The clean, sparkling appearance of a washroom can speak volumes about the stature, speculated worth and reputation of a company. With today’s health conscious society, it’s imperative to have a washroom that not only looks clean but is hygienically clean, and the innovations in washroom technology, products and cleaning systems have come in leaps and bounds.
‘While cleaning for appearance can frequently fool the eyes, ineffective cleaning practices can often be discovered using a different sense,’ states a CM Management article by Phillip Lawless (www.cmmonline.com). It only takes the slight whiff of an offensive odour for patrons to label a washroom as ‘dirty’. Whether it actually is dirty is another question altogether, but today’s washroom-specific products enable cleaners to keep it smelling fresh and looking clean.
Gone are the days when a cleaner would soak the washroom floor and swish a conventional material mop, spreading dirt from one corner of the tiles to the other, promoting bacteria growth and encouraging bad odours from contaminated water. Nowadays mops are made from microfibre or recycled materials that pick up the dirt and remove it from the floor.
Meanwhile the simple spray of an air freshener has developed into a full odour maintenance program with products that not only capture and eliminate the odour but sanitise the air at the same time. ‘Fresheners are available that can operate on a 24-hour basis, and some options can neutralise odour-causing bacteria instead of masking it,’ notes Lawless.
There are also ‘heavy-duty cleaning machines specifically made for cleaning restrooms that are perfect for scrubbing floors and performing detailed wall washing and grout cleaning,’ Lawless explains. Partner this with new-age chemicals that use more than just bleach, and today’s washrooms have never looked so good.
The demand for disinfectant and antimicrobial chemicals is growing six percent annually through 2017, according to a US study by Freedonia Group (www.reportsnreports.com/reports/254201-disinfectant-antimicrobial-chemicals-to-2017.html). There’s also a strong push towards sustainable, green and eco-friendly recycled products that not only encourage good hygiene but support our environment as well.
Innovations in hand washing, paper towels and hand dryers to combat the spread of infection continue to spark debate about the most hygienic way to wash and dry our hands. With convincing arguments on both sides, the market has seen the invention of highly efficient and effective paper towel dispensers, disinfectant soaps, hot air dryers, sanitising foams and much more.
In the fight for increasing the awareness and importance of proper hand hygiene, below are the latest innovative washroom technologies and products on the market from some of the leading facility hygiene professionals in the industry.
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