The pan-European magazine for the professional cleaning sector
JUNE/JULY 2022
WORKFORCE
SPECIAL REPORT
WIPES & CLOTHS
European Cleaning & Hygiene Awards 2022 - find out about the winners.
The great resignation
Hygiene in food preparation
The importance of placement
Page 18
Page 23
Page 26
Page 45
CONTENTS
June/July 2022 | Vol.30, No.3
BUSINESS
SPECIAL REPORTS
39 Ukraine inspires humanitarians
18 European Cleaning & Hygiene Awards 2022 winners
Hartley Milner on how the war in Ukraine has spurred business owners to take action
Read all the news and see pictures from the event in Brussels.
23 The great resignation As we emerge from the pandemic, a new phenomenon has emerged.
03 News 26 Always be prepared The key to effective hygiene in food preparation areas is to have a plan.
12 A.I.S.E. news
33 Innovation with purpose Why businesses should avoid the game of ‘technology top trumps’.
14 European reports
35 Not just about windows Window cleaning companies are being asked to tackle more complex tasks.
48 Product review
42 Interclean Amsterdam review A brief look at some of the key new product launches at the exhibition.
45 It’s all about placement Productivity can be greaty improved by putting wipes in the right place.
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Editor Michelle Marshall Features Writer Ann Laffeaty Advertisement director Chris Godman Advertisement sales executive Laura Bell
Circulation Marie Payne
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European Cleaning Journal is published six times a year by Criterion Publishing Ltd. Although every effort is made to ensure the accuracy and reliability of material published in European Cleaning, Criterion Publishing Ltd and its agents can accept no responsibility for the veracity of claims made by contributors, manufacturers or advertisers. Copyright for all material published in European Cleaning remains with Criterion Publishing Ltd and its agents.
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THE WORLD’S MOST ADVANCED CLEANING AND HYGIENE SHOW
14 – 17 MAY 2024 AMSTERDAM, THE NETHERLANDS Organised by:
intercleanshow.com/amsterdam
NEWS & EVENTS
Latest News & Events from ECJ
‘Paying living wages can positively affect all aspects of business activity’ A new report indicates living wages not only offer a way out of in-work poverty and help tackle inequality, they also support business resilience, stability and growth. ‘The case for living wages: how paying living wages can improve business performance and tackle poverty and inequality’ is jointly authored by the University of Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership (CISL), Business Fights Poverty and Shift. As a route out of working poverty and a prerequisite to tackling growing income inequalities, living wages have growing support among business, civil society, and governments says the report. Business benefits include: • More motivated and productive workforce, with lower staff turnover • Improved revenues and profits, for example, PayPal attributes much of its recent growth to the decision to pay ‘decent wages’ to all employees • Increased value chain resilience and performance • Reputational benefits • Improved investor prospects • Readiness for future regulatory reporting. Anna Barford, senior research associate at CISL said: “Living wages are long overdue. It is absolutely urgent and necessary for employers to switch from poverty wages to living wages. The most important benefit is people earning enough for themselves and their families to afford a decent standard of living. Living wages also offer considerable business benefits, within core operations, value chains and the wider operating environment. Conversely, not paying living wages comes with many costs. “Living wages are a very good step towards being a good
employer, but it doesn’t stop there. Firstly, living wages are a wage floor, not a ceiling. Secondly, living wages should be couched within decent work - this includes legal and social protection, health and safety measures, respect, worker representation, and much more. “Lastly, we must continue to critically assess the roll-out of living wages, and course correct as required. For example, being cautious about the gendered impacts of calculations that assume people work full-time in paid roles.” Globally, 266 million wage earners receive below the minimum wage. The global population of workers living in households below the poverty line reached 630 million in 2019.
Help to improve lives Zahid Torres-Rahman, cofounder and ceo at Business Fights Poverty said: “At Business Fights Poverty, we believe in the power of business to help improve the lives, livelihoods and learning opportunities of the most vulnerable people and communities. Right now, we are at the beginning of a devastating wave of poverty, exacerbated by the effects of Covid-19, climate change and conflict. Businesses must step up, and fast, if we are to see a world with zero poverty in our lifetimes. “This report highlights the need to reshape the narrative on living wages. Paying a living wage is an opportunity for companies to have positive social impact at scale, in a way that benefits their business as well as their employees, people in their supply chains, and the communities in which they operate. Living wages are a clear and measurable indicator of companies putting values and social purpose at the heart of their business practice.” Shift’s president and co-
Il ressort d’un nouveau rapport que l’offre de salaires décents ne permet pas seulement de sortir de la pauvreté salariale et de réduire les inégalités, mais qu’elle favorise aussi la résilience, la stabilité et la croissance des entreprises.
founder Caroline Rees added: “This report moves us past nearsighted assumptions that paying living wages is simply a cost for business and therefore to be avoided. It sets out the striking evidence that companies stand to benefit when they make sure that people in their workforce and supply chain are paid a living wage, and where they invest in moving towards that critical threshold wherever wages fall short.
“The case for doing so will only strengthen as we see ever more investors scrutinising this key measure of whether a company is protecting the human capital it needs to succeed. There is now widespread recognition that living wages are key to addressing today’s growing inequalities, which threaten the social cohesion and stability on which our societies - and the business within them all depend.”
EVENTS September 14-15
March 14-16 2023
ISSA Cleaning & Hygiene Expo
The Cleaning Show
Sydney, Australia issacleaninghygieneexpo.com
London, UK cleaningshow.co.uk
October 10-13
April 4-6 2023
ISSA North America
Europropre
Chicago, USA www.issa.com
Paris, France www.europropre.com
October 18-19
May 9-11 2023
ISSA Pulire Forum
ISSA Pulire
Milan, Italy www.forumpulire.it
Milan, Italy www.issapulire.com
November 16-18
September 19-22 2023
ISSA Pulire Clean Africa
CMS
Lagos, Nigeria issapulirecleanafrica.com
Berlin, Germany www.cms-berlin.de
November 23-25
October 16-19 2023
Interclean China
ISSA North America
Hangzhou, China www.intercleanshow.com
Las Vegas, USA www.issa.com
To have your event included in the Events section, contact ECJ via email at: michelle@europeancleaningjournal.com
Aus einem neuen Bericht geht hervor, dass existenzsichernde Löhne nicht nur einen Ausweg aus der Erwerbstätigenarmut bieten und bei der Bekämpfung von Ungleichheit helfen, sondern sie unterstützen auch die Belastbarkeit, die Stabilität und das Wachstum von Unternehmen.
Un nuovo sondaggio rivela che il minimo salariale non solo offre una via d’uscita dalla povertà lavorativa e aiuta ad affrontare l’ineguaglianza, ma supporta anche la resilienza, la stabilità e la crescita delle imprese.
June/July 2022 | ECJ | 3
NEWS
Essity is overall winner of 2022 Amsterdam Innovation Award Essity was announced as the overall winner of this year’s Amsterdam Innovation Awards on the opening day of the Interclean Amsterdam exhibition. The winning product was the Tork Biobased Heavy-Duty Cleaning Cloth. In the jury’s opinion: “This is not just about product development but about the company’s core values - and product development comes as a direct result of those values.” The category winners are Alani for its Coreless Centre Pull Paper Towel (Hygiene & Health), Gausium Robotics for its Scrubber 50 Pro (Smart Technologies & Digitalisation), Arcora for its Pu-Pad Light (Workforce & Ergonomics) and Essity for its Tork Biobased
Heavy-Duty Cleaning Cloth (Sustainability & Environment). The Visitors’ Choice Award went to Kärcher’s for its BVL 5/1 BP backpack vacuum cleaner. Michelle Marshall, chair of the jury and ECJ editor commented: “Essity has identified key objectives among customers: the reduction of CO2 emissions, the reduction of water consumption, reduction of waste generation, reduction of energy consumption, use of certified products. It takes a life cycle assessment approach in the development of new products and also seeks to reduce carbon footprint. Crucially, it aims to help its customers reduce their carbon footprint too. “Essity can back up all its
Essity fut le gagnant général du Prix de l’Innovation du récent Interclean d’Amsterdam.
4 | June/July 2022 | ECJ
claims through independent certification - it is recognised and acknowledged by many organisations. The technology that is being used with this Biobased cloth can now be used to expand the range and offer products in different formats in order to offer greater flexibility.
Essity ging vor Kurzem auf der Interclean Amsterdam beim diesjährigen Amsterdam Innovation Award als Gesamtgewinner hervor.
“The compressed packaging makes for easier handling important for the cleaning staff. And the environmental impact of the packaging has not been forgotten either. It’s made from fibres that are 100 per cent recycled and plastics that are at least 30 per cent recycled.”
La Essity è stata la vincitrice assoluta dei premi Amsterdam Innovation Award di quest’anno consegnati durante la Interclean che si è tenuta di recente ad Amsterdam .
NEWS
‘Infections could be prevented by hand hygiene’ Seventy per cent infections could be prevented if good hand hygiene and other costeffective practices were to be followed, according to a new report from the World Health Organisation (WHO). And improving hand hygiene in healthcare settings could save around US$16.5 in reduced healthcare expenditure for every dollar invested. According to the report, an average of seven per cent of patients in high-income countries and 15 per cent in lowand middle-income countries acquire an HAI when in hospital. And one in every 10 of the
affected patients will die from this infection. Intensive care patients and newborn babies are said to be particularly at risk.
Shortfalls across the world And the Covid-19 pandemic has exposed many challenges and gaps in infection prevention in all regions and countries, including those with the most advanced IPC programmes according to WHO director general Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. “It has also provided an unprecedented opportunity to take stock of the situation and rapidly scale up outbreak
• D’après l’Organisation mondiale de la santé (OMS), la pratique d’une bonne hygiène des mains et d’autres mesures simples pourrait prévenir 70 pour cent des infections. • Aux Pays-Bas, la société i-team et Avular, un spécialiste de la robotique mobile, ont conclu un partenariat stratégique visant à proposer des solutions de nettoyage robotisé au secteur de la propreté.
readiness and response through IPC practices, as well as strengthening IPC programmes,” he said. “Our challenge now is to ensure all countries can allocate the human resources, supplies and infrastructures needed.” WHO called on all countries around the globe to increase their investment in IPC programmes to ensure quality of care and patient and health workers’ safety. It says this will not only protect nations’ populations, it will also improve health outcomes and reduce healthcare costs and out-ofpocket expenses.
• Siebzig Prozent der Infektionen könnten verhindert werden, wenn gute Handhygiene und andere kosteneffektive Praktiken befolgt würden, teilte die Weltgesundheitsorganistion (WHO) mit. • In den Niederlanden haben i-team und der Spezialist für mobile Roboter Avular eine strategische Partnerschaft gebildet, um kobotische Lösungen in der Reinigungsbranche einzuführen.
Cobotics team In the Netherlands, cleaning machines producer i-team and mobile robotics specialist Avular have formed a strategic partnership with the objective of bringing cobotic solutions to the professional cleaning industry The two companies, based in Eindhoven, have formed the joint venture i-botics bv. Its first launch is the cobotic-65, a fully autonomous cobotic scrubber dryer. A cobot is designed to work together with a human (different to a robot). People can work on various complex and detailed tasks, while the repetitive work can be done by the cobot.
• A detta dell’organizzazione World Health Organisation (WHO), il settanta per cento delle infezioni potrebbe essere evitato se fossero seguite delle buone pratiche di lavaggio delle mani e altre pratiche a basso costo. • Nei Paesi Bassi, la i-team e la Avular, specializzata in robotica mobile, hanno formato una alleanza strategica per introdurre le soluzioni cobotiche nel settore delle pulizie professionali.
June/July 2022 | ECJ | 5
NEWS
KCP Golden Service Awards winners announced in London In London, the 2022 Kimberly-Clark Professional Golden Service Awards took place recently. The event is an opportunity for the cleaning sector in the UK and Ireland to showcase excellence. The winners and highly commended were: Healthcare: winner -OCS for Middleport Healthcare Centre Hospitals: winner - Derrycourt Cleaning Specialists Office areas below 100,000 square feet: winner, Principle Cleaning Services. Highly commended: Momentum Support Office areas between 100,000 and 300,000 square feet: winner - VINCI Facilities. Highly commended - Principle Cleaning.
Office areas over 300,000 square feet: winner, Principle Cleaning Services. Highly commended - Thames Cleaning & Support Services Education - pre-school and primary: winner - Julius Rutherfoord & Co for Portland Place School Education - senior and further education: winner Exclusive Services Group for City College Southampton Retail/shopping malls under one million square feet: Winner - ABM UK Retail/shopping malls over one million square feet: winner, ABM UK Manufacturing: winner Apleona Ireland Hospitality: winner - Key Enviro
La cérémonie de remise des prix Golden Service de Kimberly-Clark Professional s’est tenue à Londres récemment.
Solutions. Highly commended ABM UK Leisure: joint winners - ABM UK for TfL Stonebridge Park Depot and ABM UK for TfL Stratford Market Depot Environmental Awareness: winner - Cleanology Training: winner - Momentum Support. Highly commended Exclusive Services Group Diversity: winner - Exclusive Services Group. Highly commended - Cleanology Going the Extra Mile: winner - Birkin Cleaning Services. Highly commended The Churchill Group Small Business: winner - Key Enviro Solutions Supervisor of the Year: winner - Marino Agudelo of Key Enviro
Die Verleihung der Kimberly-Clark Professional Golden Service Awards fand vor Kurzem in London statt.
Solutions. Highly commended Glen Stevens of ABM UK Cleaning Operative of the Year: winner - Marianna Pazera, VINCI Facilities. Highly commended - Tracy Byrne, OCS and Valerie Greasley, OCS “This is a year of unrivalled and outstanding standards for the Golden Service Awards,” said Craig Bowman, general manager (UK and Ireland), Kimberly-Clark Professional. “We have seen clear evidence of exceptional achievements in the face of unbelievable pressures and challenges. “We are in an industry that makes a real difference to people’s lives and this event was about recognising those people and saying ‘thank you’.”
La cerimonia Kimberly-Clark Professional Golden Service Awards si è tenuta di recente a Londra.
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NEWS
Look out for news of the 2023 European Cleaning & Hygiene Awards. Visit the website or follow on Twitter: @ECH_Awards, #ECHAwards2023
Study reveals reasons behind poor hand hygiene in healthcare
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Busy schedules and a heavy workload are among the chief reasons why some healthcare workers refrain from cleansing their hands, according to a Canadian study. And 66 per cent of employees say they are less likely to use a sanitiser when faced with an emergency situation requiring immediate attention. The study into reasons behind poor hand hygiene compliance in healthcare was carried out by washroom hygiene company GP PRO. Just over half the survey respondents said they were often deterred from hand cleansing due to sanitiser dispensers that were broken, malfunctioning or empty.
Hassle deterrent Having full hands or being unwilling to face the hassle of taking gloves on and off was a deterrent for 50 per cent of those questioned. And all these factors come down to a basic Le haut niveau d’occupation et les charges de travail sont ce qui empêchent en premier lieu des travailleurs de la santé de ne pas toujours se désinfecter les mains, conclut une étude menée au Canada.
8 | June/July 2022 | ECJ
issue of inconvenience, according to GP PRO’s senior director of healthcare innovation Ronnie Phillips. “These healthcare workers know their facility’s policy and they want to follow that policy, but our research shows that the very nature of their jobs in combination with the nature of how hand sanitiser is made available prevents them from doing so,” he said. The study authors concluded that hand sanitisers should be made freely available and distributed evenly around healthcare facilities. And care should be taken to ensure these are well maintained, kept topped up at all times and checked frequently for breakages. It was further recommended that employers should seek to avoid over-burdening staff members with heavy workloads to allow them more time to follow important hand hygiene protocols.
Aus einer kanadischen Studie geht hervor, dass volle Zeitpläne und starke Arbeitsbelastung zu den Hauptgründen zählen, warum manche Beschäftigte des Gesundheitswesens ihre Hände nicht waschen.
A quanto risulta da uno studio canadese, i programmi impegnativi e il pesante carico di lavoro sono fra le ragioni principali per cui alcuni lavoratori del settore sanitario non si lavano le mani.
Solutions for professional cleaning and sanitizing
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NEWS
Visitors flock to Interclean Amsterdam after four years away Interclean Amsterdam took place over four busy and positive days last month - with exhibitors and visitors alike feeling excited to be meeting in person again after a four-year break. Almost 670 exhibitors and 25,886 visitors from 125 countries came together at RAI Amsterdam. Not only was this a happy reunion, it was an opportunity to do business, experience product innovations and attend the extensive knowledge programme. Particular attention was paid to young talent, cleaning in the healthcare sector and FM. Robert Stelling,director Interclean Global Events commented: “We can look back on four very successful
days, with a positive vibe in the exhibition halls. Everyone was extremely happy to finally meet each other again in person. “We received many positive responses, from those who were pleasantly surprised about the international nature of the exhibition, exhibitors who were able to make many more new contacts or close new orders and speakers who talked enthusiastically about the large audiences. This week has demonstrated the power of personal interaction is extremely valuable.” Stelling added: “I am also proud of the Healthcare Cleaning Forum where we bridged the gap between infection prevention and cleaning. It was also
Le dernier salon Interclean d’Amsterdam a attiré près de 26 000 visiteurs en provenance de 125 pays. 920
fantastic to see how our sector is dealing with sustainability. We cannot wait until 2024!” The Amsterdam Innovation Award was presented when Interclean opened. This year the coveted prize went to Essity’s Tork Biobased Heavy-Duty Cleaning Cloth. Following the presentation the
Fast 26.000 Besucher aus 125 Ländern besuchten vor Kurzem die Reinigungsmesse Interclean Amsterdam in den Niederlanden
money raised by the participants in the award was handed over to Amref Flying Doctors to support its projects in Ethiopia €12,675. The next Interclean event is in China from November 23-25. And the next Interclean Amsterdam will be from May 14-17 2024.
Quasi 26,000 persone provenienti da 125 nazioni hanno visitato la fiera del settore delle pulizie Interclean Amsterdam che si è tenuta di recente in Olanda.
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A.I.S.E. NEWS
Prioritising the safe use of products and safety of workers
A.I.S.E. is the umbrella organisation representing the European detergents and maintenance products industry. Its professional cleaning and hygiene sector manager Aisling O’Kane tells us more about its work. Professional cleaning product and service providers have an important legal responsibility to provide accurate, up to date safe use information to customers so that they can be informed about the precautions required in handling and storing products. The Safety Data Sheets and Product Information Sheets are the standardised way to do this. Companies will often go further, providing environmental safety information and advice on cleaning techniques and training of personnel, as well as working closely with their customers to develop and document their hygiene routines and procedures, putting in place targeted occupational health and safety measures to address a customer’s specific situation and helping them to conform to applicable legislation.
Communicating safe use Professional cleaning products companies in Europe have been proactively communicating safe use information to their customers for decades and, in partnership with A.I.S.E. pioneered the development and use of safety pictograms over 20 years ago, a practice that has since spread to the consumer products side of the industry.
The A.I.S.E. application pictograms for professional cleaning are a harmonised and consistent industry tool allowing rapid identification of the intended use of a product. This is of high importance given the number of niche products and variety of applications. The 31 pictograms are available to be used by all suppliers to professional cleaning on product labels and were developed based on the experience of manufacturers and end-users. The icons support appropriate, safe and sustainable use of products according to their intended end use or application. In multicultural environments where language can sometimes be a barrier, visuals are an important communication tool. As with all voluntary initiatives by the industry association, the use of the icons is open to all companies placing products on the market - for more and to downloaded the files, go to : www.aise.eu/ professionalcleaning
Clear safe use instructions Detergent manufacturers are required to take account of safe use information received from their suppliers and pass relevant information down the supply chain to customers via their product Safety Data Sheets. In collaboration with other downstream user sectors, A.I.S.E. has developed a tool to help manufacturers communicate this safe use information as prescribed by REACH, known as Safe Use of Mixtures Information (SUMI) documents. SUMIs offer manufacturers supplying the industrial and professional
Les prestataires de produits et services de propreté sont légalement tenus de fournir des informations précises et actuelles d’emploi sûr à leurs clients afin que ceux-ci puissent connaître les précautions à prendre dans la manipulation et le stockage de produits chimiques. Les fiches de sécurité et d’information de produit constituent le moyen normal d’y parvenir, explique l’A.I.S.E, l’organisation européenne représentant les producteurs.
12 | June/July 2022 | ECJ
cleaning industry a standardised way to provide clear and accessible information to cleaners on how to use the products safely. The SUMIs are written for the intended end user who may not have a deep chemical knowledge or be familiar with legislative jargon, but is responsible for creating specific workplace instructions. As an example, cleaners working with products on a daily basis should be able to determine easily and intuitively whether wearing gloves is necessary or how long they can be exposed to a cleaning agent safely. The information that a cleaning company needs is provided in the SUMI and communicated by the detergent manufacturer for the ultimate benefit of the end-user.
This approach, initially developed at association level, has been presented to representatives from the European Chemical Agency (ECHA) and positively viewed by authorities. The SUMI documents for 62 uses are available to all companies in multiple languages together with guidance and can be downloaded at: www.aise. eu/sumi
Guidance for the industry The European association has an important role in guiding the industry in the correct interpretation and implementation of EU
Die Anbieter von Reinigungsprodukten und Dienstleistungen sind rechtlich verpflichtet, den Kunden korrekte, aktuelle Informationen zur sicheren Verwendung bereitzustellen, damit diese über erforderliche Vorsichtsmaßnahmen bei Umgang und Lagerung von Chemikalien informiert sind. Sicherheitsdatenblätter und Produktinformationsblätter sind die normierte Art und Weise dies zu tun, erläutert A.I.S.E., die europäische Organisation, die die Hersteller dieser Produkte repräsentiert.
legislation, as well as ensuring that all actors in the supply chain have the necessary information to comply with legislative requirements and thereby ensure the safe use of products. Two examples of industry guidance follow.
Use Maps and guidance for ingredient registration A.I.S.E. compiles information on all uses of a substance in products to ensure that REACH risk assessment is appropriate and accurate - a good quality registration needs to be based on up-to-date and reliable information on how products are used in practice. A.I.S.E. assists the supply chain with the publication of its Use Maps, which cover the vast majority (over 80 per cent) of the uses and applications of products. To accompany the Use Maps, A.I.S.E.’s REACH Guidance supports suppliers, formulators and end-users in the supply chain to generate and communicate safe use information for cleaning and maintenance products.
Industry guidance on medical devices This guidance is a collaboration between experts from IHO, the German national association for professional cleaning products, and A.I.S.E. and aims to support our industry in implementing the EU Regulation on Medical Devices (MDR). The guidelines are of particular relevance for companies manufacturing products that are used for the cleaning and disinfection of medical devices, since these now fall under the scope of the MDR. The guidance can be read here or found on www.aise.eu. For more information contact the A.I.S.E. secretariat: aisling. okane@aise.eu
I fornitori di prodotti e servizi di pulizia hanno la responsabilità di fornire ai clienti informazioni accurate e aggiornate sull’uso sicuro dei prodotti in modo che questi ultimi possano essere informati sulle precauzioni necessarie per la manipolazione e la conservazione dei prodotti chimici. Le schede informative per la sicurezza e le schede informative dei prodotti sono il modo standardizzato per farlo, come spiega l’A.I.S.E, l’organizzazione europea che rappresenta i produttori.
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LATEST: DENMARK
LATEST: NETHERLANDS
Reality cleaning contest
Cleaning practices versus regimes
Lotte Printz in Denmark reviews a new reality TV format on cleaning.
Dutch reporter John Griep on how sector body VSR trains the cleaning inspectors who visit client sites.
“Maybe you have even been inspired to live a cleaner life!” These are the final words by the celebrity host of a brand new reality TV format about cleaning, spoken as the closing credits appear on the screen in the seventh and final episode and the nine contestants eliminated earlier fling their arms around the neck of the winner of ‘The Golden Bucket’. The programme called Sheer Madness or ‘Clean’ Madness (a Danish pun that translates badly into English) aired in Denmark this spring. Ten amateur cleaners (some might call them obsessive compulsive cleaners as they clean their own homes up to four hours a day!) compete against each other in a series of rounds. The challenges they are given in each episode are predominantly household cleaning routines, like dishwashing, removing stains, tidying the kids’ room or cleaning the living room after the teenage son threw a bombshell – or a party that is! And in two separate episodes they have a go at a portable lavatory from a music festival and a hotel room – given the same amount of time to do so in the latter as professional chambermaids. Throughout, contestants use elbow grease, but rarely the cleaning products they are used to. Each challenge comes with a twist, of course. Using only ingredients found in a kitchen or bathroom cupboard on an apron to wipe off nasty stains from ketchup and cocoa for example. Or removing chalky white deposits in kettles or in the bathroom shower with a choice of household goods such as yoghurt, mayonnaise, vinegar, oranges and pickled beetroot. A bit of knowledge about acids and bases and various chemicals’ effect does not go amiss. The contestants are in heaven
What do you do, as a cleaning inspector, if cleaning light switches is still in the cleaning regimen while almost all the lights in the building you are in are turned on and off automatically by sensors? Typically, this is the kind of situation you can run into in this profession. VSR tries to provide guidance to these professionals, including by organising a VSR Monitors’/Inspectors’ Day with the Foundation for Cleaning Quality (SSK). We organise a day like this every year, so that trained monitors and inspectors of the VSR Quality Measurement System (VSR-KMS) can meet each other. VSR monitors and inspectors are present at various client sites around the country every day to check cleaning companies are complying with cleaning regimens and meeting the VSR-KMS standards. In 2015, VSR even introduced a quality mark for companies that perform such checks and inspections. This was necessary because some companies had been unjustifiably promoting themselves as custodians of the VSR-KMS, resulting in erosion of the system. Fortunately, that is no longer possible now. With the VSR Hallmark, we have created a recognisable quality standard that can be checked by clients. Organisations with the quality mark distinguish themselves from the rest, and the quality mark does justice to the VSR-KMS which is, after all, the most independent, scientifically based and reproducible system on the Dutch market. And the VSR-KMS is the only quality measurement system that meets the requirements of the Dutch standard NEN 2075 and the European standard EN 13549.
Dans son compte rendu du Danemark, Lotte Printz fait le point sur un format nouveau de téléréalité basé sur le travail du nettoyeur.
when finally presented with shelves laden with ordinary cleaning products in another challenge – only to find out that the cleaners have been put in different bottles and containers and labelled… in Greek! And to assess the contestants’ skills and results after each challenge are strict and serious-looking judges: guest appearances in the more peculiar cleaning disciplines such as cleaning dogs, rifles from the royal guard and trainers! And two main judges - a woman who cleaned for the royal family for 16 years – and looks like a well-dressed housewife straight out of a 1950s American commercial – and a male chemistry geek, who’s an award-winning lecturer in food chemistry and a cleaning expert who also knows the old good housewife’s guides backwards. Having googled responses, the programme seemed to receive little attention from the media and the few reviews it received were mixed. Yours truly is probably considerably older than the programme’s target audience and no fan of reality TV. So had I not been on a mission to write about the show, I may have turned off the telly halfway through the first episode. Yet I found myself all worked up in the last nail-biting minutes of the final challenge – even cheering for my favourite contestant! And I have to admit, I might even change a few routines in my own household as a result of having watched the show! So, in some strange, and rather surprising, way the programme did in fact inspire me. Oh, I almost forgot to mention… the winner of this first series - and also my favourite contestant - is a professional window cleaner as it happens!
In ihrem Bericht aus Dänemark bespricht Lotte Printz ein neues Reality TVFormat, bei dem sich alles ums Reinigen dreht.
14 | June/July 2022 | ECJ
Dalla Danimarca, la corrispondente Lotte Printz fa una recensione su un nuovo format di reality TV basato sul mondo delle pulizie.
Aux Pays-Bas, John Griep explique la manière dont l’organisme indépendant VSR forme ses inspecteurs, qui ont pour mission de veiller au respect de normes de propreté par les établissements clients.
That said, the meeting with these professionals was centred around real-life situations that do not fall within cleaning regimens, but that you do run into as a monitor or an inspector. How do you handle those situations? Three experts walked the monitors and inspectors through addressing some questions about non-standard situations. For example, one of the questions was whether a VSR-KMS check may be performed by two people (answer: no, however someone may passively accompany or a senior may train a junior). Another question was about disinfectant residue, which cleaners have had to deal with since the pandemic. Is this a method error or an equipment failure? After all, they do require different approaches. Such questions arise in part from new developments from outside, as was also evident during the post-workshop chat. For example, people shared experiences about light switches and waste bins, which are increasingly disappearing from the office scene in the Netherlands. And who still has an ashtray? Reporting on the quality of these types of (absent) elements in a building is difficult if they are still in the system. By sharing these experiences (or sometimes, frustrations), the professionals offered each other some tools and shared some tips. And for us, as VSR, it is instructive to hear what is going on in practice so that we can continuously fine-tune our systems. The overall conclusion was professional cleaning is, above all, a wonderful and valuable industry. As a result, during the drinks, everyone was still buzzing from all the inspiration, and the sharing of knowledge.
Aus den Niederlanden berichtet John Griep, wie der unabhängige niederländische Reinigungsverband VSR seine Inspektoren schult, die Kundenstandorte besuchen, um dort sicherzustellen, dass Standards eingehalten werden.
Dai Paesi Bassi, John Griep ci informa su come I’organismo indipendente di settore VSR addestra i suoi ispettori che visitano i siti dei clienti per accertare che vengano raggiunti gli standard previsti.
LATEST: UK
Should we worry about Monkeypox? UK Lynn Webster in the UK on how the cleaning sector is assessing another virus in the news. As we are becoming less fraught after dealing with the height of the Covid pandemic, and some level of normality returns to our lives, we face the potential risk from the recent changes in behaviours of another envelope virus. Monkeypox. Whilst we are assured by medical and epidemiology experts this is unlikely to become life-threatening the outbreak is certainly gaining attention. It has taken scientists who study it carefully by surprise so therefore has raised our cleaning antennae another notch. Symptoms are reported to be fevers; headaches; swelling and aching muscles but clearly the focus becomes the rash that turns to unsightly infected pustules and lesions. The common modes of transmission are through respiratory tract or human to human contact, with the greatest environmental risk from fabrics, linens or clothing. So we need to highlight our focus on bed linens, bath towels and soft furnishings such as sofas and curtains as well as carpets. Reactivity is second nature to our cleaning profession so continuity plans kick into place and revised risk assessments are prepared. Some key sectors where most concern will be felt are likely to include hospitality (as well as the obvious healthcare sector) with clearly highlighted regimes in the laundry process of hotel bedding and bath towels. Car leasing, with regular changes of drivers, creates concerns with fabric contact as do commercial buildings with predominantly soft furnishings in public areas. Public Health England advice includes standard washing cycles above 60 degrees with added hypochlorite unnecessary. Cleaning techniques of general soft Rapportant du RoyaumeUni, Lynn Webster traite de l’apparition d’un nouveau virus, appelé le Monkeypox, qui inquiète le secteur de la propreté.
fabrics and carpets will need to revert to steam cleaning. In most scenarios vacuums being used will already have appropriate HEPA filtration in place and correct protocols for removal of all waste. In late May the number of cases was increasing dramatically from single figures to over 100 in a matter of weeks across various geographical areas, that could continue to grow. It may be a short-term issue that goes as quickly as it materialised with Monkeypox being ‘old news’ in a matter of months but maybe not; and there will always be another virus ready to mutate. What it clearly shows is professional and effective cleaning is at the heart of controlling every potential outbreak and the vital role it plays keeping everyone healthy, safe and well. At the height of the pandemic the value of cleaning and the public perception of cleaning was clearly recognised. Unfortunately, there are still many who do not appreciate this with their inaccurate and outdated views. This current situation, and with the potential risks of more volatile virus outbreaks in the future here is a stark reminder. This includes reiterating to our politicians, civil servants and members of parliament the crucial role cleaning and hygiene plays in the health of the country. The lobbying continues through the work of the British Cleaning Council (BCC) through its recently launched campaign ‘We Clean, We Care’ and its development of the apprenticeship. You may wish to join it in promoting the wider recognition of the vital job all members of the cleaning profession do (available as pin badges; marketing materials and through presence on social media).
Lynn Webster berichtet aus Großbritannien über das Auftreten eines neuen Virus, das die Reinigungsbranche beunruhigt – Affenpocken.
Dal Regno Unito, la corrispondente Lynn Webster ci informa sull’emergenza causata dal nuovo virus Monkeypox che causa preoccupazione nel settore delle pulizie professionali.
June/July 2022 | ECJ |15
LATEST: FRANCE
LATEST: GERMANY
Minimum wage increase pressure
Spring survey and wage settlement
Christian Bouzols in France explains the increase in the minimum wage is causing stress in the sector.
Katja Scholz reports on the mood of the German cleaning sector, following the latest BIV report.
Due to inflation, the official minimum wage in France was increased on May 1, the third increase in just seven months. This minimum wage, called the SMIC (Salaire Minimum de Croissance) now amounts to €1,302.64 net a month. The two million workers who were on the SMIC are therefore going to get a rise of 33 euros a month, bringing their total rise to 5.75 per cent since August 2021. As a result, the SMIC has now overtaken the lowest wage levels provided for by wage agreements in a majority of occupational groups. These are economic sectors with more than 5,000 workers. According to a calculation by the CFDT trade union, this recent official minimum wage increase means the SMIC exceeds the lowest collectively agreed wage in 83 additional occupational groups. If we include the two earlier SMIC increases, the number of occupational groups where the SMIC has become higher than the lowest agreed wage has grown to 144 out of a total of 171. Thus, in 84 per cent of occupational groups, workers on the minimal agreed wage will get less than the SMIC and this has triggered several strikes and demonstrations recently. “We had lost the knack of managing inflation, of handling the process of continuously having to re-calculate rates and wages,” says Eric Chevée, vice-president in charge of social affairs at the Confédération des Petites et Moyennes Entreprises (CPME). “While the matter of wages is obviously crucial if we want to keep workers and recruit new ones, it’s not easy to have all wages reflect both inflation and SMIC increases.” “You can only give what you have” is what Philippe Jouanny,
For the fourth year in succession now, the Federal Guild of Contract Cleaners (BIV) has carried out a spring survey. This enables member companies to present a picture of the general mood in the sector and to give their views on market forecasts, revenue projections and topics of current interest. Hence this year’s spring survey also reflected the war in Ukraine and its repercussions. Almost 83 per cent of the companies polled declared their readiness to offer Ukrainian refugees a (temporary) job. “We all hope the war will be over as soon as possible and people can return to their home country again” said BIV guild master Thomas Dietrich. “As long as employment or at least temporary employment helps to provide support for the refugees, our industry will be more than willing to offer assistance.” One of the most noticeable effects of the war in Ukraine is without doubt the enormous rise in the price of electricity, gas, oil and petrol. As a service provider which relies on mobility, the contract cleaning trade has suffered badly from these cost pressures. On a scale of 1 to 10, the companies questioned rated the influence of rising energy prices at 7.3 as a significant source of pressure on budgets. The second dominant theme at the present time, Covid-19, is likewise still having a marked effect on companies. A total of 90.8 per cent indicated a clear rise in the sickness rates of their employees in recent months, 62 per cent reporting a significant rise and just under 29 per cent a slight rise. Short-time working, however, is less of an issue - just under 90 per cent of the businesses questioned currently have
En France, le salaire minimum officiel vient d’être revalorisé pour la troisième fois en l’espace de sept mois. Il en a résulté de fortes pressions sur les entreprises de propreté, explique Christian Bouzols.
president of the French federation of cleaning companies, had to say. “As a result of the first SMIC increase, the lowest wage level according to our industry agreement has fallen one cent below the SMIC, while the previous increase, of 1.05 per cent, was only agreed on April 1. If your profit margin is between one and three per cent and your wage bill is equal to 80 per cent of your service delivery, you’re not going to have any margin left if your wages are to increase by two per cent”. Cleaning sector management and labour have been negotiating the wage situation since April, but Jouanny believes the state should act more responsibly. His point of view is that: “Given that public procurement represents 25 per cent of our business, we should have a system whereby wage increases could be passed on to our rates, this being agreed at the signing of contracts and even implementable during the contract.” The CDFT union believes the discussion between the interested parties shouldn’t only deal with minimum wage issues but also with the employment classification system, called ‘grille de classification’, on which the employer contribution exemptions given to companies for their lowest paid workers are based. These exemptions cover wages rising up to 1.6 the value of the SMIC, meaning the higher the SMIC, the greater the exemption on employer contributions. In other words, the state’s financial cost in helping companies by reducing their employer contributions will paradoxically rise if low earners get wage increases, which would not encourage the state to promote wage increases for low paid workers.
In Frankreich wurde der Mindestlohn gerade zum dritten Mal innerhalb von sieben Monaten angehoben. Dies übt einen erheblichen Druck auf Reinigungsunternehmen aus, meint Christian Bouzols.
16 | June/July 2022 | ECJ
In Francia, il minimo salariale è appena stato aumentato per la terza volta in sette mesi e ciò mette sotto forte pressione le imprese di pulizia, come ci riferisce il corrispondente Christian Bouzols.
L’association allemande de la propreté, BIV, a effectué son sondage de printemps, qui présente un tableau de l’ambiance qui règne actuellement dans le secteur. Katja Scholz fait rapport.
no employees on short-time working – on the contrary, almost the same percentage can actually see themselves increasing the number of employees. They also identify a problem in finding suitable people. And what do revenue projections look like for the current year? Fairly mixed: while 46 per cent anticipate increasing turnover, 32 per cent expect it to remain stable, while just under 21 per cent forecast a decline. But the effects of rising costs are not only being felt by the companies themselves. Employees are being hit hardest of all by the high level of inflation. “Employers in the contract cleaning trade have for decades been convinced of the importance of independent collective wage bargaining. It is not for politicians to determine wage levels but for social partners to find mutually acceptable answers to the many and varied sector-specific demands of employees,” declared Christian Kloevekorn, chair of the BIV Wage Bargaining Committee at the start of the collective wage negotiations in spring. The results were announced at the beginning of June: in the second round of negotiations the parties agreed on a twostage increase in the universally applicable sector minimum wage and a rise in apprenticeship allowances. “Set against a backdrop of extreme economic risks, the wage increases are approaching the red zone, though the long duration to the end of 2024 is a strong argument in their favour. The agreement underscores our fundamental belief that entry-level wages in the contract cleaning industry should continue to exceed the legal minimum wage,” said Christian Kloevekorn.
Der deutsche Vertragsreinigungsverband BIV hat seine FrühlingsKonjunkturumfrage durchgeführt, die einen Eindruck der allgemeinen Stimmung in der Branche vermittelt. Katja Scholz berichtet.
L’associazione tedesca del cleaning professionale BIV ha svolto il suo sondaggio primaverile che presenta un’immagine dello stato d’animo generale del settore. Ce ne parla la corrispondente Katja Scholz.
LATEST: ITALY
Price increases and economic crisis The rise in costs acros the world is impacting on the cleaning sector in Italy, writes Anna Garbagna. Price increases are definitely worrying the industrial world, and they are not the only concern. In fact, the service sector is sending out a cry of alarm for what could happen in the future and this is even more true for the cleaning sector, a vital sectors specially after the pandemic which we had to face in the last two years. This topic was the main theme of the press conference hosted by Senator Massimo Berutti in Rome. The federation Confindustria Servizi HCFS, which groups facilities, cleaning and sanitisation, disinfection, industrial laundry services, personal protective equipment and collective catering companies were also there. As highlighted by the president Lorenzo Mattioli, service companies were once again the first to be affected by the repercussions of the pandemic as well as those of the war between Russia and Ukraine, despite being instrumental in keeping the country going, and in guaranteeing an essential level of services. “Every company is experiencing problems with regards to products for cleaning, sanitisation or disinfection. Just one example is the increase in paper prices by 10 per cent, while some chemical products have increased by up to 400 per cent.” On top of that, price increases in raw food materials, energy and gas for hospital laundry and sterilisation are also impacting heavily. “The energy increase,” Mattioli explained, “ have increased the total cost of services rendered by our companies by 30 per cent to 50 per cent. “For this reason it is necessary to renegotiate existing contracts to avoid risking a 50 per cent reduction of activities,” continued Mattioli, “which would impact on Anna Garbagna, notre correspondante en Italie, constate les effets sur le secteur de la propreté de la montée des prix à travers le monde.
the health and transport sectors and related jobs because they will suffer from a reduction in the services provided by our companies”. Current legislation has a provision to help and support commercial activities, but it only states a price review for the job’s contracts without taking into account the needs of the service companies that are providing essential public utility services for the health sector, schools and more generally for the community. Egidio Paoletti, president of Assositema Confindustria added: “The public and private health sectors are at serious risk. In the absence of a government intervention aimed at renegotiating contracts and keeping energy and gas costs down, around 110,000 hospital beds may no longer be used in hospitals and A&Es, 400,000 operatives will have to work without PPE and surgical procedures will also be at risk.” Marco Benedetti of Anid also highlighted the significant price increases on raw materials, chemicals and active ingredients, along with the steep rise in fuel prices which affects vehicles and transport. “The scenario is worrying and it is not acceptable that the weight of this situation will fall only on the finances of the companies, and their situation is not being acknowledged - especially in the economic reassessment of the ongoing contracts. We cannot accept, for example, a delay in the payment of the bills just as a political solution.”
Keep up to date with industry news at the ECJ website
Anna Garbagna, die Italien-Korrespondentin des ECJ, betrachtet wie sich die Preiserhöhungen, die die Weltwirtschaft beeinträchtigen, auf die Reinigungsbranche auswirken.
Anna Garbagna, la corrispondente italiana di ECJ, prende in esame come gli aumenti dei prezzi che stanno colpendo l’economia mondiale stanno avendo un impatto sul settore delle pulizie professionali.
June/July 2022 | ECJ |17
EUROPEAN CLEANING & HYGIENE AWARDS
ECJ European award winners announced at Brussels gala dinner
The 2022 winners of the European Cleaning & Hygiene Awards have been revealed, following the eagerlyanticipated return of the glittering awards event hosted by European Cleaning Journal in Brussels recently. Leading service providers, manufacturers and distributors from Europe’s cleaning and hygiene sector came together to celebrate the very best of the industry. The event took place at Hotel Le Plaza, where the finalists were honoured and the winners unveiled. After over two years away, the awards received an unprecedented number of entries, with the judges reviewing over 160 nominations. With 39 finalists across 10 categories, the winners were finally unveiled at the gala dinner event. The winners are: • Best Use of Smart Technology by Service Providers - Principle Cleaning Services & Landsec at Dashwood House • Investment in Training Breedweer Facilitaire Diensten • Excellence in ClientContractor Relationships Incentive FM with Beaumont Leys Shopping Centre • Start-Up of the Year - TRU • Sustainability - Best Practice - joint first prize for Essity and Momentum Support • Commitment to Diversity Breedweer Facilitaire Diensten • Best Initiative Raising the Profile of the Cleaning Sector - ANIP Confindustria for the ‘In Buone Mani’ campaign • Technological Innovation of the Year - joint first prize for Gausium and LionsBot • Leader of the Year - Dominic Ponniah, Cleanology • Rising Star - Martina Alexandrino, Principle
18 | June/July 2022 | ECJ
Cleaning Services Editor of ECJ Michelle Marshall, said: “After over two years away it was absolutely fantastic to bring the industry back together once again to celebrate all the brilliant achievements of the past few years. The event was the most successful to date, and it was a pleasure to unveil our 2022 winners to such a wellrespected crowd.
Only pan-European awards “The standard of entries this year really did blow us away and every finalist should feel incredibly proud of their contributions to the cleaning and hygiene sector. Congratulations to all the winners who took home the highest prize on the night.” The awards, which are the only pan-European awards to recognise the professional cleaning sector, are run by ECJ. Judges include Michelle Marshall, founder of the ECH Awards, Lynn Webster, Juan Díez de los Ríos de San Juan, and Frank Veneman, who all donate their time to supporting the event. This year’s sponsors were Boma (headline sponsor), Kärcher, Tork, Interclean, Ceris Burns International, Jangro, Greenspeed, Truvox International, Vectair Systems, i-Team, Vermop and LionsBot International. Media partners include Tomorrow’s Cleaning, GSA and Services. For further information visit www.echawards. com or contact awards@ europeancleaningjournal.com Look out for news of the 2023 European Cleaning & Hygiene Awards at www. europeancleaningjournal.com. You can also follow the awards on Twitter @ECH_Awards and #ECHAwards2022.
EUROPEAN CLEANING & HYGIENE AWARDS
Les gagnants des Prix européens de proprété et d’hygiène 2022 - organisés par ECJ - ont été annoncés récemment lors d’une cérémonie à Londres. Prenez connaissance de ces gagnants ici. 922
Die Gewinner der European Cleaning & Hygiene Awards 2022 – organisiert vom ECJ – wurden im Rahmen einer glanzvollen Preisverleihung in Brüssel bekannt gegeben. Lesen Sie mehr über die Gewinner hier.
I vincitori dei premi European Cleaning & Hygiene Awards edizione 2022, organizzati da ECJ, sono stati annunciati durante una sfarzosa cerimonia tenutasi a Bruxelles. In questo articolo leggerete tutto sui vincitori.
June/July 2022 | ECJ | 19
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WORKFORCE
The great resignation In addition to its impact on health, the Covid-19 pandemic has also hugely affected the world of work. Indeed, many industries have suffered under multiple lockdowns and a struggling economy, and the cleaning industry is no exception. As we emerge from the pandemic, we’re also starting to deal with the long-term effects of lockdowns, remote working and furlough. Now, workers are starting to reevaluate the trajectory of their lives and how they feel about their jobs, leading to the phenomenon known as The Great Resignation. Ultimately, to adapt to the changing landscape of the world of work, the cleaning industry and many other service industries such as hospitality and retail need to figure out how to increase employee retention and avoid out-ofcontrol employee turnover. You’ve probably heard the term The Great Resignation on the news over the past few months. It refers to the phenomenon of employees quitting their jobs en masse, which started in the USA last year. Since then, The Great Resignation has spread across the globe, encouraging thousands - and even millions - of workers to give up on jobs that didn’t make them feel fulfilled or appreciated. But why is this happening? There are many reasons why we think that these mass resignations are occurring now. First of all, the pandemic has certainly had a huge influence on this upheaval. Despite the efforts of governments to protect businesses during lockdowns, such as through furlough schemes, many companies have decided to cut jobs. In fact, between March 2020 and April 2021, 800,000 workers lost their jobs in the UK. This job insecurity caused by the pandemic has encouraged many people to reevaluate their careers and think about what would make them happier. The tragic loss of life during the pandemic has also increased this sense of dissatisfaction that people have with their careers by reminding them that life is short and shouldn’t be spent doing something that
makes you unhappy. Now, with businesses encouraging or even forcing people to return to their offices, another long-term effect of the pandemic has been revealed. Lockdowns have shown us many jobs can be performed perfectly well at home, and since remote work often means more time with family and less time and money spent on commuting, people are unwilling to be forced back into the office when it’s not necessary. As a result, many people are quitting their jobs. And with the rapid rise in inflation and household bills, it’s no surprise that people want to quit jobs that offer disappointing salaries and not enough opportunities for promotions and career growth. This is a particular problem in industries such as hospitality and retail, which are seeing very high resignation rates due to low pay and stressful conditions.
How to retain employees? Due to the importance of hygiene during the pandemic, cleaners have faced a much higher workload and increased stress. However, this burnout has also been felt by all industries due to rapid shifts in how people work and the stress caused by a global, once-in-a-lifetime crisis. So, how can businesses improve employee wellbeing and thus improve employee retention in the wake of The Great Resignation? Increase wages - faced with skyrocketing costs of living, people will be unwilling to stay in jobs where their pay is insufficient and unlikely to increase in the near future. Not offering raises to at least offset the rapid rise in inflation is a realterm pay cut for your employees, which certainly won’t make them feel appreciated after all their hard work throughout the pandemic. To make the process of paying your employees and awarding raises and bonuses run more smoothly, you should invest in payroll software that’s reliable and hasslefree. With this software, you’ll be able to access accurate reports on your payroll finances and reduce your paperwork, ben-
As we emerge from the pandemic a new phenomenon known as ‘The Great Resignation’ has emerged. In order to adapt to the changing landscape of the world of work the cleaning sector must work hard to increase employee retention and avoid even higher levels of staff turnover. efitting you and the environment. Offer remote/hybrid work - although this option isn’t feasible in every industry, a great way to increase employee retention is to offer the opportunity to work from home, either full-time or part-time. The pandemic has demonstrated that many tasks previously performed in an office could be done at home equally well, removing the need for time-consuming, expensive commutes. This has led to many people preferring to work remotely. Businesses forcing employees to come back into the office when they can do their job from home has been a huge factor in people’s decisions to quit. Therefore if you want to retain employees, you should offer fully remote and hybrid positions where possible. This is a huge change, but businesses need to adapt to the new world of work or risk having a high employee turnover. Offer other benefits too - wages are obviously extremely important to employees, but this isn’t the only factor that can convince them to stay. Indeed, a job with high wages but a toxic and stressful work environment isn’t going to encourage employee retention. Other benefits you can offer to make your business more attractive as a place to work are flexible hours, more holidays and a generous sick leave policy. These perks will make your employees feel valued and will also reduce stress. Respect the work-life balance - increasing holidays and being more flexible continued p24
June/July 2022 | ECJ | 23
WORKFORCE The Great Resignation (continued) are ways that you can show respect for your employees’ work-life balance. One of the major reasons why people quit their jobs is because they feel overworked and stressed out, and with the rise of remote work during the pandemic, many people have had their working days increase even further as there’s not enough separation between work and personal life. Burnout and overwork are also prevalent in industries that weren’t remote during the pandemic, such as cleaning and healthcare. To prevent burnout among your workforce due to overwork, you should respect their boundaries by not allowing work matters to spill over into people’s free time. This means encouraging employees to always log off on time at the end of the day, not sending emails outside of office hours, and not pushing people to do overÀ l’approche de la fin de la pandémie, de nombreux travailleurs en viennent à réfléchir sur leurs trajectoires personnelles et professionnelles, aboutissant au phénomène qu’on a appelé « la Grande Résignation ». Pour s’adapter au tableau changeant du monde du travail, le secteur de la propreté doit s’efforcer d’améliorer la rétention des salariés et d’éviter une nouvelle augmentation des taux de rotation du personnel.
24 | June/July 2022 | ECJ
time by assigning too much work. Try a four-day working week - to really improve your employees’ work-life balance and thus increase employee retention rates, you might want to trial a four-day working week. A shorter working week could reduce burnout and stress, while still maintaining or even boosting productivity. The idea of a four-day working week has generated a lot of buzz in the past few years. Although it has not yet become mainstream, countries such as Sweden and Iceland have trialled this idea and found many benefits for both employees and businesses. It also gained traction in the wake of the pandemic. Increased levels of burnout and stress have led to calls for reduced working hours and a three-day weekend to improve people’s health and well-being.
Some believe a shorter working week could benefit both employees and businesses, offering a way to improve employee retention, but how is this possible? Here are the perceived benefits: • Improving work-life balance and reducing burnout by giving employees more time to rest and enjoy their hobbies • Increasing productivity by making employees less stressed and more wellrested; happier and healthier employees produce higher-quality work • Improving the economy by giving people more free time to spend money, by going on short breaks for example • Protecting the environment by reducing commutes and giving people more time to make eco-friendly lifestyle changes - this could reduce the UK’s carbon footprint by 127 million tonnes per year.
Während wir aus der Pandemie herauskommen, nehmen viele Arbeitnehmer eine Neuabschätzung des Entwicklungsverlaufs ihres Lebens vor und was sie von ihrer Arbeit halten. Das führt zu dem Phänomen, das als „The Great Resignation“ (die große Kündigungswelle) bekannt ist. Um sich den sich wandelnden Gegebenheiten der Arbeitswelt anzupassen, muss die Reinigungsbranche hart arbeiten, um die Mitarbeiterbindung zu erhöhen und eine noch höhere Personalfluktuation zu vermeiden.
Mentre emergiamo dalla pandemia, i lavoratori iniziano a rivalutare la traiettoria della loro vita e a come si sentono a riguardo del loro lavoro. Ciò porta al fenomeno conosciuto come ‘The Great Resignation’. Per adattarsi al nuovo scenario del mondo del lavoro, il settore delle pulizie professionali deve impegnarsi seriamente per aumentare la percentuale di mantenimento dei dipendenti ed evitare livelli ancora più elevati di ricambio del personale.
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PROBIO CLEANING TABLETS FOR READY-TO-USE SPRAY
HYGIENE IN FOOD PREPARATION
Always be prepared What are the key challenges involved with cleaning an area where food is being prepared? Ann Laffeaty asks manufacturers about the logistical, ergonomic and hygiene issues in a commercial kitchen - and quizzes them about their solutions. CLEANING IN AN ENVIRONMENT where food is being prepared can be a nightmare. Hygiene is particularly important a commercial kitchen because any harmful pathogens are liable to contaminate the foodstuffs. And this could lead to food poisoning, lawsuits and ruined reputations. Strong disinfectants might solve the problem, but these need to be used with care since they are likely to taint the food items. The fact kitchens tend to be busy, chaotic places presents another challenge. Staff members will be juggling multiple tasks and moving constantly from A to B, leading to logistical problems as far as ongoing cleaning is concerned. And whenever a spill occurs, it will need to be cleaned up immediately before operatives have the chance to slip in it or spread it around. Restaurant managers are understandably keen to maximise their customer floor space, which means that in many cases the kitchen area will be relatively small and cramped. As a result, large items of cleaning machinery will be impractical. So in the face of all these challenges, how do industry players prioritise their kitchen cleaning efforts? Hygiene is always the top priority in any food preparation area, says Filmop’s business development manager Paolo Scapinello. “Dirt and bacteria must be effectively removed from all surfaces that come into direct contact with food,” he said. “So the main goal should be to supply the wherewithal to guarantee high standards of hygiene and that ensure a
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long-lasting level of cleanliness.” Speed of cleaning is crucial, particularly during food service times, he adds. “Fast and efficient operations need to be carried out with the aid of non-bulky and easy-to-transport equipment,” he says. “This will quickly restore the hygienic and sanitary conditions essential in a food preparation area.” According to Scapinello, quick and effective action is necessary for cleaning up any accidental liquid spills - but there are logistical issues involved when staff members are preparing food. “The use of compact and easy-to-handle equipment will be required since this is less likely to interfere with ongoing activities,” he said. ”Any food contamination also needs to be avoided, so sprays should not be used because particles would then be released into the air.” Manual equipment is ideal for cleaning small food preparation spaces where few electrical sockets are available, he said. “Mopping systems are more appropriate than cleaning machines because they can be used in corners and in hard-to-reach areas,” said Scapinello. “They also facilitate quick clean-ups when emergency cleaning is required.” Filmop’s new Easy Wash system is designed for use on horizontal and vertical surfaces in small areas such as kitchens. It consists of a touch-free mop holder, microfibre mop, bucket and wringer and is said to avoid any direct contact with the hands or any repeated bending on the part of the operator.
Disorganised environments Ensuring all surfaces are constantly ready for work should be the top priority in a commercial kitchen according to Essity’s regional marketing manager for horeca Riccardo May. “This is important both from a health risk point of view and also to keep the kitchen running smoothly,” he said. “Surface cleaning is crucial because any food poisoning organisms, allergens and other potentially harmful substances need to be quickly removed to avoid the risk of
contaminating any new items placed on those surfaces. “A ‘clean as you go’ policy should therefore be implemented because this makes each employee responsible for cleaning his or her own area throughout their shift.” He says time is of the essence during food service hours. “Restaurant kitchens need to be as prepared as possible — even over-prepared — on a daily basis,” he said. “When workflow, hygiene and efficiency are all in sync, staff won’t have to think twice about maintaining high standards of hygiene.” Cleaning and hand hygiene products need to be placed in strategic positions in all food preparation areas, he adds. “These can make a vital contribution in overcoming the daily challenges posed by a restaurant kitchen,” said May. “Wellplaced products will ensure staff members don’t forget to clean their hands while also making the overall cleaning task easier, both during and at the end of service. “Kitchens that are not optimised will often become cluttered and disorganised environments where health and safety requirements are not met. And these requirements are fundamental to a restaurant’s survival.” New from Essity is the Tork Performance Washstation dispenser which is designed to give out paper wipers one at a time. The unit is built to withstand wet environments and can remain in place during spray-downs. Kitchen floors can pose a real problem when it comes to cleaning according to Denis Rawlins managing director James White. “A build-up of grease coupled with frequent spillages can make floors incredibly dangerous,” he said. “And when you add sharp objects and boiling liquids into the equation, the result can be catastrophic for both staff and customers. “Spills need to be addressed quickly and efficiently to remove the risk of trips and falls and to minimise any disruption to the service. But a thorough daily clean of key areas including the floors should be suf-
HYGIENE IN FOOD PREPARATION
ficient to keep grease at bay.” Most professional kitchens are tiled, and this poses a problem with grease and soils which can build up in grout lines if they are not properly maintained, according to White. “A mop and bucket will simply not cut it,” he adds. “You need a cleaning machine with high-flow fluid extraction technology to clean these hard-to-reach areas and leave the surfaces clean and dry.” Denis Rawlins’ Kaivac UniVac uses high flow fluid extraction technology to remove grease from kitchen floors. The machine is said to use 65 per cent less water and cleaning fluid than equivalent machines. The need to clean up during service hours is one of the chief challenges in any food preparation environment, according to GOJO’s managing director UK and Ireland Chris Wakefield. “The kitchen will be at its busiest and staff will be under huge pressure to serve dishes in a timely fashion,” he said. “However, hygiene should never be sacrificed for the sake of speed, which means cleaning needs to be carried out pre, during and post service in order to ensure the food is prepared and served hygienically.”
Clean as you go Worktops, chopping boards and cooking utensils all need to be kept sanitised at all times, according to Wakefield. “If these items aren’t properly cleaned, bacteria could spread to the food and cause illness,” he said. “And if spills aren’t cleared up immediately there is a risk of slips and falls.” A shortage of available space can add to the cleaning challenge, he adds. “This leads to logistical issues, particularly when staff members are present,” he said. “But a well-designed kitchen will facilitate the task, particularly when cleaning surfaces such as tiles, stainless steel units, splashbacks and worktops which are all typically smooth and flat. The challenge here is to choose the right sanitising solutions because these need to be safe for food contact use and should not alter the taste or smell of the food.” He believes surface sanitising sprays and wipes are particularly suitable for use in a commercial kitchen. “These are quick to use and effective, and can be easily Le manque de prises de courants, les impératifs de la rapidité, le peu d’espace et la présence constante de personnels de cuisine - tels sont les problèmes types auxquels s’affrontent les tâches de nettoyage et d’hygiène dans les aires de préparation alimentaire. Ann Laffeaty interroge les fabricants sur les questions de logistique, d’ergonomie et d’hygiène qui se présentent dans ces situation et cherche à en connaître les solutions.
incorporated into daily activities alongside thorough hand hygiene and cleaning.” GOJO’s Purell surface sanitising spray and wipes are designed for use on kitchen utensils, food storage containers, nonporous surfaces and refrigerated display cases. They are bactericidal, fungicidal and virucidal and require no rinsing. The various types of surfaces in a typical commercial kitchen present a major cleaning challenge according to Kärcher’s senior manager global sales and business development hospitality Gundula Braun. “These require different cleaning methods, chemicals, textiles and equipment,” she said. “For example, shiny wall tiles should be cleaned at the end of the working day with a high-pressure machine in combination with foam nozzles or cup foam lances and an appropriate detergent. “As far as food surfaces are concerned, the strictest precautions need to be taken to prevent food items from becoming exposed to any type of chemicals. And floors need to be thoroughly cleaned and dried to prevent them from becoming a slip hazard.” She says any stubborn residues of dirt, grease and foodstuffs need to be removed swiftly and systematically in accordance with HACCP guidelines. “Otherwise they could become breeding grounds for microorganisms,” she said. “Spotless hygiene is therefore a must in the sensitive food preparation area to ensure the safety of guests and staff.” Other cleaning challenges include the tight spaces often found in a kitchen; a general lack of power outlets and the need for immediate clean-ups of spills when staff are present, she adds. “Steam cleaners or steam vacuums should be used and if chemicals are necessary, bottles with foam heads will prevent
Zu wenige Steckdosen, es muss schnell gehen, Platzmangel sowie immer anwesendes Küchenpersonal – was sind die größten Herausforderungen, die bei der Ausarbeitung von Reinigungs- und Hygienesystemen für lebensmittelverarbeitende Bereiche bewältigt werden müssen? Ann Laffeaty erkundigt sich bei Hersteller nach den Problemen, die in den Bereichen Logistik, Ergonomie und Hygiene auftreten, und befragt sie über ihre Lösungen.
the formation of aerosols,” she said. According to Braun, food contact surfaces should only be disinfected after food service is over. “It is important to remove all visible dirt first, then flush surfaces with drinking water after the disinfectant contact time to eliminate any residual disinfectant on surfaces,” she says. “And manual cleaning using textiles is recommended for removing any visible dirt while the kitchen is in operation.”
Small spaces The problem of tight spaces and a lack of power outlets can be counteracted by the use of compact, battery-operated machines, she adds. “Safety is another key aspect since a cable will quickly become a trip hazard or could drag along dirt across the floor,” she said. Kärcher offers compact scrubber dryers for use on floors; plus steam cleaners and steam vacuum cleaners for floor and surface cleaning along with a range of manual tools such as textiles, scrapers, squeegees, buckets and trolleys. According to Braun it is important to maintain an economic balance between effectiveness and cleaning quality. “Spills, broken glass or tableware and fallen food items all need to be removed swiftly to avoid possible dangers for staff and to avoid spreading the dirt further,” she said. “But regular daily floor and surface cleaning should be carried out according to a cleaning programme and hygiene plan.” She adds the complex nature of kitchen cleaning makes a formal schedule essential. “A cleaning plan will structure the different tasks that need to be performed and ensure the kitchen remains spotless,” she said. “So this needs to be displayed prominently in all areas where cleaning is required and all staff members need to be trained accordingly.”
La mancanza di prese di corrente, il bisogno di essere veloci, la mancanza di spazio più il personale delle cucine sempre presente: quali sono le sfide principali che devono essere affrontate quando si devono elaborare dei sistemi di pulizia e igiene per le aree di preparazione alimentare? Ann Laffeaty chiede ai produttori quali sono i problemi di logistica, ergonomia e igiene che si presentano e chiede quali sono le loro soluzioni.
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PRODUCTS: HYGIENE IN FOOD PREPARATION
• Kärcher a lancé un nettoyeur à la vapeur, le SG4/2 Classic, appareil aisément transportable et accompagné d’une mallette commode. • FBK, un spécialiste des outils de nettoyage d’hygiène, a mis au point une brosse de nettoyage détaillé à long manche. • Pour améliorer le flux de travail dans les cuisines commerciales, Essity propose le distributeur d’essuyeurs Tork Performance Washstation. • The destructeur d’insectes Industry Pro 80W TAE IP54 a été réalisé par JVD pour assurer la maîtrise des insectes dans les aires de préparation alimentaire.
• Neu von Kärcher ist der Dampfreiniger SG4/2 Classic, der dank praktischem Tragegriff einfach zu transportieren ist. • FBK, Spezialist für Hygienereinigungswerkzeuge, hat eine langstielige Detailreinigungsbürste entwickelt. • Essity bietet den Tork Performance Waschstation Spender für Papierwischtücher, der zur Verbesserung des Arbeitsablaufs in Küchen konzipiert wurde. • Der Insektenvernichter Industry Pro 80W TAE IP54 von JVD wurde zur Insektenkontrolle in lebensmittelverarbeitenden Bereichen konzipiert.
• La novità della Kärcher è la macchina di pulizia a vapore SG4/2 Classic, facile da trasportare grazie a una maniglia comoda per il trasporto. • La FBK, specializzata in attrezzi di pulizia igienica, ha sviluppato una spazzola con manico lungo per la pulizia accurata. • Il dispenser di panni Tork Performance Washstation prodotto dalla Essity è progettato per migliorare il flusso di lavoro nelle cucine. • Il distruttore di insetti Industry Pro 80W TAE IP54 Insect Destroyer è stato progettato dalla JVD per eliminare gli insetti nelle aree di preparazione alimentare.
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Steam clean Kärcher’s latest steam cleaner is the SG 4/2 Classic. With a water tank, steam generator and storage space for accessories - all contained inside a practically designed case - this is a flexible solution for different locations. The clearly designed control panel on the steam cleaner makes it simple to use and the water tank holds two litres in total. In a few simple steps – and without having to wait for the boiler to cool down – the fresh water tank can be refilled for uninterrupted cleaning. And
the four-bar pressure makes for efficient cleaning without adding cleaning agents. The case has a carrying handle for convenience and the castors on the base make the machine easy to move between locations. Two storage nets on the outer sides can be used to store the power cable and any wet cleaning equipment after use. Similar in size and shape to a tool box, the SG 4/2 Classic can be stored away neatly in small spaces. The accessories include a steam scraper and a flat brush, as well as other cleaning tools, such as a point jet nozzle or hand nozzle and a microfibre cleaning cloth. www.karcher.com
Detail brush
Hygiene cleaning tools specialist FBK has developed a long Detail Brush for reaching into the most hard-to-access places. The long slim handle is very flexible and can be bent, and there is a specially designed head with stiff bristles in front that can help clean all the way to the end of narrow spaces. On the front of the brush is a hard scraping edge for loosening stubborn dirt from surfaces. The long handle grip is designed ergonomically without sharp edges but with round surfaces that make it comfortable to hold. The brush is food approved with operating and sterilisation temperature up to 134°C. www.fbk.dk
Better workflow Designed to improve kitchen workflow is the new Tork Performance Washstation dispenser from Essity. This high-capacity unit has an eye-catching design to allow staff to easily locate a wiper when they need one for wiping their hands or kitchen surfaces. The splash-proof hood protects the product before use and during kitchen spray-downs. And the unit gives out wipers
one at a time to reduce consumption and optimise hygiene. Also designed to enhance food preparation efficiency is the Tork Reflex Singlesheet Centrefeed system which comes in a wall-mounted dispenser plus a portable format. All Tork Reflex rolls are food-contact approved for wiping and come in one-ply and two-ply formats. The Tork Reflex dispenser gives out one sheet of paper at a time instead of allowing the user to pull out a long length of product, reducing consumption by up to 37 per cent. This means each refill lasts longer, leading to fewer interruptions during busy service periods. The dispenser also has a run-out indicator which helps to ensure kitchen workers are never left without a paper supply. www.tork.co.uk
Tackles insects JVD has launched the Industry Pro 80W TAE IP54 insect destroyer to control insects in food preparation environments. This robust unit can be suspended, fixed to the wall or installed in any other way that meets the user’s requirements. Covering areas of up to 200 square metres, the new model can adapt to humid environments such as kitchens. Two anti-shatter tubes are integrated to avoid any risk of glass fragments in case of shattering, plus there is automatic shutdown when the grill is opened to allow safe cleaning. www.jvd.fr
Does your office meet the new hygiene demands?
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Elevate workplace well-being with the Tork Office Hygiene Package As you know, a facility manager’s job has never been easy. And now that cleaning quality and hygiene have become important health and safety topics, you are faced with tougher demands than ever before. This is why we offer the Tork Office Hygiene Package™ – a tailor-made selection of hand hygiene, wiping and cleaning products, services, tools and support that help you elevate workplace well-being. Learn more at: tork.co.uk/officehygiene tork.ie/officehygiene
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Tools & support
TECHNOLOGY
Innovation with purpose The ever-burgeoning European cleaning market remains extremely competitive; and FMs and commercial cleaning companies alike are under continuous pressure to stay relevant as client and market expectations evolve. So as businesses seek to provide an enhanced service delivery, innovation has taken centre stage. As digitalisation has evolved and technology has grown more advanced, the drive for the adoption of the latest cleaning innovations has only intensified. Particularly as organisations adapt in order to transform their businesses and remain ahead in a market populated with competitors. The almost obsessive interest in this topic is unsurprising, given the everchanging, never-ending list of transformative technologies available - which today include everything from fully functional autonomous cleaning robots, data analytics, drone technologies, virtual reality and Internet of Things (IoT) connected devices. Certainly, cutting edge technology platforms have the capabilities to deliver considerable improvements in terms of greater efficiency, enhanced service delivery, reduced environmental impact and much more, but the industry needs to have a fundamental rethink of its tech adoption strategy if it is to deliver those benefits to clients. By investing in technologies that are not fully mature, organisations continue to face the same common pitfalls. Many businesses adopt a mindset that innovation must be revolutionary and push the boundaries of anything ever seen before. By doing so they often blindly invest in new systems to the detriment of the purpose and value, particularly when it comes to their clients. While technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI) and robotics may grab media column inches, it is little more than fanfare, and modern innovation of this nature usually comes much sooner than when it is practical for cleaning and facilities teams to actually use in practice. The
result is innovation which, on paper, will deliver considerable advantages, yet in real-world applications does little but to become a gimmick that gains short-term attention in the eyes of industry peers and the clients. The route to all effective innovation is understanding its applications, the value it can bring, and most crucially the industry or customer pain points it can resolve. Professional cleaning companies often find it difficult to grapple with the idea that not all technology can generate positive change, particularly when it comes to driving efficiencies and improvements. More often than not the greatest challenge is not in adopting the technology itself, but understanding what innovation they should be investing in, and which they should avoid. Any investment must bring change for the better, be that driving efficiencies, bringing benefits to clients, solving existing problems, or improving the overall service provision. Innovation for its own sake is not helpful.
Solving the staff conundrum In many cases product improvements are declared as innovative, while real innovation often only takes place in niche segments and scenarios. For an industry continuously confronted with a drop in gross margins due to client pressure, demand for a linear organisation to cut overheads, rising skills gaps, workforce availability and productivity, and an everchanging landscape of built environments, technology indeed has the solution for most of these issues. For instance, one of the greatest challenges that can make or break a commercial cleaning contract is the ability to deliver an uninterrupted service and achieve full attendance on site. No matter how great the tech offering is, equipping operatives with the latest cleaning solutions will do little to resolve this. In its place, leveraging of existing staff support solutions, when supported with tried and tested processes for contingent support and good management,
Colin Shute, group managing director at SBFM discusses why organisations must avoid getting drawn into the industry’s game of ‘technology top trumps’ and instead focus on driving innovation with purpose. can support in resolving the problems and create long-term service continuity. Software that facilitates the recording of when colleagues log on and log off, and the exact hours worked is widely used in commercial cleaning and FM. The true innovative element is the way it is applied to commercial cleaning contracts and the resilience it delivers. The implementation of tech-driven solutions, leveraging existing workplace support solutions – to source and identify contingent support from a predefined group of colleagues who are available for work, trained, and site-inducted – helps manage unplanned absences and source reliable cover quickly. Every company believes it is customer centric, but a deeper dive into the approach to technological adoption reveals a product- and service-centric first approach, with a focus on how to enhance its own offering rather than putting itself in its customers’ shoes. The true innovators are those that understand evolving client needs, as well as the problems and pain points they are seeking to address. Clients are increasing challenging providers to do more with less, meaning a renewed focus on improving productivity and efficiency in order to find ways to deliver without increasing service turnaround times and contracted hours. For highly labour-intensive tasks such as floor cleaning – particularly in large scale environments – autonomous floor scrubber technology is just one example of effective client driven innovation. This technology has developed over time based Continued page 34
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TECHNOLOGY Innovation with purpose (continued) on needs expressed by the market and environments in which it is deployed. The gradual adoption of this innovation has also been heavily influenced by persistent technology development, skilled labour crises, and scaling productivity expectations regarding daily cleaning tasks. It is no great surprise then that innovation in the technology and design of industrial floor scrubbers with advanced features has brought numerous benefits, many of which are now being realised by organisations across a breadth of sectors. Machines not only clean faster and more efficiently but can also lower labour costs for commercial cleaning companies and their clients alike. Such an increase in the deployment of floor scrubber technology is just one example of innovating with purpose. That is to say, whatever theoretiAvec l’évolution de la numérisation et de la technologie, les incitations à adopter les dernières innovations en matière de propreté se sont intensifiées. Il incombe toutefois au secteur de repenser sa stratégie d’adoption de solutions technologiques pour s’assurer que celles-ci procureront de véritables avantages à la clientèle. Il est temps de s’engager dans des innovations à finalités sérieuses, affirme Colin Shute, directeur général de SBFM.
cal advantages are secured by considering the widespread deployment of innovation in a commercial cleaning contract can only be reaped by consideration of the wider market needs, as well as the larger set of outcomes that have been delivered through low-risk trials under controlled conditions in the real world. While anticipating future disruptive technologies is important for the successful deployment and implementation of innovation, an effective strategy is highly dependent on understanding. Whether that is understanding what is available now, what benefits they will bring to clients, the problems they may solve, or how they will improve the service. Only when this is achieved can organisations begin to define an adoption process for embedding technologies into workMit der Entwicklung der Digitalisierung und der immer fortschrittlicheren Technologie hat sich die Akzeptanz der neuesten Innovationen auf dem Gebiet der Reinigung intensiviert. Die Reinigungsbranche muss ihre Strategie für die Technologieakzeptanz jedoch fundamental überdenken, wenn die neuesten Lösungen den Kunden tatsächliche Vorteile liefern sollen. Es ist an der Zeit für zweckgetriebene Innovationen, sagt Colin Shute, Group Managing Director bei SBFM.
ing environments. Progressive adoption - through a trial conducted under strictly controlled conditions with dedicated project teams, to eliminate risk to clients - is often much more effective than a widespread implementation of technology across multiple sites nationwide. It is only through such a considered selection of the right technology, and gradual roll-out, that businesses can drive innovation and higher standards, as well as achieving greater efficiencies. The truth is most clients want innovation, but few wish to be first to try completely new ideas. The focus then, should be on delivering innovation without risk, introducing tried and tested methods to new contracts and underpinning them with support. www.sb-fm.co.uk Con l’evoluzione della digitalizzazione e la tecnologia che ha fatto passi da gigante, la spinta verso l’adozione delle innovazioni di pulizia più recenti si è intensificata. Ciononostante il settore deve prevedere una riconsiderazione radicale della sua strategia di adozione della tecnologia se le soluzioni più nuove devono tradursi in benefici reali per i suoi clienti. E’ ora di lanciare l’innovazione con uno scopo, così afferma Colin Shute, direttore generale del gruppo al SBFM.
Just tell me what to do
I’ll do the work The co-botic 1700 can be programmed to vacuum spaces as precise and efficiently as possible. With the i-team professional app, you can divide the room in several zones and view day to day information. It’s also possible to create virtual boundaries to setup your device as precise as possible. No time for that? The co-bot 1700 can also program itself to perform the most efficient cleaning job. Scan the QR code for more info about the co-botic 1700
Seeing is believing: For more information or a demo contact your local i-team partner or visit us at www.i-teamglobal.com INQUIRE. INNOVATIE. INSPIRE
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WINDOW CLEANING
Not just about windows THE REMIT OF THE window cleaner should be fairly straightforward. The clue is in the name: his or her task is basically to clean windows, usually just the external ones, traditionally with the aid of a ladder, bucket and squeegee. But architectural designs are becoming more complex and energy sources are changing. As a result, window cleaners are increasingly being expected to tackle other surfaces as well including solar panels, atria glasswork and indoor windows. And this is significantly adding to the challenge of the task. Unger’s digital communication manager Stefan Kossmann confirms his company’s customers are increasingly seeking solutions for a variety of new cleaning issues. “For example, people are looking for systems that will help them to clean in narrow spaces or tackle hard-to-reach areas such as overhanging façades, conservatories and domes,” he said. “We are also seeing an increased demand for cleaning systems for interior windows. Here the current architectural trend towards open, light-flooded rooms plays a major role.” He says demand for abseiling and gondola work has also increased significantly. “Many building service contractors now specialise in high-rise work, so there is a requirement for employees who are physically fit and who have a head for heights,” he said. According to Kossmann, today’s operatives are frequently being asked to clean fixed windows, coated windows and openings of various shapes as well as glass arches on roofs. “What is new, however, is that architects are increasingly taking cleaning needs into account during the planning stages and are starting to seek the opinion of cleaning specialists,” he said. He adds demand is growing for cleaning tools that are ergonomic and environmentally-friendly and that make the work easier to carry out. Unger’s own systems include Nlite water-fed telescopic poles
that can be used with the company’s HydroPower RO S filter. For window cleaning with pure water from a gondola the company offers short nLITE water-fed telescopic poles. And the Stingray system for interior windows is claimed to cut the use of cleaning solution by up to 39 per cent. Classical cleaning using a squeegee and washer remains the major part of the window cleaner’s job, according to Kärcher’s product manager for professional high pressure cleaners Dominik Rauer. But he adds that operatives are increasingly being asked to tackle building façades and solar panels as well. “The cleaning and maintenance of photovoltaic systems was initially believed to be unnecessary due to the lotus effect,” he said. “But it has now become clear that weather conditions and air pollution are leaving their mark.”
Optimise efficiency According to Rauer, solar panels need regular cleaning with the right equipment to improve their efficiency and maintain a high level of electricity yield. “Cleaning can increase the efficiency of photovoltaic panels by up to 30 per cent,” he claims. Climate change is adding to the window cleaner’s challenge because of the effect it can have on solar panels, he says. “Sand from the Sahara was recently blown in by the wind and it settled all over Europe,” said Rauer. “This had a major impact on the efficiency of solar systems, and similar weather phenomena have become more and more frequent over recent years.” Kärcher offers a complete system for cleaning façades and solar power installations incorporating rotating roller heads and brushes plus multipurpose telescopic lances. The accessories can be used with high-pressure cleaners, connected to a hose for clean water applications or linked to a vacuum for removing loose dirt. According to Rauer, window cleaning is becoming increasingly complex depending on the task in hand. “It is also subject to strong competitive and cost pressures,”
Ann Laffeaty looks at the widening scope of the window cleaning industry and finds out how companies are tackling today’s more specialist tasks. he says. “This is why many larger cleaning companies outsource the task to external service providers. The risk of damage is high and there are safety risks for the cleaner as well, so there’s a need for cleaning methods that simplify and speed up the process.” He says modern cleaning systems using water-fed poles are becoming a major part of the business. “This is a cost-effective method with a quick set-up time that also saves costs on lift trucks or scaffolding,” he said. “You can also easily clean from the ground which makes it popular with building cleaners. “But unfortunately this is not a general solution and modern architecture makes cleaning an individual challenge, which means tailored solutions are sometimes necessary.” IPC’s product specialist Attilio Momi agrees that today’s architectural designs are making the task of window cleaning increasingly difficult. But unlike Unger’s Stefan Kossmann he believes these issues tend to be skimmed over by architects during the planning stage. “Designers and architects don’t seem to consider the challenges of professional cleaning when coming up with plans for modern buildings,” he said. “In some cases it appears there is no way that cleaning operations can possibly be carried out safely and efficiently. “But thankfully, manufacturers have been able to devise cutting-edge solutions to these problems through technology innovation, in-depth market research and partnerships with customers.” He claims there is an exponential growth in demand for solutions to cleaning outdoor vertical surfaces such as solar Continued page 36
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WINDOW CLEANING Not just about windows (continued) panels and high-rise windows in inaccessible areas. But even without these demands he says the window cleaning task is challenging in and of itself. “It is for sure one of the toughest cleaning jobs around,” claims Momi. “It can be hard to achieve satisfactory results when attempting to remove dirt, water droplets, fingerprints and other marks and residues from a window. But the market today offers a huge variety of manual equipment and cleaning solutions that allow window cleaning to be carried out more easily, more safely and more efficiently.” IPC’s Unihandle for indoor window cleaning combines a pad, squeegee and abrasive surface for removing stubborn stains while its Highpure system uses purified water to clean solar panels. For cleaning the windows and frames of skyscrapers, the company’s Highrise self-climbing system can be managed wirelessly via a remote control. Ionic Systems has been receiving increasing demands for roof-cleaning solutions according to managing director Reuben Reynolds. “It appears the amount of moss and lichen growth on roofs has increased,” he said. “There is data to suggest this could be down to global warming, but it could also be due to today’s construction materials. “Buildings tend to be erected all year round these days and moisture can sometimes be locked into the render. And today’s roof tiles are often more porous which promotes lichen growth.” This increase in organic growth has also prompted requests for systems for removing algae from conservatories, façades and guttering, he says. And the increase in energy prices has led to a high demand for solar panel cleaning. “People are realising that clean panels are more efficient at producing energy,” says Reynolds.
Still labour-intensive Ionic’s Constant Flow unit sprays foam on to the affected areas via a spray nozzle in the Hydra pole. For roof cleaning, the company has launched the Roof Wand which consists of 10 poles with a total possible length of 20 metres. It comes with a Mast Trolley which houses the 70-litre water tank and delivers water at pressures of at 3,000 psi at 21 litres per minute. Principle Cleaning Services’ window cleaning division managing director David Saville agrees the remit of today’s window cleaners is moving beyond the simple task of tackling windows and frames. “It is no longer uncommon for us to be asked to inspect building fabrics and report back using photographic evidence,” he said. “We are sometimes even required to restore surfaces such as aluminium or Portland stone using specialised chemicals and processes.” However, he says that much of the company’s work remains labour-intensive and requires the use of traditional equipment such as applicators, squeegees and scrims. “Though reach and wash and Stingray-type equipment is becoming more commonplace because it is highly efficient and also negates the risk of working at height – and this is useful for meeting the Working at Height Regulation requirements,” he said. “Reach and wash has been around for over 20 years but the systems are improving all the time and the marketplace is vibrant. There is plenty of competition and innovation, and solutions such as automated solar panel cleaning systems are now readily available.” He agrees with other commentators that water-fed poles are making life easier for window cleaners. “These are fast and efficient but they do require investment, maintenance and preparation before they can be used every day,” he adds. “And care needs to be taken with manual handling methods since there are risks
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WINDOW CLEANING
NOTHING STAYS THE SAME!
involved with working on pavements and near traffic.” According to Saville there is a growing trend for architects to come up with complex designs and building shapes that present challenges for the window cleaner. “This can make access for cleaning more problematic,” he said. “However, the Working at Height Regulations provide tight guidance on which access methods should be considered and in which order. Abseil, for example, can be employed as a last resort but is extremely useful in helping to solve problems presented by modern buildings.” He says new technologies have helped operatives to tackle the increasingly complex challenges of the job. “There has always been a demand for equipment that optimises efficiency and is safer to use, but in recent years the technology has begun moving quite fast,” he said. “The competitive nature of our industry means these ideas and innovations are usually quickly snapped up, trialled and then put to work in the marketplace where they will prove useful.” Unger’s Stefan Kossmann agrees technology is moving at a pace – and believes the industry is ready for anything. “Challenges are exciting because they make the daily work more varied and interesting - and today’s new technologies ensure the professionals’ task is easier, faster and safer,” he said. And Kärcher’s Dominik Rauer claims demand for autonomous cleaning solutions is increasing. “Many companies are searching for innovative new methods such as robots or drones,” he said. “However for safety reasons, an employee will still required to remain on hand which is why we will not see a fully autonomous window cleaning robot any time soon.” Le lavage de vitres extérieures ne représente qu’une partie du travail des laveurs de vitres car ceux-ci sont de plus en plus appelés à traiter d’autres surfaces vitrées, par exemple des panneaux solaires, des vitreries et verreries d’atrium et des fenêtres intérieures. ECJ examine l’extension croissante de ce type d’activité et la manière dont les entreprises affrontent les problèmes actuels du nettoyage extérieur.
Heutzutage sind Fensteraußenseiten nur die Spitze des Eisbergs – in zunehmendem Maße wird von Fensterputzern erwartet, dass sie auch Solarkollektoren, Atriumsverglasung und Fensterinnenseiten reinigen. Das ECJ betrachtet den wachsenden Aufgabenbereich der Branche und findet heraus, wie Unternehmen die gegenwärtigen Probleme bei der Außenreinigung bewältigen.
In questo periodo, le finestre esterne sono solo la punta dell’iceberg perchè a un numero sempre maggiore di addetti al lavaggio delle finestre viene richiesto di occuparsi di pannelli solari, vetri degli atrii e finestre interne. ECJ esamina l’estendersi dell’ambito del settore e scopre come le imprese stanno affrontando i problemi attuali della pulizia delle finestre esterne.
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BUSINESS: CHARITY
War inspires humanitarian response
The war in Ukraine has spurred business owners across Britain to support efforts to ease the suffering of people fleeing into neighbouring countries. And some have literally gone that extra mile … by not just collecting humanitarian aid but delivering it themselves, reports Hartley Milner for ECJ. Paul Prowse was watching TV news footage when he was moved by the desperate struggles of a women with two young children trying to board a packed train out of embattled Kharkiv. Paul glanced at his own kids playing nearby and then turned to his wife, saying: “I’ve really got to do something.” Little over two weeks later, the 43-yearold garments manufacturer was setting off on a 3,500-kilometre round trip to east Poland on a mission to bring comfort to traumatised child refugees who had seen things no child should ever have to witness. Paul had received a donation of 65 soft toys, along with thousands of pounds in
other aid, to deliver to a refugee centre in Rzeszów, a historic city less than an hour’s drive from the Ukraine border. The journey took him almost three days, driving until late into the night and catching what sleep he could in the cab of his fully loaded 3.5-ton van. After unloading, he went with the centre’s assistant director, Dariusz, to hand out the toys to the children. “It was heartbreaking,” Paul told ECJ. “These kids were very young, barely toddlers, some of them. Many had been brought to safety by relatives or family friends because their parents had wanted to remain in Ukraine to help the war effort. Others had been parted from their families by air strikes and rescued from the rubble by complete strangers. I dread to think how many of them are now orphans or will become orphaned if the conflict goes on for very much longer.
Donated by businesses “I have to say, it appeared the kids were being well looked after at the centre. Some were even engaged in play together, but Dariusz told me they would suddenly
break off and cry out for their mummies and daddies or awake at night screaming. Having two young children of my own, I couldn’t help but well up myself. It’s not possible to witness such sadness without it affecting you.” But Paul said the children’s little faces lit up when he handed out the furry gifts. “Most of these kids had left their homes with little more than what they were wearing at the time, without even their favourite doll or teddy,” he said. “Now they have a comforting toy to hold close when their terrible experiences return to haunt them in their dreams. Even the most withdrawn among the children was clutching their cuddly new friend when I left.” Paul delivered more than 800 items in all, including other toys, clothing, sleeping bags, blankets, footwear, toiletries, soft drinks and non-perishable foods, all donated by retailers and businesses in the Birmingham area where he has his industrial wear supply company. He had Continued page 40
June/July 2022 | ECJ | 39
BUSINESS: CHARITY Taking care of business, and yourself (continued) planned to take the goods to Lviv in west Ukraine, but the city was under attack from Russian warplanes and missiles, which made it too dangerous. At the time of going to press, Paul was preparing to make “at least one more” trip, to supply a refugee centre in Romania, which shares its northern border with Ukraine. The plight of refugees is “even more horrific than you see on the telly”, according to Yorkshire businessman Eddie Fenmore, who did manage to get into Lviv. Eddie, who runs a storage company, collected more than four-and-ahalf tons of donations, which he delivered with a friend, Evelyn Stanbridge, in two hired vans. Eddie said: “It was so distressing to witness such suffering; all these poor people, mainly women with young children or elderly relatives, clutching what possessions they could carry as they trudged wearily towards the Polish border. Their ordeal had not ended when they reached the border because they then had to queue for hours or even days to get across. Some of them were so exhausted they were slumped down on the ground or curled up trying to get some sleep … and it was so bitterly cold with snow falling at times.
Overwhelmed by numbers “But what struck me most were the faces of these poor people. There were no tears, nothing obvious in their expressions to betray what they had been through. I suppose deep down they were thinking about their menfolk who had stayed to fight, or relatives and friends they had to leave behind and whether they would ever see them again. Or perhaps they were simply emotionally drained. There were just so many of them, all hungry and exhausted. Charity workers were going up and down the lines doing what they could for them, but they were clearly overwhelmed by the sheer numbers.” A committed Christian, Eddie had decided to deliver his supplies to Christian Aid in Lviv. There he met a volunteer at one of the refugee shelters set up in the city’s churches. She had fled the fighting with her young son and mother-in-law. Eddie said: “This girl, Ivanna, told me things they had seen that I wouldn’t want to repeat, La guerre en Ukraine a poussé les entrepreneurs d’Europe à appuyer les efforts visant à alléger les souffrances des populations obligées de fuir dans des pays voisins. Certains d’entre eux se sont surpassés, non seulement en recueillant de l’aide humanitaire, mais également en se chargeant de la livrer eux-même, rapporte Hartley Milner.
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but she said Ukraine was grateful for all the help they were getting from other countries. It made me realise that, yes, the support we delivered was just a drop in the ocean … but every drop counts.” That was much the view of another British businessman who was also able to deliver aid directly into Ukraine. Charles Blackmore, founder of Londonbased commercial intelligence specialists Audere International, drove one of two ambulances full of medical supplies to Lutsk, a city in the west of the beleaguered country. “When you drive through checkpoints, when you drive through cities in curfew, when 70 per cent of the city of Lutsk – which is 200,000 people – has left the city, you’re going into a ghost town,” he said. “And when you see what is happening, to be able to bring the aid to the people was a very important journey.” And the Ukrainians showed they were as hospitable as they were grateful for the supplies. “To be given this incredible reception by the deputy mayor of the Volyn Oblast, the region where we were going, where there were speeches and patriotic songs, and the appreciation, made the journey worthwhile,” he said. The idea to deliver ambulances came out of a contact with an American friend, Herb Holtz, who said his grandfather was Ukrainian and that he wanted to do more to help than just write a cheque. “So I said: ‘Let’s buy a couple of ambulances, one each, and let’s both first take them down, take them into Ukraine and see the end result’,” explained Charles. The ambulances were sourced through a charity in the UK and filled with two tons of medical supplies. On arriving in Lutsk, Charles was told the vehicles and supplies would be going straight on to the battlefront. “And they, I suspect, are going to get a lot of use if the situation continues as it is right now,” he added. Audere has been supporting Ukraine since the start of the Russian invasion, helping with evacuations and conducting
five resupply operations. Charles said it was important that the company, which did business in Russia and east Europe before the war, should “put our shoulders to the wheel” and assist the beleaguered country in any way it could. “What impressed us most was the cheerfulness and the resolve of the Ukrainian people,” he said. “And it’s very important that we stand even closer behind them and give them more support, and we’re going to look to do that ourselves.”
Medical supplies Rules around delivering humanitarian relief to support Ukraine have been greatly simplified. Businesses looking to take goods out of England, Scotland and Wales may be able to use a temporary process to avoid customs delays. From Northern Ireland, in most cases, they will only need to make a declaration when crossing between GB and the EU. However, there are restrictions on items that can be moved this way, so it is wise to check before setting off, and also check the goods movement regulations of the country the aid is going to and of those along the route. Duty and other border taxes may be payable on entry into other customs territories, such as the EU. HM Revenue and Customs has issued special guidance on making aid deliveries directly to Ukraine (at www.gov.uk › guidance › taking-humanitarian-aid-out). But it also strongly advises that financial donations should be made through the Disasters and Emergencies Committee Appeal and other trusted charities and humanitarian aid organisations, rather than sending or driving donated goods directly to the region. Sean Ryan, media director of charity Save the Children, agreed, adding: “The best way to help is to make a cash donation. Collecting supplies like means transporting heavy goods hundreds of miles, whereas cash can reach people quickly to buy what is needed.”
The next edition of ECJ will be September. Keep up-to-date with industry news at the website Der Krieg in der Ukraine hat Geschäftsinhaber in ganz Europa zur Unterstützung der Bemühungen angeregt, um das Leiden derjenigen zu lindern, die in benachbarte Länder fliehen. Einige sind buchstäblich einen Schritt weiter gegangen … sie sammeln nicht nur humanitäre Hilfe, sondern liefern sie auch selbst ab, berichtet Hartley Milner.
La guerra in Ucraina ha stimolato le aziende in tutta Europa a sostenere gli sforzi per alleviare le sofferenze delle persone in fuga verso le nazioni vicine. Alcune di loro si sono spinte oltre, non solo raccogliendo aiuti umanitari ma anche consegnandoli personalmente. Ce ne parla il corrispondente Hartley Milner.
DON’T DO IT YOURURSELF Do it fully autonomous. The KIRA B 50 cleaning robot is not only convincing at first glance. But especially in daily use. kaercher.com
INTERCLEAN AMSTERDAM REVIEW
• Numatic a présenté le réseau NX300 Pro de machines de nettoyage sans cordon, l’aspirateur sans cordon Numatic Quick, et les chariots de nettoyage MULTI-Matic. • ICE Cobotics a annoncé le lancement de la Cobi 18, une autolaveuse autonome compacte, que l’on peut obtenir sous un contrat forfaitaire. • Le système de dilution chimique ProMax de Seko se caractérise par sa simplicité et son fonctionnement sûr. • Le visiteur du stand Kärcher a pu contempler le robot de nettoyage de planchers KIRA B 50, le système de chariot de nettoyage Flexomate, ainsi que l’autolaveuse compacte BR 30/1.
• Numatic präsentierte die Produktreihe NX300 Pro Cordless Network mit Reinigungsmaschinen, den kabellosen Staubsauger Numatic Quick und die Reinigungswagen MULTI-Matic. • ICE Cobotics kündigte die Vorstellung von Cobi 18 an, eine kompakte autonome Scheuermaschine, die über ein Alles-inklusive-Abbonement verfügbar ist. • Das chemische Verdünnungssystem ProMax von Seko zeichnet sich durch Einfachheit und sicheren Betrieb aus. • Besucher am Stand von Kärcher sahen den Bodenreinigungsroboter KIRA B 50, das FlexomateReinigungswagensystem und die kompakte Scheuersaugmaschine BR 30/1.
Making a debut
Trolley platform
Numatic was showcasing a host of new launches including the NX300 Pro Cordless Network, Numatic Quick cordless vacuum, MULTI-Matic cleaning trolleys and NX1K Lithium Floorcare. The NX300 Pro Cordless Network uses latest lithium technology to power the entire cleaning fleet, including compact floorcare with the 244NX; powerful cordless vacuums; backpack vacuums and sanitisation solutions.
Kärcher’s new Flexomate cleaning trolley platform is based on a modular concept designed for increased productivity and process efficiency. It offers the flexibility to carry modules for different cleaning tasks and to add or remove them on the go. So cleaners may be moving around a building with a large trolley, and can dock the small element required and take it with them for work in small, restricted spaces. The system is accessible from all sides and more than five machines, such as vacuums, can be carried - cutting out unnecessary journeys. And for ergonomic working there are height-adjustable handles and tip boxes. All surfaces are easy to clean and there is a collecting tray for liquids in the base plate.
Debuting at the show was the MULTI-Matic mopping system made from sustainably sourced and engineered recycled materials while for the first time NX1K lithium technology is bringing longer runtime and faster charging to Numatic’s scrubber dryers. The Numatic Quick cordless vacuum has a new look too, reflecting the demand for daytime cleaning solutions. numatic.com
By subscription • La Numatic ha esposto NX300 Pro Cordless Network di macchine per le pulizie, l’aspirapolvere senza filo Numatic Quick e i carrelli di pulizia MULTI-Matic. • La ICE Cobotics ha annunciato il lancio di Cobi 18, una lavapavimenti autonoma e compatta disponibile tramite abbonamento tutto incluso. • Il sistema di diluizione chimica ProMax di Seko è caratterizzato da semplicità e funzionamento sicuro. • I visitatori dello stand della Kärcher hanno visto esposto il robot di pulizia dei pavimenti KIRA B 50, il sistema di carrelli per la pulizia Flexomate e la lavasciuga pavimenti compatta BR 30/1.
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Cobi 18 is the new compact autonomous floor scrubber from ICE Robotics, available through an all-inclusive subscription. . Compact and manoeuvrable, Cobi 18 is optimised for tighter spaces and ‘to the edge’ cleaning. A squeegee and optional dry mop attachment help to ensure dry floors and daily maintenance is minimal thanks to the dual tank that is easy to empty, clean and re-fill. There are side brushes and a hopper to help collect light debris. The Artificial Intelligence (AI) integrates data from a combination of different sensors to identify its surroundings and navigate around obstacles, even in challenging environments that
include mirrors, glass, escalators or bright sunlight - says ICE. Operating modes include teach and repeat (teach a route once for Cobi 18 to run independently); fill-in mode, whereby the perimeter of an area is traced and the machine automatically fills in the interior; route sequence, where two pre-programmed routes are run back-to-back; and delayed start which is scheduling Cobi 18 to start its route at a pre-set time. With its simple user interface, opportunity charging capabilities and saved route maps the machine can be programmed and deployed multiple times a day at the click of a button. The subscription programme from ICE Cobotics includes Cobi 18, access to i-SYNERGY fleet management software, repairs and replacement parts as needed, customer support, and key consumables (ie, brushes and squeegees). www.icecobotics.com
Dilution unit Dosing and dilution control systems specialist Seko has launched the ProMax unit which features a tough polypropylene casing to handle impacts such as excessive force (heavy-handed operatives may attempt to extract chemical even when the supply runs dry) and accidental collisions typical of fast-paced environments. Simplicity, ease of use and safety are crucial so interchangeable colour-coded buttons and labels have been incorporated into the casing helping to simplify selection and minimise the chance of error. www.seko.com
Also new from Kärcher is the battery-powered BR 30/1 scrubber dryer, a compact model designed to be an alternative to manual cleaning. Features include a pre-sweep function which reduces cleaning time by up to 50 per cent - disinfection is also possible. The machine automatically picks up dirty water and floors are dry after a couple of minutes. And the KIRA B 50 scrubber dryer robot is now available, featuring an optional docking station and lithium-ion battery. Designed for medium-sized and large areas as well as tight spaces, this model has a working width of 55 cm and can clean up to 2,000 square metres in autonomous mode. Operation is designed to be intuitive, with pictures and clear instructions helping the user to create and adapt routes. www.karcher.com
Here's what visitors said when exiting the DRYFT prototype demo room:
“THE MOST INTERESTING AND EXCITING INNOVATION IN YEARS...” MotorScrubber's latest innovation, DRYFT, makes its mark at Interclean 2022. At this year's Interclean show, we unveiled what we believe is the world's fastest floor cleaning machine for small and mediumsized areas. In the weeks following its reveal, the reviews have been extraordinary, and one thing is clear; our design is so radically different, it has to be seen to be believed. DRYFT has been designed with limitless potential as the first lightweight, easy-to-use machine to scrub and dry corners, edges, and hard-to-reach areas, such as those around toilets. With eight
I personally think it's the biggest and best innovation at the cleaning show this year. I'm absolutely amazed by what I've seen... it is the future of cleaning.
worldwide patents pending for this one machine, DRYFT will revolutionise how we clean our floors. Did you see us at Interclean? Let us know your thoughts about the future of cleaning.
Find out more and register to keep up to date with DRYFT: Scan the QR code or visit www.motorscrubberclean.com/DRYFT
One of the most unique machines I have ever come across in the cleaning industry.
DON ’ T CU T CO R NER S THEM
INTERCLEAN AMSTERDAM REVIEW
• Gausium a lancé son nettoyeur de planchers robotique, le Phantas, destiné au nettoyage de bureaux et magasins. • 2Pure Products a présenté l’OdorBac Tec4, son éliminateur d’odeurs et nettoyant commercial polyvalent. • La nouvelle gamme ICON de distributeurs pour toilettes collectives a fait sa première apparition européenne sur le stand Kimberly-Clark Professional. • Parmi les nouveaux lancements de Hako ont figuré deux machines de nettoyage de planchers de petite surface - les Scrubmaster B5 ORB et Scrubmaster B25 • Suite à la fusion de Vermop et Hefter, le stand Vermop présentait des chariots, tissus et logiciels de ce fabricant, ainsi que des machines Hefter Cleantech.
• Gausium präsentierte den Bodenreinigungsroboter Phantas, ein kleines Modell, das für Anwendungen im Büro und Einzelhandel konzipiert wurde. • 2Pure Products präsentierte OdorBac Tec4: MehrzweckGeruchseliminierer und kommerzielles Reinigungsmittel in einem. • Die neue Produktreihe ICON mit Waschraumspendern erlebte ihr europäisches Debut auf dem Stand von Kimberly-Clark Professional. • Unter den Neuvorstellungen von Hako befanden sich zwei Bodenreinigungsmaschinen für kleine Flächen: Scrubmaster B5 ORB und Scrubmaster B25. • Neben Reinigungswagen, Textilien und Software von Vermop waren nach der Fusion der beiden Unternehmen auch Maschinen von Hefter Cleantech zu sehen.
• La Gausium ha presentato per la prima volta il suo lavapavimenti robotico, un modello di piccole dimensioni adatto per uffici e negozi. • La 2Pure Products ha presentato il suo prodotto di eliminazione degli odori e detergente commerciale OdorBac Tec4. • La nuova gamma di dispenser per sale da toilette ICON ha fatto la sua prima apparizione europea sullo stand della Kimberly-Clark Professional. • Fra i nuovi prodotti lanciati dalla Hako, ci sono due macchine per il lavaggio dei pavimenti adatte ad aree di piccole dimensioni, i modelli Scrubmaster B5 ORB e Scrubmaster B25. • Insieme ai carrelli, tessuti e software di pulizia della Vermop erano esposte anche le macchine della Hefter Cleantech in seguito alla fusione delle due aziende.
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Small size Gausium (formerly known as Gaussian Robotics) debuted its new small size cleaning robot Phantas. Designed for smalland medium-sized commercial facilities - particularly offices and retail - this model combines scrubbing, sweeping, vacuuming and dust mopping. Phantas can operate in tight spaces such as under tables and features a modern, clean design. In terms of software, it has Gausium’s new-generation SLAM solution that fuels its navigation capabilities. The robot will automatically map the surrounding environment upon
used on any surface - including carpets, hard floors, washrooms, furniture, kitchens, spot stains, and drains. It is compatible with trigger sprayers, mops, extraction and buffing machines - which makes it capable of replacing over 90 per cent of existing cleaning products says the manufacturer. All 2Pure’s products are made using ingredients that are safe for people and the environment, with bottles and containers made from 100 per cent recycled plastic. 2pureproducts.co.uk
User focus
initial deployment — no extra human or tool assistance is needed. It adapts to the changing layout of dynamic environment by real-time localisation and map updating. Using deep-learning-based algorithms and millions of realworld pictures, Phantas constantly learns the landscape of the surrounding environment. It is able to identify different types of dirt and obstacles and make advanced decisions accordingly. And thanks to the fact it is paired with a workstation to enable autonomous power charging, water refill and discharge, human intervention is kept to a minimum. The operator controls the fleet via any smart mobile device. gausium.com
The highlight of the KimberlyClark Professional stand was the Icon Dispenser Collection - making its first appearance. With patented dual sensor technology the automated rolled hand towel dispenser, for example, is designed to offering a 99 per cent jam-free, virtually noiseless, and touchless paper towel dispensing experience. The company says it has designed this range around the servicer, facility manager and end user rather than around the paper. www.kcprofessional.com
Seeking partners Compact models OdorBac Tec4 is a multipurpose odour eliminator and commercial cleaning product developed by 2Pure Products. The UK-based company is expanding into other international markets and seeking distributors. This new formula inhibits microbial growth and can be
Making their debut on the Hako stand were two new compact scrubber dryer prototypes for use in the smallest areas. The 43 cm Scrubmaster B5 ORB cleans narrow and angled areas, being manoeuvrable, light and flexible. Featuring orbital brush technology it is an alter-
native to manual cleaning says the company. The Scrubmaster B25 meanwhile, can be used with either disc brush or pad and features an Eco mode for more sustainable cleaning. Both new machines can be equipped with HakoAntiBac for reduced bacteria and odour development. Hako is also developing its latest generation of autonomous scrubber dryers with the Scrubmaster B75 i. Operation is
said to be simple and intuitive, with an LCD panel displaying all relevant information. And for interim cleaning jobs, it can be operated as a manual walkbehind scrubber. www.hako.com
Two brands Vermop was showcasing its trolleys, textiles, chemicals and software along with its Hefter Cleantech battery- and mainsoperated cleaning machines. Appearing for the first time was the Jetvac SD generation of dry vacuum cleaners - the SD 7 is the entry level model with a seven-litre capacity and low noise level while the SD 12 is a more powerful all-rounder. Using the Vermop software solution Eggstacy, dry vacuums, scrubber dryers and other tools can be networked. And there is a new sustainable flat mop - the Sprint Green Magic which is made from over 80 per cent recycled material. www.vermop.com
WIPES & CLOTHS
It’s all about placement PICTURE THE SCENE. You are hard at work on a production line, in an industrial workshop or in a commercial kitchen. Suddenly there is a critical spill of oil, grease, water, solvent – even gravy. And whatever is creating that mess, it will need to be wiped up quickly because a puddle of liquid on a surface could contaminate the end product while a floor spillage could represent a slip hazard. But where is the relevant wiper for the task? If the wiping source is located some distance away, operatives will be obliged to spend valuable time searching for something with which to mop up the spill. This may seem a trivial issue, but if such an occurrence were to take place several times a day, the wasted minutes would soon add up to hours and productivity would suffer. Companies are increasingly understanding the importance of optimising workflow and ensuring all tools and equipment are located in the right place. As a result, many are now incorporating Lean, Six Sigma or Five S methodologies into their operations – all of which are designed to streamline processes by ensuring everything is situated where it needs to be and that all interruptions and delays are kept to a minimum. Cloths and wipers are essential in any environment where operatives’ hands need to be clean and where messes are made. So these are among the ‘tools’ that need to be factored into workflow methodologies, according to Essity’s product management director Gilles Betourne “Productivity will definitely be compromised if operators are forced to take time fetching wipers that are situated a long way away from the task in hand,” he said. “And production defects are liable to occur when wipers are not supplied close to where they are needed because any preventive maintenance schedules might not be followed. And if the wrong wiper is used for the task in question it could lead to variable results.” Optimum wiper placement is just as important in commercial kitchens as in
industrial environments, he says. “Wellpositioned wiping products make a vital contribution to overcoming the daily challenges of any restaurant kitchen,” said Betourne. “If these products are located in strategic positions it will facilitate the task of cleaning, both during food service periods and afterwards. And well-placed products will ensure that staff members won’t forget to clean their hands or wipe down surfaces.” He says a general rise in costs has put manufacturers under increasing pressure to find new operational efficiencies. “They need to improve their productivity and meet sustainability goals while maintaining rigorous performance levels,” he said. “And over the past few years they have been required to change their working practices and secure new hygiene standards across their sites.
Process efficiency “However, businesses do not always think about better cleaning efficiency when formulating their lean or Five S approaches.” Essity’s wipers and cleaning cloths are housed in Tork Performance dispensers which come in a range of formats and mounting options. The units are said to be eye-catching to make them easy to spot and include wall-mounted formats, floorstands and portable units which may be placed within easy reach of the operator. Latest products in the range include Tork Heavy-Duty Cleaning Cloth 99% Biobased for wiping up oil, grease and water spills. The placement of cloths and wipers is crucial to improving process efficiency on the shop floor, kitchen or workbench according to Vileda Professional’s global application manager Paul Harleman. “It is highly important to minimise the physical distance between the source of the wipes and the area where the wipe is to be used,” he said. “Cloths and wipers should be available within easy reach – such as on the cleaning operator’s trolley or in a dispenser attached to the wall close to where they
Businesses will run more efficiently when staff members have the ‘tools’ they need close to hand. And this includes wipes and cloths. ECJ finds out how the placement of wiping products can dramatically improve productivity.
are required. And any spillages need to be removed quickly to avoid causing danger, since they could make surfaces slippery or potentially be infectious if bodily fluids are involved. The employees responsible for cleaning should not be obliged to have to search for a wiper to do this.” Vileda offers microfibre wipers in various formats for various sectors including offices, healthcare and clean rooms. A kitchen or production line will be run more efficiently where the wiping dispensers are placed where spillages are likely to occur, says Harleman. “The ideal scenario is where the operator doesn’t have to search for cloths and where dispensers are always kept filled,” he said. “Digital technology will allow you to scan and communicate the dispenser’s fill level to ensure there is always a sufficient supply. Manufacturers of sanitary supplies are in the front row of this digitalisation process, but other industries will follow.”
Minimal delays He says Vileda’s SafePlus dispenser system makes it easy for the user to access wipers wherever they need them, describing it as an easy to use and hygienically safe solution. According to Harleman, the characteristics of the cloth and the way it is used can also have an impact on efficiency and productivity. “For example, we train cleaning operators to use a cloth as efficiently as possible by folding it two or three times and turning it to a clean side regularly,” he said. “This ensures the cloth closely Continued page 46
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WIPES & CLOTHS It’s all about placement (continued)
touches the surface and optimises the use of the entire surface of the cloth, front and back.” Among the company’s latest products is the r-range of microfibre cloths made partly from recycled PET bottles. One of the chief problems with poor wiper placement is that operatives might not take the time or trouble to choose the right product, says Chicopee’s junior marketing associate Marie Dobravc. “Staff members need to have easy access to cloths and wipers when they are needed, but from a productivity viewpoint it is equally important that these products should be of an appropriate quality,” she said. “Poor quality or low weight wipes will lead to the waste of valuable time if these prove to be inadequate for the job or if they tear or leave specks of lint behind on the surface.” She says many wipes used in the food industry are not food contact approved. “Selecting FCC wipes in a food environment will minimise the cross-contamination risks,” she said. “This is one of the top causes of food poisoning and occurs when
kitchen tools have not been thoroughly cleaned and when bacteria come into contact with the food.” Chicopee makes products for the building care, industrial, healthcare and automotive industries as well as for the food service sector.
Le rendement et la productivité sont prisés de plus en plus, que ce soit sur le sol d’une fabrique ou sur celui d’une cuisine commerciale. Il faut donc rationnaliser les pratiques de travail et permettre aux agents de nettoyage d’accéder aux outils dont ils ont besoin, tels que chiffons et essuie-tout, dès que nécessaire. ECJ constate la manière dont des produits d’essuyage, s’ils sont placés dans des distributeurs répartis intelligemment, peuvent apporter de nets progrès à la productivité.
Effizienz und Produktivität sind jetzt wichtiger als je zuvor, egal, ob in der Fabrikhalle oder in der Großküche. Das bedeutet, dass Arbeitsverfahren optimiert werden müssen und dass Mitarbeiter Zugriff auf die benötigten Werkzeuge – einschließlich Wisch- und Desinfektionstücher – haben, wann immer sie sie brauchen. Das ECJ erfährt, dass die Produktivität durch Wischprodukte, die in gut kenntlichen Spendern griffbereit für Reinigungskräfte platziert sind, dramatisch verbessert werden kann.
46 | June/July 2022 | ECJ
Easy to use dispensing According to Dobravc there are other ways in which wipers can improve flow and efficiency besides being situated in the right place. “For example, the use of pre-cut sheets and easy-to-use dispensing systems will help to facilitate delivery while good quality wipes will provide a reliable and consistent performance,” she said. “Products that are solvent-resistant, usable with all cleaning agents and fully compatible with customers’ own solvents will also make the task easier to carry out. And flexible wipers that are suitable for use on most surfaces will help to improve productivity.” She says the company’s three I-Tack variants are compatible with water-based products and high solid paints.
“There is a global trend to focus on Lean and 6 Sigma methodology, and by implementing disposable wipes in the correct packaging in the right workspace we have seen customers achieve great productivity improvements,” she said. GOJO’s UK and Ireland managing director Chris Wakefield agrees that wipes should be positioned close to their point of use. “Placing smart, effective and versatile solutions within easy reach of where they’re needed will go a long way towards influencing hygienic behaviour, and this will help keep spaces clean and hygienic and reduce the risk of contamination,” he explained. The longer it takes for a worker to hunt down a wipe when it is needed, the greater the opportunity for germs to infect large numbers of people, he says. “There is then a risk these micro-organisms will contaminate not only the building itself, but also the wider environment,” he said. “And any spills that are not cleaned up immediately may pose the risk of slips and falls.” GOJO’s Purell surface sanitising wipes are housed in easy-to-use canisters in various sizes that can be placed on desks and on worktops as required. Designed for use in healthcare, leisure, education, hotels and offices are new Purell hand and surface antimicrobial wipes for use on hands and surfaces. Operatives need to take a proactive approach to cleaning - particularly in food environments, according to Wakefield. “It is not just the dirt you can see that needs sanitising immediately,” he says. “And there can be serious repercussions if the correct procedures are not followed. An outbreak of food poisoning or a poor assessment from the relevant food hygiene authority could seriously damage a company’s business. As well as fines and compensation for those affected, a business could even be forced to close in a worst case scenario.” And he claims optimum wiper placement is crucial for efficiency, productivity and health and safety. “Quite simply, a sanitising solution situated conveniently close to hand is more likely to be used,” he concluded. Efficienza e produttività sono ora più importanti che mai, sia sui pavimenti delle fabbriche che nelle cucine professionali. Ciò significa che le pratiche di lavoro devono essere ottimizzate e il personale deve essere in grado di accedere agli attrezzi di cui necessita, panni e tergivetro inclusi, quando ne ha bisogno. ECJ scopre come i prodotti per pulire forniti in dispenser facili da individuare e sistemati a portata di mano degli addetti alle pulizie possono migliorare notevolmente la produttività.
PRODUCTS: WIPES & CLOTHS
Streak-free For spray cleaning of general surfaces, and also for use in cleanrooms, Vermop developed the Textronic microfibre cloth. Certified by the Fraunhofer IPA Institute it has good gliding properties and boasts streakfree shine. For dry, damp and wet cleaning of textured surfaces there’s the Softtronic cloth. This microfibre is also suitable for use in cleanrooms and can clean without chemicals. There is also no need to wipe the surface dry.
Vermop cloths are designed for cleaning desks, glass and stainless steel surfaces. They can also be used in washrooms, hospitals and other hygienecritical areas. www.vermop.com
Eco policy Concept Manufacturing has decided to pursue a sustainability policy that involves replacing virgin polyester with a recycled alternative in its cloths and microfibre wipes. Virgin polyamide, an extremely small part of the fibre mix, has been kept in order to preserve the quality level. Many different microfibre ranges are involved and the company intends to extend the policy to all the textile products it offers. Not only that, Concept Manufacturing non-woven cloths are now certified with the Nordic Swan ecolabel. conceptmanufacturing.com
Cardboard box
a durable design and are dispensed one at a time to control consumption. At Interclean Amsterdam the cloths won the Sustainability and Environment category award and the overall Amsterdam Innovation Award. www.tork.co.uk
Recycled range The Hygiene Company has launched Koala Wipes, which are sustainable wet wipes, in a biodegradable bag using a 100 per cent biodegradable dispenser. Designed as an alternative to the disposable plastic tub or bucket, the cardboard box dispenser is biodegradable, recyclable, reusable and made from recycled materials. Compared to plastic tubs and buckets that take hundreds of years to decompose, says The Hygiene Company, this dispenser can decompose in a matter of months, in the right conditions. To ensure the wipes remain fresh and moist within the cardboard dispenser, Koala Wipes are contained in a sealed bag that is both biodegradable and recyclable. They are made from either bamboo or wood pulp and viscose, and are 100 per cent biodegradable, meaning they naturally decompose, as stated on their packaging ‘Biodegradable by Nature’. www.koalawipes.co.uk
All environments
Ecofibre is a cloth from Robert Scott made from recycled material. Boasting the cleaning power of traditional microfibre, with the added environmental benefit of using recycled plastic bottles in its production, it can be used dry or damp. Each cloth is made from 55 per cent recycled plastic, with two recycled bottles in each one. The individual microfibres are engineered to create a large surface area per fibre and are naturally statically charged so that they have a strong suction effect, collecting as much dirt as possible in one wipe.
Also new is Ecofibre scourer, a recycled, non-scratch scouring pad that’s made using 40 per cent plant fibres and 15 per cent recycled polyester. It can be reused multiple times. www.robert-scott.co.uk
Diverse tasks Essity offers a complete range of cloths and wipers for use in industrial, food processing, catering and healthcare environments. Among the company’s latest products is Tork Heavy-Duty Cleaning Cloth 99% Biobased which is designed for wiping up oil, grease and water spills. The 99 per cent biobased disposable product comes in packaging made from 100 per cent recycled fibres and at least 30 per cent recycled plastics. Tork Heavy-Duty Cleaning Cloth 99% Biobased cloths have
Suitable for many different cleaning jobs, SYR Super Cloths have been designed with sustainability in mind. Reusable and machine washable, they are made of recycled high tensile viscose and repurposed PET. So they absorb water, oil and dirt while also preventing the equivalent of 580 500 ml water bottles from ending up in landfill per pallet. For areas where a disposable solution is needed there are new Single Use Cloths which are lightweight colour-coded microfibres ideal for heavily soil. syrclean.com
• La microfibre haute performance de Vermop est le Textronic, tandis que le Softtronic est employé pour des surfaces texturisées. • Concept Manufacturing a substitué du polyester recyclé au polyester vierge dans la fabrication de ses essuie-tout. • Comme produits nouveaux, The Hygiene Company propose les Koala Wipes, qui sont des lingettes humides dans un sac biodegradable utilisant un distributeur en forme de boîte en carton. • La gamme Essity comprend des chiffons et lingettes s’utilisant dans l’industrie, la préparation alimentaire, la restauration et les établissements de santé. • Le tissu Ecofibre de la société Robert Scott possède le pouvoir de nettoyage des microfibres tout en étant fabriqué à 55 pour cent en matière plastique recyclée. • SYR a introduit des chiffons à usage unique qui conviennent pour des surfaces particulièrement sales et préviennent la contamination croisée. • Bei Textronic handelt es sich um das Mikrofaser-Hochleistungstuch von Vermop, während Softtronic für strukturierte Oberflächen gedacht ist. • Concept Manufacturing hat VirginPolyester in seinen Wischtüchern durch recyceltes Polyester ersetzt. • Neu im Angebot der The Hygiene Company sind Koala Wipes, nachhaltige Feuchttücher in einem biologisch abbaubaren Beutel mit einem Kartonspender. • Im Produktangebot von Essity finden sich Tücher und Wischtücher für den Einsatz in den Bereichen Industrie, Lebensmittelverarbeitung, Gastronomie und Gesundheitswesen. • Das Ecofibre Tuch von Robert Scott bietet die Reinigungskraft der Mikrofaser, wobei es zu 55 Prozent aus recyceltem Plastik hergestellt ist. • Neu von SYR sind die Einwegtücher Single Use Cloths, geeignet für stark verschmutzte Flächen, um Kreuzkontamination zu verhindern. • Textronic è la microfibra ad alte prestazioni prodotta dalla Vermop, mentre Softtronic è adatta per le superifici ruvide. • La Concept Manufacturing ha rimpiazzato il poliestere vergine nei suoi panni con poliestere riciclato. • La novità della The Hygiene Company sono i panni Koala Wipes, imbevuti e sostenibili in una confezione biodegradabile che utilizza una scatola di cartone come dispenser. • La gamma della Essity include panni e strofinacci adatti per gli ambienti industriali, di preparazione alimentare, ristorazione e sanitari. • Il panno Ecofibre della Robert Scott vanta la forza pulente della microfibra pur essendo prodotto per il 55 per cento in plastica riciclata. • La novità della SYR sono i panni monouso Single Use Cloths, adatti per pulire aree molto sporche per prevenire la contaminazione crociata.
June/July 2022 | ECJ | 47
PRODUCT REVIEW
• La gamme ntrel de produits de nettoyage naturels de Jangro a obtenu la marque « Vegan » de la Vegan Society. • BioVate Hygienics est une entreprise nouvelle offrant des produits de nettoyage biologique au conditionnement entièrement écologique. • Hillbrush a remanié la conception de certains de ses produits afin de les rendre plus efficaces et esthétiques et pour réduire l’usage de matières. • Proposé par co-cre8, le rBIN est un nouvel appareil de recyclage de déchets réalisé par des procédés durables. • Wetrok a exposé le Monovac BeFree, son aspirateur sans cordon le plus récent. • Brain Corp et Tennant ont développé l’Inventory Scan, un nouvel accessoire de capture de données s’utilisant sur les autolaveuses autonomes Tennant.
• Die Produktreihe ntrl mit natürlichen Reinigungsprodukten von Jangro wurde mit dem Vegan Trademark der Vegan Society ausgezeichnet. • BioVate Hygienics ist ein neues Unternehmen, dass sich verpflichtet hat, biologische Reinigungsprodukte zu liefern, deren Verpackung möglichst geringe Umweltauswirkungen hat. • Hillbrush hat einige seiner Produkte überarbeitet, um sie effektiver und ästhetisch ansprechender zu machen und gleichzeitig den Materialverbrauch zu reduzieren. • Neu von co-cre8 ist die rBIN, eine Abfall- und Recycling-Einheit, die aus nachhaltigen, recycelten Materialien hergestellt wird. • Die neueste Entwicklung von Wetrok ist der kabellose Staubsauger Monovac BeFree. • Brain Corp und Tennant Company haben ein neues Datenerfassungszubehör, Inventory Scan, entwickelt, das in autonomen Scheuersaugmaschinen von Tennant eingesetzt wird.
• La gamma di prodotti naturali di pulizia ntrl della Jangro ha ottenuto il certificato vegano di The Vegan Society. • La BioVate Hygienics è una nuova azienda che si impegna a fornire prodotti di pulizia biologici con le confezioni con il minimo impatto ambientale. • La Hillbrush ha riprogettato alcuni dei suoi prodotti per renderli più efficienti, gradevoli esteticamente e per ridurre l’uso di materiali. • La novità della co-cre8 è rBIN, una unità di raccolta rifiuti e riciclo prodotta con materiali sostenibili. • Il nuovo prodotto creato dalla Wetrok è l’aspirapolvere senza filo Monovac BeFree. • La Brain Corp e la Tennant Company hanno sviluppato il nuovo accessorio Inventory Scan per la raccolta dei dati delle lavasciuga pavimenti autonome Tennant.
48 | June/July 2022 | ECJ
Vegan certified The ntrl line of natural cleaning products from Jangro has been registered with The Vegan Society’s Vegan Trademark. This is an internationally recognised standard that certifies products are free of all animal use, in ingredients and testing. The range comprises 13 products for cleaning surfaces in a variety of environments - all use raw materials that are derived from plant-based extracts. Their natural formulas are 100 per cent biodegradable, contain zero petrochemicals, and can reduce the product’s carbon footprint by up to 85 per cent. Products come super-concentrated too. The ntrl Washroom Cleaner and the ntrl Multi-Surface Cleaner also use probiotics. All packaging is recycled and recyclable. Since products are packaged into PCR (postconsumer recycled bottles), CO2 emissions are reduced and plastic pollution removed. www.jangro.net
Bold pledge
Tool redesign
Next edition of ECJ September. Register at the website for your copy Brushes and cleaning tools manufacturer Hillbrush has redesigned several of its products to make them more effective, aesthetically pleasing and to reduce the use of materials. The Ergonomic Grippy Scrub, for example, is an update of the existing scrubbing brush. It now features a much wider gap for the hand and can be used in either direction. The curved handle means pressure can be applied in multiple directions without compromising the grip. The company has also added a newly designed Hand Scoop to its line of scoops. The streamlined design features a handle over the centre of the scoop, creating a more comfortable weight distribution as the centre of gravity is now balanced to where the load will be its heaviest, so reducing strain on the user’s wrist. Removing the rear extending handle to create a more compact design also allows greater manoeuvrability in smaller vats and containers. www.hillbrush.com
Modular bin
BioVate Hygienics has launched in the UK with the aim of establishing itself as the country’s ‘go to’ brand for sustainable and carbon neutral liquid cleaners. The company says it has a vision to adopt cutting edge innovation to deliver the next generation of biological cleaning products, with the lowest environmental impact packaging. BioVate says it will ensure its core products use 100 per cent natural biological and plantbased liquids and packaging will be reusable and renewable. It is also working towards being carbon neutral. www.biovatehygienics.com
When the units come to the end of their lives the company will either rebrand and resell them or recycle the materials back into new products. co-cre8.earth.
co-cre8, specialist in designing and implementing circular systems, has launched a new internal waste and recycling bin. The modular rBIN itself incorporates recycled materials into its design. The exterior can be branded, and there are helpful graphics to engage and educate the user about recycling.
Cordless vac Wetrok has developed the Monovac BeFree cordless vacuum cleaner which can be switched on and off by simply touching the handle. This means the machine runs only when actually in use, using up to 30 per cent less power says the company because there is no idling. This low-noise model is suitable for daytime cleaning while the optional HEPA 13 filter allows for even finer filtration of dust and bacteria. wetrok.com
Captures data Artificial Intelligence (AI) and robotics specialist Brain Corp and cleaning machines producer Tennant Company have demonstrated a new data capture accessory that will be fitted to Tennant’s autonomous floor scrubbers to scan and report key detail on in-store inventory. Inventory Scan features a multipurpose design and it will capture data as the Tennant robot goes around the store. So retailers can access in-store inventory data in almost realtime - where an item is, if it’s in stock, if it’s in the correct location, if the price is accurate etc. Each function negates the need for time-consuming and potentially inaccurate manual processes says Brain Corp. www.braincorp.com
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