The pan-European magazine for the professional cleaning sector
SEPTEMBER 2020
COVID-19
BUSINESS
SPECIAL REPORT
When to disinfect and when not?
Entrepreneurial spirit
Washroom dispensers
Page 20
Page 38
Page 25
Cleaning show organisers cancel live exhibitions and go online over the autumn See the news section
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CONTENTS
September 2020 | Vol.28, No.3
BUSINESS
SPECIAL REPORTS
38 Spirit of enterprise lives on
20 When to disinfect?
Hartley Milner speaks to business owners who are innovating as a result of the pandemic.
A vital question to ask as we adapt to life with Covid-19.
25 The legacy of Covid-19 How washroom dispensers may adapt to suit socially-distanced washrooms.
03 News
32 Maximising cleaning ECJ takes a look at how UV-C disinfection could enhance cleaning regimes.
10 EFCI news
35 A big hand for mops What are the strengths and limitations of modern mopping systems?
12 European reports
41 Getting the facts straight Clean Hospitals offers some valuable guidance on cleaning post-Covid.
55 Product review
45 Clearing the air Where do warm air hand dryers fit in the hygiene-focused washroom?
48 Hitting the mark How benchmarking can help cleaning operations become more sustainable.
51 Trending in carpets What do customers want from their carpet care regime?
Criterion Publishing Ltd PO Box 299, Chesham, Buckinghamshire HP5 1FP UK T +44 (0)1494 791222 F +44 (0)1494 792223 info@europeancleaningjournal.com www. europeancleaningjournal.com Subscriptions UK - £60 / Continental Europe - £70 / International - £80
Editor Michelle Marshall Features Writer Ann Laffeaty Advertisement director Chris Godman Advertisement sales executive Laura Bell
Circulation Marie Payne
Italy, Spain & Switzerland Fabio Potesta Mediapoint & Communications Corte Lambruschini, Corso Buenos Aires, 8 V0 Piano, Interno 7 16129 Genova, Italy T +39 010 570 4948 F +39 010 553 0088 info@mediapointsrl.it www. mediapointsrl.it
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.
ISSN 0968-901X ©Criterion Publishing 2020
NEWS & EVENTS
Latest News & Events from ECJ
Interclean Amsterdam 2020 live show cancels and goes virtual
ECJ has published a special supplement focusing on the issues surrounding sustainability. Key issues discussed include the Extinction Rebellion effect, the flip side of sustainability, single use plastics, and the role of robotics and technology. Read it at the ECJ website (www. europeancleaningjournal.com) or download via the app.
EVENTS
Interclean Amsterdam - which had been postponed from May to this November because of Covid-19 - will now not take place as a live event in 2020. Instead, the organiser RAI Amsterdam will host a virtual version from November 3-6. “This decision is disappointing for all of us, especially as RAI Amsterdam is ready to organise Interclean Amsterdam Covidsecure and fully in line with all health and safety guidelines,” explained Bas Dalm, executive vice president exhibition and sales at RAI Amsterdam.
Evolving situation “We have worked tirelessly to adapt all facilities and protocols to enable events to be held in a safe, responsible and hospitable manner. But as the situation continues to evolve - and many of our international exhibitors and visitors have been forced to cancel their plans to participate at Interclean due to
market conditions and travel restrictions - we feel the show can no longer deliver the quality expected of Interclean.” Dalm added that the event will become a virtual experience this year. “By organising the virtual event from November 3-6, we plan to continue to play a vital role in supporting the industry to get back on track, wherever we are able. “Online educational sessions with different themes will complement each other and are available for everybody throughout the day as well as the possibility to visit companies, plan meetings and socialise with peers.” www.intercleanshow.com • ECJ is the official media partner of Interclean Amsterdam and will feature a showcase to the virtual event in the October edition. Email chris@europeancleaningjournal. com for more information on how to be involved.
Interclean Amsterdam, qui devait avoir lieu du 3 au 6 novembre, ne se tiendra désormais pas en présentiel pendant l’année 2020. À la place, il sera tenu en virtuel.
October 6-7
March 16-18 2021
Cleaning Interactive
The Cleaning Show
Online cleaninginteractive.com
London, UK cleaningshow.co.uk
October 13-14
March 20-22 2021
Forum Pulire
Clean Expo Greece
Online www.forumpulire.it
Athens, Greece cleanexpo.eu
October 14-15
March 20-April 1 2021
Manchester Cleaning Show
Europropre
Manchester, UK cleaningshow.co.uk/manchester
Paris, France www.europropre.com
November 3-6
March 23-24 2021
Interclean Amsterdam Online
ISSA Cleaning & Hygiene Expo
Online www.intercleanshow.com
Syndney, Australia www.issa.com
November 16-19
April 14-15 2021
ISSA North America Virtual
Budapest Cleaning Show
Online www.issa.com
Budapest, Hungary budapestcleaningshow.hu
November 17-19
May 18-20 2021
Clean Expo Pulire
ISSA Pulire
Moscow, Russia www.cleanexpo-moscow.ru
Verona, Italy www.pulire-it.com
January 7-10 2021
September 21-24 2021
Global Clean Expo
CMS
Istanbul, Turkey globalcleanexpo.com
Berlin, Germany www.cms-berlin.de
January 24-26 2021
November 4 2021
Middle East Cleaning Tech Week
European Cleaning & Hygiene Awards
Dubai, UAE www.mectw.com
Brussels, Belgium www.echawards.com
To have your event included in the Events section, contact ECJ via email at: michelle@europeancleaningjournal.com
Die Interclean Amsterdam, die für den 3. bis 6. November geplant war, wird 2020 nicht als LiveEreignis stattfinden. Stattdessen wird es eine virtuelle Version geben.
La Interclean Amsterdam, che avrebbe dovuto tenersi dal 3 al 6 novembre, non si terrà come evento dal vivo nel 2020, se ne farà invece una versione virtuale.
September 2020 | ECJ | 3
NEWS
More than one in 10 adults don’t wash hands after using the toilet’
The average adult is now washing and sanitising their hands eight times a day compared with just five times before the Covid-19 outbreak. However, more than one in
10 of us are still not washing our hands after using the toilet, according to a study by hygiene services provider Citron Hygiene. The survey of 2,000 UK adults found that despite government
Malgré la préoccupation grandissante entourant le lavage des mains par suite du Covid-19, une proportion de la population égale à 12 pour cent ne se lave toujours pas les mains après avoir utilisé les toilettes.
4 | September 2020 | ECJ
advice to wash our hands more frequently to curb the spread of the coronavirus, 12 per cent are still failing to do so after using the toilet. “It is shocking to see more than 10 per cent of the nation popping to the toilet and not washing their hands,” said Citron Hygiene’s international executive vice-president Robert Guice. “It is everyone’s responsibility to stay hygienic, and washing and sanitising the hands is the easiest way to stop the spread.” However, the average time that people spend soaping their hands has increased to 19 seconds from less than 13 seconds before the pandemic. And 83 per cent say they now
Trotz der stärkeren Betonung der Handhygiene aufgrund von Covid-19 waschen 12 Prozent der Menschen nach der Benutzung der Toilette noch immer nicht ihre Hände.
always wash their hands after coughing - something that 45 per cent failed to do preCovid-19. The study also found that 40 per cent of people now wash their hands after using a mobile compared with only 20 per cent a few months ago. And respondents are now more likely to wash their hands after using a laptop or keyboard, visiting the supermarket and playing with pets. The use of sanitisers has also risen, with half of those polled now claiming to use antibacterial hand gels as a matter of routine. And three in 10 are also disinfecting their houses more frequently.
Nonostante la maggiore attenzione sul lavaggio delle mani causata dal Covid-19, il 12 per cento delle persone continua a non lavarsi le mani dopo avere usato la toilette.
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NEWS
Over 800 million students worldwide lack hand washing facilities More than 40 per cent of students worldwide - around 818 million - lack access to basic hand washing facilities in the classroom. But hand hygiene provision is a key requirement for the safe reopening of schools, claim the World Health Organisation (WHO) and UNICEF. According to UN data there are currently 1.6 billion students worldwide in 190 countries, 43 per cent of whom lack access to soap or water or both. A third of these pupils live in subSaharan Africa and in the least developed countries, seven out of 10 schools lack basic hand washing facilities. The World Health Organisation
and UNICEF have teamed up to issue a report setting out guidelines for the safe reopening of schools this autumn. “Access to water, sanitation and hygiene services are essential for effective infection prevention and control in all settings, including schools,” said WHO general manager Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus.
Must be a focus “It must be a major focus of government strategies for the safe reopening and operation of schools during the ongoing Covid-19 global pandemic.” The report encourages governments to balance any public health measures against the social and economic impacts
Plus de 40 pour cent des élèves du monde, c’est-àdire une population de quelque 818 millions d’êtres humains, n’ont pas d’accès à un moyen de lavage des mains en salle de classe. 641.
6 | September 2020 | ECJ
of student lockdowns. And it cites substantial evidence of the negative impacts of prolonged school closures on children. “Global school closures since the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic have presented an unprecedented challenge to
Weltweit haben mehr als 40 Prozent der Schüler – rund 818 Million – keinen Zugang zu einfachen Einrichtungen zum Händewaschen im Klassenzimmer.
children’s education and wellbeing,” said UNICEF executive director Henrietta Fore. “We must prioritise children’s learning and ensure that schools are safe to reopen - with access to hand hygiene, clean drinking water and safe sanitation.”
Oltre il 40 per cento degli studenti di tutto il mondo, circa 818 milioni, non ha accesso alle strutture per il lavaggio delle mani nelle classi.
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EXHIBITION NEWS
ISSA North America goes online The ISSA North America exhibition, which had been due to take place in Las Vegas from November 16-19, will now be an online event on the same dates. “Our mission statement doesn’t change as we connect as a united industry this November,” commented Lindsay Roberts, group director for the event. “Every opportunity is still in front of us; it will just look and feel a little different. As we drew closer to the show dates it became clear a virtual event was our path forward.” The ISSA Show North America Virtual Experience will be a mix of live and on-demand content available until March 31 2021.
Features include: • Virtual Exhibit Directory showcasing companies and their new product innovation solutions for attendees • Virtual Product Showcases and a New Product Gallery allowing attendees to discover new products and technologies • Conference programme bringing together industry professionals who will share their insights on the current state of the industry, emerging technologies, economic trends, issues facing the industry and future growth • Networking events via live online chats and webinars. www.issashow.com
• Le salon ISSA Amérique du Nord, qui devait avoir lieu à Las Vegas en novembre, sera désormais tenu en ligne. • Cleaning Interactive est un nouveau salon virtuel de la propreté prévu en octobre.
8 | September 2020 | ECJ
Cleaning Interactive launches A new virtual cleaning exhibition Cleaning Interactive, is being launched in the UK and will take place from October 6-7. Free to attend, the virtual showcase promises all the standard features of a live trade show while allowing more people that wouldn’t traditionally have gone to live events to interact and take part as well. Special features include an interactive stage, with virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR). Top tier exhibitors will be able to demonstrate their products from an immersive studio, with bespoke 3D sets, and mixed reality elements.
• Die Messe ISSA North America, die für November in Las Vegas geplant war, wird nun als Online-Ereignis stattfinden. • Cleaning Interactive ist eine neue virtuelle Reinigungsmesse, die im Oktober stattfinden wird.
The Indie stage will provide a second space for participating companies to deliver flexible format sessions including private online meetings, panel discussions, corporate presentations, product demonstrations and more. Sessions can be live, semi-live or pre-recorded. Topics to be discussed include Infection Prevention and Control; The New Normal and Looking to the Future. Cleaning Interactive is being held by CBI VR Experiences, sister company of PR agency Ceris Burns International. For details visit: cleaninginteractive.com
• La mostra ISSA North America che era programmata per novembre a Las Vegas sarà ora un evento online. • Cleaning Interactive è una nuova mostra virtuale che si terrà a ottobre.
NEWS
European Cleaning & Hygiene Awards 2021 date announced
1 Following the postponement of this year’s European Cleaning & Hygiene Awards because of the Covid-19 pandemic, European Cleaning Journal (ECJ), founder and host, has announced the date for next year’s event. The 2021 ceremony will take place at Le Plaza Hotel in Brussels on November 4. This will be the fifth
event in Brussels. “Many of our sponsors and supporters have been working on the frontline, delivering vital services to keep our communities clean and safe. Whilst we are keen to give our industry the recognition it deserves, we feel that hosting a
large scale event this year is not the right thing to do. “We would like to thank our sponsors, media partners and entrants for their support to date and look forward to celebrating the industry’s outstanding efforts when the event returns in November 2021.” www.echawards.com
annual event celebrating the cleaning and hygiene sector across Europe. ECJ editor Michelle Marshall said: “As many of our colleagues across the cleaning and hygiene sector continue to face challenging times, as they adapt to new ways of living and working, we made the difficult decision to cancel this year’s
Prévus en novembre à Bruxelles, les Prix européens de propreté et d’hygiène ont été reportés à 2021 en raison de la pandémie du covid-19.
Die European Cleaning & Hygiene Awards, die im November in Brüssel stattfinden sollten, wurden aufgrund der Covid-19-Pandemie auf 2021 verschoben.
L’evento European Cleaning & Hygiene Awards, che si sarebbe dovuto tenere a novembre a Bruxelles, è stato posticipato al 2021 a causa della pandemia di Covid-19.
September 2020 | ECJ | 9
EFCI NEWS EFCI presents vision of recovery in post-Covid-19 Europe EFCI, the organisation representing the contract cleaning sector in Europe, has been preparing a forwardlooking analysis on the state of the sector with a view to addressing opportunities and challenges. While Europe’s roadmap to recovery is gradually taking the shape of an unprecedented joint financial effort, the EFCI has been at work to provide a forward-looking analysis on the state of the European cleaning industry in order to address the opportunities and challenges for the sector’s key role in the postCovid-19 context. In June, with an online webinar discussion among some of the sector’s most prominent experts, the EFCI presented its 2020 Statistical Report The Cleaning Industry in Europe and hosted an evidence-based discussion of the impact of Covid-19 on the future. Following the 2019 Trend Report on the industry’s evolution between 1995-2016, EFCI’s 2020 report constitutes the first edition of a new format of the historical EFCI surveys. This statistical report provides a detailed overview and analysis of the most recent publicly available data. It includes comparisons on the main aspects of our industry at European and national level, based on indicators such as turnover, number of companies and employees. The report provides clear evidence of the resilience that characterised the industry across Europe over the last two decades. With a steady growth over the recent years, the European cleaning industry grew by eight per cent, reaching a turnover of €120 billion in 2018. With an important employment increase of 15 per cent over the last five years, the sector now employs 4.1 million people
across Europe.
Discussion on trends During the webinar discussion, Barry Kitz (hkp///Remunet Group) presented a detailed overview of the 2020 report’s data. He underlined the 50 per cent growth of the industry’s employment rate compared to the 20 per cent increase in the overall EU employment. While the impact on the sector of the temporary closure of offices, leisure and school’s facilities is still uncertain, Kitz pointed out how the diversification of the industry’s market segments remains one of its main strengths and important driver of success. Looking at the future of workplaces, Peter Ankerstjerne (global lead FM and employee experience at JLL & chair of IFMA’s board of directors) saw a silver lining for the sector in the Covid-19 pandemic. The purpose of office spaces will undergo a radical change: from productivity to social connection and innovative and collaborative work. In this regard, he stressed how disinfection and regular cleaning, especially during office hours, will be instrumental to enable this future and socially oriented shift in office facilities. Frank Veneman (VSR, MGB Europe) agreed with Peter Ankerstjerne when underlining the increasing importance that the use of new technologies and documentation of hygiene levels will have to enable such future of workplaces. However, he was generally more critical regarding the benefits of an extensive use of disinfection operations outside high risk and intensity contact zones. Underlying the encouraging acknowledgment of the cleaning industry’s fundamental responsibility during and after the Covid-19 crisis, Michelle Marshall (ECJ editor) saw the current crisis as a unique
L’EFCI, l’organisation représentant la propriété professionnelle en Europe, a préparé une analyse prospective de l’état du secteur ainsi que des moyens de faire face aux opportunités et aux défis qui s’y présentent.
10 | September 2020 | ECJ
opportunity to further integrate daytime working. This will potentially mark a future of enhanced visibility and a progressive recognition of the sector’s essential role beyond the Covid-19 crisis.
Post-Covid Europe The EFCI further addressed the key role and challenges for the future of the sector in its vision paper ‘The European Cleaning Industry, a Key Partner for the Post-Covid-19 Europe”. The vision paper, widely disseminated with decisionmakers at EU level, underlines how, if supported by the adequate measures, the sector will continue to be essential not only in guaranteeing hygiene and cleanliness in the pathway
Die EFCI, die die Vertragsreinigungsbranche auf EU-Ebene repräsentiert, hat eine vorausschauende Analyse des Zustands der Branche durchgeführt, bei der es um die Handhabung von Chancen und Herausforderungen geht.
to the “new normal” but also in the creation of employment and the integration of young people and workers with transferable skills in the post-Covid-19 labour market. The shift of the focus from price to quality in the purchase of cleaning and other facility services is key to ensure it and to acknowledge the relevance of cleaning and hygiene in our society. Further acknowledgment of the sector’s key role and commensurate need for support in the EU’s next seven years budget and recovery facility would better equip the industry to take on such challenge while supporting transition into the green and digital economies. www.efci.eu
EFCI, l’organizzazione che rappresenta il settore delle pulizie in appalto in Europa, ha predisposto un’analisi di natura prospettica sulla situazione del settore allo scopo di affrontare le opportunità e le sfide.
LATEST: NETHERLANDS Cleaning in a time of coronavirus John Griep of VSR in the Netherlands on how the pandemic has impacted on the cleaning sector. The coronavirus has caused hygiene to become more important than ever in some buildings, such as hospitals. While, in most other buildings, professional cleaning is often required less now that more people are working from home. This affects the cleaning quality and outcomes agreed between cleaning companies and their clients which were made in the pre-coronavirus era. How should we approach this? And where does the focus currently lie? The coronavirus had only just broken out when we wrote our last column. The resulting lockdown was managed differently in different countries. The main similarity was that any unnecessary activity in buildings was undesirable. This meant office workers were required to work from home. While those working in shops and the hospitality industry were often unable to work at all. As a result, buildings became less dirty. (There was, however, a cleaning rage in Dutch houses, but that aside.) No cleaning at all; less, or different cleaning in a building naturally affects agreements relating to effort and outcomes. Checking the cleaning quality achieved, previously established in a contract, is now of little use. And, inspectors cause unnecessary activity in a building and were (are) therefore unwelcome. When applying cleaning inspection systems, we recommend using the actual performance as the basis. Regardless of whether this is a formal or, due to the coronavirus, informal agreement. In a new reality, inspections based on rules that are no longer relevant John Griep, notre correspondant aux Pays-Bas, qui travaille à l’organisation de la propreté de ce pays, VSR, s’interroge sur l’évolution des routines de nettoyage par les temps de Covid-19, notant que les impératifs de propreté ont augmenté dans certains domaines et diminué dans d’autres.
12 | September 2020 | ECJ
would be inappropriate. In addition, now that lockdowns are gradually being eased (and sometimes re-tightened), it is important to judge the current situation. This may mean inspection requirements are tackled differently and that inventories need adapting, either temporarily or permanently. Most clients and cleaning companies have made such changes in their cleaning. The coronavirus has also caused a change of focus. We see extra attention is being given to contact surfaces, such as door handles and taps. An increased demand for more frequent cleaning of such surfaces is likely. There are also additional objects to clean following the introduction of transparent screens in the workplace. Such screens are necessary because the distance of 1.5 metres - a distance which, according to experts Covid-19 aerosols cannot survive - is not guaranteed in most work environments. We expect the use of plexiglass screens to continue for now. A Tibetan monk once said: Everything is continuously changing. If you can cope with that, all is fine. Handling change without stress is therefore seen as the key to a happy life. As such, the coronavirus can be considered the ultimate test. After all, nothing is as it was before. And all the things we thought would never occur are actually happening. The consequences for professional cleaning are just a small part of this global disruption. Small. But more important than ever.
John Griep (VSR), der ECJ-Korrespondent in den Niederlanden, fragt, wie sich Reinigungsprogramme in dieser Zeit des Coronavirus geändert haben, und stellt fest, dass in manchen Bereichen mehr Reinigung erforderlich ist und in anderen weniger.
John Griep di VSR, il corrispondente di ECJ nei Paesi Bassi, indaga su come sono cambiate le routine delle pulizie durante questo periodo di Coronavirus e osserva come ci sia la necessità di maggiori pulizie in alcune aree e meno richiesta in altre.
LATEST: DENMARK Efforts to combat ’corona kilos’ A look at how gyms in Denmark are being cleaned post-lockdown from ECJ’s Lotte Printz. “Keep away from the gyms,” a Danish virologist proclaimed shortly after Danish society went into lockdown on March 11. Heavy breathing and people standing close when exercising. A week later all gyms in Denmark were forced to close and had to stay so for the following three months, obviously putting great strain on the gyms’ finances, but also on bathroom scales! Various parties were eager for people to ‘pump iron’ again, for financial and health. But how should gyms help us shift those ‘corona kilos’ we may have gained during lockdown while not being infected with Covid-19 in the process? When the Danish government decided to allow gyms and similar leisure facilities to re-open June 8, two months prior to the original plans, the guidelines were clear: besides giving fewer people access and allowing each individual more space, cleaning of the facilities and various surfaces had to be intensified. And the gyms seem to be taking matters seriously. Some have placed sinks in their entrance areas or hand sanitisers that can also be seen next to equipment. Some have cleaning taskforces and most say they have at least doubled their cleaning and wipe machines every time someone has used it. “I clean constantly,” as one gym staff member put it! The family-owned cleaning company Anders Andersens Rengøring has cleaning contracts with 11 large companies that have in-house gym facilities for employees to use and the cleaning company to clean. They too were closed during lockdown, and their re-opening has changed cleaning practices. “From cleaning the facilities perhaps once a week or just once Dans un rapport du Danemark, Lotte Printz, notre correspondante en Scandinavie, explique les moyens qui y sont utilisés pour nettoyer les équipements de gymnase et de centre de remise en forme dans le cadre du déconfinement.
a month in pre-corona times, we now have what we call ‘hygiene watches’ twice a day, mornings and evenings, when we disinfect washrooms, doorknobs and metal surfaces, but we also continue cleaning with water and soap,” head of the Jutland departments in Vejle and Aarhus, Jan Kousgaard, explains. The cleaning company has not gained more customers after gyms re-opened, but current customers with gyms have asked for upgrades. And more importantly perhaps, this crisis has strengthened the cleaning company’s relationship with its customers: “It has certainly benefitted our cooperation. We were there when they needed us, and it also gave us this sense of being ‘in this together’ to make sure things are done responsibly,” Kousgaard says. He is full of respect for those companies’ handling of the situation and thinks the employees can not only feel safe using their company gym, but also proud to work for a company that takes such responsibility. In Aarhus, Denmark’s second city, shared responsibility is also very much of the essence to keep the coronavirus away. When the indoor gyms were closed, the mayor decided to seal off the municipality’s 25 outdoor fitness parks. Mainly as an appeal to its citizens’ community spirit, as the ‘barrier’ could easily be broken. The ‘barriers’ were taken down at the same time as the indoor fitness facilities were allowed to ‘re-open’ in June, and even with infection figures on the rise after the holidays, the approach remains unchanged: citizens have a joint responsibility and the municipality trusts the users with the sanitising – with signs placed at the facilities to remind them.
Lotte Printz, die ECJKorrespondentin für Skandinavien, berichtet aus Dänemark wie mit Fitnessgeräten und Sportstudios nach dem Lockdown umgegangen wird und wie sie gereinigt werden.
Dalla Scandinavia, la corrispondente Lotte Printz ci aggiorna su come sono state gestate e pulite le attrezzature di fitness e le palestre nel dopo lockdown.
September 2020 | ECJ |13
LATEST: GERMANY
LATEST: ITALY
The attraction of daytime
Authoritative input from sector
The German contract cleaning association is focusing on daytime working, writes ECJ’s Katja Scholz.
Anna Garbagna in Italy on how sector associations have been key in offering expertise during Covid-19.
Around 660,000 workers are employed by the largest skilled trades employer in Germany – the idea of daytime cleaning is attractive or them, both professionally and for their own private situation. “By daytime cleaning we understand cleaning during the clients’ business hours”, explains Holger Eickholz, chairman of the BIV Public Relations Committee. And that brings numerous advantages on all sides: better working hours from the employees’ point of view, better chances of finding suitable staff from the service providers’ point of view and shorter decision-making processes for a more flexible approach to cleaning tasks from the clients’ point of view. One of the greatest advantages for employees is to not have to work early in the morning and late afternoon. “It also enables us to engage staff for several hours of continuous employment with full social insurance benefits which is generally preferred both by us and by the industry. Moreover, the journey to and from work is safer since workers do not have to leave home while it is still dark”, explains Eickholz. The BIV is also getting positive feedback from clients who have already tried out daytime cleaning in their companies. Daytime cleaning means cleaning staff are not only visible but are also available for possible adjustments or additional cleaning requests. “These can be quickly and flexibly accommodated – and many clients appreciate this. The cleaning staff are also no longer anonymous. Many people like to know who the person is who cleans their desk. And particularly at the present
For many months, the Covid-19 emergency has been occupying our lives, modifying them and changing how we plan for our future. It could not be any different for the professional cleaning sector, which has been in the front line from the start. The crucial importance of cleaning and sanitisation operations to limit or completely avoid the spreading of the virus has been proven. Right from the beginning industry association Afidamp has been working to become a source of information, providing useful advice to improve understanding of what we all can do. The opportunity to talk about cleaning in the retail environment was given by the conference Covid-19 and Retail. How co-exist? There, Roberto Galli, president of Afidamp COM. highlighted how cleaning is considered by 47 per cent of Italians to be an indicator of the quality of life and also of safety. While the association has always promoted the importance of hygiene in order to understand how to treat different types of dirt, particularly the invisible dirt often responsible for infections and development of diseases, this has become even more significant during the pandemic which tragically brought to the fore a topic which has been too often underestimated. It has been brought back to the attention of all citizens that actions can be really decisive, even something as simple as correct hand washing. Lately Afidamp’s commitment has been in producing material and documents to supply guidelines for operating with proper hygienic practices. Specifically
L’association allemande de la propreté professionnelle, BIV, se penche actuellement sur des questions touchant aux activités de nettoyage de jour et sur les avantages qui en découlent. Katja Scholz en rend compte pour ECJ.
time, to see cleaning staff busy sanitising everything has a reassuring effect on people.” There are already some sectors in Germany where daytime cleaning is not such a new concept: the practice has long been accepted at airports or in stations, for example, both by clients and service providers. In fact, the advantages are augmented by additional factors which should not be underestimated: security-sensitive areas of the building are more easily supervised when cleaning takes place during the day – and doormen or security staff do not have to monitor any night-time access. Daytime cleaning also saves energy since less artificial lighting is needed and it may be possible to consider turning off the heating. And last but not least, a reference to the pandemic: it is only right the contract cleaning sector has been classified as being of systemic importance. Hygiene and cleanliness are highly valued by many people – and more frequent and more intensive cleaning is now being done as a matter of daily routine. Schools are a classic example: additional services here currently include cleaning staff being employed throughout the day in order to clean sanitary facilities and sanitise handrails and door handles. “I am personally convinced that, with the growing demand for hygiene as a result of coronavirus, the importance of daytime cleaning will increase significantly. Any minor disruptions to the running of the business will be willingly accepted. So to that extent, coronavirus has definitely accelerated the process,” concludes Holger Eickholz.
Der deutsche Bundesinnungsverband des GebäudereinigerHandwerks (BIV) konzentriert sich momentan auf das Thema Tagesreinigung und welche Vorteile sie allen bringt. Katja Scholz berichtet für das ECJ.
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In Germania, l’associazione delle pulizie professionali BIV, sta al momento concentrandosi sulla questione delle pulizie effettuate di giorno e sui benefici che queste apportano per tutti. La corrispondente di ECJ Katja Scholz ci informa.
Dans son compte rendu d’Italie, Anna Garbagna évoque le rôle de premier plan que les associations de la propreté ont joué en conseillant différents secteurs sur les mesures d’hygiène à prendre au lendemain du confinement.
for the retail sector, it has developed the document Protocol for Good Practice of Sanitisation in Supermarkets which contains important information on how to operate in large retail areas. Already available to users and downloadable from the association website, the protocol is based on the principle the company must guarantee the cleaning and the hygiene of the premises with at least twice daily frequency and based on opening hours. For the final clean at the end of the day, disinfection of rooms, environments, workstations, and bathrooms must be carried out. Furthermore, it is advisable to pay particular attention and increased frequency to cleaning and disinfection of all high-touch surfaces - washroom areas, trolley handles and shopping baskets, POS terminals, handles, keyboards, switches and push buttons. It should be said that before any disinfection operation it is necessary to perform a thorough cleaning of the surfaces because the active effects of the disinfectant products are neutralised by dirt. The document also reminds us of the importance of using professional products specifically designed to tackle types of dirt and contamination which are more complex than those of households. A few simple rules can make the difference. It is therefore crucial, as highlighted by Galli, that the retail sector provides all the necessary information to properly trained cleaning staff who must use professional products with technical sheets that clearly explain their use, in order to guarantee hygiene for customers.
Anna Garbagna berichtet aus Italien, dass einer der Industrieverbände der Branche eine führende Rolle bei der Beratung vieler Bereiche zu den neuesten Hygieneentwicklungen nach dem Lockdown eingenommen hat.
Dall’Italia, la corrispondente Anna Garbagna ci informa su come una delle associazioni di categoria sia stata in prima linea prestando consigli e assistenza a molti comparti del settore sugli aggiornamenti di igiene nel periodo successive al lockdown.
LATEST: FRANCE Robots are cleaning in Paris Robots are now being used to clean many sites in Paris, reports Christian Bouzols. In the deep passages of the Paris métro, an odd looking machine, glowing in black and orange colours, can now be seen moving to and fro. It’s been tested for some while by the RATP and its supplier Onet, a major cleaning company. It’s now a familiar site among passengers. Packed with all kinds of sensors and capable of seeing in every direction, the machine can run without backup for four hours. During that time, it can clean 4,000 square metres sensing every object along its path. According to the RATP, it consumes 76 per cent less water and cleaning products than a conventional scrubber dryer. Another machine, developed by the Fybots company, is operating at the Châtelet-les-Halles railway station. The machine can run for 12 hours on its own power and clean up to 30,000 square metres. For an organisation like the RATP, which has an annual cleaning budget of €85 million and deploys 1,000 cleaners, robotics holds great promise for the future. Cleaning professionals are all joining in. What can be more modern than using robots to improve the image of a not-toopopular profession and displaying métro cleaners next to a fleet of robots? The French cleaning federation (FEP) has commissioned Accenture to produce a report on this “digital transition” in order to evaluate its effects on FEP members, half of which are medium and small enterprises, and to prepare them for this new development. Accenture has confirmed that robots are beginning to take root in the world of cleaning. “This is no longer a nascent market, it has entered in its take-off stage but is far from being generalised.” The first cleaning robots appeared about three years ago and were mainly used for Dans son reportage de la France, Christian Bouzols jette un coup d’œil sur l’usage accru de robots de nettoyage dans des gares de chemin de fer, le métro parisien et les aéroports de la capitale.
very large areas, such as railway stations, airports and warehouses. Often run at night, they’re far from being included in all cleaning contracts, particularly those involving small and medium sized companies. However, they may well become a must in the future. They’re becoming progressively cheaper, technologically more reliable and improving in range, and they’re ideal for repetitive and non qualified tasks. At the moment they cost from €20,000 to €70,000. Recovering such investment shouldn’t take long for companies whose cleaning budgets can reach 60 per cent of their general services expenditure. One can expect robot developments to take place in specific areas such as window cleaning, duct cleaning and dealing with hazardous areas, such as in nuclear power stations. In a future robotics-dominated world, humans will be doing delicate jobs and controlling machines. The human cleaner will increasingly be involved in specialist tasks. “With the increasing deployment of robots for standard jobs, humans will become more visible, which is already happening in the French railways”, said Onet’s Stéphane Point. The Accenture report also highlights the increasing use of connected objects. At Marseilles airport, sensors constantly monitor passenger numbers indicate if areas need cleaning. In the toilets, sensors mounted on liquid soap and toilet paper dispensers send out alarms when they become empty. At the Pasteur Institute, cleaners carry tablets which display all the areas requiring specific products. The use of robots might concurrently improve the image of a trade that attracts few young people and where the average age is 46.
In seinem Bericht aus Frankreich wirft Christian Bouzols einen Blick auf den verstärkten Einsatz von Reinigungsrobotern in Eisenbahnen, der Pariser Metro und den Flughäfen der Hauptstadt.
Dalla Francia, il corrispondente Christian Bouzols ci parla dell’aumento dell’utilizzo dei robot di pulizia nel settore ferroviario, sulla metropolitana di Parigi e negli aeroporti della capitale.
September 2020 | ECJ |15
LATEST: UK Cleaning - a complex combination UK reporter Lynn Webster on the science of cleaning. Cleaning has often been described as a science, in fact it is decades since we had the City and Guilds qualification in Cleaning Science providing the sound scientific background to many cleaning routines and processes. Never more so has the science behind cleaning being at the forefront of everyone’s’ mind. Perhaps it is time to consider returning to some of that basic learning? It has certainly been a very strange summer with the obvious focus on battling the pandemic. We have been inundated by advice from all corners, some very useful, relevant and accurate alongside the plethora of ‘scientific’ studies, many without foundation or clear evidence. Our
own government has repeatedly faced the challenges of conflicting advice and issued subsequent instructions that it then retracts or amends as greater knowledge is forthcoming. May applications have been developed to try and combat the threats from this virus however how many have examined the science behind some of their statements, claiming to providing the next unbeatable solution? Declarations of destroying the virus have been withdrawn for some products and literature has been updated following challenges to their exaggerated impact. After all it is not possible to ‘kill’ a virus. By definition it is not actually classified as being
Lynn Webster, notre reporteur au Royaume-Uni, se penche de plus près sur la science du nettoyage alors que le monde explore différentes méthodes pour affronter le Covid-19.
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alive, so yes, they can be destabilised or rendered into an inert state but not essentially ‘killed’. We have seen significant growth in the use of static sprayers and fogging machines over recent months, often featuring in social media and headlined on news bulletins promoting their promising results. Question the charge of the sprayer and the chemical being applied. In basic maths a negative will negate a positive so if they aren’t compatible the efficacy of the process will be significantly reduced. One fundamental omission in all this is that there still has to be effective cleaning first before any such procedure for disinfection, sanitisation or otherwise is applied. The failure to clean correctly first of course jeopardises any effectiveness of the subsequent treatments. This goes back to the old adage that anyone can clean, yes but they
Die britische ECJ-Korrespondentin Lynn Webster wirft einen Blick auf die Reinigungswissenschaft, während sich die Welt auf die verschiedenen Methoden, die zum Bekämpfen von Covid-19 geeignet sind, konzentriert.
can’t all clean properly. Effective cleaning will always depend on the right training and when applied to chemicals encompassing the correct dilution rate and allowing sufficient dwell time for the product to act on a surface. And unless a disinfectant has been proven directly against Covid-19, it is only guesswork that it works, whatever the method or application used. Are our lives really being truly protected by guesswork!? Delving further into the all the chemistry of cleaning would probably explode the mind however we are fortunate there is highly trained, qualified expertise available. Take a look at this article on the ECJ website where Dr Andrew Kemp, head of BICSc Scientific Advisory Board, has shared links to some of his information. Cleaning can truly be regarded as a science!
Dal Regno Unito, la corrispondente di ECJ Lynn Webster prende in esame la scienza delle pulizie mentre il mondo si concentra sui vari modi di sconfiggere il Covid-19.
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DISINFECTION
When to disinfect? To disinfect or not to disinfect? That is the big question. During the Covid-19 pandemic we have all been bombarded with information about the need to disinfect in all areas. But it’s not quite that simple, because disinfecting surfaces in the wrong way, or when it’s not needed, can be dangerous. Paul Harleman of Vileda Professional, based in the Netherlands, explains why.
An estimated one trillion species of microbes live on earth. Approximately 15,000 different types of micro-organisms live on and in your human body. Most of them are harmless and very useful. We could not live without them. However, a relatively small number of these little creatures can give us serious trouble. So serious that it causes irreversible body damage or even death. Worldwide more people die because of a hospital acquired infection than by traffic accidents. Micro-organisms are invisible to the eye. Therefore micro-organisms are dirty and frightening to many of us. And so we fight them, specifically the bad ones that can harm us. In a targeted and very organised way, but unfortunately also unfocused and insufficient. Especially in the latter lies a possible danger.
Meet the invisibles There are many varieties of microorganisms. Examples you probably have heard of are yeast, fungi, bacteria and viruses. As said before most of them are
20 | September 2020 | ECJ
very useful, but some can make you sick. These are called pathogenic micro-organisms. Pathogenicity varies. The extent to which a micro-organism can cause damage to its host is called virulence. Covid-19 is caused by a virus. Although viruses and bacteria have totally different characteristics they are often mixed up. Learn the differences summed up in the diagram on the opposite page.
SARS-CoV-2 SARS-CoV-2 is the official name of the virus causing the disease called Covid-19. It is a Corona related type of virus, highly contagious and new to mankind. Although scientists are learning every day, there is still a lot unknown about SARSCoV-2. What we do know by now is that the virus is more harmful than we thought in the beginning. Ignoring the virus, which some people still do, will possibly make you regret it later. The most important way the virus travels (infection route) is via droplets caused by coughing, sneezing or heavy breathing of a contaminated person. That’s why we have to keep a certain distance from one another. Most likely SARS-CoV-2 can also survive on “dead surfaces” for a certain period (1). That is why we have to clean or disinfect surfaces. And most recently scientists believe that aerosols, which have a much wider coverage than bigger droplets are also a route of contamination. That’s why experts advise to be extra careful inside buildings, particularly those with poor ventilation systems.
What has changed since Corona came into our lives? For sure the code of conduct has changed. Governments introduced new rules which are mandatory and subject to penalties in case of violation. Rules are constantly changing, depending on the level of control we have in the spread of the virus . Something else that seems to be changed is what I call the move from ‘vis-
ible clean’ to ‘hygienically safe’. Organisations that host people for a short or longer period have to create trust. A visitor or user of the facility wants to be confident that it is hygienically safe. You can see with your own eyes if an environment is clean, but you need equipment and knowledge to check if it is hygienically safe as well. That is why trust is so important. Finally our cleaning behaviour changed. We started to clean or disinfect everything all the time. Not always because it makes sense, but in many cases because it reduces our fear. But…as we know, fear can be a bad guide.
Microbes are top defenders Imagine we are confronted with a highly contagious pathogen micro-organism? Facility managers feel the need to do something and decide to disinfect door handles every three hours. Let’s say the pathogenic micro-organism can survive on a door handle for a few days and through that route other persons can be contaminated. Even then is does not make sense to disinfect the door handles every three hours. Only the first person that touches the handle right after it was disinfected is safe. All the others that touch the handle in the remaining time until the next disinfection takes place, are only safe if no contaminated person has touched the door handle. This anecdote is not made up - during the Mexican flu facility managers did this. And probably now again. A real life example of useless disinfection. You need targeted and well-considered disinfection procedures. Otherwise there possibly could be a risk that micro-organisms become resistant to disinfection products, a phenomena that is already a big problem with antibiotics. In a worst case scenario people get infected and sick because the disinfection product no longer kills the pathogenic micro-organism. Once you are sick you can’t be cured because the same micro-organism is also resistant to antibiotics. If that happens, we have a really big problem. The Dutch govern-
DISINFECTION ment is worried as well and has asked a committee of scientists if there possibly is a risk of micro-organisms becoming resistant to disinfectants. The answer is, yes is not unthinkable, yes we need to do more research. Read the reports at the Health Council of the Netherlands website. (2) We have to realise that micro-organisms are smart top defenders. They win over humans easily. Bacteria for example multiply under favourable conditions every 20 minutes. As a result, they can adapt relatively quickly and develop mechanisms that make them resistant to attackers like antibiotics. Humans reproduce much slower. It takes a very long time for the human body to adapt to changed circumstances. In that sense we are far behind micro-organisms.
Human behaviour strengthens the power of micro-organisms Humans help micro-organisms to get stronger. We frequently and easily travel all over the world. Micro-organisms travel with us. In that sense we help them spreading out to new environments. The human population is still growing. We need more space to live and grow food. That space is taken from the habitat of wild animals. If a bat cannot sleep in the woods it will sleep in the tree of your back garden. Wild animals and us will not live in separate worlds anymore, we have to share our habitat. Meaning that we will also share the micro-organisms that we are hosting.
In our attempts to fight the threatening micro-organisms we try to reduce or kill them. For instance by cleaning (removing) or disinfecting (killing) processes. However if we disinfect a surface in the wrong way, the weak microbes will die. The strongest survive and multiply which makes the population even stronger. It is not an exception that a wrong disinfectant is used, the wrong dilution is used, the surface is insufficiently moistened with disinfectant (a disinfectant needs a certain contact time to perform), the surface is not cleaned before disinfection (some disinfectants are partly inactivated by specific dirt and bio-films have to be removed before disinfection), the surface is clean but not yet dry (which is causing a dilution of the disinfectant) or the surface was simply not ‘touched all over’. I have seen it all happening. Mass attacks with disinfectants stimulate micro-organisms to adapt and develop defence systems. I visited a hospital in Florida, USA where employees were disinfecting everything all day. Just to be sure. But also in the UK I saw nurses ‘cleaning’ all day with ready to use, disposable disinfection cloths, unintentionally stimulating bacteria to create defence mechanisms and become stronger.
Time to change It looks like it is time to change. But do we really have to clean or disinfect entirely differently since Corona stepped into our world? Probably not. In most cases the
knowledge is there, we have the protocols and we know how to clean and disinfect. The major thing we have to change, is our behaviour in cleaning and disinfection: do what we have to do, do it consistently and do it according to the instructions. Ask yourself if this really happens in your organisation. Not because you believe it, but because you checked it. It is possible that over time good intentions devaluate. Because of cost savings, lack of education, less operational guidance by supervisors and architectural obstacles that hinder the cleaning operation.
What to do now? As previously mentioned, we don’t have to change things drastically. But it is advisable to pay attention to certain aspects. 1. Check your cleaning documentation. Up to date? Everyone involved is aware of it? Suggestion: ask an accredited infection prevention expert to validate the cleaning protocols 2. Identify the contamination hotspots and risks of your building. Adapt protocols if needed. 3. Train and check (and repeat) all personnel involved in cleaning. 4. Check cleaning equipment. Is it professional, without defects, and clean? 5. Invest in understanding and motivation. Explain to cleaning operators the importance of infection prevention and the choice of cleaning system. Understanding Continued page 22
Characteristics of bacteria and viruses Bacterium o o o o o o o
One-celled, living organism Needs food, moisture and heat Multiplies by duplication Sensative to certain antibiotics Sensative to certain disinfection products Sensative to ultraviolet radiation Examples: Salmonella, Legionella, Listeria
Virus o o
o o o o o o
Much smaller then a bacterium Not a living organism but genetic material (DNA or RNA) with a protein coat Duplicates by entering hosting cells, taking over control (parasitic) Not sensitive to antibiotics Sensative to certain disinfection products Sensative to natural antibodies Sensative to certain anti-viral medication Examples: Influenza, HIV
September 2020 | ECJ | 21
DISINFECTION creates motivation and involvement. 6. Change behaviour if needed. 7. Create trust. Hygienically safe is the new clean.
Disinfecting can be dangerous Disinfection has saved many lives. Correct hand hygiene, one of the most important ways to prevent cross contamination, is a must. Nobody will deny that. But disinfecting surfaces in a wrong way or when it is not needed can be dangerous. There is a risk we create stronger bacteria and viruses causing illness and death. The question is, should the cleaning staff and nurses that have cleaning tasks as well ‘clean’ with ready to use disinfection wipes all the time? Is a detergent always needed? Or is cleaning with microfibre Désinfecter ou ne pas désinfecter - voilà la grande question. Pendant la pandémie, nous avons été bombardés d’informations sur la nécessité de désinfecter un peu partout. Mais les choses ne sont pas aussi simples, car désinfecter des surfaces d’une manière qui ne convient pas, ou les désinfecter quand ce n’est pas nécessaire, peut occasionner des risques. Paul Harleman, de Vileda Professional, en explique les raisons.
22 | September 2020 | ECJ
cloths/mops and only water in many times a better solution. Dutch and Belgium infection prevention experts say yes, good cleaning is better that unnecessary disinfection. Which means that we have to disinfect only when it is needed, of course it does not mean that we don’t have to disinfect anymore at all. That is obvious. The Covid-19 pandemic should be a wake-up call. SARS-CoV-2 will not be the last unknown microbe that enters our safe and controlled world and disturbs it. There will be more, experts assure us. And they could be even worse than SARS-CoV-2. So let’s evaluate and improve. That is what micro-organisms do as well. www.vileda-professional.com Desinfizieren oder nicht desinfizieren – das ist die große Frage. Während der Coronavirus-Pandemie wurden wir alle mit Informationen bombardiert, in denen darauf hingewiesen wurde, wie wichtig es ist, in allen Bereichen zu desinfizieren. Doch ganz so einfach ist es nicht, denn das Desinfizieren von Oberflächen auf die falsche Art oder wenn es nicht erforderlich ist, kann gefährlich sein. Paul Harleman von Vileda Professional erläutert die Gründe.
Notes & links (1) Careful use of disinfectants_2016_ Dutch Health Council https://www. healthcouncil.nl/documents/advisoryreports/2016/12/21/careful-use-ofdisinfectants) (1) Resistance due to disinfectants_2016_Dutch Health Council https:// www.healthcouncil.nl/documents/advisory-reports/2016/12/21/resistance-dueto-disinfectants-background-report (2) Persistence of Corona viruses on inanimate surfaces and their inactivation with biocidal agents_ 2020_Kampf et al https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/ article/pii/S0195670120300463 Free information - https://www.nap. edu/catalog/13006/what-you-need-toknow-about-infectious-disease Disinfettare o non disinfettare, questo è il grande dilemma. Durante la pandemia di Coronavirus siamo stati tutti bombardati da informazioni sulla necessità della disinfezione di tutte le aree. Ma non è così semplice in quanto, disinfettare nel modo sbagliato oppure quando non è necessario, può rivelarsi pericoloso. Paul Harleman della Vileda Professional ce ne spiega il motivo.
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WASHROOM DISPENSERS
The legacy of Covid-19 ECJ considers how soap and paper dispensers will need to adapt to suit our socially-distanced washrooms - while also balancing the all-important issues of hygiene and efficiency.
Customers’ demands are changing dramatically in the wake of Covid-19 – in the washroom as well as everywhere else. Facility cleaning has suddenly moved to the top of our agendas and we are being forced to adapt to a new norm which involves social distancing and meticulous hand hygiene. This has put enormous pressure on away-from-home washrooms which are often crowded, congested places. Many toilets are limiting the number of people who may enter at any one time, while others are remaining closed altogether. But this is counter-productive since hand washing is considered a vital defence against the virus. With systems and practices evolving globally to reflect the post-Covid-19 world, one would expect washroom manufacturers to be looking at ways of adapting their products to embrace the new norm. But most assert that the issues of hygiene and cleanliness are already fundamental to their products’ design. “Our Katrin washroom dispensers incorporate features that help protect users from Covid-19 – but they were not designed for this,” says Metsä’s managing director Mark Dewick. “Covid-19 is just one of many things that can quickly spread if washroom hygiene is not managed well.” Katrin dispensers are easy to clean and have no crevices where dirt or germs could collect, he says. Metsä’s range includes touch-free soap dispensers - demand for which has been “going through the roof” according to
Dewick. However when it comes to hand towels, he feels that manual systems where the towels self-present also offer hygiene benefits. “When a portion of the towel sticks out of the dispenser and is ready to pull whenever you need it, you only have to touch the tissue you use,” he said. “The action of withdrawing the tissue then leaves the next one self-presenting for the subsequent visitor. And this means no-one needs to touch the dispenser itself which avoids the cross-contamination issue.” Metsä’s Katrin range includes selfpresenting towel units. According to Dewick, these dispensers also help to speed up washroom use and reduce queues. “There’s no need for the user to wait by the dispenser to dry their hands - they can simply grab a towel and move to the waste disposal area while doing so,” he said. “And this fast-moving flow will keep washrooms as clear as possible which will in turn improve safety.” A hand sanitiser dispenser placed by the exit will help to provide extra confidence for the washroom visitor, he adds.
Wary visitors The pressure is on to meet the higher expectations of today’s Covid-wary washrooms visitors according to Essity’s communications director Renée Remijnse. “The demands on hygiene in public spaces are now higher than ever, with 86 per cent of end-users in a recent survey claiming to have higher expectations of public washrooms to provide a safe environment,” she said. “Most respondents also said that facilities with unhygienic washrooms made them feel unsafe.” Tork dispensers have a touch-free operation and are claimed to be easy to clean while offering single-sheet dispensing to avoid the risk of cross contamination. Like Dewick, Remijnse believes that self-presenting towel units are a particularly hygienic option. “Research shows that a visible paper tail will prompt the user to clean his or her hands – and this can improve hand hygiene compliance by
23 per cent,” she says. Rather than advocating the use of automatic systems that avoid hand contact with the dispenser, Remijnse believes It is more important to promote hand hygiene. “Our dispensers are already designed for minimal contact, but the highest risk of contamination in any environment is still via the hands and from airborne droplets,” she said. “This means hand washing is crucial and people need access to hygienic, easy-to-use dispensers that give them the confidence to use them.” Tork dispensers are said to offer a straightforward operation and require a low push- or pull-force to make it easy for visitors to access the soap or paper inside. The ability to move traffic swiftly through the washroom will become more important than ever when capacity is reduced to allow for social distancing, says Remijnse. “Separate areas for hand washing and drying will support this along with the use of paper hand towels that can be dispensed quickly,” she said. “When the user is able to take a towel and step aside, the whole operation becomes significantly faster than when using a jet air dryer.” According to Remijnse a hand towel from a Tork PeakServe dispenser may be accessed in just three seconds, allowing the user to move away from the dispenser and leave it free for the next visitor. She believes the use of hand towels in general will become more widespread in future. “A total of 61 per cent of end-users in our survey claimed they used paper towels to avoid touching surfaces in public washrooms,” she pointed out. People will avoid using public washrooms wherever they can in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic – that is the prediction of Jangro ceo Joanne Gilliard. “When they do have to use a washroom they will avoid touching doors, handles, dispensers or anything else that other people might have contaminated before them,” she said. Touch-free systems have become Continued page 26
September 2020 | ECJ | 25
WASHROOM DISPENSERS The legacy of Covid-19 (continued) increasingly popular with Jangro’s customers over the past few years – and Gilliard believes this trend will continue. “As the world emerges from the pandemic and enters a new type of normality, end-users will demand clean and hygienic hand washing facilities and show a new reluctance to touch equipment such as taps, dryers, toilet flushes and soap and sanitiser dispensers,” she said. Like Remijnse she believes there could be a higher demand for hand towels in place of electric dryers. “Paper towels are perceived as being a more hygienic hand drying solution, and a towel can also be used to open doors without having to touch the handle,” she said. She feels customers might also invest in sanitising dispensers at washroom exits to provide an additional layer of protection.
Speeding up use Designed for use in schools, Jangro’s Jangronauts dispensers feature hand washing hero characters aimed at encouraging hand washing among children. According to Gilliard, speeding up washroom use will be hugely important in the wake of Covid-19. “Social distancing measures are leading to many schools reducing the number of pupils accessing the washrooms at any one time,” she said. “However, efficiency should not come at the expense of washing the hands properly and it is crucial people wash their hands for the correct length of time and implement the right technique.” The public today expects higher levels of protection and safety in the wake of the coronavirus says Hagleitner’s junior product manager Dominik Hadjiyski. “Covid-19 has shifted the focus from simple hygiene towards cleaning and disinfection,” he says. “People used to largely trust hotels and restaurants to provide safe environments, but they now have higher expectations which means the protection provided by these facilities should be as tangible as possible. “Disinfectant dispensers in public areas will therefore probably become an integral part of the landscape – and people will expect to see them there.” Like other manufacturers, Hagleitner Il se peut que la pandémie du Covid-19 entraîne des changements au niveau de la demande des clients en ce qui concerne les toilettes collectives, comme dans tous les autres domaines. ECJ se penche que les modifications à apporter aux distributeurs de toilettes collectives pour les rendre plus efficaces face à la distanciation sociale ainsi qu’à la nécessité de contenir les coûts dans un monde à court de liquidités et exigeant une hygiène améliorée pour le consommateur et l’agent de nettoyage.
26 | September 2020 | ECJ
claims its dispensers already reduce the risk of contamination from bacteria and viruses. “For example, our disinfectant dispensers are touch-free and the product inside comes in a vacuumBAG sealed system which protects it from contamination,” said Hadjiyski. He agrees with other manufacturers that socially distanced washrooms will create a demand for efficient systems that speed up throughput. “We have tackled this problem by developing dispensers that meet specific needs,” he said. Hagleitner’s paper towel dispenser can be adjusted on a five-point scale ranging from a timedelayed setting to ultra-fast frequency. All washroom dispensers should be designed with hygiene in mind, says GOJO vice-president Chris Wakefield. ”The Covid-19 pandemic has had an enormous global impact – but all viral epidemics including SARS, swine flu, seasonal flu and norovirus have the potential to spread quickly if infection control measures are not in place,” he said. The aim of soap dispensers is to ensure all washroom visitors leave with clean hands, so it is vital not to contaminate these units, he says. “Our touch-free dispensers have become increasingly popular and I expect there to be further demand for dispensers with higher hygiene ratings,” he said. Later this year GOJO will be launching the Purell ES8 Dispenser which has an integrated battery to provide continuous touch-free dispensing. Improving washroom traffic flow is more critical than reducing the amount of time spent in the washroom, says Wakefield. “We need to ensure people do not relax their attitudes to hand hygiene after the pandemic has eased, and that they continue to wash their hands properly for the recommended 20 seconds,” he said. “Dispenser efficiency has a role to play here - and again, touch-free technology can make all the difference if the dispensers are simple and intuitive to use.”
Working in the real world In an ideal scenario, hand washing stations would be spaced two metres apart with Perspex dividers between them, acAls Folge von Covid-19 könnten sich die Anforderungen von Kunden dramatisch ändern – im Waschraum ebenso wie überall sonst. Das ECJ betrachtet, wie Waschraumspender angepasst werden müssen, damit sie in unseren neuen, sozial distanzierten Waschräumen wirksamer arbeiten. Gleichzeitig sollen sie in der klammen Welt von morgen die Kosten niedrig halten und die Hygiene verbessern – sowohl für den Benutzer als auch das Reinigungspersonal.
cording to Wakefield. “However, this is not an option for most washrooms in the real world and businesses will have to work with the spaces they occupy,” he said. “In the short term this may mean limiting the number of users in the washroom while a socially distanced queue forms outside.
More opportunities “But I think additional opportunities for cleansing the hands will become more commonplace, with perhaps a sanitising dispenser placed at washroom exits to give users a final chance to ensure their hands are completely clean before leaving.” Like other manufacturers, Brightwell Dispensers has noted an increase in demand for touch-free systems in the wake of the pandemic. “Anything that is touched regularly can become a breeding ground for germs, but touch-free solutions reduce the risk of cross contamination,” said marketing manager Nicole Mathes. Brightwell offers Modular soap and hand sanitising dispensers in touch-free units. According to Mathes, cleanliness and hygiene have always been at the top of the company’s agenda when manufacturing its products. “As businesses adapt to new requirements due to the Covid-19 pandemic, maintaining high hygiene standards will become a priority,” she said. “We are continuously monitoring the market and listening to customer feedback in order to plan for the dispensers of the future.” GOJO also has an ongoing monitoring process. “Infection prevention has always been our top priority and we invest heavily in R&D,” said Chris Wakefield. “We are continually looking for ways of developing our offering.” Essity’s Renée Remijnse says her company is also constantly investigating ways of optimising its dispensers, adding that Covid-19 will be considered in any innovations. And Hagleitner has already begun work on a new hygienic dispenser family. “Our 50-year-experience in hygiene has led to the development of products that can cope with challenging circumstances such as those we are experiencing today,” said Hadjiyski. Le esigenze dei clienti possono cambiare drasticamente in seguito alla pandemia di COVID-19 sia nei bagni che in tutti gli altri ambienti. ECJ prende in esame come i dispenser per le sale da toilette dovranno cambiare per adattarsi a funzionare in modo più efficace nelle sale da toilette con il nuovo sistema di distanziamento sociale e allo stesso tempo mantenendo bassi i costi nel mondo di domani a corto di denaro e potenziando l’igiene sia per gli utenti che per gli addetti alle pulizie.
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www.jvd.fr INNOVATION FOR WELL-BEING
PRODUCTS: WASHROOM DISPENSERS
• La solution intelligente de surveillance de toilettes collectives proposée par JVD est maintenant capable de détecter toutes irrégularités dans la qualité de l’air. • Le distributeur Quick-View de SC Johnson Professional a été mis au point pour s’inscrire dans la gamme à savon mousse de ce fabricant. • Le Modular C3, nouveau distributeur sans contact de Brightwell, peut recevoir du savon liquide ou du désinfectant. • Die intelligente Überwachungslösung Hygiaconnect für Waschräume kann jetzt Unregelmäßigkeiten in der Luftqualität erkennen. • Der Spender Quick-View wurde als Teil der Produktreihe mit Schaumseifen von SC Johnson Professional entwickelt. • Der neue berührungslose Spender Modular C3 von Brightwell ist für Flüssigseife und Händedesinfektionsmittel geeignet. • La soluzioni di monitoraggio smart per sale da toilette Hygiaconnect della JVD è ora in grado di rilevare irregolarità nella qualità dell’aria. • Il dispenser Quick-View della SC Johnson Professional è stato progettato per essere aggiunto alla gamma di saponi in schiuma dell’azienda. • Il nuovo dispenser senza impulsi manuali Modular C3 prodotto dalla Brightwell è adatto sia per sapone liquido che per disinfettante.
28 | September 2020 | ECJ
Air quality guide JVD developed Hygiaconnect to collect and interpret data around hygiene levels in washrooms - availability of consumables such as paper and soap, attendance levels, user satisfaction - using connected dispensers and cloud-based monitoring software. Now the company has teamed up with Rubix S&I, a start-up specialising in ‘electronic noses’ to develop an IoT platform based on a set of sensors that detect vibrations, lights, humidity and foul smells. By integrating this feature, Hygiaconnect can now detect irregularities in the air
with a view to reacting quickly and restoring optimal conditions in terms of cleaning, disinfection and ventilation. www.jvd.fr
Transparent
ers require minimal cleaning and spills are not an issue. And there is no contact between the product and the surrounding environment before the product is used to wash hands. www.debgroup.com
Soap or sanitiser
Launched alongside its washroom foam soap range is SC Johnson Professional’s QuickView dispenser. This features transparent sides allowing full and accurate soap visibility from any angle or distance. There is no need to open the unit and check if a cartridge change is needed each time. The sealed cartridge dispens-
New from Brightwell Dispensers is the Modular C3 touch-free range for dispensing liquid soap or sanitiser. These units can be used with the company’s freestanding or table-top stands to create hygiene stations throughout a building. www.brightwell.co.uk
PRODUCTS: WASHROOM DISPENSERS
Robust hygiene
and maintains the skin’s natural moisture levels and elasticity. Handsan is a non-alcohol based antimicrobial, non-drying, post hand wash hand sanitiser liquid, which also comes in a foam version. www.holchem.co.uk
Extra large For robust hand hygiene in food processing or food service, Holchem offers a variety of systems that come in cartridge and refillable systems. M7 Handsoap is a liquid soap combining the cleansing power of synthetic soaps with an emollient that reduces the drying of the skin. It is unperfumed to avoid the tainting of food and is suitable for use in food processing or preparation areas. M8 Hand Mousse - Foam Soap is a foaming hand soap, combining cleansing power with an emollient system and an antimicrobial agent. It is unperfumed
New from Metsä Tissue is an XL (extra large) version of the System Hand Towel roll with an XL Inclusive System Dispenser to match. Designed for medium to high volume usage areas, this model offers higher towel
Next edition of ECJ will preview Interclean Amsterdam Online capacity to reduce the workload of janitorial staff in terms of checking and refilling - as well as offering volume cost savings in the hand towel rolls themselves. The XL paper hand towel roll is 270 metres long (1058 sheets) and it has also been approved for short-term contact with food. All existing Katrin System Hand Towel rolls will also work with Katrin XL. The XL System Towel Dispenser is available in black or white and presents one sheet at a time. When loading, or if the paper has not fed through for any reason, there is an easy-to-use PUSH bar for paper feeding. The transparent sides enable staff to see at a glance how much paper is available, while the transparent back plate makes the unit easy to install. www.metsatissue.com
• Savons pour les mains, désinfectants et savons mousse sont proposés par Holchem en cartouches et systèmes rechargeables. • Metsä Tissue s’est basé sur la gamme Katrin System pour introduire la version XL de son système de rouleaux de serviettes.
• Handseifen, Händedesinfektionsmittel und Schaumseifen von Holchem sind in Patronen und nachfüllbaren Systemen erhältlich. • Mit der Vorstellung der XL-Version der Handtuchrolle System baut Metsä Tissue auf der Produktreihe Katrin System auf.
• I saponi per le mani, i prodotti igienizzanti e i saponi in sciuma della Holchem sono disponibili in cartuccia e sistemi ricaricabili. • La Metsä Tissue ha ampliato la gamma Katrin System con il lancio di una versione XL del suo sistema di asciugamani System Hand Towel Roll.
September 2020 | ECJ | 29
PRODUCTS: WASHROOM DISPENSERS
• North Shore est la gamme haut de gamme de Northwood Hygiene Products, comprenant distributeurs et consommables pour toilettes collectives. • Le distributeur continu de serviettes Tork PearkServe combine hygiène supérieure, rapidité et rendement.
• Bei North Shore handelt es sich um die Premium-Produktreihe von Northwood Hygiene Products, die Waschraumspender und Verbrauchsmaterialien umfasst. • Der Handtuchspender Tork PeakServe Continuous wurde mit dem Ziel konzipiert, ein hohes Maß an Hygiene mit Schnelligkeit und Effizienz zu kombinieren.
• North Shore è la gamma premium della Northwood Hygiene Products che include dispenser e prodotti di consumo. • Il dispenser di asciugamani Tork PeakServe Continuous è progettato per abbinare alti livelli di igiene a velocità ed efficienza.
30 | September 2020 | ECJ
High capacity North Shore is the line of washroom dispensers and consumables from Northwood Hygiene Products. The range includes no-touch hand towel dispensers facilitating single-sheet presentation - dispensers are easy to wipe clean and paper products are individually wrapped.
The dispensers’ high capacity helps to minimise the time cleaning teams need to spend replenishing consumables and maintaining units. Units are engineered to facilitate swift refill and offer controlled dispensing, helping to prevent
blockages and litter. They are also transparent, so supplies can be checked at a glance. The company also offers toilet tissue and soap dispensers along with consumables. www.northwood.co.uk
Continuous Designed to combine high levels of hygiene with speed and efficiency is the Tork PeakServe Continuous Hand Towel Dispenser. The unit serves more than 1,000 guests between refills – 600 more than most other dispensers says Essity – which means run-outs are never an issue, even in particularly busy periods. The towels are dispensed in a continuous loop which eliminates the risk of jamming, while each towel may be withdrawn in three seconds. This allows the washroom visitor to take a towel and move away, freeing up the
space quickly. Also designed to facilitate hand washing is the Tork Foam Soap Dispenser. This has been designed to require a low push-force, making hand hygiene accessible to everyone including the very young and the frail and elderly. The Tork EasyCube is a digital system that can help to predict refill needs and user patterns. It enables cleaners and facility managers to check on washroom requirements via a smartphone or tablet and react quickly when supplies are running low. www.tork.co.uk
PRODUCTS: WASHROOM DISPENSERS Use of sensors Satino offers hand towel and soap dispensers operated by sensors. Designed to dispense a variety of hand soaps and foam soaps, these units are said to offer high functionality and ease of use for optimum hygiene. Satino paper towels also have an abrasive effect, said to remove any remaining bacteria after hand washing. www.satino-by-wepa.com
cartridges or as a refill solution and can be delivered with a spray or liquid pump according to the consumable used. www.sci-services.ch
Out of sight table stand, meanwhile, keeps surfaces drop-free and measures 120 x 450 x 310 mm. The soap dispenser is high capacity and can be used with
facilities providers to offer soap and drying facilities directly above the basin. The dryer is constructed from robust steel and powder coated in matt black. www.dudleyindustries.com
The Modulo Hand Dryer works as part of the Modulo Cabinet System to provide complete hand washing and drying facilities concealed behind a mirror. Developed by Dudley Industries, this solutions enables
Use anywhere As hand hygiene becomes critical in all areas of a building, SCI-Services has developed a dispenser that can be adapted to different locations. The new unit, which is touch-free, can be mounted on a wall or on a floor or desk stand. Stands can be positioned anywhere and moved anytime. The floor stand is 1170 mm high and comes with plexiglass top for personalised instructions or messages. It’s available in white or stainless steel. The • Satino a introduit une gamme de distributeurs de serviettes et savon activée au moyen de capteurs. • SCI-Services a introduit un distributeur de désinfectant des mains que l’on peut monter sur un mur, placer sur un support au sol ou mettre sur un bureau. • Le sèche-mains Modulo proposé par Dudley Industries s’inscrit dans le système Modulo Cabinet qui abrite un ensemble pour l’hygiène des mains derrière un miroir. • Satino bietet eine Produktreihe mit sensorbetätigten Handtuch- und Seifenspendern. • SCI-Services hat einen berührungslosen Spender für Händedesinfektionsmittel vorgestellt, der an der Wand montiert oder auf einem Bodenstativ oder einem Tisch platziert werden kann. • Der Händetrockner Modulo von Dudley Industries ist Teil des Modulo Cabinet System, bei dem Handhygienefunktionen hinter einem Spiegel untergebracht sind. • La Satino offre una gamma di dispenser di asciugamani e di sapone attivati da un sensore. • La SCI-Services ha lanciato un dispenser no-touch per disinfettante per le mani che può essere montato su una parete oppure sistemato su un supporto da pavimento o su una scrivania. • L’asciugamani Modulo della Dudley Industries fa parte del sistema Modulo Cabinet System che alloggia i servizi per l’igiene delle mani dietro uno specchio.
September 2020 | ECJ | 31
UV-C DISINFECTION
Maximising cleaning In the wake of lockdown businesses are looking for reliable and safe methods to reopen and there is rapidly growing interesting in how UV-C disinfection technology can maximise the effectiveness of regular cleaning regimes. What do we know about it, and how can it help in tackling the current situation? UV-C disinfection products specialist writes exclusively for ECJ.
In the new landscape emerging from the global COVID-19 pandemic, the need for reliable control of harmful viruses is of paramount importance. The potential health threats posed by the ubiquitous presence of viruses, bacteria and mould call for a fast and reliable means of disinfection to help minimise transmission. The current coronavirus crisis has brought this into sharp focus and the role of cleaning companies has become a key part of the fight back against the virus.
The need for safety and confidence The recent changes in government guidelines mean businesses, hospitality services and workplaces of all kinds are eager to open their doors, kickstart their businesses back into life, and start to recoup some of the losses inflicted by the Covid-19 pandemic. In the wake of lockdown businesses are looking for fast, reliable and safe methods to reopen and operate that ensure the safety of staff and clients, regain the trust of their customer bases and rebuild customer confidence. New challenges call for new approaches, and there is rapidly growing interest in how UV-C disinfection technology can
32 | September 2020 | ECJ
maximise the effectiveness of normal cleaning regimes. Tests show that UV-C disinfection is a fast, safe, efficient and proven technology that kills or deactivates 99.9 per cent of bacteria and viruses, including Covid-19, and is particularly effective when used in combination with normal cleaning practises to minimise bacterial and viral spread. What’s more, employing UV-C technology as the final component in your new cleaning regime, avoids the hazards and disadvantages of chemical sprays, such as surface damage, high running costs and exposure of staff to hazardous substances, and reduces the risk of cross contamination due to poor/ inconsistent cleaning practises or accidental transmission. Ultraviolet disinfection lamps are extremely efficient and very convenient to operate, especially when compared to familiar disinfection methods that use liquid and powder-based disinfectants. Frequently-used rooms and public areas of all sizes can be kept clean and free from virus, quickly and economically. UV-C disinfection lamps can be deployed in a wide range of domestic and commercial environments: hotels, chalets, caravans, self-catering and bed and breakfast accommodation; restaurants, cafes, offices, factories, schools, gymnasiums, clinics; theatres, conferences and event spaces – anywhere, and in any business, that cares about the welfare of staff and customers.
Tried and tested UV-C disinfection, or germicidal ultra-violet irradiation (UVGI) as it is known, is not a new technology. UVGI has been studied since the late 19th century, with UV-C becoming a particular focus around 1930. In 1935 scientists revealed through demonstration the ability of UV-C irradiation to effectively inactivate airborne microorganisms, and in the 1970s it was proven to reduce TB infection. Since the early 1990s there has been further focus on the efficacy and safety of UV-C products as a way to inactivate viruses and bacteria, which have since become useful tools in
the fight against infection. The technology remains in practise to the present day where UV-C disinfection is widely used in hospitals as part of standard disinfection protocols. Multiple scientific reports show high efficacy rates in the reduction of harmful micro-organisms, for example: “Implementation of this ‘no-touch’ technology in various hospitals has documented a sustained reduction in surface microbial contamination, reduced cross contamination and a reduced spread of multi-drug resistant bacterial infection. In the study of Liscynesky et al. [15], in rooms of patients with confirmed C. difficile infection (CDI), 32 our ot 238 (13 per cent) hightouch surfaces were positive after bleach disinfection and only one out of 238 (0.4 per cent) was positive after UV-C treatment (the computer keyboard) at 254nm emitted by three connected devices run for 45 min.” [Evaluation of an Ultraviolet C (UVC) Light-Emitting Device for Disinfection of High Touch Surfaces in Hospital Critical Areas, Beatrice Casini et al, Sep 24 2019]. Recent research by Boston University School of Medicine, working with leading lighting manufacturer Signify (previously Philips) Lighting, confirms that UV-C radiation, applied in sufficient doses, successfully inactivates SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19. Signify has shared this technology with other lighting companies, enabling manufacturers to develop new products in a bid to help limit the spread of Covid-19. Only 253.7nm UV-C light sources manufactured by Signify and Osram are validated as effective against SARS-CoV-2, so look for brands that utilise these sources.
What is UV and UV-C? Ultraviolet light is a form of radiation and an invisible part of the electromagnetic spectrum. It has a wavelength between 100nm-380nm. UV-C with a wavelength of 200nm-280nm has proved to be the most effective disinfectant wavelength in the UV Spectrum.
UV-C DISINFECTION How does UV-C work? Surfaces exposed to UV-C light are disinfected because UV-C (in particular 253.7nm) destroys the molecular structure of DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) and RNA (ribonucleic acid) of microbial (bacteria and virus) cells, causing the death of growth cells and/or regenerative cells, thus achieving the effect of disinfection. Strictly speaking, bacteria are destroyed and viruses are inactivated as viruses are not ‘alive’ and therefore cannot be ’killed’. Exposure to UV-C causes a photochemical reaction when the radiation is absorbed. Damage to the microbe’s DNA ensues and the action of the absorption of the photon makes the bacteria/virus unable to replicate.
How can UV-C help tackle Covid-19? The efficacy of UVC-disinfection protocols at inactivating viruses like SARSCov-2 – as proven by Boston University and numerous other studies – depends on the UV-dosage delivered over time. Consequently, manufacturers are producing UV-C lighting products for domestic/ consumer and commercial/industrial use with products designed specifically for the disinfection of surfaces, objects and the air, in rooms and spaces of all sizes. Surface disinfection can be achieved with a variety of wall-mounted or freestanding models tailored for the needs of venues from small rooms to large industrial units. Disinfection times vary according to the size of area being disinfected, and
Dans la perspective du déconfinement, les entreprises recherchent des méthodes fiables et sûres de reprise d’activité et s’intéressent de plus en plus aux possibilités de la technologie UVC en tant que renfort de l’efficacité des régimes de nettoyage réguliers. Qu’en savons-nous, et en quoi cette technologie peut-elle servir face à la situation actuelle ?
all personnel, animals and plants must be removed from the site while disinfection is undertaken. UV-C disinfection requires direct exposure to be effective, and very few spaces have clear lines of sight in all directions, so most manufacturers recommend the use of multiple units positioned in different areas to eradicate shadow lines and ensure increased levels of disinfection. For this reason, manufacturers also recommend that UV-C products are used in conjunction with other disinfection protocols for a whole area approach to ensure the highest levels of disinfection. Cabinet-style products can be used to disinfect smaller household and office items in daily use such as mobile phones, headsets, office stationery, make-up tools, face masks and other small items. Air purification solutions, which bring the same peace of mind and effectiveness as surface cleaners, combat the virus in aerosolised form. Circulating air is taken in and purified before being returned to the room. Products can be ceiling mounted for upper air purification, or free-standing, and have the advantage of continuous use, even when people are present within the space. An ACH (Air Change per Hour) of between six and10 times is recommended.
Little training needed The process can be extremely costeffective with maximum returns on a single, affordable investment: because UV-C technology does not rely on chemicals, there are no further overhead costs on chemicals, cleaning fluids or additional
Im Gefolge des Lockdowns suchen Unternehmen nach zuverlässigen und sicheren Methoden, um ihre Türen wieder öffnen zu können. In diesem Zusammenhang gibt es ein schnell wachsendes Interesse an der UVC-Desinfektionstechnologie und wie mit ihrer Hilfe die Wirksamkeit herkömmlicher Reinigungsregime optimiert werden kann. Was wissen wir über UVC-Desinfektion, und wie kann sie uns dabei helfen, die aktuelle Situation anzugehen?
manpower. This also increases UV-C’s environmental credentials as, without chemicals, it leaves no residue or by-products, and therefore has little environmental footprint. There are no hazardous fumes or associated wait-times for dissipation of fumes, so cleaning times can be massively reduced with rooms and public areas disinfected and ready for use often within an hour - guaranteeing a fast turnaround between guests, for example.
How safe is the technology? UV-C is very well researched and well understood. Compared with UV-A and UVB, both of which are present in sunlight, UV-C presents little penetration into deeper layers of skin. In fact, UV-C primarily impacts and is absorbed by the outer dead layer and outer skin. However, exposure to UV-C can cause temporary skin and eye irritation/redness and longer exposure can cause burns. For this reason, all personnel, animals and plants must leave or be moved from site during use as a primary precaution (except with certified air purification units). It is also worth noting that UV has a degrading effect on many materials, including plastics, paper and cloth, so exposure over time may cause surfaces to change colour or become more brittle. To ensure safe operation, all good UV-C products come with full in-built safety features – look for those that include a motion sensor, audio alarm, start delay and remote control and other visual indicators. Those manufacturers who go the extra mile also provide extra safety features like UV-filtering glasses, warning signs for the operator to place on the door of the area being disinfected, full user guides and a comprehensive training programme. And of course, all products should be CE, ETL and FCC compliant and listed. As we come through this global pandemic with every industry looking for ways to rebuild their business in a rapid, safe and responsible way, UV-C disinfection can play a part in helping you to safeguard the working environment for your staff and regain the trust of your customer base by providing them with the safest possible space to work in and congregate. www.goldenseauv.eu In seguito al lockdown, le imprese stanno cercando dei metodi affidabili e sicuri per riaprire e aumenta l’interesse per come la tecnologia della disinfezione UV-C posso massimizzare l’efficacia dei regimi di pulizia ordinari. Cosa sappiamo di questa tecnologia e come può aiutare ad affrontare la situazione attuale?
September 2020 | ECJ | 33
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www.ttsystem.com TTS Cleaning S.R.L. (Soc. a Socio Unico) - Tel.: +39 049 9300710 - Fax: +39 049 9300720 - E-mail: info@ttsystem.com
MOPPING EQUIPMENT
A big hand for mops ECJ celebrates the role of the mop - and considers the strengths and limitations of traditional mopping systems in today’s increasingly mechanised world.
A growing number of companies are moving away from traditional mopping systems and opting instead for mechanised solutions. But mops fulfil an important role. They are flexible, versatile and quick to use as well as being easy to store and transport. And in many situations a mop is a viable alternative to a scrubber dryer – if not a preferable one. The fact that mops require a low level of investment is one of their key advantages according to Greenspeed marketing manager Floor Loos. “A mopping system is much cheaper than a mechanised solution - and you don’t need an electrical source to use it,” she said. “Mops can be used easily and comfortably by anyone, and they are ideal for cleaning smaller rooms and hard-to-reach areas such as stairs and corners.” Cleaning can often be carried out more swiftly with a mopping system, she adds. “Mops are compact and lightweight which makes them easy to move around and store, while the flexibility of a mop allows the operative to clean in greater detail than when using a machine.”
Ergonomic option According to Loos, mops are also an ergonomic option where cleaning multiple floors during the course of a day. “A mopping system can be easily adapted to the height of the operator which enables them to maintain a better posture,” she said. In fact she believes mops to be underrated in today’s market. “After machinecleaning has been carried out, it is often necessary to use a mop to clean corners, stairs and below furniture,” she said. “It is
hard to cover every area of a room with a machine, but a mopping system allows you to work in more detail and provide those important finishing touches.” Greenspeed offers the Click’M C notouch cleaning solution which is said to be lightweight and ergonomic in use. It consists of a magnetic mop and a smooth frame plus integrated colour coding ribbons that allow cleaning tasks to be segregated by application. Kärcher’s product manager Kamila Dobler agrees mopping systems tend to be underrated. “Machines have a stronger image because they don’t involve manual cleaning and are considered to be more effective,” she said. “Mops in general are regarded as a technically poor product and mopping is thought to be capable of being performed by anyone, whether or not they have had any training. But the fact mopping systems require less training than a machine is actually an advantage, and in certain situations mops are a vital tool that can provide a strong defence against bacterial and viral contamination.” Mopping systems come into their own when the use of a machine is neither convenient nor affordable, she says. “There will always be situations where machine cleaning is impossible and where a mopping system is a must,” said Dobler. “Mops are fast, flexible and low-cost and are highly suitable in environments where there is no storage space for machines. And if properly executed a very good cleaning result may be produced, even with a smaller mopping system.” Mops are the best solution in hard-toreach areas, on vertical surfaces, where a discreet clean-up is required and when a cleaner needs to react quickly to a spill, she says. But the physical nature of mopping is a drawback. “There are more personal injuries associated with mopping than machines because mopping entails activities such as wringing and lifting heavy buckets,” says Dobler. Ease of use and versatility are among the main advantages of a mop according
to IPC communications manager Gabriella Bianco. “There is no need for a battery or electrical connection, and a mop is easy to transport from one floor to another,” she said. “The initial investment is also considerably lower than when buying a cleaning machine. And traditional mopping is silent with no training required.” Manual mopping can provide the finishing touches to machine-worked tasks, she adds. “Mops are ideal when a specific product is needed and when time is of the essence.” Bianco says a scrubber dryer – no matter how compact – is unsuitable for certain environments such as smaller washrooms, shops and storage rooms.
Not confined to floors “Many of us have also found ourselves at one time or another watching a cleaning operator in a supermarket hastily cleaning up tomato puree oozing from a broken bottle on the floor,” she said. “That kind of accident can only be dealt with by using an efficient mopping system.” The use of mops need not be confined to the floor, she adds. “Mops can be used for cleaning desks, tables and shelves as well as vertical surfaces such as walls.” IPC offers a range of mops and wringers including the Kinetic wringer which is designed to reduce water, detergent and operating and labour costs. Bianco disagrees with other manufacturers that mopping systems are often underrated. “Traditional cleaning systems are firmly established and retain a welldeserved place in public environments,” she said. “In fact we are increasingly seeing technical breakthroughs with new systems and materials being used to improve performance and efficiency.” According to Bianco, mops will continue to play a significant role in cleaning. “Manual and mechanised systems both have their place and will remain complementary to one another,” she said. “Mechanised solutions equipped with sanitising and disinfectant products will be indispensable in large, busy areas Continued page 36
September 2020 | ECJ | 35
MOPPING EQUIPMENT A big hand for mops (continued)
He claims mopping systems are also the best solution for emergency clean-ups. And he believes them to be particularly suitable for sectors such as healthcare where a high level of hygiene is required. “In these sensitive industries, cleaning needs to be performed using a new mop for each area in order to combat the transmission of microorganisms and prevent
the risk of cross contamination,” he said. Filmop offers a range of disposable mop solutions plus mop-holders with a locking joint to allow the operator to clean walls and ceilings. “This provides extra flexibility and enables the cleaner to use a single tool on a range of surfaces which helps to optimise cleaning procedures and reduce costs,” he said. However, he concedes machines require less effort to use than traditional mopping systems. “For this reason we have designed ErgoSwing to reduce operator strain and increase productivity,” he said. So, how will the role of the mop evolve in the post-Covid-19 world? Ensuring a clean and healthy environment is likely to become more important than ever, says Greenspeed’s Floor Loos. “Daytime cleaning will take place more frequently and people will have a more positive reaction when they see a cleaner,” she said. “This will make mopping systems more popular because they can be used quickly and with less effort than a machine, while the fact that they are quieter means they will not disturb employees. And this will be a particular advantage because both cleaning frequency and hygiene standards are likely to increase.” According to Filmop’s Scapinello, mopping systems are being re-valued in the wake of the pandemic. “High-risk areas need to be cleaned more safely to avoid the risk of coronavirus contamination in healthcare facilities, hotel rooms and schools,” he said. “New protocols signal the use of disposable mops and cloths in order to better control the spread of Covid-19. So the popularity of mopping systems is likely to grow along with demand for more professionallytrained cleaners.” And Kärcher’s Kamila Dobler believes that demand for both machine-cleaning and manual mopping is likely to increase. “In the coming months, people will feel reassured when they see an operative cleaning their desk or washroom so we will see higher cleaning frequencies than before,” she said. “I believe mopping and manual tools in general will be among the most-used cleaning items in the wake of Covid-19.”
Mopps sind in unserer stark mechanisierten Zeit eine unterschätzte Art der Bodenreinigung. Tatsächlich setzten immer mehr Unternehmen mechanische oder automatische Bodenreinigungssysteme anstelle von herkömmlichen Mopps ein. Aber wenn in Ecken, auf Treppen oder in Umgebungen, in denen leiseres Arbeiten erforderlich ist, gereinigt wird, ist ein Mopp die einzige Antwort.
I mop sono un sistema sottovalutato per il lavaggio dei pavimenti in questa epoca altamente meccanizzata. Infatti, un numero sempre maggiore di imprese al momento utilizza sistemi di lavaggio meccanici o automatizzati invece del mop tradizionale. Ma quando si deve pulire negli angoli, sulle scale o in ambienti dove è richiesto un sistema di pulizia più silenzioso, solo il mop si rivela adatto.
while manual systems will complete those cleaning and sanitising tasks where specific requirements need to be met.” Robert Scott’s sales director Alastair Scott shares the view that customers continue to value mops. “The industry is changing, yes, but there’s an ever-increasing demand for mopping systems that deliver multiple benefits,” he said.
Rapid response Mopping systems allow for janitorial staff to move between locations and respond quickly to spills and similar incidents, he says. “They are also perfect for use in areas that are difficult to clean or that require separate products in different locations such as hospitals,” he adds. Robert Scott’s microfibre flat mop has pads that may be changed on the move and kept in separate trolley compartments to prevent cross contamination. According to Scott, his company sells more mops today than ever before. “Understandably we’ve seen an increase in demand for disposable products, predominantly from the healthcare sector where Covid-19 patients are being treated.” And he adds demand for quick-drying, spot cleaning is also increasing to enable facilities to be cleaned efficiently during busier periods while reducing the risk of slips and falls from residual moisture. “We believe there is always going to be a need for simple, yet smart manual mopping systems that can cost-effectively clean confined areas,” he said. Designed for rapid-response cleaning, Robert Scott’s Pro-mist spray handle and microfibre pads are said to reduce the need for water and chemical agents. Not everyone is convinced of the benefits of mopping systems, however. Machine manufacturer Rawlins has spent years campaigning to “chop the mop”, claiming mopping systems are less hygienic than mechanised cleaning methods. “The main aim of cleaning is to remove all traces of dirt, germs, bacteria and viruses from a surface - and a traditional mop simply won’t cut it,” said managing director James White. “Even the most dedicated cleaner can’t be expected to remove soiling and toxins from the grout lines of a tiled Les balais humides tendent à être négligés par les temps qui courent, marqués par un recours accru à la mécanisation. De fait, des entreprises toujours plus nombreuses utilisent des systèmes mécaniques ou automatisés de nettoyage des planchers, au détriment des mops traditionnels. Toutefois, le système manuel s’impose quand il s’agit de nettoyer sur un escalier, dans l’angle de deux parois ou au sein d’une ambiance obligatoirement silencieuse.
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floor using a mop-head alone.” He says dirt should be removed from hard surfaces with the aid of water, a cleaning solution and a high-flow fluid extraction machine. “If we have learnt anything from Covid-19 it is that the power of hygienic methods cannot be underestimated,” he said. “Businesses need to ensure they can safeguard health and safety - and this can only be achieved through a robust, science-based approach to cleaning and surface protection.” However, Filmop’s export area manager Paolo Scapinello argues that machine cleaning is simply impractical in some cases. “Mops are particularly useful in environments where a machine cannot pass, such as in a room filled with obstacles, furniture and cabling,” he said. “Mops can also penetrate every corner and hard-toreach area, ensuring an unbeatable level of frame-to-floor contact along with impeccable cleanliness.”
Hygiene levels crucial
PRODUCTS: MOPPING
Dust and mop
ErgoSwing is a dusting and flat mopping system from Filmop comprising a telescopic handle with double turning grip and mop holder with ergonomic joint designed to accommodate movement in an S-shape. The company says that independent analysis has demonstrated a significant reduction in wrist flexion and extension movements for the operator - reducing strain. ErgoSwing is also designed to allow the cleaner to maintain correct posture while cleaning, and to use minimum effort. www.filmop.com
Universal
For healthcare
Uni System is the universal frame from TTS that allows operators to reduce the amount of equipment they use, avoid compatibility challenges and laundry management of different mops. It can be used with all washing methods, from pre-soaking to soaking on demand, and with all TTS wringers. The frame is equipped with a spring that always keeps it a little opened for easy set-up of the tool, thus reducing effort. The flat mop can be quickly attached to the frame thanks to the fast hook system: simply place the frame vertically and press down to start cleaning. www.ttsystem.com
The latest mopping development from Nordisk Microfiber is the Mikro Vision Health Care for use on floors requiring exceptional performance. Claimed to remove 99.9 per cent of all bacteria, this mop boasts high performance with minimal use of chemicals. And it can be washed up to 500 times.
Also recently launched is the Ultra Ergo Globe telescopic handle made of lightweight aluminium. The material makes it possible to both clean and disinfect the handle, it also tolerates autoclaving. Because the top and the handle rotate, there is minimal strain in the wrist, arms and shoulders. www.nordiskmicrofiber.com
• L’ErgoSwing de Filmop est un système d’époussetage et de balayage humide à plat muni d’une poignée ergonomique. • Proposé par TTS, Uni System est un cadre universel pouvant servir pour toute méthode de balayage humide • Nordisk Mibrofibre a lancé le balai humide Mikro Vision. Destiné aux services de santé, ce dernier est doté de la poignée télescopique Ultra Ergo Globe.
• Bei ErgoSwing von Filmop handelt es sich um ein Staubwischund Flachmoppsystem mit ergonomischem Griff. • Bei Uni System handelt es sich um den Universalrahmen von TTS, der für alle Moppmethoden verwendet werden kann. • Nordisk Microfibre hat den für das Gesundheitswesen vorgesehenen Mopp Mikro Vision zusammen mit dem Teleskopgriff Ultra Ergo Globe vorgestellt. • ErgoSwing della Filmop è un sistema mop piatto dotato di manico ergonomico. • Uni System è la struttura universale della TTS che può essere utilizzata per tutti i sistemi di mop. • La Nordisk Microfibre ha lanciato il mop Mikro Vision e il manico telescopico Ultra Ergo Globe.
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BUSINESS: ENTREPRENEURS
The spirit of enterprise lives on
Businesses are being brought to their knees amid the most disruptive global emergency in generations. For some, there can be no recovery. But many others are finding ways to get back on their feet when all seemed lost. Hartley Milner talks to three entrepreneurs who rose to the challenge. As the hunt for a Covid-19 vaccine continues apace, it seems we are turning to a more traditional medicine in ever increasing doses to help carry us through these darkest of days…humour. Not so long ago, I found myself in a supermarket queue socially distanced from a chap with a scarily familiar face. It was none other than Donald Trump! Yes, Donald John Trump, the 45th president of the United States no less, unmistakable with signature ‘Make America Great Again’ baseball cap and supercilious grin that would bust the smug-o-meter off the scale.
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“Good morning Mr Trump, what brings you to these shores?” I ventured politely. “Ooh, I’m over here to inspect progress on my am-aaa-zing new golf complex on a piece of real estate I acquired in the north of England. It’s called York-shire.” This sent ripples of laughter through the queue, not only in appreciation of the whimsical one-liner but for the mimicry skills of the man behind the Trump mask who delivered it. So it was not surprising when he revealed himself to be an actor. Nathan Witchell said he made the mask in his garden workshop from where in saner times he also runs a small prop making business. Nathan told me that during these past few months it felt as if he was reprising a role he once had in a post-apocalyptic zombie movie when he played a hospital doctor who was ‘turned’. “Fortunately, I have stayed safe and well in this all-tooreal pandemic,” he said. “But unfortunately, I have had virtually no work since March,
either from acting or from my props business, and only a modest amount of government grant support to tide me over.” With a big question mark hanging over the lucrative panto season, Nathan has put his acting career behind him for the time being and tooled up his workshop to make novelty masks, enabling him to bring back two of his three furloughed craftsmen part-time.
Paying the bills “It’s early days and my website is still under construction, but my range of celebrity masks is already attracting a lot of interest among the performing arts community and by me wearing them when out and about,” he said. “The latter is not likely to lead to huge sales, but it is the most fun because it allows me to put on a bit of a show before an audience, which as an old luvvy is what I enjoy doing more than anything.” Other victims of Nathan’s lampooning
BUSINESS: ENTREPRENEURS
include Boris Johnson, Mr Bean, Mick Jagger, Maggie Thatcher and Madonna, plus he is planning to bring out a range of animal caricatures. The masks have an approved built-in filter system and are made from a moulded lightweight material that can be sanitised between uses and is both recyclable and biodegradable. Despite their high-end pricing, between £15 and £40, Nathan said he sold 97 masks in the first month, mainly on ebay and Amazon. “I’m not expecting to replicate Trump’s billions, just make enough to pay the bills until the performance industry gets fully back on its feet, whenever that may be,” Nathan said. “Most actors have periods out of work, but this is one ‘rest’ period when I simply cannot afford to sit by the phone waiting for it to ring. I don’t feel I am cashing in on the pandemic, more providing people with much-needed light relief from it. We all need a good laugh now and again.”
Business transformation
thinking they could be refined into large capacity affordable hand sanitising bays with minimal investment. While I was number crunching, Charlie had not only seeded the idea with an existing client, but road tested it with a supermarket chain, and almost overnight we firmed up that there was an appetite. “All in all, we had the idea on a Thursday, a working prototype by Monday. By the following Wednesday, the factory was ready to start production. In that same time, Charlie had already sold 150 units. We even used our network in the on-trade (pubs and bars) to find our first supplier, a gin distillery which had started making sanitisers due to Covid.” From this agile piece of crisis management, the young tech founders launched their spin-off business CleanedUp, and in less than a week they landed their first contract, with London transport agency TfL. Incredibly, the startup, born in the midst of the pandemic, turned over £1 million in its first month, providing a vital lifeline for their business and 45 staff. Hugo and Charlie have since sold more than 7,000 hand-sanitising units to what they describe as “dream clients”, including Costa, Crossrail, DHL and recipe box delivery service Hello Fresh. Lu Li is another young entrepreneur who made a defiant stand against the Covid threat to her business and won. Lu saw her income nosedive after her Londonbased company, Blooming Founders, was hit by the lockdown restrictions. Blooming Founders is a business network Lu set up in 2015 to give startups run by women a competitive edge in growing their market share, mainly through events held at its London headquarters. But social distancing made the model redundant overnight.
Meanwhile, young entrepreneurs Hugo Tilmouth and Charlie Baron were laughing all the way to the bank, to deposit their first million after radically transforming their business when its future was thrown into doubt. The pair run ChargedUp, a network of smartphone charging stations in public spaces and venues across Europe where people can borrow a portable smartphone charger and drop it back off when they’ve finished using it, rather like bike sharing. The pair were set to roll out 150 mobile charging stations across UK airports, train stations and shopping centres the week lockdown hit. Hugo said: “Immediately, we were like, how on earth do we keep the company afloat? We spent the entire night going through models and situations, taking the really austere view…what happens if there is no chance of revenue for ChargedUp until 2021? We then asked ourselves, what do we have in our skillset and how do we still support our supply network of shopping centres, pubs and transport hubs to help them operate safely in future? “Somewhat serendipitously, the mobile stations that sat dormant had been designed specifically for high traffic locations, which spurred Charlie into
“We lost over 80 per cent of our revenues within just two weeks, so I had to come up with new ideas to keep us going and to keep supporting our network of female entrepreneurs,” she said. “I had to completely overhaul our business proposition because everything we did before required people to be in the same space together, whether that was for
Nombreuses sont les entreprises que la pandémie, la plus grave crise de l’époque récente, a quasiment détruites. Certaines d’entre elles ne s’en ressortiront pas. Mais d’autres, nombreuses, sont en train de trouver les moyens de se redresser d’une situation qui leur paraissait perdue. Hartley Milner s’entretient avec trois entrepreneurs qui ont su relever ce défi.
Unternehmen werden inmitten der zerstörerischsten globalen Notlage seit Generationen in die Knie gezwungen. Für einige wird es keine Erholung geben. Andere jedoch finden Wege, um wieder auf die Beine zu kommen, wenn alles verloren schien. Hartley Milner unterhält sich mit drei Unternehmern, die sich der Herausforderung stellten.
Connecting businesses
events or in our co-working space.” Lu launched a new programme connecting small businesses with university and college students who need to do internships as part of their academic studies. She offered online webinars with a 50 per cent discount to members, but her income was still nowhere near what it was and she realised she needed a new idea.
Excited for the future She said: “I came up with an internship placement service after seeing how many businesses used the furlough scheme or were forced to lay people off. At the same time, they still needed resources, and in some ways more so than before as many had to shift focus and pivot their businesses, just like I did. Then I heard about students having their summer internships cancelled due to the virus and so they also faced a dilemma.” Lu knew that start-ups would be struggling to keep going but didn’t have the budget to pay for new resources and that students would be looking for new opportunities as part of their academic requirements. So she put two and two together. Businesses are not required to pay a salary to interns – although they can if they wish – and the students need the credit. “It’s a win-win for both sides,” she said. Within two weeks, she secured partnerships with Hult International Business School and Regent’s University London, and more universities are signing up all the time. Lu said: “I am now working with over 20 start-ups and small businesses who have agreed to a small one-off placement fee, which is only payable on success and not upfront. This makes it practically riskfree for companies to submit a role and see what comes back. All internships are remote and focused on operational roles such as social media marketing, content, business development, customer support and finance.” She added: “Higher education is changing rapidly and needs to adapt to the changes in the private sector. With all of these movements happening simultaneously, there are plenty of opportunities to seize, and I’m pretty excited about that.” Le imprese sono state messe in ginocchio a causa dell’emergenza globale più distruttiva da generazioni. Per alcune di loro non c’è ripresa. Ma molte altre stanno trovando il modo per rimettersi in piedi quando tutto sembrava perduto. Hartley Milner intervista tre imprenditori che sono stati all’altezza della sfida.
September 2020 | ECJ | 39
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HYGIENE PROTOCOL
Getting the facts straight When to clean, when to disinfect, when to fumigate, when to chemical spray? Cleaning professionals are now faced with the enormous responsibility of ensuring buildings are hygienically safe and ready for use by the general public. Thanks to its experience working in clinical areas, Clean Hospitals is well qualified to offer advice. What is cleaning, and what is disinfecting? What are the differences, and when should each one be used? It’s these questions that are being asked widely as businesses and public buildings open after lockdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic. More than ever before there is a focus on professional cleaning and hygiene, and the industry as a whole bears an enormous responsibility in helping to restore confidence by guaranteeing the correct hygiene standards are met. One industry group that has expert knowledge in the protocols around cleaning for health and hygiene is Clean Hospitals. ECJ spoke to them about the key points all cleaning professionals should be aware of when making decisions as to what type of cleaning process to carry out in different environments.
Cleaning versus disinfection Cleaning is removal of microorganisms. If you clean a surface you can use soap and water, a detergent and physically unstick and remove the soil, including many of the microorganisms. When you clean your hands, you can use soap and water. Disinfecting means you not only clean (remove the microorganisms) but you also use a product that kills microorganisms on the surface. Disinfecting should only refer to killing microorganisms from a surface or environment. When you use alcoholbased hand rub you kill the microorganisms and at that point you are actually do-
ing hand antisepsis. This is the equivalent of surface disinfection on hands.
Coronavirus and disinfection There is no need to supplement protocols with additional measures even when talking specifically about Coronavirus. But there should be made a difference between healthcare and nonhealthcare facilities. Disinfection practices are important to reduce the potential for Covid-19 virus contamination in non-healthcare settings such as in the home, office, schools, gyms, publicly accessible buildings, faith-based community centres, markets, transportation and business settings or restaurants. High-touch surfaces in these non-healthcare settings should be identified for priority disinfection such as door and window handles, kitchen and food preparation areas, countertops, bathroom surfaces, toilets and taps, touchscreen personal devices, personal computer keyboards, and work surfaces. In non-healthcare settings, sodium hypochlorite (bleach/chlorine) may be used at a recommended concentration of 0.1 per cent or 1,000ppm (one part of five per cent strength household bleach to 49 parts of water). Alcohol at 70-90 per cent can also be used for surface disinfection. Surfaces must be cleaned with water and soap or a detergent first to remove dirt, followed by disinfection. Cleaning should always start from the least soiled (cleanest) area to the most soiled (dirtiest) area in order to not spread the dirt to areas that are less soiled. All disinfectant solutions should be stored in opaque containers, in a well-ventilated, covered area that is not exposed to direct sunlight and ideally should be freshly prepared every day. Indoors, routine application of disinfectants to surfaces via spraying is not recommended for Covid-19. If disinfectants are to be applied, this should be via a cloth or wipe soaked in the disinfectant. In fact, there are some conditions where you should do both cleaning and disinfecting, if something is very fat or greasy you
should first use soap or a detergent to clean and then add a disinfectant. This can be on the floor, on a machine, the environment, and so on. Regarding healthcare facilities, if environmental hygiene protocols are currently being implemented and followed, all the tools necessary are present. The need is much more to focus on education, and implementation of the right protocols by the staff. This is the way to make sure compliance with the protocols is as good as possible.
Disinfection claims Various manufacturers claim to make products that offer disinfection that lasts for long periods of time. So far Clean Hospitals has found no evidence in the laboratory and no clinical evidence of the real usefulness of these types of approaches. It says surfaces remain protected from virus, bacteria or parasites for a few hours only, especially due to the deposit of physical soil.
Fogging and spraying Large-scale spraying or fumigation in areas such as streets or open market places for the Covid-19 virus or other pathogens is not recommended. Streets and pavements are not considered as routes of infection. Spraying disinfectants, even outdoors, can be noxious for people’s health and cause eye, respiratory or skin irritation or damage. This practice will be ineffective since the presence of dirt or rubbish for example, inactivates the disinfectant, and manual cleaning to physically remove all matter is not feasible. This is even less effective on porous surfaces such as pavements and unpaved walkways. Even in the absence of dirt or rubbish, it is unlikely chemical spraying would adequately cover surfaces allowing the required contact time to inactivate pathogens. Spraying of individuals with disinfectants (such as in a tunnel, cabinet, or chamber) is not recommended under Continued page 42
September 2020 | ECJ | 41
HYGIENE PROTOCOL any circumstances. This practice could be physically and psychologically harmful and would not reduce an infected person’s ability to spread the virus through droplets or contact. Even if someone who is infected with Covid-19 goes through a disinfection tunnel or chamber, as soon as they start speaking, coughing or sneezing they can still spread the virus. In indoor spaces, routine application of disinfectants to environmental surfaces by spraying or fogging (also known as fumigation or misting) is not recommended for Covid-19. One study has shown that spraying as a primary disinfection strategy is ineffective in removing contaminants outside of direct spray zones. Moreover, spraying disinfectants can result in risks to the eyes, respiratory or skin irritation and the resulting health effects. Spraying or fogging of certain chemicals, Quand faut-il nettoyer, désinfecter, fumiger ou pulvériser au produit chimique? Les professionnels de la propreté ont désormais la lourde responsabilité de garantir la sécurité sur le plan hygiénique de bâtiments et leur accessibilité sans risque pour le grand public. Grâce à son expérience du travail en milieu clinique, Clean Hospitals est bien placée pour prodiguer des conseils sur les protocoles à adopter.
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such as formaldehyde, chlorine-based agents or quaternary ammonium compounds, is not recommended due to adverse health effects on workers in facilities where these methods have been utilised. Spraying environmental surfaces in both healthcare and non-healthcare settings such as patient households with disinfectants may not be effective in removing organic material and may miss surfaces shielded by objects, folded fabrics or surfaces with intricate designs. If disinfectants are to be applied, this should be done with a cloth or wipe that has been soaked in disinfectant. Some countries have approved no-touch technologies for applying chemical disinfectants (eg, vaporised hydrogen peroxide) in healthcare settings such as fogging-type applications. Furthermore, devices using UV irradiation have been designed for healthcare
settings. However, several factors may affect the efficacy of UV irradiation, including distance from the UV device; irradiation dose, wavelength and exposure time; lamp placement; lamp age; and duration of use. Other factors include direct or indirect line of sight from the device; room size and shape; intensity; and reflection. Notably, these technologies developed for use in healthcare settings are used during terminal cleaning (cleaning a room after a patient has been discharged or transferred), when rooms are unoccupied for the safety of staff and patients. These technologies supplement but do not replace the need for manual cleaning procedures which must be carried out. Our message is clear: there is no need to supplement protocols with additional measures even when talking specifically about coronavirus.
Wann sollten wir reinigen, wann desinfizieren, wann ausräuchern, wann ein chemisches Sprühmittel verwenden? Die professionelle Reinigungsbranche ist jetzt mit der enormen Verantwortung konfrontiert, sicherzustellen, dass Gebäude hygienisch sicher und für den Besuch durch die allgemeine Öffentlichkeit bereit sind. Aufgrund der Erfahrung bei der Arbeit in klinischen Bereichen ist Clean Hospitals gut qualifiziert, um Ratschläge zu Verfahren erteilen.
Quando pulire, quando disinfettare, quando disinfestare e quando spruzzare prodotti chimici? I professionisti delle pulizie si trovano ora di fronte all’enorme responsabilità di garantire che gli edifici siano igienicamente sicuri e pronti per essere utilizzati dal grande pubblico. Grazie alla sua esperienza nell’operare nelle aree cliniche, la Clean Hospitals è ben qualificata per offrire consigli sulle procedure e sul protocollo.
WARM AIR HAND DRYERS
Clearing the air There have been mixed reports, and some confusion, as to where warm air hand dryers fit in the hygiene-focused washroom of the future. In this special report, Excel Dryers explains why they are a good, clean part of it. As the emergence of Covid-19 has gradually but surely changed the very ways we live, infection control has become global society’s top priority. In turn, hand hygiene, including hand washing and drying and washroom cleanliness, have become more relevant than ever—and hand dryers are a good, clean part of it. Experts from the World Health Organisation (WHO) state that proper hand hygiene is the best defence against the spread of germs,including coronavirus. Specifically, the WHO recommends that everyone “frequently clean [their] hands…” and “dry [them] thoroughly by using paper towels or a warm air dryer.” When it comes to germs, hand washing is only half of the hand hygiene equation. Hand drying is equally, if not more important, and choosing a no-touch hand dryer as a solution not only follows health organisation guidance - it creates a tidy washroom environment, giving visitors peace of mind.
A comparison While both hand dryers and paper towels are recognised as safe, effective and hygienic ways to dry hands, paper towels come with their own challenges: • Limited supply - as we saw during the pandemic, paper products can run out, and paper towels are no exception. If unavailÀ mesure que les immeubles rouvrent leurs portes au lendemain de la pandémie, le thème de l’hygiène demeure un grand sujet d’actualité. Des rapports parfois contradictoires, suscitant une certaine confusion, ont paru quant à la sécurité des sèche-mains à air chaud dans les toilettes collectives, où le souci d’hygiène doit prédominer. Dans ce rapport spécial, ECJ se penche de plus près sur les faits.
able, hands cannot be dried at all - and wet hands have been shown to be 1,000 times more likely to transfer germs than dry hands. • Hygiene - paper towels can be left in damp piles on countertops, across the floor, spilling out of waste bins and clogging up toilets. These messes provide breeding grounds for dangerous bacteria at a time when hygiene is a matter of life and death. One independent study showed 17 species of bacteria on unused, recycled paper towels, including Bacillus, which can cause food poisoning. • Source - paper towels come from trees, a threat against the increasingly important need for environmentally sustainable practices. • Transportation - fuel-consuming, carbon-emitting delivery trucks are required to transport timber to mills and finished product to businesses; paper waste must also be transported from facilities, to landfills. • Production - paper is produced through chemical or mechanical pulping, which is another stress on the environment. One ton of virgin paper pollutes 7,000 gallons of water in production. • Maintenance: - paper towels require labour hours to restock, clean and discard. • Life cycle - a used paper towel - even if 100 per cent recycled - has only one ultimate destination: the landfill. Hand dryers offer these benefits: • Hygiene - hand dryers eliminate the mess of paper towels. Hands-free, no-touch sensors reduce the number of washroom touchpoints. • Sustainability - compared to paper towels many hand dryers provide up to a 75 per cent reduction in carbon footprint. • Cost - hand dryers can offer significant Während im Anschluss an die Coronavirus-Pandemie rund um die Welt Gebäude wieder ihre Türen öffnen, steht das Thema Hygiene bei allen gedanklich im Vordergrund. Es gab unterschiedliche Berichte und einige Verwirrung zur Frage, wo Warmluft-Handtrockner zukünftig in die auf Hygiene gerichteten Waschräume passen. In diesem Sonderbericht wirft das ECJ einen genaueren Blick auf die Fakten.
cost savings versus paper towels. • Labour - warm air dryers eliminate the maintenance and waste of paper towels.
Correcting the myths Myth 1: “Paper towels are a ‘greener’ option than hand dryers.” Sustainability is a major area of concerns regarding hand dryers. A Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) Study conducted by Quantis, an international life cycle assessment research firm, disproved the notion paper towels are better than the environment than certain energy-efficient dryers. It concluded that using high-efficiency dryers can reduce the carbon footprint of hand drying by 50-75 per cent. Considering the processes required in their ongoing manufacture and disposal, paper towels are not necessarily the highly sustainable option many believe them to be. Myth 2: “Paper towels are more cost effective.” Converting from paper towels to the more energy-efficient hand dryers now available actually represents a 95 per cent cost saving, and the typical payback period can be less than a year. These proven statistics easily stand to reason. The dryer is a one-time purchase: once installed, it requires significantly less attention than paper towel dispensers, saving money on labour and maintenance. And in contrast to paper towels, which are purchased by the case, the energy costs of using a hand dryer amount to pennies per day. Myth 3: “Hand dryers aren’t hygienic”. There’s no denying paper towel waste is the cause of many, if not most, conditions that make a washroom visibly unclean. Simply put, hand dryers eliminate this waste - altogether. Mentre gli edifici di tutto il mondo riaprono dopo la pandemia di Coronavirus, l’argomento dell’igiene rimane una priorità enorme nella mente di ognuno. Ci sono state informazioni contrastanti e molta confusione su dove si inseriscono gli asciugamani ad aria calda nelle sale da toilette del futuro incentrate sull’igiene. In questo servizio speciale, ECJ esamina da vicino i fatti.
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PRODUCTS: WARM AIR HAND DRYERS
• Le SensaDri, nouveau sèchemains automatique de Vectair, est à commande mains-libres à infrarouge. • JVD a renouvelé son sèchemains à jet d’air Exp’air en lui donnant un fini à aluminium poli. • Le sèche-mains XleratorEco de Excel Dryer est équipé de parois antimicrobiennes et du filtrage HEPA. • Le sèche-mains EcoTap de la société Hokwang comprend un robinet de lavage des mains et un sèche-mains. • Le sèche-mains à air chaud Biodrier Executive est doté d’un filtre HEPA 13, d’un revêtement antimicrobien et de l’activation sans contact. • La Electric Hand Dryer Association s’emploie à promouvoir les avantages du séchage des mains à air chaud par rapport aux autres méthodes. • Der neue automatische Warmluft-Händetrockner SensaDri von Vectair ist mit einer berührungslosen InfrarotSteuerung ausgestattet. • Neu von JVD ist eine neue Version des HochdruckHändetrockners Exp’air mit poliertem Aluminium-Finish. • Der Warmluft-Händetrockner XleratorEco von Excel Dryer bietet antimikrobiellen Wandschutz und HEPA-Filter. • Im Händetrockner EcoTap von Hokwang ist sowohl ein Hahn zum Händewaschen als auch ein Warmluft-Händetrockner integriert. • Der Warmluft-Händetrockner Biodrier Executive bietet einen HEPA-13-Filter, eine antimikrobielle Beschichtung und berührungslose Aktivierung. • Die electric Handdryer Association propagiert die Vorteile der Warmluft-Händetrocknung im Vergleich zu anderen Methoden.
• Il nuovo asciugamani automatico ad aria calda SensaDri della Vectair e’ dotato di un sistema di controllo hands-free a raggi infrarossi. • La novità della JVD è una nuova versione del suo asciugamani a getto d’aria Exp’air, con una nuova finitura in alluminio lucidato. • L’asciugamani ad aria calda XleratorEco della Excel Dryer è dotato di protezioni antimicrobiche per le pareti e filtraggio HEPA. • L’asciugamani EcoTap della Hokwang incorpora sia un rubinetto per il lavaggio delle mani che un asciugamani ad aria calda. • L’asciugamani ad aria calda Biodrier Executive vanta un filtro HEPA 13, un rivestimento antimicrobico e l’attivazione senza impulsi manuali. • L’associazione Electric Hand Dryer Association promuove i vantaggi dell’asciugatura delle mani con aria calda rispetto ad altri metodi.
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Don’t touch
Vectair Systems has designed the new SensaDri automatic hand dryer for the no-touch washroom. It features an infrared, hands free control system - when activated, a blue light highlights wet spots on the hands. Its noise level is low at 72dBA and it uses minimal energy, says Vectair. The modern design features a scratch resistant, die cast aluminium cover for optimum durability, while InviziTouch antimicrobial protection is incorporated into the air path. This helps to reduce germs and bacteria travelling through the dryer. www.vectairsystems.com
finishes: grey, silver aluminium, white and matte black. www.jvd.fr
built in to the front of the spout as an indicator. www.hokwang.com
Green efficiency
Filtered air
According to Excel Dryer its units are designed to be both efficient and sustainable. The Xlerator Eco, for example, has been tested by SGS International pursuant to UL Environment Global Product Category Rules (PCR) for hand dryers. Those tests confirmed this unit’s ‘no heat’ dries hands fast while using only 500 watts - earning it Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) certification. Other features of this model include antimicrobial wall guards and HEPA filtration. exceldryer.com
Polished finish JVD has recently launched a new version of its Exp’air jet air hand dryer with a polished aluminium finish. Claimed to dry hands in less than 15 seconds this unit’s shape prevents water from splashing outwards as the
flushed water is collected in a tank and does not drip onto the ground. The company says energy consumption is reduced thanks to the fast drying time and the absence of heat resistance. The soft shapes of the drying area make it easy to use and adapt to different heights. Exp’air comes in a variety of
Wash and dry Washroom users can dry their hands immediately after they wash them with the Hokwang’s EcoTap dryer. This hand dryer is hidden ‘below deck’ with only the spout fixed to the wash basin. The newly-designed heating element self-adjusts to the ambient temperature so when room temperature rises, the heating element lowers its wattage and vice versa. The patented air outlet reduces noise level and increases drying efficiency. With its elegant spout design and brushed stainless steel appearance, EcoTap can be supplied with a matching automatic soap dispenser and automatic tap. There are LEDs
The Biodrier Executive features a HEPA 13 filter - which removes 99.9 per cent of all airborne particles - together with an antimicrobial coating and touch-free activation. As well as being filtered, the air is infused with an organic gel block which moisturises hands, freshens the surrounding air and sanitises the hand dryer unit. Antibacterial UV is also an option, to eradicates offensive odour, bacteria, mould and viruses. Another model in the range is the Biodrier 3D Smart Dry which can also be supplied with the same filter, however its brushless motor and air flow system controls excess noise and makes it suitable for use in hospitals. www.biodrier.com
Next ECJ - October
Promote dryers The electric Handdryer Association (eHA) was established three years ago to promote the advantages of warm air hand drying compared to other hand drying methods. Its members are the producers and distributors of dryers that dry hands effectively, hygienically and efficiently - it says. eHA is keen to emphasise the role of effective hand drying in the process of hand hygiene, as leaving hands damp can actually increase the spread or transfer of germs. handdryerassociation.org
XLERATOReco
®
= HAND HYGIENE CLEAN AND GREEN. “Once your hands are cleaned, you should dry them thoroughly by using paper towels or a warm air dryer.”
44 020 8942 1211 excel-hand-dryers.co.uk sales@exceldryer.co.uk
BENCHMARKING
Hitting the mark As the focus on environmental impact and sustainability becomes increasingly important, the cleaning industry has a major role to play. Sitemark’s Mike Boxall discusses how benchmarking can identify ways for cleaning teams to become more sustainable, cut down on waste and how businesses can turn waste and recycling into a revenue stream. The cleaning industry is already making leaps forward in becoming greener by selecting more eco-friendly cleaning products and focusing on chemical-free cleaning. However, commercial cleaning companies continue to rely heavily on containers since every site requires a number of different cleaning products. In addition, the containers each must be small enough for an individual to carry and use. This leads to a significant volume of waste as each product is used up and replaced. As a service required ubiquitously, the total waste produced by cleaning alone is vast. There is a positive side to this, however. Even relatively small developments in industry products and practices that reduce waste can have a huge impact. The process of reducing waste need not place pressure on the industry; bestin-class waste management, whether managed internally or contracted out, is able to reduce waste to landfill by making an organisation more efficient. A growing number within the cleaning industry treat waste management and recycling as a central aspect of their corporate social responsibility (CSR) policies. However, determining the most efficient management strategy can be a challenge. The UK’s Waste and Resources Action Programme is a charity with a vision of sustainable resource use. The organisation recommends industry benchmarking
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to set targets. When goals are set according only to internal reviews of management practice, what is seen as possible is severely limited by previous practices. In addition, no two reviews of management will ever be the same due to the dynamic nature of cleaning, so more data is needed for accurate comparisons. Best-in-class benchmarking, on the other hand, will help to develop a more holistic view of what is possible within the sector. The practice enables the comparison of waste management and recycling performance on a like-for-like basis. Every aspect of the process can be considered. It also helps to have an outside company benchmark as it will be completely independent.
How can waste be reduced? The practice of benchmarking directly identifies the efficacy of each aspect of waste management and recycling and can offer solutions for improvements. An initial, in-depth assessment will be carried out, positioning each element of the existing cleaning provision and analysing documentation, policies, and procedures. From here, an efficiency score can be provided, individual problem areas identified and solutions proposed and carried out. Benchmarking rates of recycling, for example, can determine where the organisation is most and least successful, and identify more sustainable end of life solutions. In addition to the end of life solution itself, the distance it is from the client’s organisation has an impact. The further the waste has to travel, the less ‘green’ and the more costly the solution. Benchmarking of costs to various locations can help identify the fairest market rate for waste handling, allowing the client to find the most eco-friendly and cost-effective solution. When carried out in depth, benchmarking can be used to look at each waste stream independently, allowing for the meticulous management of cost and environmental impact. Individual waste collection schedules can be compared and over-scheduling or over capacity of storage can be identified. Specification and
schedule development, staff engagement programmes, cost improvements programmes, console configuration, equipment specification, tender processes, among others, can all be benchmarked.
Why benchmarking? The strength of benchmarking lies in its broad data access and independent verification. Despite a wealth of building data, organisations often find their management in practice and its outcomes don’t add up to what’s on paper. A thorough benchmarking process will locate the ‘holes’ in a customer’s operating data, uncovering the inconsistencies between what’s written on the page and the reality on the ground. In addition, the ‘softer’ side to management can be considered; it may not be clear to an organisation how their culture, training, or onboarding practices are limiting them; benchmarking these against other organisations will reveal their true impact. All streams into and out of the organisation can be considered, placing the client in a position to understand the impact of their suppliers and proactively choose to work with those that offer both the best value for money and environmental credentials. At the beginning of their life, products and services can have a valuable role in CSR, as an organisation choosing to work with more ethical suppliers can have an influence on the entire supply chain to work towards higher standards. At the other end of their life, products can also have benefits. Benchmarking identifies how waste streams can be turned into revenue streams. Rather than simply recycling some of the most common forms of waste – cardboard, plastic wrap, aluminium, or paper – many organisations are selling them for a profit. White paper, pallet wrap, aluminium and steel all hold significant worth and are often undervalued by the organisations discarding them. Once data has been collected from an array of sources in the industry, averContinued page 50
BENCHMARKING ages can be found and targets can be set. Waste production can be more accurately forecasted and designed out of the system where possible. Waste levels can be compared between departments and against a benchmark as different individuals and groups move through the organisation and a target level can be set, ensuring that changes in staff and management do not lead to a drop in efficiency. In this way, benchmarking plays a role in the present and future of an organisation. However, a single benchmark will not remain relevant indefinitely. As products, services, technologies and the practice of waste management develop, the benchmark will also move. While oneoff benchmarking can provide some rapid and significant improvement, ongoing benchmarking is essential to identify and Devant l’importance croissante accordée aux incidences environnementales et à la durabilité de produits, le secteur de la propreté aura à assumer ses responsabilités. ECJ examine la manière dont le benchmarking peut établir les moyens pour les équipes de nettoyage de réduire les déchets, et pour les entreprises de transformer ceux-ci en flux de revenus par recyclage.
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understand some of the more culturally ingrained inefficiencies and to see how an organisation develops. The creation of concentrated cleaning products has been a crucial step to producing less waste from packaging but far more still needs to be done. Key to making the process more circular is identifying precisely where and why packaging is going to landfill if recycling or reusing is an option. The demand is clear - a cleaning company that provides environmentally friendly cleaning products has seen a 100 per cent increase in the sales of its refill products over the past year. By using data on best-in-class environmentally friendly cleaning solutions, organisations which are yet to reach their full potential can determine the best route toward sustainability. Current benchmarking data suggests Der Schwerpunkt auf Umweltverträglichkeit und Nachhaltigkeit ist von zunehmender Bedeutung, und die Reinigungsbranche spielt eine wichtige Rolle. Das ECJ erörtert, wie mithilfe von Leistungsvergleichen Möglichkeiten ermittelt werden können, die Reinigungsteams die Verringerung der Abfallmenge ermöglichen, und wie Unternehmen Abfall und Recycling in eine Einnahmequelle verwandeln können.
that in-house cleaning is more efficient on average, but contracted cleaning more often represents best-in-class. This means there is less risk in creating an in-house team but that team is unlikely to reach the best-in-class levels that external specialists provide. Understanding where a cleaning solution lies in comparison to its potential is incredibly important for any organisation, whether cleaning is in-house or outsourced. The cleaning industry – alongside many others – is undoubtedly feeling the demand for more environmentally sustainable practices and this will only grow stronger. At the same time, there is an ever increasing demand for added value. Benchmarking is a means of factoring in all elements when determining the most appropriate solution. Con l‘attenzione sull’impatto ambientale e la sosteniblità che diventa sempre più importante, il settore delle pulizie professionali ha un ruolo importante da svolgere. ECJ discute su come la valutazione comparativa possa identificare dei metodi per ridurre gli sprechi, e come le imprese possano trasformare gli sprechi e il riciclo in un flusso di entrate.
CARPET CARE
Now trending in carpets What do customers want most from their carpet care solution? Are they seeking a thorough deep clean, or would they prefer a cheap quick fix – and how important are factors such as hygiene, efficiency and sustainability to today’s clientele? Ann Laffeaty finds out.
Most of us would prefer to walk on a clean carpet than a scuffed, stained one that is decidedly the worse for wear. And a pristine floor covering will inevitably give us a better impression of an office, hotel or restaurant than a carpet spotted with unsightly drink or food stains. So ensuring the carpets are clean and well maintained is an important aspect of facility management. However, the term ‘carpet cleaning’ covers a wide range of options. What does the average customer actually expect from their carpet cleaning technician? Are most of them in search of a deep-cleaning solution that will completely renovate the carpet and remove all soiling? Or do clients generally want a quick fix that will simply leave the carpet looking slightly better than it did before? The answer to this depends very much on the environment in which the carpet is situated according to Prochem sales manager Phil Jones. “For example, a good result will usually be required for an endof-tenancy cleaning operation, but the client will often be happy with a carpet that merely has an improved appearance in preparation for the new tenant moving in,” he said. “However in some offices, such as those situated in industrial locations, the carpets will require a major overhaul in order to rejuvenate them. But carpet cleaning is like any service industry and the professional carpet cleaner will want
to give clients full value for money and provide the best possible result for the amount charged.” According to Jones, both residential and commercial clients tend to wait until their floor coverings have become heavily soiled before contacting a technician and asking them to “clean the carpet”. “This can lead to difficult conversations because while the carpet may be capable of being cleaned, it will probably not be possible to clean it as quickly nor as cheaply as the client expects,” he said. “Some of our technicians have been asked by a client to ‘refresh’ a carpet that is described as being ‘not that dirty’. However when they turn up at the property, a whole new conversation needs to ensue because the carpets are so heavily soiled that only a complete renovation or restoration will rescue them.” In these types of situations the blame usually lies with the carpet technician, according to Jones. “This is because too many carpet care operatives will merely quote for the job over the phone,” he explains. “It is important to carry out an inspection or pre-cleaning survey prior to quoting and for this reason we always advise the technician to take the time to visit the client and to ‘walk the job’.”
Inspection vital Factors such as cost-effectiveness, sustainability and cleaning efficiency all need to be weighed up by the customer when choosing a carpet care system. “The cost-effectiveness of the carpet cleaning products themselves should be a definite consideration, and many customers will also bear in mind the higher dilution ratios of the products as well as the quality of the raw materials used in the blend,” he said. Key to operational efficiency is the type of cleaning method selected, he adds. “Most carpet cleaners prefer to use a hot water extraction system and will opt for this solution throughout their careers,” he said. “But to apply such a system on an entire open-plan office floor
would be time-consuming, expensive and back-breaking.” He claims that alternative carpetcleaning methods such as bonnet cleaning, shampooing and encapsulation are more cost-effective when cleaning larger floor areas. “The office manager needs to be involved in the discussion from the start and be made to understand that he or she should not rely on a oneoff clean every few years,” said Jones. “For this reason we try to promote encapsulation as the perfect commercial maintenance programme.” Prochem’s S745 PROCAPS system involves the technician spraying the diluted product on to the carpet and then brushing it in with the aid of a TM4, LS38 or larger LS50 brush. The soiling is encapsulated by the detergent and can be vacuumed away by the regular cleaning staff after it has dried out and turned to dust. Besides a concern for efficiency and productivity, many of today’s customers also consider sustainability when choosing a carpet maintenance system, says Jones. “Enquiries for sustainable products have increased over the past few years, but a sustainable clean can often be carried out without actually changing the carpet cleaning method,” he says. “Instead it might be that the regularity of the clean should be discussed and the client should be advised to lean more towards regular maintenance.” Prochem’s Natural range of products are claimed to be highly sustainable. The company’s E772 Natural Carpet Cleaner is now in use in stately homes, high-end hotels and luxury yachts says Jones. Many of today’s customers consider periodic maintenance to be a last chance to reinvigorate a carpet in a terminal condition, according to Diversey’s global portfolio manager Lawrence Osborne. “However, periodic maintenance is most effective when considered as part of a schedule to improve the visual Continued page 53
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CARPET CARE Now trending in carpets (continued) appearance and to extend the life of a carpet, particularly in areas of heavy traffic,” he said. According to Osborne, intermediate maintenance is often neglected by customers. “It is all too easy to ignore the importance of bridging the gap between daily maintenance and the need to deepclean carpets,” he said. “A decision to wait until the carpet has deteriorated into a very poor condition is a false economy.” The TASKI Procarpet 30 and 45 machines may be used for intermediate cleaning and carpet encapsulation, he says. This is a dry foam system that generates millions of bubbles to avoid over-wetting and reduce drying times. High productivity, ease of use, optimum cleaning and fast drying results are what most customers want today according to Karcher’s floor care product manager Christian Mrowka. “They are looking to reduce overall cleaning and drying times along with total cleaning cost,” he said. “And this has boosted demand for all-in-one machines that achieve deep extraction, encapsulation and spot cleaning.” He
believes such machines are popular because they reduce complexity as well as the total cost of the operation. “However, the selected solution needs to be able to meet the customer’s efficacy, efficiency, safety and sustainability needs as well,” he said. An increasing number of organisations are turning to low-moisture encapsulation carpet cleaning systems that use very little water, according to Mrowka. “This method offers a high level of productivity while also delivering a good surface cleaning result with very short drying times, after which the carpet is quickly available for use again,” he said.
Cleaning for health “And unlike other approaches, encapsulation cleaning won’t leave sticky residues on the carpet and will ensure the floor always looks its best.” Kärcher offers the BRC 40/22 C multipurpose carpet cleaning machine for deep spray extraction, encapsulation and spot/upholstery cleaning. The company also offers a range of detergent solutions including CarpetPro Reiniger iCapsol RM 768 and the CarpetPro Reiniger iCapsol,
Pulver RM 760 OA. According to Mrowka, a focus on sustainability will allow the customer to reduce costs, cut resource consumption and improve the health and safety of the operative. “However, a carpet care machine should first and foremost be able to effectively clean the carpet,” he said. “Delivering the best cleaning and drying result while offering the highest productivity levels will ensure a longer lifetime of the carpet while reducing total cleaning cost. It will also result in faster carpet availability and improved health and wellness.” While it is clear that efficiency, costeffectiveness and sustainability are all key requirements for today’s carpet care customers, it is impossible to ignore the elephant in the room. The advent of Covid-19 has changed the shape of the world and led to a far greater focus on factors such as hygiene and safety. So, how will this impact on carpet cleaning? “Customers will demand a more intensive and hygienic cleaning and Continued page 54
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CARPET CARE Now trending in carpets (continued) disinfection routine in future,” predicts Mrowka. Kärcher has reacted by introducing a misting kit for its BRC 45/45 C carpet cleaning machine. “This accessory converts the machine into a misting unit which makes it suitable for surface disinfection,” he said. “Which means that with a single machine the customer can achieve deep extraction, encapsulation, spot/upholstery cleaning and surface disinfection.” Prochem’s Phil Jones agrees that the Covid-19 pandemic will result in an increased demand for hygienic cleaning. The company claims its D500 MICROSAN biocidal cleaner to be effective against viruses such as Que recherche le client dans un produit pour le soin de tapis et moquettes ? Recherche-t-il un système bon marché, capable d’améliorer quelque peu l’aspect du tapis ou de la moquette ? Ou souhaite-t-il une solution de nettoyage en profondeur produisant un effet de rénovation totale ? Dans quelle mesure les considérations d’hygiène, d’efficacité et de durabilité affectent-elles les décisions de clients envisageant de faire nettoyer leurs tapis et moquettes ?
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Was erwarten Kunden in erster Linie von einer Teppichpflegelösung? Möchten sie ein billiges System, bei dem der Teppich hinterher etwas besser aussieht als vorher, oder möchten Sie Lösungen zur Tiefenreinigung, die den Teppich vollständig wiederherstellen? Und wie wichtig sind Faktoren wie Hygiene, Effizienz und Nachhaltigkeit, wenn Kunden ihre Teppiche reinigen lassen?
Covid-19 while its B125 CLENSAN multi-surface biocidal sanitiser can kill a range of bacteria and viruses including the norovirus. “We have noted a significant increase in inquiries regarding the sanitisation of carpets and fabrics, both from carpet cleaning technicians and from commercial property managers seeking a clean and safe re-opening for the return of staff,” he said. “We believe that carpet cleaning will become more of a focus in both the domestic and commercial sectors, while hygienic cleaning will become a greater priority than ever for carpet technicians.”
Cosa richiedono maggiormente i clienti da una soluzione per la cura della moquette? Richiedono un sistema economico che renda la moquette leggermente migliore di prima del trattamento oppure vogliono delle soluzioni di pulizia a fondo che riportino la moquette al suo aspetto originale? E che importanza hanno per i clienti i fattori tipo igiene, efficienza e sostenibilità quando richiedono il lavaggio delle loro moquette?
PRODUCT REVIEW
Aid to reopening The Clean and Ready Program from Diversey has been devised to help businesses across all sectors to reopen safely following the pandemic. It aims to reassure visitors and guests, train staff and rebuild trust by enabling businesses to measure and communicate their enhanced hygiene measures.
Businesses meeting the Program’s requirements can display the Clean and Ready Shield and once they are enrolled they undergo periodic audits. It incorporates Portfolio Diversey, with hospital grade disinfection from Accelerated Hydrogen Peroxide (AHP) technology; enhanced cleaning on site; support materials such as reopening wall charts and checklists; and trained Diversey staff with access to webinars, online training etc. www.diversey.com
press or pre-impregnation in the drawers of the trolley. www.greenspeed.eu
Backpack vac Featuring compact size, comfortable fit and long battery runtime is Pacvac’s new Velo cordless backpack vacuum cleaner. Boasting superior suction power and featuring a HEPA filter plus optional extras like disposable sealed paper bags, Velo weighs 4.6 kg, has up to 50 minutes of battery and slimline side profile. It has been designed to be user friendly and intuitive for the operator. velo.pacvac.com Developed by Euracier Robotics, the Blue Angel and Butler Joe robots are said to be entirely adapted to changes in behaviour around contactless service and disinfection. Blue Angel is a disinfection model with UVC lamps while Butler Joe is a service robot. www.euracier.com
High-touch
Trolley line All in the detail Greenspeed has launched a new line of its C-Shuttle trolleys, which are modular and easy to customise - they are also now made from 90 per cent recycled materials rather than the 75 per cent of previous versions. As well as the standard models, this trolley can be customtailored to a specific task or application such as healthcare, offices and public buildings. And thanks to its sturdy base it can easily handle loads of up to 200 kg. The new C-Shuttle also boasts practical storage solutions and is lockable to keep documents and products safe. Door panels can feature your own design or logo and there’s a choice of mop systems: a top-down system with pre-impregnated mops, a two-bucket system with vertical
UVC robot
Vikan has added two new brushes to its Detail Cleaning range, which now incorporates seven options in different shapes and sizes. The latest additions are a narrow cleaning brush with long handle and hard angled bristles, and an ultra slim brush with long handle, scraping edge and extra stiff end-bristles. All brushes in this line feature hygienic design, ergonomic handles and colour coding for HACCP compliance. www.vikan.com
Hi-Kleen is a surface sanitiser designed to be sprayed as a single coat on doors, handles, handrails, chairs and desks. Formulated by Hi-line Industries it claims to kill and inhibit both bacteria and viruses on hard or soft surfaces subject to frequent contact.
The sanitiser is odour-free, clear, it does not stain, is noncorrosive and leaves a streakand smear-free finish on most polished surfaces. It is also free of alcohol, being composed of organic, non-chlorinated solvents. Available in 500 ml aerosols and disposable 17 kg canisters. www.hilineindustries.com
• Le programme Nettoyer et Prêt à servir de Diversey se signale par des protocoles renforcés de nettoyage et de désinfection. • Greenspeed propose une nouvelle gamme de chariots de nettoyage C-Shuttle, caractérisée par une modularité et une durabilité améliorées par rapport aux versions précédentes. • Pacvac a introduit le Velo, un aspirateur à dos à la fois compact et confortable. • Pour enrichir sa gamme Detail Cleaning, Vikan propose deux nouvelles brosses. • Euracier Robotics a lancé le robot de désinfection Blue Angel, appareil doté de lampes UVC et d’un robot de service Butler Joe. • Développée par Hi-line Industries, la pulvérisation HiKleen s’applique sur des surfaces telles que portes, poignées, et bureaux afin d’éliminer et d’inhiber virus et bactéries. • Das Clean and Ready Program von Diversey bietet hochmoderne, verbesserte Reinigungs- und Desinfektionsprotokolle. • Greenspeed bietet eine neue Produktfamilie seiner Reinigungswagen C-Shuttle, die modularer und nachhaltiger sind als zuvor. • Bei Velo handelt es sich um Pacvacs neuen kabellosen Rücken-Staubsauger, der eine kompakte Größe und angenehme Passform bietet. • Neu von Vikan sind zwei neue Bürsten in der Produktreihe Detail Cleaning. • Euracier Robotics hat den Desinfektionsroboter Blue Angel, der mit UVC-Leuchten ausgestattet ist, und den Serviceroboter Butler Joe vorgestellt. • Das von Hi-line Industries entwickelte Hi-Kleen wird auf Oberflächen, wie etwa Türen, Griffe und Tische gesprüht, um Bakterien und Viren zu töten und zu hemmen.
• Clean and Ready Program della Diversey vanta un protocollo all’avanguardia di pulizia e disinfezione potenziate. • La Greenspeed ha aggiunto una nuova linea di carrelli di pulizia C-Shuttle, più modulari e sostenibili dei precedenti. • Velo è il nuovo aspirapolvere dorsale cordless della Pacvac che vanta una dimensione compatta ed è comodo da portare. • Le novità della Vikan sono due nuove spazzole della gamma Detail Cleaning. • La Euracier Robotics ha lanciato il robot di disinfezione Blue Angel dotato di lampade UVC e robot di servizio Butler Joe. • Sviluppato dalla Hi-line Industries, il prodotto Hi-Kleen viene spruzzato su superfici tipo porte, maniglie e scrivanie per eliminare e inibire i batteri e i virus.
September 2020 | ECJ | 55
PRODUCT REVIEW
• OpenClean Technologies a mis au point la poignée de porte autodésinfectante PullClean. • Signée Prochem, la vaporisation Micro-Mist offre une solution mobile à la désinfection rapide d’espaces publics • Reflexx a développé le gant latex à longue manchette Reflexx L1100. • L’embout V-Eraser de Columbus est une buse d’essuyage en microfibre qui s’installe sur les autolaveuses de cette entreprise. • Ryobi Tools propose un nouveau brumisateur capable de diffuser une solution chimique sur 360 degrés et à une distance maximum de 4,5 mètres. • PSP a lancé l’appareil dorsal de nébulisation Guarany.
Clean handle The PullClean hand sanitising door handle was invented by two Oxford academics with the aim of permanently changing our behaviour around hand hygiene. Now available on the market after the founders launched OpenClean Technologies, the handle is designed for use in bars, restaurants, hotels, clinical settings, offices and more.
san and B125 Clensan solutions, the machine features a 70 micron misting gun attached to a 7.6-metre solution hose which allows the gun extended reach to high and low areas. Incorporating a lightweight, compact body the Micro-Mist has a top-mounted chemical tray, misting gun holster, large rear wheels and a folding handle for easy transport. The on-board tool caddy system simplifies transport from job to job, with all tools and chemical necessary to complete the job in one trip. www.prochem.co.uk
Latex glove • OpenClean Technologies hat den Händedesinfektions-Türgriff PullClean entwickelt. • Bei Micro-Mist handelt es sich um eine mobile Lösung von Prochem zur schnellen Desinfektion von öffentlichen Bereichen. • Reflexx hat den Latexhandschuh Reflexx L1100 mit langer Stulpe entwickelt. • Bei V-Eraser von Columbus handelt es sich um eine Mikrofaserwischdüse zur Desinfektion, die mit den Scheuersaugmaschinen des Unternehmens kompatibel sind. • Neu von Ryobi Tools ist ein kabelloser Nebler, der chemische Reinigungslösung in alle Richtungen bis in eine Entfernung von 4,5 Metern verteilen kann. • PSP bietet den Zerstäuber Guarany Backpack Power Nebuliser.
PullClean replaces the whole door handle and it can be accommodated by virtually any bathroom/lavatory door and also fits to hallway and office doors. Ease of installation has been a priority in development so it takes less than 10 minutes. To use, a tube-shaped cartridge is placed in the centre of the door handle which releases sanitiser when the paddle is pushed upon exit of the door. Each cartridge holds 400 doses. www.openclean.co.uk
New from Reflexx is the L1100 anatomical design, long cuff latex glove which is specifically designed with different fits for the left and right hand. The company says the anatomical shape combined with the absence of powder make for high dexterity, touch sensitivity and user agility. This makes it suitable for use in the dental and healthcare sectors, as well as industry. The extra long 28 cm cuff provides total protection of the hand and part of the forearm. www.reflexx.com
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Cordless Power and garden tool specialist Ryobi has developed a multipurpose cordless fogger that can disperse chemicals in all directions and up to 4.5 metres away. This new model is part of the company’s Sanitising Range, which also incorporates a cordless handheld sprayer and backpack handheld sprayer. All are part of the Ryobi ONE+ line of products which comprises over 100 cordless tools powered off the same 18V lithium battery. www.ryobitools.co.uk
Mop and wipe
On the move • La OpenClean Technologies ha sviluppato la maniglia sanitizzante per le porte PullClean. • Micro-Mist è una soluzione mobile per la disinfezione veloce delle aree pubbliche prodotta dalla Prochem. • La Reflexx ha sviluppato i guanti lunghi in latex Reflexx L1100. • V-Eraser della Columbus è un tergipamento disinfettante in microfibra compatibile con le lavasciuga pavimenti dell’azienda. • La novità della Ryobi Tools è un nebulizzatore cordless in grado di disperdere le soluzioni chimiche in tutte le direzioni fino a 4,5 metri di distanza. • La PSP propone il nebulizzatore Guarany Backpack Power Nebuliser.
expense and no training. The microfibre mop ensures the correct amount of disinfectant is applied as a film of moisture that can act on the surface for several minutes. www.columbus-clean.com
Fog and mist
The Micro-Mist has been purpose-designed by Prochem Europe as a mobile solution for fast disinfection of interior floors, carpets, upholstery and other surfaces. Used exclusively with the company’s D500 Micro-
Designed to be compatible with all its scrubber dryers is Columbus’ V-Eraser disinfection wiping nozzle with microfibre wiping mop. The tool combines cleaning and disinfection in a single step at full machine speed, can be integrated into existing systems, requires minimal retooling
PSP has added the Guarany Backpack Power Nebuliser to its fogging and misting equipment range. Powered by a petrol motor, it produces a plume of fog which has a horizontal spray reach of up to 18 metres and a vertical reach of up to 12 metres. It can also be fitted with a variety of metering tips and nozzles which allow for liquid flow rates of between 200 ml and 2.5 litres per minute. The nebuliser produces a wet fog of small droplets of between 10 and 40 microns, meaning it treats pathogens in the air and on surfaces. Wet fogs also disperse quickly, meaning premises can be entered in 30 minutes after using the equipment without harm to non-PPE wearing employees. www.prosprayers.co.uk
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