African Cleaning Review MayJune '22

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May/June 2022

Hygiene • Cleaning • Pest Control • Laundry • Facility Management Services

In this issue: Hand hygiene and wellness Hard floorcare solutions Interclean Amsterdam returns after 4 years

contents MAY/JUNE 2022 VOL 23 NO. 3 betasan Products The betasan range of hand sanitiser, hand soap and surface sanitisers consisting of both alcohol and non-alcohol formulations are SABS approved and available in a number of dispensing formats.

African Cleaning Review is aimed at end users, contractors and suppliers of products and services to Africa’s Cleaning, Hygiene, Maintenance, Laundry, Pest Control and Facility Management Services industries. It is published every other month by: e-squared publications.

Tel: +27 (0) 11 238 7848 or +27 (0) 72 611 1959 PO Box 1976, Halfway House, 1685, South Africa Email: africancleaningreview@cleantex.co.za Website: www.africancleaningreview.co.za @AfricanCleanMag

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Read more on pages 10 and 11.

Publishing Editor: Johann van Vuuren +27 (0) 11 238 7848 or +27 (0) 72 611 1959 Email: africancleaningreview@cleantex.co.za Advertising: +27 (0) 11 238 7848 or +27 (0) 72 611 1959 Email: africancleaningreview@cleantex.co.za Operations and Accounts: Nandé Jacobs Email: africancleaningreview@cleantex.co.za All editorial contributions can be sent to the editor who reserves the right to publish editorial based on the strength of its content. No articles or photographs may be reproduced, in whole or in part, without written permission from the publishers.

Opinion

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Industry News

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• Understanding the science of smart buildings

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• • • • •

New Hako dealership appointed Self-sanitising N95 masks Verder wins Global Business Excellence Award Hand hygiene compliance remains low – survey Scaled-up support for water and sanitation projects

Advertorial

• ionopure: Non-toxic, eco-friendly, highly effective cleaning solutions • Hyvest: Reduce absenteeism in the workplace

Editorial

• Husqvarna: Removing excess water from flooddamaged buildings • Secure high hand hygiene standards with Tork skincare solutions

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Features

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Hand hygiene 12 • Is not being HandSafe costing your business?

• Are all hand soaps not essentially the same?

• Too little attention to handwashing among adolescents?

18 Hard floorcare • Preserve flooring substrates with a sustainable hard floorcare programme • Floor areas in healthcare facilities may pose a greater health risk • Imagine floorcare completely free of chemicals Waste management • Ground-breaking dispenser and hand towel recycling scheme

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Interclean • Foremost show for cleaning professionals offered a jam-packed package

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FM Review

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Laundry Review

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People and Events

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New Products

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• Setting basic workplace cleaning standards and keeping to them • Afroteq Academy wins SAFMA award • Sunscreen stains should not ruin your hotel’s reputation

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• Tork dinner • ISSA networking event • African tour to Amsterdam in a nutshell • Concentrated tablets for powerful cleaning • Introducing the Professional Cordless Network • Biobased heavy-duty cleaning cloth

Although every effort is made to ensure the accuracy and reliability of material published in African Cleaning Review, e-squared publications and its agents can accept no responsibility for the veracity of the claims made by contributors, manufacturers or advertisers. Copyright of all material published in African Cleaning Review remains with e-squared publications and its agents.

Planned features for 2022 Feature sections in every issue: • Laundry and dry cleaning review • Facilities management review July/August issue: Editorial deadline 17 June • Healthcare cleaning and hygiene • Wipes and wiping solutions September/October issue: Editorial deadline 19 August • Sustainability in cleaning • Washroom hygiene • Cleantex Africa 2022 review November/December issue: Editorial deadline 14 October • Hospitality cleaning solutions • Retail cleaning solutions

Book your seat to attend the Cleantex Africa Summit on 13 October 2022 now! Limited space available.

For more information email: nande@cleantex.co.za

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African Cleaning Review May/June 2022

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from the editor Connecting in person to define an essential service industry It was with a sense of anticipation and excitement that the tour group of 54 Southern African cleaning professionals recently boarded a plane to attend the world’s foremost cleaning and hygiene showcase in Amsterdam. It is noteworthy to fathom that this group, the largest yet, clearly underlined the unprecedented need to catch up on innovative developments and to reconnect in this sector.

Having travelled to the show consistently for more than 20 years, this year felt somewhat different. This was mainly because of the reality that, for the past four years the world of professional cleaning was unable to congregate, to explore and celebrate the exceptional achievements made in this essential services sector during the pandemic.

Face-to-face interaction has been greatly missed as a platform where everyone could make the most of being able to meet likeminded individuals in person again following a protracted lockdown period. Although online events and virtual exhibitions created an environment where buyers and sellers could engage remotely, these fell short of the traditional in-person, face-to-face experience that resembled an industry reunion.

With this fresh and illuminating experience in mind I want to turn the attention to the leading African event for the professional cleaning industry, scheduled to take place in Johannesburg from 12–14 October this year. Building on the gains made by the professional cleaning industry in maintaining healthy workplace and living environments during the global pandemic, Cleantex Africa, with a co-located conference, will prove to be the platform to showcase the full extent of the industry and boost its relevance. Space is limited. Do not miss out on the opportunity to exhibit or to register as a conference delegate.

Enjoy the read

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opinion

Understanding the science of smart buildings Smart technology is all around us, helping to streamline everyday living inside and outside our homes. From the name, one must assume that smart buildings do something clever. So, what is a smart building? It is a connected building that integrates all energy sources for maximum efficiency and environmental benefit.

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ver the years, the ability to control energy in the home has improved greatly. Smart homeowners can now select lighting, heating, security and air conditioning systems individually from one control panel – much like a home entertainment system. This enables homeowners to have more control over their home energy usage and manage it more efficiently.

Minimising energy usage With the focus currently on how excessive energy use is impacting the environment worldwide, both developers and homeowners are looking at lessening the impact of home energy usage. Of course, energy is essential in any business or home, but there are ways to minimise usage and help lessen the environmental impact. This is especially relevant in the South African context where energy is expensive and we are reliant on a fragile electrical grid.

In order to meet strict environmental efficiency targets, it is not enough for buildings to simply contain a range of separate energy systems that provide light and heat, as they did in the past.

Buildings that are designed now – and in the future – must have these systems connected in an integrated, functional and dynamic way.

Smart buildings are designed with the future in mind, with integration already built into their fabric. They are conceived to offer energy-saving solutions from

their initial design stage through to their use as homes or businesses.

Energy efficiency is fully integrated into their lifecycle and they are designed to deliver energy at the lowest cost and environmental impact over this lifecycle.

How do smart buildings work?

So how are the energy systems integrated within a smart building?

Their functionality operates by using information technology to connect a variety of energy subsystems. These systems can then share information to optimise performance within the building. Outside of the property, the building can be connected to a smart power grid.

Integrated building automation will not only be commonplace in the homes of the future, but will also bring benefits to commercial and office buildings.

Smart technology can improve the working environment, as well as the living environment. If workers use all the smart technology available in a building to facilitate their work, the functionality of an office environment is sure to improve.

These improvements in functionality will not only impact the workers, but also the managers of commercial buildings.

In terms of energy management and efficient use of space, there are great leaps forward to be made. With climate and light being more easily controlled in a smart building, the objectives of being more efficient and lessening a building’s environmental impact can be achieved.

opinion

Integrated building automation will not only be commonplace in the homes of the future, but will also bring benefits to commercial and office buildings.

Practical benefits of smart buildings for facilities managers How do smart buildings bring these benefits to a facilities manager in a practical way? Using the platform that controls the building’s heating and light systems, a facilities manager can connect the functions in a smart building with their own devices such as tablets and smartphones. This enables the facilities manager to control the building’s energy at the touch of a button, from wherever they are within the facility.

Several buildings can even be managed at once, with numerous building-related systems working together and communicating via an IP platform. Facilities management tasks can be achieved quickly and seamlessly

Diarise new dates

using this integrated method, in turn making previously hard-to-coordinate tasks much easier, including cleaning duties.

Tasks that can be achieved include gaining insight into cleaning activities and receiving updates on areas that need to be cleaned. Facilities managers can also measure important environmental concerns such as air quality and waste flows. These insights will, over time, allow for lower operational and maintenance costs of buildings.

Smart buildings improve cleaning standards With this new power in the hands of facilities managers, a key question is how will smart-building technology

help to improve the cleaning standards within buildings? The growth in the number of connected cleaning devices, which capitalise on the Internet of Things (IOT), is extraordinary. Data generated by smart sensors within these connected devices can be fed back to cleaning operatives and facilities managers, in order to streamline and improve cleaning routines.

As IOT is integrated into more and more cleaning devices, a digital ecosystem will be created that is powered by a network of connected devices. This will enable the cleaning and hygiene sector to move towards a new era of connectivity and efficiency, powered by the clever technology within the super smart buildings of the future.

If you did not visit the Interclean Amsterdam show held during May, you definitely missed out on solutions pertaining to how the IOT and smart buildings can assist to improve standards within the commercial cleaning sector.

12–14 October 2022

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industry news New Hako dealership appointed

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ako, a global leader in the field of cleaning and municipal technology with machines characterised by their pioneering and innovative features, high levels of economic efficiency, environmental focus and user friendliness, recently announced the appointment of BHBW South Africa as their Southern Africa dealer for professional indoor and outdoor cleaning equipment.

Hako industrial cleaning machines are built to the highest quality using German engineering, thereby ensuring top-of-the-range cleaning machines.

The company forms part of the Possehl Group with Minuteman, Powerboss and Oertzen as additional cleaning equipment brands.

BHBW South Africa was established in 2017 to create a new value

proposition in materials handling and agriculture in Southern Africa.

The company is a 50/50 joint venture between Barloworld South Africa and German trading group BayWa Ag. On the materials-handling side, BHBW SA builds on Barloworld’s track record as a leading supplier of equipment and solutions to the market to grow its footprint and services. In agriculture,

BHBW SA combines Barloworld’s expertise and BayWa’s capabilities as one of the leading agricultural traders worldwide to help farmers take food production to new levels.

For more information about Hako professional cleaning equipment, contact Wouter Niemann, product manager Hako. Contact nr: 065 650 3839, email: wniemann@bhbw.co.za

Self-sanitising N95 masks

Scientists, from left, Parans Paranthaman, Tina Summers and Merlin Theodore at DOE’s Carbon Fiber Technology Facility at ORNL are partnering with industry and a university to develop antiviral materials for N95 masks.

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ak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) researchers in the US collaborated with Iowa State University and RJ Lee Group to demonstrate a safe and effective antiviral coating for N95 masks. The

coating destroys the COVID-19-causing coronavirus and could enable re-use of masks made from various fabrics.

The team evaluated Goldshield 75, finding that the patented product effectively killed the novel coronavirus

without degrading mask fibres and showed no toxicity. Coated masks were germ-free 24 hours after virus exposure even over repeated test cycles and after high-temperature storage.

The work builds on technology developed at the DOE Carbon Fiber Technology Facility at ORNL. “We explored avenues to integrate effective antiviral coatings that are safe for the wearer and the environment,” said ORNL’s Parans Paranthaman.

“The long-term goal is to develop filter media with a built-in coating, which may also be useful in other applications, such as air filters for hospitals, or in combatting other pathogens,” said ORNL’s Merlin Theodore.

Promote your company in The Source of Workplace Hygiene Solutions!

Reach your target market cost effectively by advertising in African Cleaning Review. The direct link to end users, building service contractors, FM service providers and key institutional sectors.

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African Cleaning Review May/June 2022

CLEANLINESS FOR HEALTH Hygiene has never been more important than now!

TWO EVENTS – ONE VENUE

An ever-increasing demand to meet international standards of cleanliness and hygiene in the workplace during a global pandemic, linked to the constant need to upgrade and improve cleaning systems across multiple industry sectors will draw targeted visitors and delegates looking to improve hygiene regimes to facilitate a healthy environment for employees and customers.

13 October 2022

Gallagher Convention Centre www.cleantexsummit.co.za

Sponsors:

Gold

Celebrating 24 years since inception

BOOK NOW Organisers: e-squared | For more information or to secure your stand email: nande@cleantex.co.za | www.cleantex.co.za African Cleaning Review May/June 2022

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industry news Verder wins Global Business Excellence Award

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erder Group recently announced that their Verderflex Dura 65 peristaltic hose-pump has won the Global Business Excellence Award for Outstanding New Product/ Service. The chairman of the judges said “Congratulations to Netherlandsbased Verder Group for inventing the Verderflex Dura 65 (D65) peristaltic pump that is the first real development in hose-pump technology since the arrival of the high-pressure hose. The D65 pump offers high performance and takes up to 70 percent less space.

Hose changes are fast and easy with the unique connection system. Verder has come up with an easy-to-use and control, robust pump that can be used in a wide range of industries for heavy duty operations.”

“The Global Business Excellence Awards are one of the world’s highest profile awards and winning this accolade speaks volumes about Verder. Due to their high profile, the Awards attract a wide range of entries from across the world, from large international PLCs and public sector organisations to dynamic and innovative SMEs. The winners all have one thing in common – they are truly outstanding at what they do.”

Winning this award is important to Verder because it supports the company’s mantra of trying to offer a solution to customers and being flexible in terms of development to meet global needs and specifications. This award serves as recognition of all of the company’s hard work and the amount of time and dedication that goes into developing such products.

Colin Heathfield, Product Manager for Verderflex Peristaltic Pumps, said: “It is a real pleasure to win this award, this is a pump which although using existing technology has listened to the customer for feedback on what would make their life in terms of pump operation better. I would like to thank and offer praise to our team for coming together with this concept, maximising the flow-rate per frame size. From the access hatch to clean the track, through to the lifting-eye on the front plate to make the unit safer to work on, we have tried to address the small points that make a difference whilst still trying to maintain a balance between product specification and value for money. Its success as a good-value pump for the customer can be reinforced by the number of units going through our system.”

Darryl Macdougall, Managing Director, Verder Pumps South Africa: “The Verderflex Dura 65 hose-pump was launched amidst the pandemic last year. It replaced the popular Verderflex VF65, while boasting 20 percent more flow and 20 percent longer hoselife. This award is a testament to the quality of our products, but also our company’s commitment to innovation and excellence.”

Verder Pumps SA (Pty) Ltd was established in 2002 and over the past 18 years has become a leading pump supplier throughout South Africa and Sub-Saharan Africa with a reputation for providing reliable, cost-effective, efficient and long-lasting pumping solutions.

For more information or to download the Dura 65 datasheet visit: www.verder.co.za

Hand hygiene compliance remains low – survey

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ccording to a recent US survey, while 82 percent of healthcare workers were aware of their organisation’s hand hygiene policy, only 39 percent followed it at all times.

Georgia-Pacific PRO (GP PRO) conducted proprietary research amongst healthcare clinicians on the hand hygiene compliance rate within their organisations. The study found that of those aware of their facility’s method for monitoring, 51 percent stated direct observation is the primary monitoring method. Other methods identified include self-reporting (15%), product usage (13%), patient satisfaction surveys (11%), and an electronic monitoring system (9%). According to GP PRO’s research, only 12% of clinicians believe in the accuracy of their facility’s monitoring method and 98 percent of respondents believe the process for collecting hand hygiene compliance data needs to be improved.

“The good news here is that clinicians know what is expected of them when it comes to hand hygiene, and that’s likely in large part due to consistent communications by infection preventionists throughout the pandemic,” said Ronnie Phillips, Ph.D., GP PRO’s

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African Cleaning Review May/June 2022

industry news healthcare division senior director of innovation. “Clinicians are in the know about their facility’s policy and, surely, that they work in an environment prone to cross-contamination during a worldwide pandemic. So why is compliance holding steady at around 40 percent? That’s what we need to solve. What’s preventing clinicians from following best practices, and what can we do about it?”

Based in Atlanta, Georgia-Pacific and its subsidiaries are among the world’s leading manufacturers and marketers of bath tissue, paper towels and napkins, tableware, paperbased packaging, office papers, cellulose, specialty fibres, nonwoven fabrics, building products, and related chemicals. The company operates approximately 150 facilities and employs approximately 30,000 people directly and creates nearly 89,000 jobs indirectly. GP PRO products meet washroom, food service, and break room needs for office buildings, healthcare, food service, high-traffic, lodging, retail, and education facilities, plus a wide range of industrial and manufacturing facilities in North America. For more information, visit: www.gppro.com

Scaled-up support for water and sanitation projects in developing countries

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he impact of new water investment in developing countries by the European Investment Bank (EIB), the world’s largest international financier for water projects, will be enhanced by an extended scope of the Water Sector Fund, confirmed at the World Water Forum in Dakar.

The Dutch government has agreed to provide EUR 25 million of new support for the Water Sector Fund.

The replenishment will enable the EIB to make water projects more sustainable, improve climate resilience of infrastructure and help

mobilise additional funding from other financiers or investors.

“Safe water and sanitation is essential for a healthy and dignified life and economic and social development.

Sharing knowledge, experience and innovation is crucial to increase sustainable access to safe water, to protect people and infrastructure from flooding, and to address water scarcity.

The Water Sector Fund combines the unique commitment of the Netherlands to address global water challenges and the extensive experience of the European Investment Bank investing in water worldwide. continues on page 8 >>

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industry news The expanded Water Sector Fund will enable us to make water and sanitation projects more sustainable and inclusive and help mobilise additional funding from other financiers or investors.” said Henk Ovink, Special Envoy for International Water Affairs of the Netherlands.

“Investing in safe water and sanitation is investing in a better future for people and our planet. The Water Sector Fund has shown how technical expertise can enhance water investment to increase access to water in conflict zones, regions impacted by drought and fragile coastal communities. The European Investment Bank welcomes the

EUR 25 million backing by the Dutch government to scale up the Water Sector Fund that will increase the impact of water investment to benefit fragile regions in the years ahead.” said Ambroise Fayolle, European Investment Bank Vice-President responsible for development and climate action.

The Water Sector Fund was established by the Netherlands and the European Investment Bank in 2017 to support implementation of water and sanitation projects in low and lowermiddle income countries.

Since its creation, the Water Sector Fund has provided technical assistance for projects to increase water supply,

improve sanitation and strengthen the resilience of water infrastructure to a changing climate. The Water Sector Fund will now also benefit from an extended scope by using financial instruments such as guarantees to mobilise private sector investments for SDG 6.

The Water Sector Fund has supported water investment across Africa, including investment to improve access to drinking water in Niger, using solar power to supply water in Malawi and to better protect coastal communities in São Tomé and Príncipe. Over the last decade, the EIB has provided EUR 32 billion for long-term water investment around the world.

advertorial ionopure Non-toxic, eco-friendly and highly effective cleaning solutions Newly launched to the South African market, ionopure by ionogen is a powerful range of naturally derived cleaning products that have been developed with a singular goal in mind: to improve the quality of life on our planet by reducing our exposure to harmful chemicals. ionopure cleaning solutions are produced using cutting-edge innovation to change the molecular structure of salt water into one of the most powerful cleaning products on the planet, Hypochlorous Acid (HOCL). HOCL is non-toxic, eco-friendly, and highly effective at low concentrations, the perfect weapon to fight germs. Nature’s super powerful disinfectant. The ionopure range of cleaning solutions:

ionopure Purity Air System

ionopure Sanitizer 800

We know the importance of purifying our water, but we don’t talk enough about the importance of purifying our air. The ionopure Purity Air System allows you to refresh stale air, alleviate aggravated breathing symptoms, and protect you and your loved ones from airborne pathogens.

This non-toxic, natural solution is as powerful as bleach while being 100 percent safe around children and pets. Perfect for doorknobs, faucets, countertops, tables, chairs, switches and cutting boards.

ionopure Air Designed for the ionopure Purity Air System, ionopure Air uses the compounds our body naturally produces to fight pathogens, the Purity System can be used around people, pets, and plants.

The solution, having been electrolysed from salt and water, dissipates through use so it does not damage the environment, making it cleaner than traditional cleaning products.

Degreaser Cut through tough grease without fumes, residue, or surface damage. Extremely effective on stovetops, floors, ovens, grills, and range hoods.

Glass Cleaner Perfect for a residue-free clean on glass, mirrors, stainless steel, chrome, plastics, floors, and granite.

For more information and to view and purchase the full range visit www.ionopure.co.za. Contact sales@ionopure.co.za for commercial enquires.

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African Cleaning Review May/June 2022

editorial flooding and water damage

Removing excess water from flood-damaged buildings The current floods and threat of yet more rain to come has left many folk across the KZN and Eastern Cape provinces overwhelmed and anxious. Some flood victims are homeless, whilst others, a week later, are still dealing with water-logged buildings and businesses.

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or those struggling to remove excess standing water in hardto-reach places like basements, Johan Kruger, Husqvarna South Africa’s National Sales Manager offers some sage advice: “Being prepared is half the victory. So, regardless of whether you have a water-logged area or if you just want to be better prepared for a future plumbing malfunction, there are the steps to removing the water as soon as possible.”

the source of the flooding, i.e.: where the water entered, as well as what was affected, e.g.: furnishings and floor coverings.

Six important steps to removing excess water from flood-damaged buildings:

Step 5: If the water has not been able to drain out of the affected spaces, it should be removed as quickly as possible. Husqvarna water pumps are perfect for this and are affordable and easy to use. In fact, the entry-level water pump will remove up to 12,000 litres per hour. There are bigger units that can obviously take on bigger volumes and distances. If you have no use for a water pump other than to pump out the excess water, consider hiring one.

• Using the pump is as simple as putting the inlet pipe in the water and the outlet pipe where you

Step 1: The first thing to do is turn off (and disconnect if possible) electricity points that are affected BEFORE you go anywhere near the water. Risk of electrocution is real.

Step 2: Ensure that you wear protective gear like gumboots and rubber gloves if possible.

Step 3: Take a few pictures; these may be required by insurance. Document

Step 4: Remove the loose furniture, wooden items first. Most wood, but particularly reconstituted wood products (like chipboard or laminated wood) swell when they come into contact with water. Place these in a dry spot.

want the water to go. Remember to prime the pump by opening the small cap on top of the pump housing and pouring water into it.

Make sure there’s fuel in the tank (they are all incredibly fuel-efficient) and start.

• Once the water is out, the cleaning can start. If a lot of debris and soil came in with the water, this will be a manual process. If flooring, like carpets, has to be removed anyway, consider loosening them around the edges and rolling the dirt up in them; thereby removing the dirt and damaged flooring simultaneously. Consider washing the walls and floors with a disinfectant to combat any diseasecausing organisms that could have entered with the water.

Step 6: To dry the floors and walls you can use heaters, fans or even a Husqvarna leaf blower.

“We cannot fight against nature, but we can always fight against the circumstances we are surrounded with,” concludes Kruger.

Advertise in the primary African trade magazine for the commercial cleaning and hygiene sectors.

Reach your target market cost-effectively with a direct link to end-users, building service contractors, facility management and key institutional segments.

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African Cleaning Review May/June 2022

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advertorial Hyvest

Reduce absenteeism in the workplace The coronavirus is starting to dissipate but it is unlikely that we will see the end of it for some time to come. However, the cold and flu season is around the corner, and will be arriving with full force. Reduce absenteeism in the workplace this winter through the use of hand sanitisers and good hand hygiene practices, says Hyvest’s Christopher Clack.

Christopher Clack

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oor hand hygiene practices during the winter months are a significant factor for transmitting germs that cause colds and flu, resulting in absenteeism in the workplace. The current rate of absenteeism costs South African businesses approximately 19 to 25 billion Rand per annum which places an enormous strain on an already stressed economy.

It has become a top-of-mind priority for businesses to demonstrate to both their customers and staff how seriously they take their health and safety. The betasan™ product range has been providing hand hygiene solutions for more than 10 years prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, betasan™ has been able to formulate and perfect our products according to SABS and World Health Organization (WHO) standards for both personal and professional use.

The betasan™ range of hand sanitisers consist of a 70% Isopropyl alcohol formulation and is available in a variety of innovative dispensing options and solutions. Our product is the perfect way to ensure peace of mind for both your staff and your customers.

The betasan™ dispenser ranges cater for small, medium, and large traffic flows. Our 1 m Free Standing hand sanitiser is perfect for smaller office spaces, providing 800 applications per 400 ml refill, and the unit also has the unique feature of being able to be adapted to a Countertop dispenser. Our 700 ml Sensor sanitiser stand is perfect for medium traffic areas and provides 1,400 applications per 700 ml refill.

Our all-new 10 L Sensor hand sanitiser station has been designed for exceptionally high traffic establishments. Ideal for areas that have a foot traffic rate of more than 500 users per day, this station houses a 5 litre hand sanitiser, and has storage space for a replacement 5 litre. Each 5 litre can provide up to 7,000 applications. All three of these stands are automated, reducing cross-contamination in your facility.

The betasan™ lanyard can be fitted with a 50 ml or 100 ml personal hand sanitiser spray bottle. It is the perfect tool to demonstrate your commitment to safety. The lanyard sanitiser ensures that employees always have a personal hand sanitiser available and visible to customers to show that good hand hygiene practices are followed, giving your customers peace of mind. betasan™ is aware of the alarming rate of plastic pollution in our environment, with 300 million tonnes of plastic being created each year. As a result, betasan™ has produced a refillable 1 L and 5 L variation to refill our smaller sanitiser bottles. Our range consists of 50 ml, 100 ml, 300 ml and 500 ml bottles.

For more information visit: www.betasan.co.za

Reduce | Reuse | Recycle | Refill | Reduction of single-use plastics Winter is here and it is vital that businesses, as well as staff and customers, be extra vigilant about creating safe hand hygiene practices, thus reducing absenteeism in the workplace.

beta health | beta hygiene | betasan™

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feature hand hygiene

Is not being HandSafe costing your business?

Whether it’s in your washroom, front-of-house or in staff areas, HandSafe hand hygiene genuinely cares for your users’ health and wellbeing, as well as their experience. Being HandSafe means providing high quality hand hygiene, tailored to your facility’s needs. In short, it’s doing more than simply box ticking.

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hile more businesses are now aware of the importance of good hand hygiene, many are still putting their business at risk through their soap and sanitiser choices.

Here, the experts at Rubbermaid Commercial Products help you identify where poor hand hygiene could be letting your business down and offer top tips for getting HandSafe.

What are the risks of not being HandSafe?

Damage to your reputation With 74 percent of people saying that dirty washrooms cause negative perceptions of a facility1 and 84 percent saying personal control of cleaning is important in making them feel safe2, your washrooms are just as vital for creating a good impression of your facility as your front-of-house areas.

Research shows that over 80 percent of consumers would avoid a restaurant with a dirty washroom3 – not just avoid using the washroom but avoid the restaurant altogether! When it comes to providing a high quality experience, the measures you take to help retain existing customers and attract new ones need to extend to your washroom or you run the risk of damaging your reputation.

Top tips: • Your customers and employees want to take control with visible and high quality hand hygiene that’s pleasant to use and works every time. Malfunctioning and grubbylooking soap dispensers or pump top bottles can undermine your efforts elsewhere. Quality and durability are therefore a must.

• With 66 percent of people saying they use a variety of methods

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African Cleaning Review May/June 2022

(including flushing the toilet with their feet!) to avoid making contact with anything in a washroom4, offering touch-free hand cleaning with automatic dispensers – preferred by 92 percent of people5 – will help ensure your washroom doesn’t damage your reputation.

Hitting your bottom line There may appear to be little difference when it comes to choosing soap and sanitiser dispensers but taking a closer look at the longterm implications of installing the cheapest dispensers you can find, reveals the truth. Flimsy dispensers don’t stand the test of time meaning replacements will be required or, worse still, backup pump tops installed next to them!

Buying in bulk is often seen as the economical choice, but when it comes to hand hygiene, bulk-fill (topup) solutions are deceptive. Larger dose sizes and less concentrated product results in more wastage and more frequent refilling, adding unnecessary cost and a hassle you just don’t need.

Top tips: • Prioritise durability when choosing your dispensers to help minimise replacement costs. Not only that, if you buy better, you waste less and improve your sustainability practices too! Look out for dispensers that offer a lifetime warranty to put your mind at rest.

• Choose dispensers that use hygienically sealed refills for controlled dispensing and more applications per refill. The right amount of product for a safe clean is dispensed without the unwelcome wastage, meaning better cost in use.

Reducing productivity If your hand hygiene provision isn’t up to the standards people expect, they’re less likely to use it. With 80 percent of germs spread by hands6 and viruses able to survive on hands for up to five minutes after transfer from a surface7, it’s clear to see that without quality hand hygiene solutions the spread of illnesses such as colds, flu, stomach bugs and COVID-19 becomes more likely. continues on page 14 >>

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feature hand hygiene With workers averaging three sick days per year8, productivity losses are high.

If you’re using bulk-fill soap and sanitiser dispensers, the risk is even higher – at least 1 in 4-bulk fill hand hygiene dispensers are contaminated with illness-causing bacteria9. There are multiple points on the dispenser where bacteria can contaminate the replenishment supply, such as an opentop lid and push-button. Often, units don’t get cleaned but are “topped off” against guidelines10 and they then cannot be decontaminated; an infected unit must be fully replaced to remove the risk11.

Challenging your sustainability goals

5 RCP Facebook Survey 2020

User-preferred automatic touch-free dispensers give your users the high quality, HandSafe hand hygiene provision you need, but these dispensers are traditionally powered by batteries, only 5 percent of which are successfully recycled. So, touch-free is not enough. For the people-pleasing, environmentally friendly choice, think touch- and battery-free hand hygiene dispensers like RCP’s innovative market-leading LumeCel AutoFoam.

6 University of Arizona Study, Dr. C. Gerba

Top tips:

Speak with one of RCP’s experts about how you can upgrade your hand hygiene and get your facility HandSafe, register your details here.

• You can help keep your people safe with high quality soap and hand sanitiser in your washroom and throughout your whole facility, encouraging use with visible, touchfree dispensers.

• Go for dispensers that use hygienically sealed refills to keep soap and sanitisers fresh and free from cross-contamination.

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Is your soap and sanitiser letting you down?

Sources: 1 Cintas 2 Deloitte, “Safety and cleanliness–make it or break it” 3 Zogby International 4 Impulse Research Corporation Survey

7 The Journal of Infectious Diseases.

8 BLS.gov 9 Journal of Environmental Health 2011.

10 CDC.gov Guideline for Hand Hygiene in Health-Care Settings 11 Evaluation and remediation of bulk soap dispensers for biofilm, Biofouling 2012

feature hand hygiene

Are all hand soaps not essentially the same?

We were recently reminded of the importance of effective hand hygiene when we celebrated the SAVE LIVES: Clean Your Hands global campaign. Launched in 2009 and celebrated annually on 5 May (World Hand Hygiene Day) aims to maintain global promotion, visibility and sustainability of hand hygiene and to ‘bring people together’ in support of hand hygiene improvement around the world. Proper hand hygiene is considered the single most important method for preventing cross-contamination and reducing healthcare-associated infections.

W

ith all the different soaps available to cleanse hands and whether these hand soap products could all be classified as similar, the short answer is a confusing “yes and no,” according to Dawn Yeomans, Ph.D. Hygiene Sciences & Partnerships Senior Advisor at GOJO Industries.

We have all had the experience of using a soap that didn’t lather properly or that left our skin feeling tight and dry. This is because the soap formulation itself – as well as the practice related to dispensing the formulation – matter, for how the soap performs and feels during use, its germ and dirt removal efficacy, and how the soap leaves skin feeling after use. Here is a little science to help understand why something as simple as soap can perform so differently and what to look out for when choosing a hand soap for your facility.

What is soap, what does it contain, and how does it remove soils and germs?

All soaps essentially have the same ingredients: soap results from a

chemical action between a salt and a fatty acid (a building block of fat). The result is soap or detergent that acts as a surfactant, a compound that forms what is called micelles (little balls of soap molecules that grab and trap dirt, oil, and germs). The type of surfactant helps determine the product’s lathering characteristics, skin feel, and rinse-ability. By choosing oils that have specific molecular properties (in other words, choosing the right natural or synthetic fatty acids) and blending them in the right mixtures, it’s possible to create the results we want in our soaps – creamy, fluffy lather that rinses well and leaves the skin feeling soft and moisturised.

Washing hands with soap and water is important to both personal hygiene and public health. Through their ability to loosen and remove soil, they contribute to good personal hygiene. Soaps also help to wash away germs. Some soaps contain specific antimicrobial ingredients that kill or inhibit bacteria that may cause odour or illnesses. Efficacy of the soap – both the strength of its soil removal plus the amount and type

of germ reduction – depends on all of the ingredients in the formulation.

Unfortunately, typically the stronger the soil removal, the harsher the product is toward the skin.

Harsh soaps can damage skin, causing dryness, tightness, and irritation Skin is built like a brick wall – the bricks are protein-rich skin cells, and the mortar is made up of your skin’s natural lipids that strengthen the wall, keeping skin moisturised and protected from the outside environment. With repeated handwashing, the surfactants in harsh soaps and cleansers remove the proteins and oils from your skin, breaking down the “mortar” between the bricks. This leads to “cracks” forming and allows water to evaporate from within your skin, leaving it dry, damaged, and vulnerable to outside germs and sources of irritation.

As skin gets drier and irritated, it’s unlikely that customers and staff will wash their hands properly since washing may cause burning, stinging, and further dryness and irritation.

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feature hand hygiene As skin gets drier and irritated, it’s unlikely that customers and staff will wash their hands properly since washing may cause burning, stinging, and further dryness and irritation.

What to look for in a skin-friendly cleanser for your facility Luckily, much of the hand dryness and irritation can be avoided by choosing milder soaps and cleansers for use in your facilities. Here are the important points to look for: • Moisturising and soothing ingredients. Soaps containing moisturising ingredients may be less harsh or drying to the skin.

Examples include glycerine, ceramides, and hyaluronic acid.

Natural oils such as avocado oil, shea butter, coconut oil, and jojoba oil are also good moisturising ingredients. Skin-soothing agents like vitamin E and aloe vera also help to leave skin feeling soft.

• Products with “Mild” or “Suitable for Sensitive Skin” claims. Mild soap softens and soothes skin because it does not strip away its natural nutrients and oils, thus giving the appearance of healthy-looking skin and reducing symptoms of skin conditions like psoriasis and eczema.

• Automatic soap dispensers. In general, no-touch, automatic soap dispensers are a great option to help reduce germs. However, it’s important to avoid the practice of “topping-off” or refilling bulk dispensers since this can lead to bacterial contamination.

Things you should avoid: • Harsh surfactants. It’s important to choose the right soap or cleanser for everyday tasks; if your hands are not very heavily soiled, a milder cleanser will do the job. While harsh surfactants such as sodium dodecyl (lauryl) sulphate are very effective at extreme soil removal, they also have the potential to dry and damage skin more than others.

Combinations of sodium laurate sulphate (SLES), which is often used in liquid cleansers, with other surfactants such as cocamidopropyl betaine can result in an overall milder product.

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• Antibacterial actives. In most settings, “cosmetic” hand soaps should be adequate for customers or guests to wash away germs.

Antibacterial soaps could be considered where there may be exposure to a lot of germs that could cause illness, such as situations including food handling in restaurants and in other settings.

• Poor lather. Lathering is important since lathering and scrubbing hands create friction to lift dirt, grease, and germs from the skin.

• Products that don’t rinse well. Even though it sounds counterintuitive, water and excessive rinsing further dry out your skin, so it’s important to use soap that rinses easily from the skin, making sure product residue is not left behind.

For more information and help in choosing the right soap for your facility, visit the GOJO International Hand Soaps site: www.gojo.com/en-int/product-catalog/hand-soap

Too little attention to handwashing among adolescents?

A

study revealed that in as many as 80 countries, young people consistently recorded poor hand hygiene behaviours. Teens in developing countries show deficiencies in hand washing after using the toilet, and with soap – often due to a lack of hygiene resources.

However, young people from more affluent nations also showed problematic hand hygiene and had an increased risk of contracting various diseases compared to other demographics.

The study, highlighted by Ophardt Hygiene, underlines what has been a historic and vital opportunity during the coronavirus pandemic.

The need for improving the hand hygiene habits of future generations at this critical stage of development existed before the global spread of COVID-19. The spotlight on handwashing and sanitising has given healthcare workers and public health officials a unique opportunity to educate a demographic prone to poor hand hygiene habits and increased rates of infection.

Habit-forming is half the battle. In lower-income areas, material conditions need to be improved so that there can be easy access to soap. The hoped-for effect of this increased education around hand hygiene for young teens is that the spread of other diseases, such as pneumonia, diarrhoea and hepatitis can also be prevented.

Even as countries are entering their fifth waves and pandemic-fatigue becomes all too real, teaching and encouraging proper hand washing remains an important tool to protect our kids and teens. We have a once-in-a-lifetime chance to change the habits of a generation. If we get it right, the long term effect on health could be incredible.

editorial Tork Secure high hand hygiene standards with Tork skincare solutions Celebrated annually on 5 May, World Hand Hygiene Day (WHHD) is the WHO’s global call to action to boost hand hygiene among healthcare workers. Hand hygiene is a key component of eliminating infections in healtcare, and ultimately, saving lives.

Hand hygiene has received renewed attention for its role in helping prevent the spread of germs and is more important now than ever. But it’s not just about when and how often people wash their hands. It’s about the efficacy and quality of hand hygiene products. Empty dispensers or ineffective soap and hand sanitiser solutions are simply unacceptable now. As the global leading professional hygiene brand, Tork is synonymous with industry-leading hand towels, toilet tissue and intelligent facility management solutions including award-winning dispenser designs. But don’t forget the 50 years of experience and innovation in skincare and a broad, effective range of soaps, sanitisers and dispensers that companies trust.

Tork skincare solutions are formulated specifically to help customers meet high, business-critical hygiene expectations, across various segments. And this is your opportunity to sell-in solutions to customers that are not only effective and safe, but also sustainable and make a lasting, positive impression.

Tork is a one-stop-shop, producing the full suite of essential hygiene products – from skincare to hand towels and more – and is the partner your customers can rely on for all their hygiene needs.

For more information visit our page on: www.tork.co.za/WorldHandHygieneDay

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feature hard floorcare

Preserve flooring substrates with a sustainable hard floorcare programme Floorcare consumes a large portion of most cleaning budgets, it is estimated that approximately 67 percent is related to floorcare, and that it is generally more labour intensive than any other cleaning task. Floorcare is one of the biggest culprits in any cleaning programme when it comes to environmental impact. The industry is however creating safer green floorcare options, and more and more facilities are adopting sustainable floorcare practices. These practices significantly decrease your programme’s environmental impact and can save money and time when implemented correctly.

P

reventive matting and frequent dust-mopping may be two costeffective ways to prolong the need to strip. Frequent dust-mopping is an easy way to extend the life of your current floorcare programme and reduce the risk of slip-and-falls, airborne debris, and allergic reactions within your building.

By incorporating five key elements of floorcare into any programme you increase the protection of occupantsafety and preserve flooring substrates.

However, when regularly adhering to the first three elements of a more environmentally desirable floorcare programme you will prolong the need for completing the fourth and fifth elements.

Pre-routine Soils originate and are tracked long before a facility is entered. Parking lots, garages, and sidewalks are all areas where debris and other contaminants adhere to footwear and, in the end, are tracked into a facility. Using the

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correct equipment to manage these soils, and a highly-effective entrancematting programme, will protect your flooring and prolong its life. The two most effective ways to do this: regularly sweep sidewalks and parking lots that are in proximity to the entrance; and implement an appropriate entrancematting programme. You can manually sweep or use a walk-behind, power-, or ride-on sweeper for your sidewalks and parking lots; for smaller areas a dry-only vacuum cleaner can also be used. The most important part is to do it regularly.

Routine maintenance Routine maintenance is the simplest and least costly element of a floorcare programme. It is vital in keeping your floors safe, consistently clean, and preserving the finish and floors themselves. Your routine floorcare will include dust-mopping, dampmopping, and a good quality cleaner.

Auto scrubbers can significantly reduce cleaning time and improve efficiency.

A high-quality, neutral floor cleaner

for daily cleaning is recommended.

Use disinfectant products only when needed to keep your staff’s chemical exposure to a minimum.

Interim maintenance Allowing soils to penetrate through the floor finish can cause your floors to look scratched and worn, reduce traction, and lead to slip-and-fall incidents.

Interim maintenance, which includes spray-buffing and traction-enhancement, will restore shine while preventing slipand-falls. Spray-buffing, burnishing, autoscrubbing, and frequent damp-mopping are all elements of interim maintenance that, when performed regularly, will help preserve your finish and prolong the time in between deep-stripping/ finishing.

Partial restoration Once floors stop responding to interim maintenance, you will need to consider partial restoration, also referred to as scrub-and-recoat, to get your floors into shape. Partial restorative floorcare

feature hard floorcare entails removing one or two coats of damaged finish and embedded dirt to prepare the floor for a fresh top coating.

Complete restoration Eventually, the need to deep-strip the floors will arise. When adhering to the first four elements of floorcare listed here, the need to strip can be delayed by many years. When the time comes, consider using a sealer in combination with a finish to preserve the finish even longer the next time around. Tests have shown that coating a floor with two coats of finish and two coats of sealer will stand up to more wear and tear than a floor coated with just four coats of finish.

By regularly adhering to the first three of these five critical steps and paying special attention to the details, your floorcare programme will shine.

Equipment used in hard floor care maintenance Sweepers: When you are working in a larger facility and time is of the essence, consider investing in a

sweeper. Floor sweepers pick up dry debris just like a broom with an attached dustpan would, but they move much quicker and can work on a variety of surfaces.

Floor scrubbers: Floor scrubbers use water and a cleaning solution to remove dirt from floor surfaces. They leave floors dry because they pick up the water, rather than spreading it around.

Scrubber-sweepers: Can’t decide if you need a scrubber or a sweeper?

Scrubber-sweepers combine a scrubber and sweeper into one machine, with sweepers in the front and scrubbers in the back.

Burnishers: Burnishers polish floors using a spinning mechanism combined with weight and a forward and backward motion to achieve a glossy, high sheen.

Air blowers: For an extra safety precaution, an air blower can quickly dry a floor to ensure that building occupants will be able to safely walk on the surface quickly after it has been treated.

Goscor Cleaning Equipment, part of the Goscor Group of Companies, is a top-quality cleaning equipment provider which prides itself in providing the ultimate cleaning solution from a wide range of quality, world-class brands to suit almost every cleaning application. For more information visit: www.goscorcleaning.co.za

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feature hard floorcare

Floor areas in healthcare facilities may pose a greater health risk than previously thought Hospital room floors may be an overlooked source of infection, according to a study recently published in the American Journal of Infection Control, the official journal of the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC). Because items in the patient’s room may touch the floor, pathogens on hospital floors can rapidly move to the hands and high-touch surfaces throughout a hospital room.

“U

nderstanding gaps in infection-prevention is critically important for institutions seeking to improve the quality of care offered to patients,” says 2017 APIC president Linda Greene, RN, MPS, CIC, FAPIC. “Even though most facilities believe they are taking the proper precautions, this study points out the importance of ensuring cleanliness of the hospital environment and the need for education of both staff and patients on this issue.”

In the study by Abhishek Deshpande, MD, PhD and colleagues, researchers cultured 318 floor sites from 159 patient rooms (two sites per room) in five Cleveland area hospitals. The hospital rooms included both C. difficile infection (CDI) isolation rooms and nonCDI rooms. Researchers also cultured hands (gloved and bare) as well as other high-touch surfaces such as clothing, call buttons, medical devices, linens, and medical supplies.

The researchers found that floors in patient rooms were often contaminated with Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), VRE, and C. difficile, with C. difficile being the most frequently recovered pathogen found in both CDI isolation rooms and non-CDI rooms.

“Efforts to improve disinfection in the hospital environment usually focus on surfaces that are frequently touched by the hands of healthcare workers or patients,” says Abhishek Deshpande, who added, “Although healthcare facility floors are often heavily contaminated, limited attention

Although healthcare facility floors are often heavily contaminated, limited attention has been paid to disinfection of floors because they are not frequently touched.

Of 100 occupied rooms surveyed, 41 percent had one or more hightouch objects in contact with the floor. These included personal items, medical devices and supplies. MRSA, VRE, and C. difficile were recovered from six (1%), two (6%), and one (3%), respectively of bare or gloved hands that handled these items.

has been paid to disinfection of floors because they are not frequently touched. The results of our study suggest that floors in hospital rooms could be an underappreciated source for dissemination of pathogens and are an important area for additional research.”

Promote your company in The Source of Workplace Hygiene Solutions!

Reach your target market cost effectively by advertising in African Cleaning Review. The direct link to end users, building service contractors, FM service providers and key institutional sectors.

Contact us for more information regarding cost-effective advertising options: africancleaningreview@cleantex.co.za | www.africancleaningreview.co.za

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feature hard floorcare

Imagine floorcare completely free of chemicals Twister is a revolutionary method for everyday machine-cleaning of any type of floor. With billions of microscopic diamonds, the Twister pads clean and polish the floor at the same time – completely without chemicals. It’s the easy, cost-efficient and environmentally friendly approach to professional cleaning, producing astonishing results on just about any type of floor. That’s the short story, but it gets even better, read on to learn more about this revolutionary floorcare product.

Increased cost-efficiency With Twister, water is all you need for daily cleaning. The fact that you won’t be needing chemicals any longer means a lot of things. From an economic standpoint, it means no more money down the drain – literally. But Twister increases costefficiency in more ways than one. It helps reduce or even eliminate the need for periodic maintenance and, thanks to the fact that no chemicals are used, it reduces the need for machine maintenance. It also lowers the lifecycle costs for flooring, by offering the possibility to refurbish floors making it easier to keep clean with a perfect finish over time.

Cleaning without chemicals means safer cleaning procedures thus improving the work conditions for employees, while at the same time creating healthier, chemical-free environments for visitors to the facility.

Safer environments Cleaner floors are safer floors, and for many reasons. Cleaning without chemicals means safer cleaning procedures thus improving the work conditions for employees, while at the same time creating healthier, chemicalfree environments for visitors to the facility. Floors cleaned with Twister and water also provide increased slip resistance.

Lower environmental impact From 100 percent chemical-free daily cleaning and polishing to significantly reducing the need for consumables, Twister is a sustainable approach from every perspective. Better yet, switching to Twister instantly equals less waste

handling, less administration and fewer transport issues.

For daily cleaning, think green Always think green, of course, and no matter which colour Twister pad you will be using, you can be confident that the actual cleaning process is as green as

it can be. The green pads are for daily maintenance but there are also pads for anything from deep cleaning to floor restoration. In fact, depending on your needs, other pad colours are also available.

For more information visit: www.twisterpad.com

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feature waste management

Ground-breaking dispenser and hand towel recycling scheme Kimberly-Clark Professional UK has launched The RightCycle Programme for the recycling of old dispensers and used hand towels, thereby supporting UK businesses in their drive to meet zero-waste-to-landfill goals.

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ince its groundbreaking launch over ten years ago, the scheme has diverted over 1,500 tonnes of previously hard-to-recycle, nonhazardous PPE from landfill and incineration. This latest extension to the scheme gives businesses the opportunity to transform the way they dispose of old dispensers and used hand towels for a more sustainable washroom.

Almost three quarters (73%) of UK businesses say reducing the environmental impact of their hygiene products already guides their decisionmaking – a factor set to take on even more significance in the future.

As a global, market-leading company, Kimberly-Clark Professional is committed to helping its customers achieve their environmental aspirations, elevating workplaces with the highest sustainability standards.

In what is believed to be a world first, RightCycle offers both a dispenser installation and recycling service giving businesses a hasslefree way to be more sustainable and improve their washroom and wiping facilities.

Kimberly-Clark Professional expert fitters remove, collect and collate an organisation’s old dispensers – irrespective of who the manufacturer is – and install new, hygienic and sustainable dispensers. Working with its recycling partners, the dispenser components, including the plastic, cardboard and metal screws, are transformed into new raw materials for use in new products such as car parts and children’s toys – breathing new life into old dispensers and diverting waste from landfill.

Currently, the majority of used hand towels are just thrown away, now RightCycle offers a more responsible solution with no upfront investment or additional labour needed.

Organisations separate their used hand towels from their general waste at point of use. The Kimberly-Clark Professional recycle partner takes them to an aggregation site for compression and baling. The bales are then transported to mills where the fibres are recycled and used in the manufacture of new tissue products – giving hand towels a second life.

By keeping hand towels in the ‘circular economy’, RightCycle helps businesses

cut their entire waste footprint by up to 25 percent and increase their building’s recycling rate by up to 5 percent – supporting sustainability goals.

“We work with our customers to divert waste from landfill or incineration,” says James Hallam – global circularity manager, Kimberly-Clark Professional.

“The RightCycle Programme is designed to support organisations’ sustainability goals and help position them as a company committed to sustainability and their part towards zero waste. Customers can display their green credentials with a Certificate of Environmental Impact Achievement, detailing the difference they have made, (such as plastic weight diverted from landfill or total fibre recycled) this increases employee satisfaction knowing that they work for a company that cares.”

The RightCycle Programme for dispensers is open to UK organisations with more than 100 customer-owned dispensers of any category. To be eligible for the hand towel recycling, any UK organisation must be using – or happy to switch to – Kimberly-Clark Professional hand towels. For more information visit: www.kcprofessional.co.uk

How the Dispenser Recycling Programme Works

Fitter collates old dispensers.

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Dispensers are sent to recycling partner.

Plastic shredded into pellets, cardboard baled, metal screws reused or melted down.

Reuse: Raw materials back into production process and diverted from landfills.

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feature Interclean

Foremost show for cleaning professionals offered a jam-packed package

D

uring May the prominent Interclean Amsterdam exhibition opened its doors to the world of cleaning and hygiene for the first time since 2018 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and related restrictions across the world.

During this time a lot has changed around the globe. The cleaning industry has seen a dramatic increase in the rightful focus, respect and appreciation of its activities and a demand for cleanliness which also created a rapid pace for innovation in the sector. Following this prolonged period with the

inability to meet in person, this exhibition created a sense of anticipation and excitement amongst both exhibitors and visitors which was clearly evident on the faces of people in an environment where face coverings was not compulsory.

With more than 650 exhibitors from 40 countries, the exhibition presented multiple opportunities for cleaning professionals to meet face to face again as well as see and experience products and innovations. A packed exhibition programme over the four days added to the cleaning showcase experience.

Innovation Awards

As usual, the jury was tasked with evaluating a high number of diverse entries. Considering the past two years have been an extremely challenging period for the sector’s manufacturers, the jury was impressed that the focus was still on innovation and driving forward with new development.

The overall innovation winner award went to Essity for its Tork 99 percent biobased heavy-duty cleaning cloth made from PLA, a compostable bioplastic derived renewable, fast growing plant. With the development of this new cloth, Essity is aiming to reduce consumption, waste, pollution and emissions.

The category and overall winner of the Amsterdam Innovation Awards was announced on the first day following the official opening. The Amsterdam Innovation Awards reflect where the industry is currently – what its key drivers are, how it is meeting the greatest challenges, and what it is doing to secure a prosperous future. The four product categories for the awards are: • Sustainability and environment • Smart technologies and digitalisation • Workforce and ergonomics • Hygiene and health

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feature Interclean Other category awards included Workforce and Ergonomics which went to Arcora for its PU-PAD LIGHT floorpad. With so many flooring surfaces being used in buildings it is always a challenge for cleaners to know which pad to use for best results. The PUPAD is 100 percent environmentally friendly and can be used on any floor and on any cleaning machine brand.

Kärcher walked away with the Visitors’ Choice Award for its new BVL 5/1 BP backpack vacuum cleaner made from ultra-light, recyclable EPP material, designed to be robust, ergonomic and stable.

The jury commented further: “The past two years of the COVID-19 pandemic have clearly demonstrated the critical role of professional cleaning services to maintaining health and hygiene – the people and the products – and that will always be the case.”

Healthcare cleaning

Facilities management

Cleaning products and practices developed specially for the healthcare sector were showcased in the Healthcare Cleaning Lab for those visitors with an interest in this speciality cleaning segment. The lab featured a hospital setting where visitors were able to watch live demonstrations on, for example, specialised cleaning methods, guidelines, clothing regulations and hand hygiene. In addition, daily presentations and debates around a broad range of issues in the field of cleaning and disinfection were hosted. More specifically, on the penultimate day the topic ‘It’s all up in the Air’ that centred on the importance of clean air and what can be done to improve it, was debated.

The Facility Inspiration Event (FIE) informed and inspired facility managers with regard to the current challenges that exist in terms of the development of cleaning and facility strategies and procurement. Taking inspiration from the relevant innovations on show, it served as a platform to inspire facility managers to find the correct solutions to specific challenges. The two-day programme offered a variety of speakers on the themes of sustainability and chain co-operation, personnel and ergonomics as well as data-driven performance management.

Robot and cobots An important theme of the show this year was robotisation. The robot revolution in the cleaning sector is continuing thanks to the ever-increasing use of automated and autonomous cleaning machines within the industry. The show featured the latest trends such as cobots, whereby robots and humans work together to get jobs done as efficiently as possible. In the specifically designed Robot Arena, visitors were able to experience firsthand the benefits of using robots and cobots in order to create a more efficient cleaning strategy. In multiple areas of the exhibition floor a variety of exhibitors presented their innovations and interesting speakers on this theme included Professor Nicolas Vignas (Cleaning and ergonomics: analysing through on-body sensors, assisting through exoskeletons), David Abbink (Towards meaningful robotassisted work – connecting academic disciplines with employee experience and expertise) and Mike van Rijswijk (Look beyond what you are doing now!).

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feature Interclean Digitisation – opportunities and problems The industry is rapidly becoming more and more digitised. Managing the growing number of wireless capabilities is a line of work that has become increasingly important in the industry in recent years and therefore also in the spotlight at Interclean, with exhibitors presenting the latest software and management solutions in the Management & Mobility Solutions segment. Digitalisation formed the theme of a Hackathon where 10 teams gathered to demonstrate their capacity to solve problems. The challenge those teams will be taking up concerns the development of an application concept for cleaning staff, based on a real daily issue. Visitors were able to walk around the workstations, talk to the teams, monitor their progress and share opinions about their concepts.

Sustainable solutions Sustainability is a subject which cannot and must not be avoided as was evident in the broadly represented exhibitor displays. With this in mind, the show introduced a special Future-Friendly route which took visitors past all the innovative and sustainable products on display. In the Zero Waste Dome, visitors were able obtain more information about the crucial role of cleaners in terms of waste management, attend lectures and establish contacts with expert businesses in the field of waste separation and re-purposing.

SA Associations well represented Both the National Contract Cleaners Association (NCCA) and the Cleaning Association of South Africa (CASA) utilised the Amsterdam show as a platform to entertain South Africans visiting the show and to showcase South African industry bodies to visitors in general. On the first day, both associations hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony to officially open the stands followed by cocktail parties which were mostly attended by members. Adding to the status and formality of the events was the presence of Ms Olitha Lebelo, political counsellor at the South African Embassy in The Hague.

The main takeaway from the show is that the COVID-19 pandemic will continue to create new challenges which, in turn, require new ways of working across industries and demonstrate that even higher demands will continue. While working arrangements continue to develop and the competition increases, better working conditions that include healthy environments and the latest technology are an essential part of the new recruitment landscape. Ergonomic equipment, digitalisation, cobotic partnerships and exoskeleton support equipment now feature alongside more traditional methods of cleaning as part of a modern cleaning employment model.

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feature Interclean Healthcare cleaning forum The Healthcare Cleaning Forum took place on the third day of the show and this year celebrated its second appearance at Interclean. The focus of the one-day international conference was on cleaning and hygiene as part of infection prevention in hospitals and care institutions. A key factor that causes infections in healthcare settings is the insufficient application of standard precautions including procedures for routine cleaning and disinfection, especially in high-touch areas. The Forum was co-chaired by renowned professors Didier Pittet and Andreas Widmer and included interesting speeches on issues including the impact of COVID-19, cleaning and disinfection, (international) guidelines, sustainability, the importance of evidence-based interventions and new, innovative technology. The programme for this conference was

Diarise new dates

created in close cooperation with Clean Hospitals®. The Clean Hospitals initiative aims to raise the awareness of hospital hygiene by combining the collective strength of academia, industry, governmental bodies and key stakeholders.

12–14 October 2022

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facilities management review

Setting basic workplace cleaning standards and keeping to them A regular audit of your workplace cleaning measures could go a long way towards protecting your most important assets. Company owners and facility managers should consider the following when it comes to workplace cleaning.

“T

he implications of not having a proper cleaning plan in place can be far reaching.

It boils down to the protection of your capital layout as well as preserving the good reputation of your organisation,” says Malcolm Stephens, Divisional Executive Fidelity Cleaning Services.

“The potential financial loss suffered if your company has to halt operations because of a workplace injury or fatality could be devastating. It simply makes more sense to do the right thing and make sure your floor or office space is

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clean and safe for every employee.”

Stephens recommends that all facility managers or office managers conduct a proper inspection into the cleaning measures that are in place, so that any updates or changes can be implemented as soon as possible.

This inspection should focus on areas such as: • How rigorous is the cleaningschedule? Does it adequately prevent the build-up of dirt, grime and grit?

• What measures are in place that deal specifically with high-traffic areas, such as loading zones?

• If your cleaning is done inhouse, have you invested in suitable sweeping, scrubbing and vacuuming systems?

• It is also worth checking that they have been provided with the safest and most effective cleaning products that meet all the relevant and applicable health and safety standards in the industry you operate in.

facilities management review “Clutter is another aspect of workplace cleanliness that should not be neglected. Our advice to managers is to ensure that lesser used items are moved out of the way to a storage space, to prevent them from standing around in busy areas where it could become a safety risk.”

“If you are unsure about the measures you have applied at your workplace, my advice is to contact a reputable cleaning service provider to visit your building and conduct an assessment. It is ultimately in your company’s best interest to put the best possible standards in place and to continue adhering to them,” concludes Stephens.

Afroteq Academy wins SAFMA award for education in FM industry The South African Facilities Management Association (SAFMA) presented a special Recognition Award to Afroteq Academy for the significant contribution it makes to education in the South African facilities management industry.

S

peaking at SAFMA’s annual awards ceremony which was broadcast virtually, Director of Education John Samuel said SAFMA honours individuals, groups or corporates whose work stands head and shoulders above their peers in the advancement of facilities management.

Natasja Ware, Afroteq Academy Manager, was called upon to receive the award and was also given the honour of handing out the award certificates to their first cohort of graduates.

“Congratulations to all our graduates who received their QCTO Certificate of Competence for the NQF 6 Occupational Certificate: Facilities Management at the SAFMA graduation ceremony. We were humbled by your commitment and your passion. You committed two years of your life while working in a very difficult industry over a difficult time. We are extremely proud of your achievement!” Ware said. She thanked the hardworking

and dedicated group of graduates for helping to develop the programme and earn the NQF Level 6 qualification.

“Many others will follow in your footsteps, but you are the first. No one can ever change that on this achievement. Success will continue to build on your joint experiences. Each one of you has achieved a recognised level of knowledge,” Samuel confirmed.

“Afroteq Academy is very proud to have received SAFMA’s

Recognition Award this year as an acknowledgement of our efforts to enhance and grow the South African Facilities Management Industry. We will continue building and developing our training programmes, because we are passionate about seeing the growth of the facilities management industry and ensuring that our students are empowered to advance their careers and reach their maximum potential as they expand their industry knowledge,” Ware concluded.

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laundry review Sunscreen stains should not ruin your hotel’s reputation

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lthough sunscreen is a sun essential, it can take a toll on the appearance and lifespan of hotel linen, like towels and bedsheets.

There are several steps that hotels can take to limit the impact of sunscreen stains as well as that of other difficult-to-remove stains commonly found during the holiday season, including:

Use the right products and follow recommended wash processes Hotels should ensure they have the correct laundry products in stock and apply them properly following the correct wash procedures, while respecting the recommended pre- and main-wash temperatures, dosing of detergent, bleaches and boosters, pH control and other relevant wash parameters.

Specifically for guest clothes such as shirts, blouses and dresses, apply pre-spotters for tricky stains. To ensure linen emerges clean from the first wash, employees may have to apply dedicated pre-spotters for the removal of outdoor soils like sunscreen and grass stains or cosmetic stains to prevent these marks from setting on the linen and becoming more difficult to remove.

Use special reclaim products and procedures if necessary These products and steps should be used in cases where some stains were not fully removed from heavily soiled linen.

Hotels should understand that these special recovery wash processes tend to come with a much higher cost. Therefore, it is strongly recommended to follow the correct procedures the first time to save unnecessary future remedies.

Educate guests about the environmental impact of linen Hotels should communicate their sustainability goals related to laundry and explain how guests can support their efforts. For example, to support resource savings like water, energy and chemicals, the facility may ask guests to use dedicated makeup removal products to prevent stains on towels or sheets. The hotel can also request that guests avoid using towels for polishing shoes, as this is a common occurrence and one that complicates stain removal. No guest wants to be greeted with towels or bedsheets that are covered in lingering stains like those that originate from sunscreen products and cosmetics.

Stains not only negatively impact guest satisfaction, they can drive up the costs associated with a hotel’s laundry programme, reduce productivity and slow down the progress of a property’s environmental goals. With a greater knowledge around stubborn stains such as those from sunscreen products and by implementing a set of best practices, hotels can ensure they present guests with fresh, white linens at every occasion.

For more information about how Diversey can support your hotel’s laundry programme, visit the Fabric Care page at: www.diversey.com/ solutions/fabric-care

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African Cleaning Review May/June 2022

people and events Tork Dinner During the Interclean Amsterdam show, Tork hosted a dinner boat cruise for partners and guests on Amsterdam’s historic canals. It served as a marvelous opportunity for like-minded people from around the world to interact and share industry experiences and to get to know more about Tork and the management team. The boat crew served a sumptuous sit-down meal while revelers enjoyed entertainment by a roving musician and the Amsterdam scenery from water level for a completely different perspective of the city.

ISSA networking event During the Interclean Amsterdam exhibition ISSA, the worldwide cleaning association, hosted an exclusive networking function for members and key industry experts to meet and enjoy culinary delights prepared by a Michelin Star chef in the format of a walking dinner buffet at the Tobacco Theatre in the cultural main street of Amsterdam. ISSA members and guests were formally welcomed by ISSA EMEA Director Toni D’Andrea. Look out for some familiar faces seen at the event.

CLEANLINESS FOR HEALTH Celebrating 23 years since inception

Hygiene has never been more important than now!

The ever-increasing demand to meet international standards of cleanliness and hygiene in the workplace during a global pandemic, linked to the constant need to upgrade and improve cleaning systems and hygiene regimes across multiple industry sectors to facilitate a healthy environment for employees and customers, will endure. Therefore, Cleantex Africa remains the ultimate platform to source workplace hygiene solutions.

HYGIENE AND CLEANING SOLUTIONS EXHIBITION | JOHANNESBURG For more information email: nande@cleantex.co.za | www.cleantex.co.za

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people and events African tour to Amsterdam in a nutshell

The popular biennial African tour to Interclean Amsterdam returned this year after a four-year break due to the coronavirus pandemic. Led by SWB Sports’ Steve Braham, the group of 54 arrived in Amsterdam two days before the opening day which allowed them to settle down and find their way around the city. The day before the show commenced the tour group departed on a coach tour to the historic fishing town Volendam, best known for its colourful wooden houses and old fishing boats in the harbour. Here the group boarded a ferry for a slow cruise to the village Marken, a former island in the Markermeer. Nowadays the island is also reachable via a long causeway which led the group coach towards The Hague, the seat of the Netherlands government and the permanent home of the United Nation’s International Court of Justice, and further on to the Noordsee coast known for its endless sandy beaches, protective dykes and dunes.

Following the final show day, the African tour group concluded their visit to the Netherlands with a farewell Amsterdam dinner at the renowned floating three-story pagoda-style Chinese restaurant, Sea Palace. For more tour pictures and coverage of the customary Amsterdam canal evening cruise, please visit our social media platforms.

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African Cleaning Review May/June 2022

new products Concentrated tablets for powerful cleaning

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LEEN PURGATIS’ Multi Kleen Tabs Pro brings a new dimension to powerful and sustainable cleaning. The product offers high material compatibility and the correct level of performance and economy for daily cleaning routines.

The range including Severa multi-purpose cleaner, Purina kitchen cleaner and Sanivex sanitary cleaner offers targeted and material friendly maintenance cleaning for all areas.

Multi Kleen Tabs Pro tablets are easy to use, ready for use in a few minutes and can be prepared directly on site without dosing aids. It is an extremely safe and non-hazardous cleaning solution that safeguards cleaning staff and prevents dosing errors. It offers uncompromised cleaning based on an optimally coordinated combination of active ingredients that easily removes organic and mineral soiling without streaks or visible residues.

Simply drop a single Multi Kleen Tabs Pro tablet into the reusable 500 ml spray bottle filled with water and seal it.

The cleaning solution will be ready for use within about eight minutes as the tablet dissolves. Extensive staff training is not required and the product cuts costs for logistics and storage.

For more information about Multi Kleen Tab Pro visit: www.safic.co.za or email: doug@safic.co.za

new products Introducing the Professional Cordless Network

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t the recent Interclean Amsterdam exhibition, Numatic launched a new line of cordless models to its NX 300 Professional Cleaning Network. The range includes the 244NX compact floorcare machine, cordless vacuums, backpack vacuums and sanitising solutions, all powered by 36V fast charge, one-fits-all lithium battery technology. The NX300 Pro Cordless Network is said to deliver professional level performance to a versatile and expanding range.

Features: • Smart safe charge system with built-in battery status and health check safety system which monitors multiple parameters ensuring battery safety

• Maximum energy deployment delivers power from cell to machine with minimum power loss via highquality welded nickel power rails • Integrated heatsink casing quickly and effectively cools the pack in use • Integrated cooling system eliminates air pockets acting as an insulation transmitting heat directly out of the pack • The integrated handle allows for quick hot swap of batteries across the Pro Cordless Network Also on display was Numatic’s new Multimatic range of janitorial trolleys manufactured from recycled materials that offer a sustainable, versatile and cost-effective alternative.

For more information visit: www.numatic.co.za

Biobased heavy-duty cleaning cloth

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he Tork biobased, heavy-duty cleaning cloth from Essity is manufactured from 99 percent plant-based, sustainably sourced fibres.

It is said to assist in lowering the consumption of fossil-based materials.

The heavy-duty cloth is designed to wipe up oil, grease, and water spills. It cleans with the efficiency expected of traditional non-wovens and is suitable for industry and the food service sector.

The technology that is being used with this biobased cloth can now be used to expand the range and offer products in different formats to present greater flexibility. The compressed packaging makes for easier handling which is important to cleaning staff.

The environmental impact of the

packaging has not been forgotten as it is made from 100 percent recycled fibres and at least 30 percent recycled plastics. The Interclean Amsterdam Innovation Awards jury panel awarded the product overall status at this year’s exhibition. “Essity has identified key objectives among customers: the reduction of C02 emissions, the reduction of water consumption, reduction of waste generation, reduction of energy consumption and the use of certified products. It takes a life cycle assessment approach in the development of new products and seeks to reduce the carbon footprint” – Innovation Award Jury.

For more information visit: www.tork.co.za

Advertise in the primary African trade magazine for the commercial cleaning and hygiene sectors.

Reach your target market cost-effectively with a direct link to end-users, building service contractors, facility management and key institutional segments.

For more information regarding advertising / editorial / digital packages, email: nande@cleantex.co.za

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African Cleaning Review May/June 2022