughts. We also put faith in the opinions of our friends, families and colleagues. How many of us will seek the views of those we trust, enabling us to make an informed decision when making a significant purchase?

The unsolicited review has become part and parcel of our lives. Many online retailers now offer customers the chance to post their thoughts on purchases, and rate their experience of customer service, in reviews that are

It’s the same when it comes to promoting companies. A case study, detailing how your products or services were used by a client and the positive difference it made to them, is worth a huge amount in PR terms. They are

perfect for proving how your cleaning products, equipment or services have helped organisations to make savings in terms of time, or money, or both! They can also be used to demonstrate how your company has contributed to an improvement in hygiene standards, reduced employee absenteeism, or minimised workplace accidents through effective cleaning regimes that comply with health and safety regulations. People know that companies do not endorse others unless they secured some real value from the relationship or purchase, and this is immensely attractive to potential new customers, who can see how your company makes a difference in real, practical terms.

Ceris Burns International (CBI) is a specialist communications agency for the cleaning, recycling, waste management, FM and healthcare industries. The agency builds brands in the UK and beyond through practical, bespoke communications using the best fit tools and strategies. CBI has produced many case studies for clients over the years. To find out how they can assist you, email info@cbipr.com or visit www.cbipr.com.

African Cleaning Review July/August 2014

advertorial Kärcher

Celebrating 30 years in South Africa Kärcher, the world’s leading provider of cleaning technology, celebrated 30 years of providing top-class performance in cleanliness and value to the South African market at the company’s new premises in Wilbart, Johannesburg.

Management and staff pictured outside the new Head Office entrance.

The media was welcomed by Kärcher SA Managing Director, Blaine Carstens who introduced Hartmut Jenner, CEO of Alfred Kärcher GmbH & Co for a commemorative address. Festivities included lunch, featuring typical German cuisine, beer on tap and a performance by the Beermugs band. Previously sold through various agencies, the Kärcher SA subsidiary was founded in 1984 to ensure that service and spare parts were available in the country at all times. During its 30 year tenure the company has developed a powerful 23 dealer network across the country with an additional seven dealers in neighbouring countries where it services Namibia, Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Swaziland, Lesotho and Malawi. The company has also established three Kärcher centres in Cape Town, KwaZulu-Natal and Johannesburg, where it has a comprehensive showroom, fully equipped workshop and stocks the full range of Home & Garden (consumer) and professional products as well as accessories and chemicals. Expert service and guidance is now on hand for customers to help solve their cleaning challenges. Kärcher, a family-owned enterprise established in 1935, employs over 10 000 people in 60 countries, including 72 people in South Africa and more than 150 through its dealer network. In 2013, Kärcher reached its highest sales globally with R35.5 billion and 12.5 million units sold, the highest number in its history. Kärcher has a rich history. It was founded by Alfred Kärcher, a German inventor and entrepreneur; he made his breakthrough in cleaning technology in 1950 with the development of the first European hot-water pressure washer (the DS 350 steam blaster). The construction for heating the water proved so future-oriented that today it still serves as the basis for all of the burners. “Due to well accepted reliable products with parts and service in the region, Kärcher South Africa has increased

Hartmut Jenner (left) and Blaine Carstens updating the media on Kärcher SA’s achievements over the past 30 years.

market share on both its consumer and professional range to become the market leader in SA. Our success is due to the fact that we are seen as a premium brand with excellent backup throughout the Southern African region and our continuous product innovations means we are able to provide cleaning solutions for every application. We will continue to increase the number of innovative products into the market to make cleaning in the home and work environment easier and cost effective,” says Blaine Carstens. As the company has grown, it has positioned its Kärcher yellow as the colour to identify products for the home user, and its professional products are now anthracite in colour. “This was to ensure that professionals and consumers get the right product for the right application and to make differentiation easier,” explains Carstens. Kärcher also has a long tradition of sustainability and the company has taken its role in environment protection very seriously, through the product development process as well as preservation of world heritage sites around the world. Over the last few decades Kärcher has worked in partnership with organisations around the globe on heritage structures such as Mount Rushmore in South Dakota, the Christ the Redeemer Statue in Rio de Janeiro, the Colossi of Memnon in Egypt and St Peter’s Square in Rome. In many of these cases, the company has assessed the challenges of the project and designed equipment specifically for the job. It is regularly asked to safely clean and restore precious architecture, removing everything from moss, mildew, dirt and sand, to the effects of environmental pollution – a great demonstration of the creativity, adaptability and reliability of the company as an innovator of technology. Kärcher aims to make products environmentally-friendly by bringing efficient products that save power, water and detergent, thus limiting the impact on the environment.

African Cleaning Review July/August 2014

laundry review

HACCP certification takes laundry to the next level Cross contamination and related foodborne illnesses are currently one of the major issues in the food processing industry, both for the consumers’ health and, due to food recalls, also for the companies’ profitability.

The main priority is thus always the highest hygiene and bacteria control. HACCP is a systematic preventive approach for safety management. It is intended to provide security by ensuring that there are no weak links in the food supply chain. Through a defined and consistent assessment process, HACCP International provides validation of the equipment used in the food industry. This certification is set to have a strong impact on the food processing as businesses are now able to guarantee food safety and bacteria control within their in-house laundry. In the food industry, contamination through laundry is indirect but parts such as nuts, bolts and springs can enter food with serious consequences. Additionally, laundry programmes are also essential and it needs to be easy to set a disinfectant wash. By analysing the needs and challenges of laundry operators worldwide, Electrolux Professional has developed, with Line 5000, a new range of laundry solutions that meets HACCP’s strict criteria. Next to front load washers, also barrier washers, ironers and fitting solutions have been awarded the accreditation.

African Cleaning Review July/August 2014

Richard Mallett, Managing Director of HACCP Europe commented: “The certification Electrolux Professional has been awarded is usually reserved for food service equipment only so this is a milestone development for the manufacturer. It re-affirms the crucial role laundry equipment can have in contamination control, playing its part in preventing outbreaks and illness across the globe.” “The robust design and clear instructions within the Line 5000 range ensure that nothing can go unsanitised and restaurants can make a quick and smart investment with ease. “Traditionally food manufacturing factories have had to outsource their laundry to guarantee cleanliness but the certification of the Electrolux Professional Line 5000 range has provided the option to invest in an onpremises laundry with complete peace of mind.” “There are numerous examples of food contamination through non-food input including the laundry flow in a food processing plant” says Eugenio Filoni, Global Segment Manager Special on Premises Laundries Electrolux Professional. “Last year has been quite

eventful for recalls of food and beverage products, from meat to cheese through the most important and big companies of the industry. Reasons range from metal and glass contamination to Listeria findings.” According to the 2013 European Recall and Notification Index during last year alone there were more than 5 000 product safety notifications. The food industry saw the majority of notifications with 58 percent. This highlights issues with globalisation and the supply chain and the associated quality checking process. “In this framework it is evident the importance of ensuring personal hygiene and well laundered uniforms. “Following on this experience within the UK and Ireland, we are very proud that our solutions have been acknowledged for making a genuine difference in people’s health and safety. We plan to extend the HACCP certification globally,” concludes Filoni. Electrolux Professional is said to become the first and currently only HACCP International certified laundry manufacturer.

laundry review

Laundry Group plays its part in saving energy As winter starts to bite, power consumption inevitably rises and places the already overstretched electricity grid under renewed pressure. While Eskom battles to bring new power stations online, the energy utility regularly issues appeals to heavy users to reduce Hans Hunink

consumption.

“As a substantial user of electricity and coal, Bidvest Laundry Group is very conscious of our duty to reduce our power consumption in order to help safeguard the national power grid,” says Hans Hunink, Managing Director of Bidvest Laundry Group. “We’ve taken a strategic approach that aims to reduce our power consumption in the course of everyday business, rather than implement emergency, temporary measures during the cold weather.” The Bidvest Laundry Group launders an astonishing 138.7 million items of clothing, linen and walk-on mats a year. To achieve this, the group goes through equally large amounts of water and energy. Some 1.6 million kilolitres of water, equal to filling 40 000 swimming pools is used annually. Heating water up to the optimal temperature for ensuring a clean wash, together with the heating of driers and ironers – the finishing equipment – also consumes huge amounts of energy: 8 million kilowatt hours and 15 000 tons of coal in 2012. In fact, the laundry group accounted for 6 percent of the Bidvest Group’s total carbon emissions.

Consumption at this level almost inevitably means that big savings are possible – with the application of some lateral thinking and the latest technology, of course. As a result, Hunink and his team have been able to reduce the company’s carbon footprint substantially, and save water and energy into the bargain. So, how are they doing it? The key lies in understanding one basic fact: commercial launderers require a supply of hot water (80°C or more) and hot ironers and dryers (70°C–160°C). In the case of Bidvest Laundry Group, coal-fired boilers are used to create steam that provides the solution to this requirement at a constant pressure of 9–10 bar. The first line of attack was the wasteful process of simply discarding dirty (but still hot) water down the drain. Bidvest invested in high-tech aquatherm or heat-exchange systems to transfer this heat to the incoming cold water. On average, water entering the wash process is now 50°C rather than 20°C, meaning the boiler has much less work to do. Reduced coal

consumption is the result: whereas previously a boiler took a ton of coal to produce seven tons of steam, one ton of coal now produces 8.2 tons of steam. In addition, the reduced differential in the temperature of the incoming water and the heated water means that the boilers are able to maintain a more constant pressure. This means that finishing equipment such as steam presses, dryers and ironers operate better, providing a better result for customers. Another innovation has been the installation of variable speed drive (VSD) technology to help improve the performance of the laundry equipment. Before this technology was installed, motors ran at a standard speed. VSD technology means that the motors can be run at the speed demanded by the task in hand. Sometimes, this can result in a reduction in the revolutions per minute of up to 50 percent. “Only using as much electricity as is needed to do the job translates into significant power savings,” Hunink concludes.

Reach your target market cost-effectively!

Advertise in African Cleaning Review – your direct link to end-users, building service contractors, key institutional sectors including government, healthcare, education and retail centres, hospitality, food processing and general manufacturing. The source of workplace hygiene solutions Email: africancleaningreview@cleantex.co.za Website: www.africancleaningreview.co.za

African Cleaning Review July/August 2014

people and events New appointment at Hygiene Systems Hygiene Systems welcomes Phillip Eybers to their team as New Product Development Manager. “With 20 years experience in the hygiene market Phillip’s expertise will allow our company to continue bringing innovative and trend setting systems to the South African market,” commented Hygiene Systems Marketing Manager Sean Johnson.

Gauteng product launch In May 2014 Prime Cleaning Suppliers introduced their latest floor care equipment and the latest Kimberly-Clark Professional* washroom dispenser range during a function held at the company’s Midrand premises. • The compact Wetrok discomatic Mambo 30 litre scrubber dryer features a lithium ion battery for long running time and its size makes it manoeuverable and economical to run. The jury of the ISSA Innovation Awards was convinced by the unique concept and awarded the powerful, sleek and revolutionary Discomatic Mambo the category 1 winning innovation award.

• A lso on display was the AQUARIUS* dispenser range from Kimberly-Clark Professional* representing a major evolution in design and functionality. These dispensers offer a wide variety of customer benefits including: a patented overfill device for folded tissue products that improves overall dispensing and cost in use, and a full cover design with hidden lock, which offers a unique solution to avoid dirt traps, improving overall hygiene and making each system exceptionally easy to clean.

Kärcher SA turns 30 Leading provider of cleaning technology Kärcher SA, celebrated 30 years of providing top-class performance in cleanliness and value to the South African market at the company’s new premises in Wilbart, Johannesburg. Festivities included lunch featuring typical German cuisine, beer on tap and a performance by the Beermugs band.

A toast to Kärcher SA’s success and growth in Southern Africa and the new head office premises. Pictured from left to right are; Johann van Vuuren (African Cleaning Review), Hartmut Jenner (Alfred Kärcher GmbH), Blaine Carstens and Dean Fairley (Kärcher SA).

African Cleaning Review July/August 2014

new products Hand dryer incorporates anti-mosquito technology Spanish hand dryer manufacturer Veltia has launched a new “Anti-mosquito accessory” for its warm air hand dryers. It is said to repel insects while also releasing a pleasant fragrance that adds to the ZeroSmell component of the company’s ZeroSmell Hand Dryer V7 series. Based on years of research the antimosquito accessory is an innovative, 100 percent natural product that uses a natural Citronella extract of Java in a patented polymerisation process. It allows the active component to be released steadily and consistently, thus giving it a longer life. The new anti-mosquito component is presented in two different formats, allowing for use inside the dryer or as an external element functioning as an air freshener. Both versions maintain Citronella as an active component, driving away mosquitoes and other

insects and maintaining an insect-free environment that also smells fresh. The products used in both applications are totally natural and classified by the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) as a minimal risk to wildlife and fish. The EPA has also qualified the technology as nontoxic, unlike some similar products

that combine Citronella with other components deemed to be harmful to health. The polymer that makes up the external part of the Veltia accessory is based on primarily natural products that have low chemical reactivity and toxicity. For more information visit: www.veltia.com

New climb and descent assist system “The new Tractelift climbing aid minimises worker fatigue and increases safety, while ascending and descending a ladder during installation and maintenance procedures,” says Charlotte Megannon, product manager for Becker Mining SA. “This climb assist system, which is easy to install onto any kind of vertical ladder, requires minimal operator training.” The Tractelift climb assist system, with a long lasting, reinforced synthetic belt, relieves the weight of workers, reduces effort and minimises injuries, thus increasing productivity. Features of this climb assist system include a continuous run rope loop which enables many workers to use the climbing aid without having to reset the system; an automatic start facility which activates the system as ascent or descent commences and an automatic stop facility. For increased safety, an emergency stop device is also available. Tractelift can be fitted with a fixed or detachable motor and control, depending on user preference.

African Cleaning Review July/August 2014

Two models are available in the range, with various features for use in different applications, including confined spaces. The Tractelift 1 model – which is suitable for users who do not require the adjustable assist feature – provides traction relief in a pulling force up to 40 da N (equivalent to 40 kg), preset on the sliding clutch. The recently launched Tractelift 11 model is controlled by an individual user remote, which enables workers to choose their own levels of assist, by adjusting the pulling force on site. This model has an adjustable pulling force of 75 da N (equivalent to 75 kg). The remote, with up to ten levels of pulling force to provide relief to the climber, has an illuminated LCD display, with a low battery indicator. An adjustable speed control matches the level of assistance with the rate of the climber’s speed. This smooth running system, with soft stops and starts, alleviates the effort of climbing. For more information email: info@za.becker-mining.com

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Washroom dispensing systems Cleaning industry and social media Hard floorcare trends HACCP certification in laundry industry

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