October 2015

The pan-European magazine for the professional cleaning sector

OCTOBER 2015

BUSINESS

SPECIAL REPORT

UPDATE

Sustainable cleaning special focus Starts page 43

The future of the EU

Care of hard floors

Chemical solutions

Page 52

Page 25

Page 61

CONTENTS

October 2015 | Vol.23, No.5

COVER STORY

SPECIAL REPORTS

22 3M

25 The hardest of hard floors

A range of new products

Why can maintenance of hard floors be so challenging?

BUSINESS 52 The EU - will the UK stay or go?

Hartley Milner looks ahead to the UK referendum set to take place as early as 2016.

37 The truth about safety floors Cleaning safety floors requires no expensive products or secret formulas.

40 Transforming cultures How the cleaning sector is embracing diversity and inclusion policies.

43 Sustainability - true meaning 03 News

How is the term ‘sustainability’ now being interpreted by business?

57 Vital to hygiene

14 European reports

How washrooms dispensers can help to promote good hygiene.

61 A chemical change

64 New product review

Criterion Publishing Ltd PO Box 299, Chesham, Buckinghamshire HP5 1FP UK T +44 (0)1494 791222 F +44 (0)1494 792223 info@europeancleaningjournal.com www. europeancleaningjournal.com Subscriptions UK - £60 / Continental Europe - £70 / International - £80

Cleaning chemicals are changing in the face of legislative change.

Editor Michelle Marshall Features Writer Ann Laffeaty Advertisement Director Chris Godman Advertisement Sales Carole Dawson Circulation Marie Payne

Italy, Spain & Switzerland Fabio Potesta Mediapoint & Communications Corte Lambruschini, Corso Buenos Aires, 8 V0 Piano, Interno 7 16129 Genova, Italy T +39 010 570 4948 F +39 010 553 0088 info@mediapointsrl.it www. mediapointsrl.it

European Cleaning Journal is published six times a year by Criterion Publishing Ltd. Although every effort is made to ensure the accuracy and reliability of material published in European Cleaning, Criterion Publishing Ltd and its agents can accept no responsibility for the varacity of claims made by contributors, manufacturers or advertisers. Copyright for all material published in European Cleaning remains with Criterion Publishing Ltd and its agents.

Germany Reinhard Knittler Knittler Medien, Mittlerer Hubweg 5, D-72227 Egenhausen, Germany T +49 7453/9385 787 F +49 7453/9385 797 info@knittler.de www.knittler.de ISSN 0968-901X ©Criterion Publishing 2015

NEWS & EVENTS

Latest News & Events from ECJ

Hand washing really does reduce infection, trial scheme finds

Register now for your free monthly email newsletter from ECJ. Remember to bookmark the ECJ website and don’t miss our regular blogs - including Dr Ilham Kadri from Diversey Care, Rob den Hertog of Amsterdam RAI, Mike Sullivan of GOJO, EUnited’s Markus Asch and Vectair’s Paul Wonnacott www.europeancleaningjournal.com

EVENTS

A three-year study into the effects of hand washing on reducing illnesses has proved that the practice really does work.

The study, which involved 20,000 adults, is the first large-scale randomised test to confirm that increased hand washing leads to lower rates of infection. It looked at the impact of hand washing on rates of acute respiratory, influenza-type and gastrointestinal illnesses.

“Until this trial it wasn’t really clear whether hand washing really did work,” said lead researcher Paul Little, professor of primary care research at the University of Southampton in the UK. “But we now know that this is the case.”

During the trial a group of adults were given access to online materials asking them about their hand washing practices and providing education on the spread of germs and viruses. It also gave

out information about the most important times to wash the hands. This group saw a 15 to 25 per cent reduction in infections compared with the control group.

Fewer GP visits The trial also revealed that the people who had seen the hand washing reminders reported 10 per cent fewer visits to their GPs, indicating that a similar scheme made available to the wider public could reduce the burden on the NHS. This group also required fewer antibiotic prescriptions, which Little claimed to be significant in the light of current attempts to reduce antibiotic use. And the study suggested that online campaigns to encourage hand washing could be useful in the event of a pandemic since the internet is the first place people turn at the onset of an outbreak.

Au terme d’une étude de trois ans sur les liens entre le lavage des mains et la réduction des maladies, il a été constaté que la pratique donne vraiment des résultats.

October 20-22

May 10-13 2016

Clean Expo Moscow

ISSA/Interclean Amsterdam

Moscow, Russia www.cleanexpo-moscow.ru

Amsterdam, Netherlands www.issainterclean.com

October 20-23

May 19-20 2016

ISSA/Interclean North America

Clean NZ

Las Vegas, USA www.issainterclean.com

Auckland, New Zealand www.cleannzexpo.co.nz

October 27-29

September 7-9 2016

Hygienalia+Pulire

ISSA/Interclean Istanbul

Madrid, Spain www.hygienalia-pulire.com

Istanbul, Turkey www.issainterclean.com

November 2-4

October 25-28 2016

Clean Middle East Pulire

ISSA/Interclean North America

Dubai, UAE www.cmepexpo.com

Chicago, USA www.issainterclean.com

November 25-27

March 14-16 2017

Clean Expo Japan/Toilet Tokyo

The Cleaning Show

Tokyo, Japan www.jma.or.jp/clean/en

London, UK www.cleaningshow.co.uk

January 17-23 2016

September 11-14 2017

Cleaning Technology Week

ISSA/Interclean North America

Mumbai, India www.ctwindia.com

Las Vegas, USA www.issainterclean.com

January 21-23 2016

September 19-22 2017

Clean India Pulire

CMS

Mumbai, India www.cleanindiapulire.com

Berlin, Germany www.cms-berlin.com

April 4-7 2016

October 2-5 2018

WFBSC World Congress

ISSA/Interclean North America

Tokyo, Japan www.wfbsc.org/world-congress

Orlando, USA www.issainterclean.com

To have your event included in Events, contact ECJ via email at: michelle@europeancleaningjournal.com

Eine dreijährige Studie zur Wirkung des Händewaschens auf die Reduzierung von Krankheiten hat bewiesen, dass diese Praxis tatsächlich funktioniert.

Uno studio durato tre anni sugli effetti che il lavaggio delle mani ha nel ridurre le malattie, ha dimostrato che questa pratica funziona veramente.

October 2015 | ECJ | 3

NEWS CMS German cleaning show sees growth in visitor numbers More than 17,000 cleaning professionals from 66 countries were in Berlin at the end of September for the CMS exhibition - the most ever.

This year’s event was also host to 377 exhibitors from 22 countries, with the second International CMS Congress taking place alongside the show.

Dr Christian Göke, ceo of Messe Berlin which organised the show said: “The exhibition underlined its role as Europe’s leading event for this sector in 2015.

The International CMS Congress, which was attended by senior executives representing the global cleaning industry, has now firmly established itself alongside the fair.”

A number of industry

associations sponsored CMS: the Federal Cleaning Trades Association (BIV), the Cleaning Systems Trade Association (VDMA) and the Industrial Association for Hygiene and Surface Protection (IHO).

Thomas Dietrich, chairman of the BIV commented: “The exhibition, congress and supporting programme offered numerous highlights and were outstanding both in terms of their professionalism and their international participants.”

start visitors thronged to this event, and the decision-makers were of the highest standing,” he said. “Consequently the technical discussions that were held were of an excellent quality.”

The next CMS takes place from September 19-22 2017 at the Berlin Exhibition Grounds (Berlin ExpoCenter Airport). It will be held in conjunction with the World Congress of the World Federation of Building Service Contractors (WFBSC). www.cms-berlin.de

Valuable impetus Meanwhile Markus Asch, chairman of the VDMA was also positive. He said: “The contacts we made with visitors from all over the world were of a very high quality and we were able to

Le salon allemand de la propreté CMS, qui s’est tenu à Berlin le mois dernier, a attiré 17 000 visiteurs provenant de 66 pays.

October 2015 | ECJ | 4

engage in an intensive exchange of ideas and experiences.

“The congress gave a valuable impetus to our industry, which we will be pursuing. The fair represented an important step in our combined efforts to address our overall objectives, with the aim of ensuring that our customers continue to keenly embrace our solutions in all areas of building cleaning.”

Werner Schulze is divisional chairman and member of the board at IHO. “Right from the

Register now for your free monthly email newsletter from ECJ. Simply send your email address to michelle@ europeancleaningjournal.com

Die Internationale Fachmesse für Reinigungssysteme, Gebäudemanagement und Dienstleistungen CMS fand letzten Monat in Berlin statt und lockte 17.000 Besucher aus 66 Ländern an.

L’esibizione tedesca del cleaning CMS si è tenuta a Berlino il mese scorso ed ha attratto 17.000 visitatori provenienti da 66 nazioni.

NEWS University pioneers new device for cleaning medical instruments A device that is said to be able to effectively clean surgical instruments using cold water alone has been pioneered at the UK’s University of Southampton.

StarStream uses a combination of ultrasound and bubbles to ‘scrub’ the surface of instruments.

Manufactured by Ultrawave, StarStream supplies a gentle stream of water via a nozzle that generates the ultrasound and bubbles. This is said to dramatically improve the cleaning power of water while reducing the need for additives or heating agents.

According to professor Tim Leighton of Southampton University: “In the absence of sufficient cleaning of medical instruments, contamination and

infection can result in serious consequences for the health sector and remains a significant challenge. Our highly effective cleaning device has the potential to meet this challenge and transform the sector.”

Biological contamination Cleaning surgical instruments between patients is critical in order to avoid the transmission of agents that could lead to conditions such as CreutzfeldtJakob Disease, say experts.

When tested by scientists, StarStream was found to be capable of removing biological contamination including brain tissue from surgical steel. It was also able to remove bacterial biofilms that typically cause dental disease.

Un appareil capable de nettoyer des instruments chirurgicaux par le seul usage de l’eau froide a été mis au point dans une université britannique.

Soft tissue And it was also effective at removing soft tissue from bones, which is a requirement prior to transplants in order to prevent rejection of the transplanted material by the recipient’s immune system.

Ein Gerät, das laut eigenen Angaben chirurgische Instrumente ausschließlich mit kaltem Wasser reinigt, wurde von einer britischen Universität entwickelt.

The developers add that other advantages of StarStream include the fact that it consumes little power; it uses less water than conventional cleaning systems and it reduces the need for rinsing since it rinses as it cleans.

Una università del Regno Unito ha fatto da pioniera per un dispositivo che si afferma che pulisca gli strumenti chirurgici utilizzando solamente acqua fredda.

NEWS The dirtiest part of a plane? It’s right in front of you...

What do you believe to be the dirtiest part of a plane? And no, it’s not the toilet. Actually an evaluation of germs per square inch on different surfaces in airports and on planes found that the average tray table harbours nearly 20 times more bacteria than the aircraft toilet flush.

Travel website Travelmath. com sent a microbiologist to take samples from five different

airports and four flights to establish which is the grubbiest part of a plane.

The results showed that behind the tray table were 2,155 germ colony-forming units per square inch (CFU/sq.in), while drinking fountain buttons in airports were found to have 1,240 CFU/sq.in, followed by the dial to control the overhead air vents above your seat, which had 285 CFU/sq.in. The buckle

of a seat belt was found to have 230 CFU/sq.in, while the bathroom locks in an airport were relatively clean, with just 70 CFU/sq.in. The study did not disclose which flights or airports were tested.

To put the cleanliness of planes into perspective, the American National Science Foundation says that kitchen counters have 361 CDU/sq.in, toilet seats at home 172 CFU/sq.in and mobile phones 27 CFU/sq.in.

Direct transmission All 26 samples from the aircraft and airports used in this study tested negative for the presence of harmful faecal coliforms such as E. coli, Travelmath.com pointed out. A spokesperson for the experiment said: “Surprisingly, it is the one surface that our food rests on - the tray table that was the dirtiest of all

the locations and the surfaces tested.

“Since this could provide bacteria direct transmission to your mouth, a clear takeaway from this is to eliminate any direct contact your food has with the tray table.”

The study called for increased efficiency in boarding procedures to allow more time for cabin crew to clean the plane properly, including the tray tables, which it claimed are only cleaned at the end of the day due to time pressures brought on by tight flight schedules.

The latest report is not the first time the cleanliness of aircraft has been questioned. A study by Auburn University in Alabama last year found that diseasecausing bacteria can survive for up to a week inside plane cabins, on surfaces such as seat pockets, tray tables, window shades and arm rests.

Hand washing lessons needed

ISSA women’s network open

Schoolchildren should be taught how to wash their hands properly in order to tackle the growing threat of drug-resistant bacteria, say UK health officials.

Draft National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) guidelines for England recommend teachers demonstrate the correct use of soap and water to students.

The guidelines come as a response to fears that unless action is taken, treatmentresistant bacteria could kill more people than currently die from cancer by 2050.

“Children - and adults for that matter - should always wash their hands after using the toilet, before eating, before touching the eyes or mouth, and after handling animals,” claim

Cleaning industry association ISSA is inviting members to its new ISSA Hygieia Network - a women’s forum with the mission of advancing and retaining female professionals in all sectors and at all levels of the global cleaning community.

Named after the Greek goddess of cleaning and hygiene, this worldwide forum aims to provide its members with ongoing education, networking opportunities, professional development and industry recognition. In addition to leadership development for managers and executives the education agenda will help to address frontline worker challenges such as literacy levels, training for certification, and on-the-job practice.

the guidelines.

According to NICE, an effective hand washing technique involves three stages: preparation, washing and rinsing, then drying. The regime should begin with application of tepid running water to the hands followed by a coating of soap.

The hands should then be rubbed vigorously together for 10-15 seconds with particular attention being paid to the fingers, thumbs and the areas between the fingers. After this the hands should be rinsed thoroughly and dried with good quality paper towels.

NICE recently published guidance estimating as many as 10 million prescriptions for antibiotics in England are given out unnecessarily every year.

• Dans un avion, ce n’est pas aux toilettes mais sur les tablettes repliables que les salissures sont les plus nombreuses, indiquent de récentes études.

• On devrait apprendre aux écoliers à se laver les mains correctement pour affronter la menace due aux souches de bactéries résistantes, ont déclaré des responsables de la santé au Royaume-Uni. • L’association de la propreté ISSA a ouvert l’adhésion à son forum de femmes Hygieia Network.

October 2015 | ECJ | 6

• Der schmutzigste Teil eines Flugzeugs ist nicht die Toilette, sondern der Klapptisch. Dies geht aus einer neuen Studie hervor.

• Vertreter des britischen Gesundheitswesens sind der Meinung, dass Schulkindern richtiges Händewaschen beigebracht werden sollte, um der Bedrohung durch arzneimittelresistente Bakterien entgegenzuwirken.

• Der Reinigungsverband ISSA hat die Mitgliedschaft zum Frauenforum Hygieia Network zugänglich gemacht.

“Let us never forget that in the cleaning industry, as in every walk of life, women’s rights are human rights,” says ISSA executive director John Barrett.

“Gender equality and the empowerment of women are essential to our sustainable future.”

Since its creation in November 2104 an advisory council chaired by Dr Ilham Kadri, president of Diversey Care, has been developing the forum’s framework, which includes an awards programme. “Since joining this industry,” she commented, “I continue to witness amazing commitment and expertise from many individuals that deserves to be given wider visibility and praise.” www.issa.com/hygieia

• Le parti più sporche di un aereo non sono le toilette, bensì i tavolinetti, a quanto emerge da una ricerca recente.

• Bisognerebbe insegnare ai bambini in età scolare a lavare bene le mani per combattere e prevenire i rischi causati da batteri resistenti ai farmaci, come affermano i funzionari della sanità del Regno Unito.

• L’associazione del cleaning ISSA ha aperto le adesioni al suo forum per le donne Hygieia Network.

CRO8055

e in Grea tB Mad rit a in

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The CRO will go into places where bigger machines are not suitable and anything smaller is just too small.

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Brush diameter

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CRO8055

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NEWS Healthcare workers miss key areas when using hand sanitisers More than half of healthcare workers commonly miss key areas of their hands when applying hand sanitiser, a new study has found.

Researchers discovered that fewer than 40 per cent of clinicians apply sanitiser to their thumbs. The fingertips and backs of hands were also among the top three most frequentlymissed areas.

The team of researchers in Extremadura, Spain assessed 705 health workers during their regular shifts and asked them to use an alcohol-based hand sanitiser mixed with a fluorescent marker. Workers’ hands were then viewed under a UV lamp to show where the

hand sanitiser had been rubbed.

The study revealed that only 37.45 per cent of clinicians completely covered the area around their thumbs while just 44.54 per cent managed to sanitise all of their fingertips.

The backs of the hands were also frequently missed with only 46.38 per cent of the subjects completely covering this area.

Real conditions More vigilance was shown when sanitising between the fingers and palms with nearly 99 per cent of clinicians completely covering their palms with the sanitiser while three-quarters of subjects thoroughly covered the area between the fingers.

The aim of the study was

En se lavant les mains, plus de la moitié des travailleurs de la santé négligent d’appliquer du désinfectant à des parties essentielles de leurs mains, a constaté une nouvelle étude.

to reveal the hand hygiene techniques of healthcare workers in real conditions. The subjects had been exposed to World Health Organisation protocols but none had received

Mehr als die Hälfte der Beschäftigten des Gesundheitswesens lassen bei der Verwendung von Händedesinfektionsmitteln in der Regel wichtige Bereiche ihrer Hände aus, lautet das Ergebnis einer neuen Studie.

specific hand hygiene education or training.

The study showed that a mere 67 of the 705 participants - or 9.5 per cent - applied sanitiser to all areas of both hands correctly.

Da un nuovo studio emerge che più della metà dei lavoratori del settore sanitario di solito non applicano uniformemente il sanitizzante specifico per le mani.

October 2015 | ECJ | 9

NEWS Office workers give germs the elbow, says survey Purus winners Two in five office workers have used another part of their body to exit the toilets at work to avoid getting germs from colleagues on their hands, according to a survey commissioned by Kimberly– Clark Professional.

The findings from the research, which was conducted among 303 office workers across England, revealed that most people who use another body part to open the toilet door at work used their elbows (57 per cent), while using a single finger or a foot (both 29 per cent) were equally the second most used methods. Other respondents admitted using their bottoms, shoulders and knees.

Germ concern The results reflect the fact that many office workers suspect their colleagues don’t wash their hands after using the toilet. In total, 56 per cent of respondents said they worried this was the case, and 72 per cent believed that if their colleagues didn’t wash their hands routinely at work, it could cause them harm.

In addition, when asked where they thought germs were most likely to lurk in the workplace, 78 per cent cited the office toilets, with 69 per cent mentioning

toilet door handles.

Suzanne Halley, segment marketing manager at KimberlyClark Professional said: “Our research shows the presence of germs in the workplace is a significant concern for office workers, and that many go to great lengths to avoid getting harmful bacteria on their hands. Fortunately there are some straightforward steps companies can take to create an environment in which people will be focusing on

• Sur cinq employés de bureaux, il y en a deux qui, en quittant les toilettes, n’utilisent pas leurs mains pour ouvrir la porte afin de les protéger contre les microbes, indique une enquête.

• Les distinctions Purus pour la conception de produit ont été décernées à l’occasion du récent salon CMS de Berlin. Elles ont été gagnées par Nilfisk, Vileda, SCA et Kärcher.

October 2015 | ECJ | 10

business rather than the risk of catching illnesses.”

She concluded: “Businesses that respond to employees’ concerns about germs and washroom standards, and implement the types of measures needed including educating staff on hand hygiene and providing the right hygiene products for people to use, will be rewarded with a happier, more engaged and more productive workforce.” www.kcprofessional.com

• Eine Umfrage hat ergeben, dass 40 Prozent aller Büroangestellten haben einen anderen Körperteil als ihre Hände benutzt haben, um die Toilette am Arbeitsplatz zu verlassen und so die Übertragung von Keimen auf die Hände zu vermeiden.

• Im Rahmen der vor kurzem in Berlin veranstalteten CMS wurden die Purus Awards für Produktdesign verliehen. Die Gewinner waren Nilfisk, Vileda, SCA und Kärcher.

The opening day of the recent CMS cleaning exhibition in Berlin saw the presentation of the Purus Awards for product design. Awards were made in four categories.

In Machinery the winner was the VP600 vacuum cleaner from Nilfisk, thanks to its automatic cable winder, light weight and ease with which various elements can be replaced.

The UltraSpeed Pro wet flat mopping system from Vileda Professional was the winner in the Equipment category for its intuitive, user-friendly operation.

In Washroom Hygiene the judges awarded the prize to SCA for its Tork Image Design line of dispensers because of its understated look and functional styling.

Product design Finally, in Brand Communication the award went to Kärcher for its restorative cleaning of Aachen cathedral.

The judges complemented the company on using its core competence - the product itself - in its marketing.

No award was made in the Management Systems and Software category. www.cms-berlin.de

• Secondo quanto emerge da un sondaggio, due impiegati su cinque usano un’altra parte del corpo per uscire dalle toilette del luogo di lavoro per evitare che le mani vengano a contatto con i germi.

• I premi Purus Awards per il design del prodotto sono stati conferiti durante la recente esibizione CMS tenutasi a Berlino. I vincitori sono: la Nilfisk, la Vileda, la SCA e la Kärcher.

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NEWS EXTRA New public toilet concept brings premium international washrooms Four years ago, a premium toilet shop named 2theloo opened its doors in Amsterdam.

Since then the concept has taken off and there are now 200 branches worldwide. Jamie Wright from Tork manufacturer SCA – the chain’s strategic partner – uncovers the story.

Most people have experienced the inconvenience of needing a washroom in a public place and being unable to find one.

When this occurs you are faced with a dilemma. Should you sneak into the toilet of a bar or café while the staff are looking the other way? Or should you order an unwanted drink to provide you with a legitimate excuse to use the facilities?

Then there is the third option: you seek out a public toilet.

In many cases this is easier said than done. There are significant costs involved in maintaining council-run toilets and many budgets will not run to attendants’ salaries, cleaning bills and supplies. So public facilities everywhere are becoming few and far between and those that remain open are often poorly maintained.

In 2009 two men from the Netherlands resolved to do something about this situation.

The story begins when Eric Treurniet from Amsterdam went shopping with his young family in Bruges, Belgium and was unable to find a toilet where he could take his young daughter.

Treurniet, a former sports marketer, came up with the idea for a chain of premium toilets.

These would be spotlessly clean and attendants would be on hand at all times. Family rooms would be available for both male and female washroom users and each facility would have its own integral shop and maybe even a coffee corner.

And while a small entrance fee would be levied, this would be redeemable against the cost of a coffee or any other purchase

made in the affiliated store.

Treurniet teamed up with Almar Holtz and the two men worked on the concept together.

Holtz, now 40, was employed by Disney at the time where he was responsible for merchandising and film rights in Eastern Europe and Africa.

“When Eric told me about his idea we stayed in contact to discuss the concept and exchange ideas,” said Holtz.

“After three months we agreed on a plan. I was living in South Africa at the time but I decided to quit my job and invest all my time in 2theloo.”

Amsterdam first venue Both men were completely committed to their premium toilet concept. “Our chemistry after the first few months was fantastic and we complemented each other brilliantly,” said Holtz.

They agreed Amsterdam’s Kalverstraat should be their first venue. “We’re both from Amsterdam and it is the busiest street in the Netherlands,” said Holtz. “Our first 2theloo opened in February 2011 and this was followed by Amstelveen, Rotterdam and Antwerp.”

Since then the concept has been so successful there are now around 200 stores in 15 countries. Besides being present in shopping centres, 2theloo toilet stores have also opened in railway and petrol stations with petroleum company Shell as a global partner.

SCA is a strategic partner of 2theloo and all 2theloo toilet stores are equipped with Tork soap, hand towels, toilet tissue and bins.

“The success of the venture left us stunned,” said Holtz.

Tragically, Eric Treurniet died in a car accident in February 2014 at the age of 44. “Eric had become my best friend and he was strategically the best marketer I’ve ever known,” Holtz adds.

“I never thought twice about quitting, but Eric’s accident did

Il y a quatre an, un magasin sélect d’articles pour toilettes ouvrait ses portes à Amsterdam sous la dénomination « 2theloo ». Ce concept a réussi au point de donner lieu aujourd’hui à quelque 200 succursales à travers le monde.

ECJ se penche de plus près sur ce succès.

change me. The two of us had a fully booked agenda but now I was managing two jobs at once.”

This summer saw the opening of the first 2theloo in the UK. Holtz attended the opening at London’s Covent Garden Market complex and dedicated the store to his late partner who had particularly wanted to break into the UK market.

Visitors to the shop enter via a turnstile and pay at a machine that gives change and that also accepts euro coins. Each visitor receives a discount voucher of the same value which can be redeemed against purchases in the toilet shop.

Items on sale include hand sanitisers, bottled water and energy drinks along with other essential items.

The Covent Garden 2theloo has parent and child rooms for both men and women. The cubicles have been quirkily decorated to reflect their surroundings: for example, one cubicle in the ladies incorporates a visual of Covent Garden market while another has been decorated with flowers and butterflies.

Reasonable fee The fee to use the Covent Garden toilet store is 70p – a relatively low charge when compared with other public washrooms in central London.

“People in the UK are already willing to pay 50p for toilets in railway stations where they receive a very standard service,” points out Holtz.

The chain is growing from strength to strength. According to Holtz there are four 2theloo toilet stores opening each week and by the end of 2015 more than 100 million people will have visited a 2theloo facility.

2theloos will soon be opening in South Africa and Malaysia and there are other 2theloo toilet stores on the cards for the UK. 2theloo marketing manager Marielle Romeijn says the company has high expectations

Vor vier Jahren wurde in Amsterdam ein gehobenes Toilettengeschäft unter dem Namen 2theloo eröffnet.

Das Konzept fand großartigen Anklang, und inzwischen gibt es 200 Zweigstellen weltweit. Das ECJ betrachtet die Geschichte genauer.

of the UK. “Normally when we open a site in a country, several more follow quickly,” she said.

“We don’t have a specific target group: everyone is our customer because everyone needs to go to the toilet.”

She claims that the company has ambitions to become bigger than Starbucks. “Every detail has been thought through and our success lies in that,” she said.

“People appreciate the concept because it provides a pleasant experience while also being fun.”

Washroom visitors are welcomed by one of a team of uniformed 2theloo ‘hosts’ who clean the toilets after each use. In Spain and Portugal the 2theloo concept has been sold to franchisees and an accelerated roll-out is expected in shopping precincts with a total of more than 10 million visitors a year.

“We also expect to break into the US market pretty soon,” said Holtz. “We have sites earmarked in shopping malls in Miami, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Philadelphia.”

He says the 2theloo concept is very much a joint effort. “The most important ingredient of 2theloo is human capital. The people who work in our stores are my heroes,” he said. “Our mission is to make the most of your toilet break wherever you are.”

Quattro anni fa, un negozio di WC di alta qualità chiamato 2theloo ha aperto le sue porta ad Amsterdam. Da allora il concetto ha preso piede e oggi ci sono 200 filiali in tutto il mondo. ECJ ne esamina da vicino la storia.

October 2015 | ECJ | 13

UPDATE: NORWAY Night cleaners deficient in vitamin D Does a vitamin D deficiency detected among evening and night shift cleaners in Norway give cause for concern? ECJ reporter Lotte Printz investigates.

Cleaners in Norway working night and evening shifts for facilities services company ISS may receive a special kind of supplement soon.

Unfortunately – you could say – this supplement does not come in cool cash. On the positive side of things, the supplement in question may well have an important impact on the health of the people in this employee group where vitamin D deficiency has proved to be particularly prevalent.

Seven out of 10 employees turned out to be vitamin D deficient when ISS Norway carried out health checks among just over 100 of its night and evening shift cleaners. A number somewhat higher than expected and certainly a higher percentage than in the population as a whole where a little under one-third is vitamin D deficient.

Over time low levels of vitamin D could cause chronic illnesses such as cardiovascular disease.

Less daylight Known as the sunshine vitamin, vitamin D is produced when your skin is being exposed to sunlight, the natural explanation of this deficiency hitting people working nights harder may be that they work when it’s dark and have to sleep during the day. Add to this that the hours of daylight are even shorter during autumn and winter in countries like Norway.

Vitamin D deficiency is an unknown phenomenon in African and Middle Eastern countries, for instance. Besides, darker skin needs more sun to produce vitamin D, and as ISS Norway employs people from Notre correspondante en Scandinavie, Lotte Printz, rend compte du déficit de vitamine D qui a été détecté chez des nettoyeurs d’équipe de nuit et du soir en Norvège.

October 2015 | ECJ | 14

120 nationalities this may add to the problem.

Generally speaking, people working night and evening shifts also tend to eat a less nutritious and varied diet than employees working days, Beate Furulund, health and safety manager of ISS Norway adds.

Speaking to the Norwegian industrial cleaning magazine Renholdsnytt she says that in addition to offering regular health checks to its staff, providing information is important.

To begin with, the Norwegian facilities services company is planning to distribute information leaflets about the need for getting sufficient vitamin D, but handing out vitamin supplements to the staff could be the next step.

A healthy and varied diet with lots of liver and oily fish (eg, salmon, trout and herring) does not work wonders on its own. “It’s hard to gain the same effect from food than from one tablespoon of cod liver oil, for example, or five to 10 minutes sun exposure to hands and face daily,” explains industrial medical officer Ina Christoffersen from Unicare to Renholdsnytt.

So Scandinavian and northern European residents alike: It’s time for you to start taking your supplements!

ISS in the neighbouring countries of Sweden and Denmark has not carried out similar studies or paid special attention to the issue.

However Anne Anker, press officer at ISS Denmark, confirmed to ECJ that its 700 employees working nights are offered a special health check every three years. So far, no similar vitamin D deficiency problems have been identified.

Die ECJKorrespondentin für Skandinavien Lotte Printz berichtet über einen Mangel an Vitamin D, der in Norwegen beim Reinigungspersonal der Abend- und Nachtschicht festgestellt wurde.

La corrispondente scandinava Lotte Printz ci informa che in Norvegia è stata rilevata una carenza di vitamina D fra gli addetti delle pulizie che lavorano nei turni di sera e di notte.

UPDATE: UK Recognising excellence ECJ UK correspondent Lynn Webster gives a round of applause for awards organisers and the winners.

Pass a parade of shops or shopping mall, trawl the internet or open a magazine and what do we see? Logos and banners that herald awards won and achievements gained. Whether it’s a sign proclaiming, ‘fish and chip shop of the year’, or ‘the prettiest roundabout in Yorkshire’, awards are all around.

The nature of awards can lead to them being treated dismissively with little consideration. Awards in every industry can become activities that happen at certain times of year, usually involving a celebration lunch or dinner, with a number of forms to fill in. But it is useful to stop and take stock of what awards stand for, and what they can mean to winners; individual and corporate and the wider arena in which we operate.

Awards are a means of offering praise, regardless of what the award itself is for. Awards may result in a physical memento of achievement: whether as a logo to use in publicity and client-facing materials, a certificate to hang on the wall, a beautiful (or possibly not so beautiful) trophy to place with pride in the head office reception (or to hide in the back of a cleaning cupboard), or a voucher for a treat or purchase. PR and communications consultants love awards for their multitude of tangible marketing and ‘shout out’ possibilities. Awards praise winners and of course most people like to win, and to be associated with winners.

Awards recognise the achievement and maintenance of high standards, both for an organisation and the individual. Where these standards are industryrecognised the value to the business can be quantifiable. Organisations that achieve awards for commitment, for improving staff performance through improved Alors que la saison de la remise de distinctions se met en route dans le secteur britannique de la propreté, Lynn Webster, correspondante d’ECJ, en analyse la valeur pour les lauréats.

and revised training schemes demonstrate investment in the human resource. Awards relating to improved and excellent environmental practices demonstrate a commitment to and investment in the future. Innovation is essential in the cleaning industry and awards for innovation proclaim an industry moving forward.

Delighting in the accolade that an award nomination or a finalist place gives can become a deflating blow when the results are announced. So let’s not forget the benefit of being an Oscar nominee and what that does for the actor or actress in negotiations for their next film. There is great achievement in reaching the podium even if only as a runner-up.

In every instance the winning of an award is a declaration of excellence to existing and potential clients, to stakeholders, staff and competitors. At the same time consider that such a declaration of excellence can be seen as a challenge, one that drives the industry forward, to the benefit of all, long into the future. And of course let’s not lose sight of the value of awards to the individual winner.

When a manager proposes an individual for an award this is a public acknowledgement of achievement. Such a powerful form of praise and feedback can have positive ripple effects across the organisation.

Awards badge achievement and highlight organisational and individual excellence. Awards are essential for the cleaning industry in that every award focuses the spotlight on an industry continually striving to be exceptional so congratulations to all those who have not only been winners but nominated finalists too in most significantly the BICSc Annual Awards and the biennial Golden Service Awards.

In der britischen Reinigungsbranche bricht die Zeit der Preisverleihungen an, und ECJ-Korrespondentin Lynn Webster analysiert ihren Wert für die Empfänger.

Mentre la stagione dei riconoscimenti per il settore del cleaning britannico si avvicina, la corrispondente di ECJ Lynn Webster analizza il loro valore per i vincitori.

October 2015 | ECJ | 15

UPDATE: FRANCE New business opportunities ECJ’s French reporter Christian Bouzols on a new service for members of the federation of cleaning companies in the area of waste handling.

The federation of cleaning companies (FEP) in France will soon be providing its members with tools and materials to help them prepare tenders for the supply of services for the reduction, the separation and the pre-collection on non-paper waste. This support will be made available from early 2016.

Cleaning companies are involved daily in helping their customers from every sector of the economy in maintaining healthy conditions at work and in improving the inside environment of their buildings. This type of work puts them in a prime position to respond to the issues of sustainable development.

Through their daily involvement with their customers, cleaning companies are a driving force in promoting and achieving improvements in the management of office and other waste.

Well aware of the issues at stake and of its duty to support sustainable development, the FEP has signed, three years ago already, a voluntary agreement with the Ministry of the Environment, Sustainable Development and Energy and other key players engaged in the collection and recycling of waste paper.

Under this agreement, the parties committed to collecting 200,000 additional tonnes of office paper by 2015, contributing thereby to the development of a French industry for the recycling and utilisation of paper waste.

But beyond paper waste, the La Fédération des entreprises de propreté en France mettra à la disposition de ses membres les moyens de soumissionner pour des services de prévention, de tri et de précollection de déchets tertiaires. Christian Bouzols explique cette évolution.

October 2015 | ECJ | 16

agreement also highlighted the role of cleaning companies in the separation and pre-collection of the non-paper waste generated by their corporate clients, examples of which are toner cartridges, cardboard boxes, bulbs, batteries, waste electrical and electronics equipment (WEEE), cans and plastic cups.

For cleaning companies the management of non-paper waste offers opportunities for further growth with the settingup of new associated services.

This was the background to the FEP engaging in the development of training tools and materials in this area. These will be made available to cleaning companies as from the beginning of 2016 to enable them to prepare tenders for the management of non-paper waste as a complementary activity to cleaning services. The aim is to involve 500 cleaning companies by the end of 2016, and 3,000 by 2020.

All the stakeholders, and in particular corporate customers for cleaning services, will be made aware of the role of cleaning companies in terms of reducing, separating and precollecting business waste.

Special report on sustainable cleaning - starts page 43

Der französische Verband für Reinigungsunternehmen wird seinen Mitgliedern Werkzeuge und Materialien bereitstellen, um ihnen bei der Erstellung von Angeboten zur Dienstleistungsversorgung für die Reduktion, die Trennung und Vorsortierung von Nicht-Papier-Abfall zu helfen. Christian Bouzols berichtet.

Il corrispondente Christian Bouzols ci informa che la federazione francese delle imprese di pulizia fornirà ai suoi membri attrezzi e materiali per aiutarli a prepararsi per le offerte di forntitura di servizi per la riduzione, la separazione e la preraccolta di rifiuti non di carta.

UPDATE: NETHERLANDS Big data: big deal?

Netherlands correspondent Nico Lemmens reports from a conference on the digital revolution.

In a previous issue of this journal, the Dutch contribution referred to certain technological developments that most probably will have consequences for the cleaning industry: robotisation, digitisation, bacterial or microbiological cleaning techniques and nanotechnology.

Recently the Dutch Association for Cleaning Research VSR organised a symposium devoted to the impact of the digital revolution on the cleaning industry, the management of cleaning processes in the digital world, robotics in cleaning and smart connected products. It was an impressive exhibition of exciting new vistas.

However history shows that is it impossible to predict the eventual applications of new technologies.

Johannes Gutenberg, the inventor of the printing press, foresaw no other application than the production of a limited number of bible copies. The inventor of the telephone, Alexander Graham Bell, was convinced that his device would have no other use than to let people know that they were to receive a telegram. Thomas Newcomen and John Cally invented the steam engine in 1705. They never dreamt that it would cause an industrial revolution.

So we are well advised to be very cautious in making predictions about the eventual effects of digitisation and robotisation on the cleaning industry. Among experts there is no consensus at all about the effects of robotisation on employment in general.

About 50 per cent of them are optimistic. The others don’t share this optimism at all.

Some experts predict that ‘Big Data’ (combined with robotisation L’association néerlandaise pour la recherche en matière de propreté, VSR, a récemment tenu un symposium sur l’impact de la révolution numérique sur le secteur de la propreté, écrit Nico Lemmens.

and automation of processes) will give insight into all facility and cleaning processes within five years. They expect this so-called Mobile Workforce Management’to cause a revolution in building management and maintenance.

And there are many others who predict that Big Data will change our future in unforeseen ways.

In his book on Big Data (the title is ‘Data-ism’) New York Times reporter Steve Lohr investigates the benefits of data while also examining its dark side. He points out that modern history is filled with examples of the myopic peril of focusing on data measurement (body counts in the Vietnam War, crime statistics in some police departments, and quarterly earnings in the corporate world).

Lohr quotes the social psychologist Donald Campbell in stating: “The more any quantitative social indicator is used for social decision making, the more subject it will be to corruption pressure and the more apt it will be to distort and corrupt the social processes it is intended to monitor.” Everyone with experience in the corporate world has witnessed the corrupting effects of quantitative targets, quantitative evaluations and budget politics.

These pitfalls are, to be fair, not caused by data in itself, but by the mechanisms that come into play once management is becoming focused too much on quantitative data. The late quality management guru W. Edwards Deming was brilliant in pointing this out.

In making predictions about the future applications of Big Data in cleaning processes, we are well advised to not only focus on data, but to take also into account possible corrupting mechanisms the use of data might provoke.

Die niederländische Vereniging Schoonmaak Research (VSR), eine unabhängige Forschungsorganisation für die professionelle Reinigungsindustrie, veranstaltete vor kurzem ein Symposium zu den Auswirkungen der digitalen Revolution auf die Reinigungsbranche.

Ein Bericht von Nico Lemmens.

L’associazione olandese per le ricerche del cleaning VSR ha organizzato di recente un simposio sull’impatto che ha la rivoluzione digitale sul settore del cleaning, come ci informa Nico Lemmens.

UPDATE: ITALY E-commerce -opportunity or threat?

Is e-commerce a threat or an opportunity for cleaning products distributors? Anna Garbagna reports from Italy for ECJ. The future is fast approaching and new methodologies for production and sale are coming with it. This is also true in the cleaning sector which is facing a new distribution channel: e-commerce. But is it really an opportunity or is it a threat for distributors? This was discussed during a seminar organised by AfidampCOM recently.

In his introduction Roberto Galli, in his dual role as moderator and also member of AfidampCOM’s management board, explained the characteristics of the cleaning products distribution sector in Italy. This highlighted the presence of about 1,000 companies which mainly operate in two regions and use the internet very little because human relationships are still considered the most effective means to do business.

In such a scenario, how can a tool like e-commerce be integrated? And above all, with what prospects? As the e-commerce expert and owner of Studio Gabrielli Davide Gabrielli explained, diversifying and interpreting customer’s real needs is fundamental.

In order to penetrate the virtual market it is necessary to start with a project which is sustainable at economic and organisational level, being able to use the tool which has been created and understand clearly who is the receiver. Today, in fact, the problem for a cleaning company is not purchasing but solving problems - for precisely this reason, it is vital to be smarter than competitors and foresee the real needs of customers.

Anna Garbagna fait rapport sur un séminaire qui s’est récemment tenu en Italie sur le thème de l’e-commerce. Faut-il y voir une opportunité ou une menace pour les distributeurs de produits de propreté?

October 2015 | ECJ | 18

It is true that when operating online, a large selection of countless offers considerably increases competitiveness and, in such a contest the winner will be whoever is in the position of going beyond product sales, by offering innovative solutions that give added value.

From the point of view of planning, the marketing expert Andrea Cima, from Made in Cima, highlighted that a virtual shop also has its rules. The advantage of being on the web is surely represented by keeping the costs down compared to traditional shops, but it calls for a great effort to run the organisational apparatus: in fact an online shop is always open, so users can make purchases at night as well as during the day, and one can sell globally.

The main problem that newcomers have is that they often don’t know what they want: the web is not the arrival point, it is the starting point. It is necessary to invest money, time and marketing. A priority is traceability, ie to be easily found, to devise the structure of the information presented, because an e-commerce website must have some content to guide visitors; publishing an on line catalogue is not sufficient.

Online selling is growing in every sector, but only multinational companies throw their weight about: for small and medium sized companies it is difficult to compete as far as logistics and support are concerned. So it is important to understand who you want to sell to and who you’re talking to.

Only then can targets be met.

Anna Garbagna berichtet über ein Seminar zum Thema E-Commerce, das vor kurzem in Italien stattfand. Stellt dies eine Gelegenheit oder eine Bedrohung für die Vertreiber von Reinigungsprodukten dar, fragt sie.

Anna Garbagna ci aggiorna su un seminario tenutosi di recente in Italia che affronta l’argomento dell’e-commerce.

Si tratta di una opportunità o di una minaccia per i distributori di prodotti per il settore del cleaning, ci si domanda?

UPDATE: RUSSIA

UPDATE: GERMANY

Fighting for their rights

Updating school cleaning norms

Writing from Russia, Oleg Popov from Cristanval explains a lack of legal rights for cleaning firms.

As Thomas Schulte-Marxloh reports from Germany, there are new standards for school cleaning.

In the present crisis, relations between cleaning companies and their clients are growing ever more strained, fines continue to rise, and monitoring of cleaning operations is becoming ever more scrupulous.

Often there isn’t any negotiation taking place at all. The client sends in its own proposal and informs the company no possible changes to it will be considered. There’s no confusion regarding the fact that in a contract such as this, the customer enjoys all the advantages while the contractor is the party stuck taking on all the obligations. A long checklist is provided of services offered along with a checklist of possible fines just as long.

Clients often impose double and triple fines: 10 per cent of the cost for inadequate quality service, five per cent if the frequency and/or schedule of the services to be provided are breached, five per cent for inadequate quality of additional services, plus compensation of 0.1 per cent of the cost of the services for each day they are delayed. And the customer has no obligations for violating contract conditions, such as breaching payment terms.

For instance, a large shopping mall in one case demanded that a 25 per cent fine be paid according to a contract clause for the inadequate quality of the services provided. Meanwhile the customer’s representatives at the facility said this was just a demand received from the lawyers at the main office and fines of that amount would not be incurred. However, the mall started to bill the company for those charges, justified by the fact that the shopping mall does Dans un contexte de crise économique, les relations entre les entreprises de propreté russes et leurs clients sont devenues toujours plus tendues.

Oleg Popov, de l’entreprise de propreté Cristanval, en donne un aperçu.

not have a large total walking area, it’s not completely rented out to vendors, and they needed to ‘optimise’ their expenditures.

The contract ended up being terminated in two months and payment was received only after a court ruling.

A few things are worth mentioning about checklists.

The fewer contract clauses (features/jobs) posted for evaluation, the easier it is to issue a fine to the contractor and lower the amount owed for cleaning.

Contracts with large infrastructure facilities envisage that in the case 200 corrected violations are incurred within the course of a year, the customer is entitled to terminate the contract without consent of the contractor. In a large facility with a large total walkable area, any piece of paper tossed on the floor that the cleaner sweeps up two minutes later or a small soda spill that’s cleaned up five minutes later could end up being violations. In which case, the customer could then continue to manipulate the contractor at its own discretion. The contractor ends up entirely dependent on the customer’s opinion.

Client discussions aside, at shopping malls fines could rack up even higher than the payment amount agreed on for the services. The cleaning company will actually have to pay for the services it provided.

Should the contractor lack the desire to work in such conditions, the client’s response is quite simple. “If you don’t want to do the job, then don’t. We’ve got a whole line of companies waiting behind you!” So Russian cleaning companies are forced to agree to work for peace of mind, rather than money.

Während Russland eine Wirtschaftskrise durchmacht, werden die Beziehungen zwischen Reinigungsunternehmen und ihren Kunden zunehmenden Belastungen ausgesetzt.

Ein Bericht des bei Cristanval Cleaning tätigen Oleg Popov.

October 2015 | ECJ | 20

Mentre la Russia sta attraversando una crisi economica, il rapporto fra le imprese di pulizie e i loro clienti diventa sempre più teso. Oleg Popov della Cristanval Cleaning ci spiega cosa sta succedendo.

10 years after the first edition of DIN (Deutsche Industrie Norm ~ German Industry Standards) 77 400 – ‘Cleaning services for school premises’ has been completely revisited. The new edition of DIN standards work redefines cleaning requirements and provides guidelines how to provide cleaning services that comply with legal, environmental and hygiene demands.

School provides education to children and teenagers, the basis for a successful life and career.

A clean and hygienic learning environment is an important prerequisite for effective teaching and learning; the maintenance of high standards requires qualified cleaning services with expertise of materials, methods and hygiene.

It is a particular challenge for both, school authorities and cleaning companies to keep school premises tidy.

Hygiene requirements have to be balanced out with notorious small budgets of schools; both factors define the frame of cleaning services and how they are carried out.

In 2003 the Federal Ministry for Environment noticed some alarming hygiene standards in German schools which were the result of budget cuts for school cleaning and, consequently a reduced frequency; reacting to that, the UBA developed the first edition of the norm.

There is still room for improvement. The time was ripe for a comprehensive revision which included the views of all involved parties like representatives of municipalities, suppliers, research institutes, accident insurances, unions and the UBA; the school cleaning standard had to be updated to consider the latest technologies – not only La norme industrielle allemande (DIN) pour services de nettoyage scolaire a été complètement révisée, 10 ans après la première version. Thomas SchulteMarxloh en rend compte.

in terms of cleaning but in the organisation of modern education and the design of schools.

The DIN standard’s main focus remains on minimum standards which guarantee a sufficient level of cleaning of school premises – provided the architectural and organisational requirements are met by the school.

The standards for ‘contractual, environmental conscious and hygienic cleaning’ include duties of the supplier – internal activities and contractual services, define required cleaning methods, specification of services, procedures, extent and frequency of cleaning services and even consider how to control the quality of work.

The specification of services defines the minimum cleaning frequency areas on the school premises. This list is complemented by a ‘nuts-and-bolts’ checklist, taking into account all specific school-related factors that affect the cleaning requirements in schools. The publication of the new DIN- standard provides profound assistance to all ordering and contracting parties who are involved in school cleaning. The DIN standard helps to detect and delete potential flaws of school cleaning and also defines future calls for tender.

The preface of the DIN standard underlines the intention that “a qualified call for tender, realistic specification of required services, professional cleaning services and respective quality monitoring may be the basis to guarantee a compliance with the minimum requirements of school cleaning – between a desired situation and tight budgets of schools”. Application will hopefully lift the level of hygiene in German schools.

Die DIN-Norm für Reinigungsdienste in Schulgebäuden wurde 10 Jahre nach der ersten Fassung vollständig überarbeitet. Thomas Schulte-Marxloh berichtet.

Thomas SchulteMarxloh ci informa che gli standard tedeschi per i servizi di pulizie nelle scuole (DIN) , sono stati completamente riveduti e corretti 10 anni dopo la prima edizione.

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ÇŠ #3?D38 B9D5 #3?D3871B4 $B9J13D 1>4 ?=14 1B5 DB145=1B;C ?6 ÇŠ ?=@1>I

Riding high on cleaning efficiency - Easy, fast and productive cleaning

The Nilfisk SC2000 micro ride-on scrubber dryer eases the working effort significantly compared to a walk-behind machine. An attractive choice for cleaning of offices, supermarkets, sports centers, shops, restaurants, hotels, and institutions like hospitals and schools.

Taking working speed up to 6 km/h – from an average 4 km/h with a walk-behind scrubber dryer– the SC2000 has a great impact on both productivity and cleaning costs. www.nilfisk.com

CARE OF HARD FLOORS

The hardest of hard floors Trolley cases, unusual floor types, high heels, low budgets – these are just some of the issues that can add to the challenge of caring for hard floors. Ann Laffeaty asks manufacturers how hard it can be to clean and maintain a hard floor – and why.

Producing a smooth, shiny surface on a hard floor should be easy. There are any number of polishes, disks, preparations and machines out there that are purposedesigned to provide a floor with a mattlook surface or a pristine shine.

But problems arise when people actually use the floor for the purpose for which it is intended – namely, to walk on it. High heels, wheelchairs, trolley cases, dirty shoes – all of these can cause considerable damage to a hard floor. And the greater the volume of traffic, the faster the damage will occur.

Prochem marketing manager Peta Tilley puts foot traffic among the chief challenges involved in caring for hard floors. “Dust, grit and sand that is brought in from outside must be kept to a minimum since these substances will scratch resilient surfaces and stone floors,” she said. “Good dust matting with at least three foot strides will aid maintenance and prolong polish life.”

She says high heels can also cause a considerable amount of damage. “The impact of high heels on resilient flooring means that concentrated pressure is ap-

plied to a very small area, and this leaves indentations,” she said. “The same applies to trolleys and wheelchairs.

“While rubber marks from wheelchairs and trolleys can easily be removed by spray buffing, scratches from damaged wheels can be a problem on stone floors.”

According to Tilley, a specialist product such as Prochem Ultrapac Renovate will remove heavier marks.

Another challenge when caring for hard floors involves the weather conditions, she says. “In European climates rain is a problem,” said Tilley. “Water will damage polish and cause staining on stone floors if it is allowed to settle or soak into the grouting. And constant sunlight will discolour a polished surface over time.”

She says marble and terracotta floors are among the most difficult to maintain.

“Marble is highly susceptible to damage from acids – even the acids present in fizzy drinks and alcohol,” she said. “Terracotta too, is particularly porous and will absorb spillages quickly.” She says sealing such floors with a product such as the company’s Prochem Stone Seal will help to prevent this problem.

Appropriate method Truvox UK national sales manager Stephen Pinhorne believes correctly identifying the floor type can be the chief challenge when caring for hard floors. “This enables the appropriate cleaning method to be used,” he said. “Flooring can be damaged - sometimes irreparably - by using the wrong method such as an overly abrasive pad or brush, an unsuitable chemical cleaner or excessive water. If the building owner or manager is not sure about the flooring material or the manufacturer’s cleaning recommendations, they should turn to an experienced machine supplier or cleaning service provider for advice.

“A high turnover of cleaning staff can also cause problems on hard floors since operatives are likely to lack adequate training or experience. Specifying machines that are simple to use and that require minimal training will help to allevi-

ate this problem.”

He says ingrained dirt can become embedded in the indentations caused by high heels and wheeled traffic, and that this can be difficult to remove. “Where the type of floor has been identified along with traffic type and weight, the cleaning task should be more straightforward,” says Pinhorne.

He claims that a scrubber dryer with cylindrical brushes will provide the extra pressure required to shift stubborn marks from wheeled traffic. “This type of brush technology is highly effective and adaptable to a wide range of hard floors including safety flooring.”

According to Pinhorne, each type of floor has its own qualities and vulnerabilities. “However effective cleaning is always achievable with the right equipment,” he says. “Porous surfaces such as pre-sprung gym floors in schools can be damaged by water, for example.

“Safety flooring often becomes discoloured due to the use of the wrong chemicals plus too much detergent when mopping which makes it progressively harder to clean. And with tiled floors the challenge is to clean the floor thoroughly including the grout lines - without causing a slip hazard for different shoe types.”

Truvox offers a compact Multiwash 340/Pump battery machine which is said to be capable of washing, mopping, scrubbing and drying most hard floors including tiles, vinyl, natural stone and concrete.

IPC communications manager Gabriella Bianco feels that marble, stone and concrete floors present some of the biggest challenges. “Different environments also provide varying dirt conditions which means different cleaning protocols will be required to obtain effective results,” she said.

Large areas of grouting are also particularly difficult to clean, says Bianco. “The baseboard can be considered a challenge as well and the material it is made of whether it is aluminium, wood, stone Continued page 26

October 2015 | ECJ |25

CARE OF HARD FLOORS The hardest of hard floors (continued)

or steel - can alter the type of cleaning method that needs to be used,” she said.

She adds that heels, castors and trolley cases can all be a problem since the marks they leave can lend the floor a dirty appearance. “However rubber black scratches can either be removed by using manual tools such as scrub pads or a mechanical solution such as a single disk machine,” she said. “An effective result can be achieved on lighter scratches by using a scrubber dryer equipped with pads that will not only polish the floor but will also clean it of daily dirt.”

High traffic challenge She says high traffic floors present a particular challenge. “In large public areas such as department stores, airports and schools there is a need for a solution that ensures effective cleaning and drying results,” she said. “A silent, ergonomic scrubber dryer with a small turning radius works well even in locations that are subject to high traffic. And an effective drying process is key in crowded locations in order to avoid the risk of slippery floors.”

Porous tile surfaces are among the most difficult to clean, maintain and polish according to Bianco. “This is because dirt penetrates into the pores of the stone,” she said. “Tests have shown scrubber dryers equipped with advanced cleaning programmes; special pads made from microfibre and appropriate chemicals will achieve the best results on this kind of floor.”

IPC offers a range of machines and manual tools for use on hard floors. Products Le nettoyage de sols durs présente de nombreuses exigences, d’autant que les sollicitations varient d’un environnement à l’autre. Nous en examinons les différents aspects : trafic sur roues, risques de glissade, forte fréquentation pédestre, budgets comprimés. Nous interrogeons des fabricants sur les sols durs les plus difficiles à nettoyer et à entretenir, et sur les méthodes à adopter.

October 2015 | ECJ | 26

include double-brush scrubber dryers such as the ECS and CT80 models.

According to 3M’s Western Europe market development manager Tim Copner, the chief hard floor challenge is to find a simple solution that will balance end-user expectations with cost.

“This solution should also fit in around increasing 24-hour use,” he said. “High heels, wheelchairs and trolley cases will all scratch and scuff surfaces but in my opinion it is the level of traffic that causes the most issues.”

Copner adds there are some hard floors – such as granite - where creating a high shine can be a challenge. “Problems also occur in wet weather when moisture can become ingrained in the floor where it will cause damage,” he said. “Here a matting solution is important.”

3M offers Scotch Guard Floor Protector for use on high-traffic floors. “This increases the gloss level as well as providing a protective layer,” claims Copner. For damaged, heavily-worn floors the company offers Trizact diamond disks that can used on a standard machine.

Specific problems He says there are some floors where specific problems can occur in isolated areas. “For example, in hand sanitiser stations there can be an issue if the sanitiser drips on to the floor below,” he said. “These products have a tendency to stain and to penetrate the floor surface. Similarly in retail areas where products such as fresh fruit and flowers are sold, there tends to be water in among the product and this Die Pflege von Hartböden wirft viele Herausforderungen auf - und dabei sind einige Umgebungen problematischer als andere. Wir betrachten Themen wie Transport auf Rollen, Rutschgefahr, hohe Passantenfrequenz und geringe Budgets, und wir fragen Hersteller, welche Hartbodenarten am schwersten zu reinigen und zu pflegen sind – und wie ihre Lösung lautet.

can cause deep staining.”

3M offers an invisible film - Scotch Guard Surface Protection Film that can be used beneath hand sanitiser stations and on other areas of flooring where localised damaging spills are likely to occur.

Application technology trainer and consultant for Hako Klaus Serfezi says the increasing range of different floor types presents a major challenge for manufacturers. “It can be difficult to figure out what type of flooring material you are dealing with,” he said. “It would be perfect if clients were able to provide contract cleaners with maintenance instructions in each case - nice in theory but obviously not always possible.”

Minimal maintenance He says any exposure to scratches and rubber abrasions can make a floor more difficult to clean. “It is advisable to take into consideration the kind of strain a floor will be exposed to before selecting the floor surfacing for a new building,” he said.

“In fact practical considerations should always take priority over aesthetics.”

According to Serfezi, any floor that is in constant use should require minimal maintenance besides cleaning. “All good care products need time to dry which is often not feasible in highly frequented areas,” he said.

And he agrees with 3M’s Tim Copner that client expectations can be among the biggest floor care challenges. “Every type of floor can be properly cleaned and maintained if the contract cleaner is given sufficient time to do the job,” he said.

“Once the type of floor surfacing has been identified and it has become clear that a particular floor requires special maintenance, the most difficult part is to explain to the customer that cleaning will cost him or her money. But anyone who wants an exclusive floor has to live with the fact that it will require a higher than average effort to clean and maintain.”

Eseguire la manutenzione dei pavimenti duri presenta numerose sfide e alcuni ambienti sono più impegnativi di altri. Prendiamo in esame questioni tipo il traffico con ruote, i rischi di scivolate, traffico elevato di pedoni e budget limitati e chiediamo ai produttori quali sono i tipi di pavimento più difficili da pulire e da mantenere e come viene affrontato il problema.

There’s only one “pad” that a cleaning Pro can always rely on.

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Fibratesco Range 6 floor pads line have been designed to satisfy the professional cleaning world’s demand, with a more open structure for the most efficient abrasive action.

The virgin polyester fiber construction ensures durability and elasticity, making it an indispensable product for the cleaning world. Fibratesco Range 6 line includes a new set of floor pads to be used with medium and high speed machines to perform a wide variety of treatments.

Top quality floor pads. Directly from the manufacturer.

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PRODUCTS: CARE OF HARD FLOORS

• Antea et Versa sont les nouvelles autolaveuses Comac à conducteur accompagnant pour superficies moyennes.

• Eco Cost Cleaning Solution est un système de gestion de l’environnement appliqué par la société IPC à ses autolaveuses.

• Les nouvelles autolaveuses à conducteur accompagnant T300 de Tennant sont proposées en différentes configurations pour sols de différentes surfaces.

• Parmi les produits 3M les plus récents figurent les tampons de nettoyage de plancher ScotchBrite High Shine et le tampon de préparation de surface Scotch Brite.

• L’autolaveuse RS MicroRider proposée par Tomcat comporte trois dispositifs de lavage : EDGE, disque et cylindrique.

• East Chem a développé une ligne de produits pour le polissage à la pierre de carreaux de marbre, de granite et de céramique.

• Bei Antea und Versa handelt es sich um die beiden neuen handgeführten Scheuersaugmaschinen für mittelgroße Böden von Comac.

• Bei Eco Cost Cleaning Solution handelt es sich um ein Umweltmanagementsystem, mit dem die Scheuersaugmaschinen von IPC ausgestattet sind.

• Die neue handgeführte Scheuersaugmaschine T300 von Tennant bietet mehrere Konfigurationen für unterschiedliche Bodenoberflächen.

• Unter den neuesten 3M-Produkten befinden sich Scotch-Brite High Shine Bodenpads und das Scotch-Brite Surface Preparation Pad. • Die Scheuersaugmaschine RS MicroRider von Tomcat bietet drei Scheuersysteme: EDGE, Scheibe und Walze.

• East Chem hat eine Produktfamilie mit Polituren für Marmor-, Granit- und Keramikfliesen entwickelt.

• Antea e Versa sono le lavasciuga pavimenti con operatore al seguito adatte per aree di pavimenti di media grandezza prodotte dalla Comac.

• Eco Cost Cleaning Solution è un sistema di gestione ambientale applicata dalla IPC alle sue lavasciuga pavimenti. ª La nuova lavasciuga pavimenti con operatore al seguito T300 prodotta dalla Tennant offre configurazioni multiple per diversi tipi di pavimenti.

• Fra i prodotti più recenti della 3M ci sono i dischi per pavimenti Scotch-Brite High Shine e ScotchBrite Surface Preparation Pad. • La lavasciuga pavimenti RS MicroRider della Tomcat ha tre sistemi di pulizia, EDGE, a disco e cilindrico.

• La East Chem ha sviluppato una linea di prodotti per la lucidatura di marmo, granito e piastrelle in ceramica.

October 2015 | ECJ | 28

Reliably sturdy Antea and Versa are two new walk-behind scrubbers from Comac in the 25-65 cm working width sector. Both are said to be reliable and sturdy thanks to their die-cast aluminium frame.

Antea is the smaller model, available with or without trac-

tion and a single disk brush of 45 or 50 cm working width. Versa is suitable for larger areas, with a single disk brush of 50 cm working width or two disk brushes of 55 or 65 cm. This is also a more versatile model because of its greater work autonomy and higher performance thanks to automatic traction and larger tanks - 50 litres compared to Antea’s 35 litres. www.comac.it

More than 90 per cent of detergent can be saved thanks to Chem Dose, says IPC, which also maintains the machine water circuits. www.ipcleaning.com

Versatility The latest addition to the Tennant scrubber dryer line is the T300 walk-behind which it says combines innovative technology and versatility.

T300 features the company’s next generation ec-H2O NanoClean water-based cleaning technology along with multiple machine configurations for almost any hard surface. Options include single disk, orbital, dual disk and dual cylindrical. There is also an integrated Pro-Panel LCD touchscreen offering simplified operation including programmable Zone settings, Operator ID with supervisor lock-out capabilities, language settings and on-board/on-demand videos to take the guesswork out of the cleaning process. www.tennantco.com

Engineered pad

Scrubber option Eco Cost Cleaning Solution is a system fitted to IPC scrubber dryers that reduces water and detergent consumption.

There are three elements in the system - Microscrub, Chem Dose and Energy Saver. The microfibre pads used by ECS are said to last longer than conventional brushes or abrasive pads - they can be washed up to 250 times and last between four and six months. They work at 600 rpm instead of 200 rpm, producing a glassy effect while saving water by 80 per cent.

Just water

The RS MicroRider scrubber from Tomcat incorporates three scrubbing systems: EDGE, disk and cylindrical.

EDGE scrub decks offer high speed oscillation that allows the RS to remove layers of floor finish with only tap water - no chemical strippers are needed.

Disk scrub decks work well on uneven surfaces while the cylindrical versions are designed for grout lines, rubber floors and sweeping debris.

The scrub head is protected by the frame’s heavy steel construction, with non-marking tyres and bumper wheels to protect against marks. www.tomcatequip.com

Register now for your ECJ email newsletter at europeancleaning journal.com Among the recent innovations from 3M are the 3M ScotchBrite High Shine Floor Pads and the 3M Scotch-Brite Surface Preparation Pad (SPP).

The High Shine floor pads are precision engineered to produce a high gloss finish on both stone and resilient flooring and are double sided for enhanced durability. The SPP floor pads can quick-strip and deep clean floors using just neutral detergent or water.

3M says that customer trials have shown that, when used with a standard rotary machine, SPP pads can save up to 74 per cent in labour costs compared to conventional chemical stripping. www.3M.eu/facilities

Polish stone New from East Chem is a line of products for stone polishing of marble, granite and ceramic tiles. Besides polishing, the new formula can remove stubborn micro dirt particles, says the company.

By incorporating polysilicates into its proprietary formula, it hardens the surface and forms an invisible peel-less coating upon drying. This protective coating is water-repellent, soilresistant and wear-resistant for long-lasting gloss and easy maintenance. www.ecstonecare.com

Are you a Cleaning Contractor?

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PRODUCTS: HARD FLOORS

Small in size Turbolava 35 Plus scrubber dryers from Cimel are designed for use in small and mediumsized areas where there are many obstacles to negotiate.

They can be used for both daily and deep cleaning on many different surfaces.

Both electric and battery-powered versions are available. The

lithium-ion battery model can work for 45 minutes continuously. A full line of accessories comes as standard - brushes, pad holder, colour-coded pads and microfibre pads to enable stripping, cleaning and polishing. www.cimel.com

Narrow aisles The compact design of its new ride-on scrubber dryer Scrubmaster B75 R, says Hako, makes it suitable for cleaning areas that could previously only be accessed by walk-behind machines.

Track width is 76 cm and the short squeegee means the machine can drive through passages narrower than 80 cm - for example in checkout areas. It can do a U-turn in aisles smaller than 180 cm.

The handheld suction tool enables the removal of fluids in areas that cannot be accessed

• Les autolaveuses Turbolava 35 Plus de la société Cimel sont destinées à travailler sur des surfaces de dimensions petites à moyennes.

• Ajoutée à la gamme Hako, l’autolaveuse compact à conducteur porté B75 R travaille sur des surfaces auxquelles seules accédaient des modèles à conducteur accompagnant.

• Sous sa marque Ressol, la société Hilados Biete a crée la tête de balai humide Abrasive pour un nettoyage quotidien en profondeur.

• Die Scheuersaugmaschinen Turbolava 35 Plus von Cimel wurden für kleine und mittelgroße Bereiche konzipiert.

• Neu von Hako ist die kompakte Aufsitz-Scheuersaugmaschine Scrubmaster B75 R, die für Bereiche konzipiert wurde, die bisher nur mit handgeführten Modellen zugänglich waren.

• Hilados Biete hat unter der Marke Ressol den Mopp Abrasive für die gründliche tägliche Reinigung entwickelt.

• Le lavasciuga pavimenti Turbolava 35 Plus della Cimel sono progettate per aree di piccole e medie dimensioni.

• La novità della Hako è la macchina lavapavimenti compatta con operatore a bordo Scrubmaster B75 R, progettata per aree precedentemente servite da modelli con operatore al seguito.

• La Hilados Biete ha sviluppato il mop Abrasive per la pulizia giornaliera a fondo commercializzato con il suo marchio Ressol.

October 2015 | ECJ | 30

by the scrubber - this can be stowed away in its own holder when not in use.

With a top speed of 5.5 km/h in work mode, area performance is 3,500 square metres per hour. www.hako.com

Abrasive mop Under its Ressol trademark Hilados Biete has developed the Abrasive mop for daily and deep cleaning. Made of microfibre it is said to be particularly suitable for anti-slip floors. It can also be used with pre-impregnated microfibre mopping systems. www.hiladosbiete.com

Changing the way you think about cleaning.

Meet the i-Mop. Friendly.

Hard-working.

And always gets the job done.

The i-mop is a cleaning system that set out to cross the bridge between manual cleaning and machine cleaning. In the market today we see 70% of all surfaces are still being cleaned with a mop and bucket. We all understand the negatives of cleaning this way, but there were no better options available for the circumstances. The areas are too small, cluttered, crowded, need more flexibility

than a normal auto scrubber can provide. What the i-mop does is bringing that mobility and flexibility we have with normal mopping and couple this with the power and speed you find in a scrubber drier.

But when working improving on the mop, why stop there?!

The i-mop isn’t just a better mop, it is a better cleaning method.

What you often see is that changing technology doesn’t necessarily lead to an improvement in the outcome of a process, because it often forgets the human element, the user. A better mop, a better scrubber-drier, all in one deceitfully slim package.

i-mop.com

What may not be immediately clear is the i-mop has a full size scrub desk with a working area of 46cm across, what you will find on a typical auto scrubber.

The twin brush system puts out 350 rpm, and an overall brush pressure of the machine of 22 kg on the floor. When looking at the Sinner’s circle, there is a lot of emphasize on mechanical force and to a lesser extent temperature.

Now all of a sudden the amount of time, water and chemicals needed quickly decrease. Compared to normal mopping time needed is decreased by 70%, compared to a typical scrubber drier a time decrease of 20% and

We trust our family.

40% for compact scrubbers.

So faster, a better quality of clean, but what do the operatorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s get out of it?

A smooth and easy ride the user can control with one hand, with very intuitive controls. A smart rechargeable battery system with the option to provide constant use of the machine, no longer do you need to plug the machine in and let it recharge. With an extra set of rechargeable batteries, the machine can run 24 hours a day. HACCP colour coded brushes and solutions tank, easily switch the solution reservoir for a certain area without the need to clear out the current

solution from the machineâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s reservoir. Easy, approachable and fast, not just while cleaning, but all the handling associated with cleaning, always ready to go. Due to its efficient foot print it is easy to store the i-mop on site, within reach in for example a broom closet. The efficient weight distribution always the machine to reach a weight level that make it extremely portable without sacrificing performance and power. Easy to lift up stairs or to load in even a personal vehicle.

While the i-mop is the first step, its family of products will be growing soon. The i-mop will get company from

i-mop.com

i-vac and i-scrub building on the foundation of i-mop.

Great products that focus on human design, creating better tools for users to achieve better results. i-partner The i-mop and the i-range family of products is looking for opportunities for partners and co-partners. If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re interested in further revolutionizing cleaning in your area please contact Future Cleaning Technologies at sales@fctemail. com. Within Europe there partner are opportunities for Russia and Bulgaria and co-partner options available across the entire continent.

FCT - sales@fctemail.com

PRODUCTS: CARE OF HARD FLOORS

• L’autolaveuse Kärcher B 95 RS à conducteur debout comporte un mode d’économie d’énergie et un système de dosage de produit de nettoyage.

• Les polisseuses à disque simple Hurricane de Numatic sont produites en deux dimensions et quatre vitesses.

• Werner & Mertz a introduit le TANEX allround, un nettoyant 4-fonction pour le traitement de sols résistants à l’eau.

• Columbus a étendu sa gamme de laveuses antibactériennes et a lancé un modèle de petite taille à rouleau brosseur.

• La dernière autolaveuse RCM est la Tera, dont la largeur de nettoyage est variable entre 1100 et 1300 mm.

• Truvox International a lancé la machine de nettoyage des sols Multiwash 340/Pump à batterie dont l’autonomie atteint 50 minutes.

• Zu den Merkmalen der Aufsteh-Scheuersaugmaschine B 95 RS von Kärcher gehören ein Energiesparmodus und ein Dosiersystem für Reinigungsmittel.

• Die EinzelscheibenPoliermaschinen Hurricane von Numatic sind in zwei Größen- und vier Geschwindigkeitsausführungen erhältlich.

• Neu von Werner & Mertz ist TANEX allround, ein 4-in1 Allzweck-Kraftreiniger für alle wasserfesten Böden und Oberflächen.

• Columbus hat seine Produktreihe mit antibakteriellen Scheuersaugmaschinen erweitert und hat überdies ein Bürstenwalzenmodell vorgestellt.

• Tera ist die neueste Scheuersaugmaschine von RCM, die eine Reinigungsbreite zwischen 1100 und 1300 mm bietet.

• Truvox International hat die Bodenreinigungsmaschine Multiwash 340/Pump Battery vorgestellt, die eine Betriebsdauer von bis zu 50 Minuten bietet.

• Le caratteristiche della lavasciuga pavimenti con operatore su pedana B 95 RS della Kärcher includono un’impostazione per risparmiare energia e un sistema di dosaggio dei prodotti detergenti.

• La lucidatrice per pavimenti monodisco Hurricane prodotta dalla Numatic è disponibile in due misure e quattro velocità.

• Il nuovo prodotto della Werner & Mertz è TANEX allround, il detergente quattro in uno per tutti i pavimenti resistenti all’acqua.

• La Columbus ha ampliato la sua gamma di lavapavimenti antibatteriche e ha anche lanciato un modello piccolo a spazzole a rullo.

• La più nuova lavasciuga pavimenti della RCM è il modello Tera che ha una larghezza di pulizia fra 1100 e 1300 mm.

• La Truvox International ha lanciato la macchina lavapavimenti Multiwash 340/Pump Battery che offre una durata di lavoro fino a 50 minuti.

October 2015 | ECJ | 34

Step on

300 rpm at the flick of a switch, for users who need to scrub and polish with one machine.

Totally new to the range is the Nu-Shine high speed machine. www.numatic.co.uk

Four in one

Features of the B 95 RS step-on scrubber dryer from Kärcher include the energy-saving eco!efficiency mode, DOSE cleaning agent dosing system, KIK colour-coded key system and Auto-Fill tank filling system.

Suitable for maintenance cleaning of most floor types this model offers the operator a clear view of the working area and is claimed to be energy-efficient and eco-friendly. It cleans with a lower turbine power, reduced cleaning agent consumption and lower brush speed.

Cleaning agents can be carried on board in bottles with the dosing system (DOSE) and the operator can react quickly to different types of soiling by adjusting concentration.

Meanwhile the Kärcher Intelligent Key (KIK) system with colour-coded keys ensures operating parameters are predefined so that operating errors are virtually impossible. www.karcher.com

Hurricane polish

Numatic says its Hurricane single disk floor maintenance machines are designed to perform even in the most arduous conditions. Two sizes are available - 400 mm and 450 mm.

There are four speeds - 150, 230, 300 and 450 rpm - and a wide range of brushes and accessories are available.

The company also offers twin speed models providing 150 or

TANEX allround is Werner & Mertz Professional’s latest addition to its Green Care brand. This Cradle to Cradle-certified formula is a low alkaline four-in-one power cleaner for water resistant floorings.

TANEX allround functions as an intensive cleaner, maintenance cleaner, cleaner prior to handover and top stripper while containing no polluting ingredients such as phosphates, EDTA, NTA or VOCs. Available in 10x1 and 2x5 litre sizes, TANEX allround is free of CLP classification. wmprof.com

Antibacterial Columbus has expanded its range of antibacterial scrubber dryers to enable HACCP compliance. The white noBAC tanks are made from polyethylene and fortified with an antibacterial, inorganic additive that reduces bacterial growth.

Both walk-behind and ride-on models now come in noBAC versions, from the B 20 through the B/BM 40 and BM 60 to the ARA BM 100.

Brand new is a 10-litre scrubber incorporating roller brush and hybrid technologies. At 23 cm tall, the WA 46|B 10 i.L hybrid and the WA 46|K 10 cable version can clean under furniture as well as up to the wall.

The clean water supply moistens the floor before the brushes touch down to the floor

and, once the cleaning solution has been working for a short time, it is cleaned at a speed of 1200 rpm. The swivelling squeegee absorbs the cleaning solution to leave the floor fit for use immediately.

Using hybrid technology – the combined use of battery and main operation - means cleaning can be carried out for up to two-and-a-half hours. www.columbus-clean.com

Work autonomy With the introduction of its Tera large ride-on scrubber dryer RCM has incorporated the durability and reliability of the previous Metro model with new features.

These include working autonomy, more versions available, stability and traction, better drying, ease of maintenance and ergonomics.

In addition, RCM says, Tera can be customised to suit different applications. It is available with disk or roller brushes, in cleaning widths between 1,100 and 1,300 mm, and there is also an optional sweeping device.

A number of accessories - including choice of brushes, rolling brush unit, rear sweeping device, water spraying device, battery and charger - are available. www.rcm.it

Fewer falls Truvox International’s Multiwash machine is now available in a battery version to eliminate the potential trips hazard associated with trailing leads.

It can wash, scrub and dry both hard and soft floor coverings in a single pass, leaving floors ready to walk on in minutes. There is a choice of brushes and it is quiet in operation.

The battery runs continuously for up to 50 minutes; the fourlitre solution tank is removable and easy to clean; and cleaning width is 34 cm. www.truvox.com

PRODUCTS: CARE OF HARD FLOORS

Perform better Diversey Care says the new version of its TASKI Swingo XP scrubber dryer makes cleaning floors simpler and more sustainable thanks to water, chemical and energy savings.

Two models are available. The Swingo XP-R incorporates rotary disk brushes for intensive applications while the XP-M has microrotational scrubbers to make it suitable for extended shifts where users need maximum autonomy and minimum energy consumption. Each machine can cover up to 4,500 square metres an hour.

Sustainability is enhanced by the

TASKI IntelliDose system, which ensures the correct amount of water and cleaning chemical is delivered at an accurate dilution. www.diversey.com

Lower cost

dry vacuum and the AutoVac Add-On Kit. Other components of the OmniFlex Crossover system include the Dispense-and-Vac, Sprayand-Squeegee, and spray-andsqueegee systems. This allows users to add components in line with their needs which increases the cost savings of the system. www.kaivac.com

Large ride-on

Kaivac says its AutoVac can clean and maintain floors at a fraction of the cost of an automatic scrubber. This preconfigured unit is part of the OmniFlex Crossover cleaning system and includes a trolley bucket that dispenses fresh cleaning solution directly to floors, a wet/

For heavy duty cleaning of large areas ISAL has launched the ride-on professional sweeper 180DK. The sweeping system is directly in front of the hopper and there is the option to install a green filter for fine powders.

Other features include a Kubota diesel engine, 180 cm cleaning path, central brush with two side brushes and optional water spray system. Different cabs are available depending on customer needs. www.isalsweepers.com

• La nouvelle version de la Taski swingo XP de Diversey Care est proposée en deux configurations.

• La société Kaivac considère que sa laveuse AutoVac peut nettoyer et entretenir des planchers pour une fraction des coûts entraînés par un laveuse conventionnelle.

• La 180DK, nouvelle balayeuse professionnelle à conducteur porté de la société ISAL, est conçue pour les travaux de nettoyage les plus exigeants.

• Die neue Ausführung des Taski swingo XP von Diversey Care ist in zwei Konfigurationen erhältlich.

• Laut Angaben von Kaivac ermöglicht es die AutoVac-Maschine, Böden zu einem Bruchteil der Kosten einer herkömmlichen Scheuersaugmaschine zu reinigen und zu pflegen.

• Bei der 180DK handelt es sich um die neue professionelle AufsitzKehrmaschine von ISAL, die zur Reinigung stark verschmutzter Flächen konzipiert wurde.

• La nuova versione della lavapavimenti Taski swingo XP prodotta dalla Diversey Care è disponibile in due configurazioni.

• La Kaivac afferma che la sua macchina AutoVac è in grado di pulire e fare la manutenzione dei pavimenti a una frazione del costo di una lavasciuga pavimenti tradizionale.

•180DK, la nuova spazzatrice professionale con operatore a bordo della ISAL, è progettata per le pulizie pesanti.

October 2015 | ECJ | 35

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CARE OF HARD FLOORS

The truth about safety floors Safety flooring has been providing slip resistance in buildings for almost 70 years and in that time a number of myths have grown up around how best to clean it. Peter Daulby, technical services manager at specialist safety flooring manufacturer Altro explains how achieving a first class finish does not require any expensive product or secret formula.

Safety flooring has been providing slip resistance in buildings for almost 70 years.

Since its invention by Altro in 1947, the special characteristics of safety flooring have helped to prevent accidents in properties throughout the world, reducing the risk of a slip to one in a million. Over that period, however, a number of myths have grown up around how best to clean it.

Some detergent and cleaning equipment manufacturers have claimed to have THE answer to a perfect finish, and cleaning professionals everywhere have their own views on how best to approach it. Cleaning safety flooring effectively is about more than just the aesthetic impact of the flooring. A build-up of contaminants on the surface of the safety flooring can impair its slip resistance performance and reduce hygiene standards. Achieving a first class finish, however, does not require any expensive product or secret formula.

So here are some hard facts.

Single out the soil

Achieving a first class finish on safety flooring does not require any expensive product or secret formula.

Cleaning is much easier and more effective if you identify the type of soil on the floor and choose the right equipment and detergent to get rid of it. You can do this by asking: 1. Is it organic or inorganic?

2. Is it soluble or insoluble?

3. If it is insoluble, is it greasy or particulate?

Organic: there are three types of organic soil: • Material that is alive such as bacteria, viruses, fungi and protozoa (tiny animals).

This will be most common in areas where there is food waste, such as kitchens and canteens, or in bathrooms, changing rooms and hospital wards where there is human waste such as skin, body fats, faeces and blood.

• Material that was part of a living thing such as food, sawdust and rubber shavings.

• ‘Man-made’ material including plastic fragments, mineral oil and paints and glues. Common in manufacturing areas and workshops, or where repair work

is underway.

If the soil is organic it is an ideal breeding ground for bacteria and will need disinfecting or steam cleaning.

Inorganic: this is soil made of material that has not been part of a living thing and does not contain carbon, for example glass, salt, rust or brick dust.

Whether organic or inorganic, soil behaves in a certain way when you try to clean it: Soluble: this is soil that will dissolve in water, such as sugar, salt and detergent powder. It is common where food is sold, prepared or consumed. Because it dissolves, it is generally easy to deal with.

Insoluble: this is soil which won’t dissolve in water so will need detergent to remove it. Examples include oil, skin, plastic fragments, wood shavings, glass and fibres. Some of these can be removed at the first stage of cleaning either by sweeping or vacuuming.

Insoluble soil can be either greasy or particulate: Greasy: this is soil which sticks to surfaces and smears when touched, such as oil, fat and grease. Often carried into communal areas on shoes.

Particulate: soil in powder form such as sand, skin, washing powder and broken fibres.

Greasy and particulate soils are often found together as powdery soil sticks to any grease with which it comes into contact.

Abrasive: soil which may scratch a surface.

Stubborn/tacky: soil which may stick to a surface such as syrup, wax or glue.

Precise product and potency Having identified the nature of the soiling you can select the most effective detergent to tackle it. Whichever detergent you choose, it is the dilution ratio that is critical. Not enough detergent means a less effective clean. Too much detergent can leave a film on the flooring that reduces slip-resistance and attracts conContinued page 38

October 2015 | ECJ |37

CARE OF HARD FLOORS The truth about safety floors (continued) damage paintwork so thorough rinsing is very important.

Acidic detergents (measuring less than PH5) are good options for inorganic soils such as limescale, and neutral detergents (PH7) are less aggressive and contain fewer chemicals, making them more user friendly, with less environmental impact. Neutral detergents are effective on everyday levels of contamination across a range of surfaces, but will not cope as well with heavy soiling. They are also not as effective for greasy dirt and fats where an alkaline detergent would be more suitable.

Combined disinfectant detergent/cleaning sanitiser is effective for organic soils such as food or human waste as it reduces bacteria growth.

The correct kit

taminants, encouraging bacteria growth.

It is also a common cause of staining/discolouration and problems associated with chemical damage such as shrinkage.

The acidic or alkaline properties of the detergent will determine its effectiveness with different types of soiling. Alkaline Cela fait près de 70 ans qu’existent des planchers de sécurité présentant des surfaces antidérapantes dans les immeubles. Depuis lors, différents mythes ont surgi sur les meilleurs moyens de les nettoyer. Un fabricant spécialisé dans ce type de plancher, Altro, nous explique que, pour réaliser un fini de première qualité, point n’est besoin de produits coûteux ou de formule secrète.

October 2015 | ECJ | 38

detergents (measuring above PH9.5), for example, work by dissolving fat and emulsifying soils. So an alkaline detergent is ideal for greasy and organic soils. The more alkaline the detergent, the more effective for removing grease but the more corrosive it becomes, which can Sicherheitsbodenbeläge bieten seit fast 70 Jahren Rutschfestigkeit in Gebäuden, und im Laufe der Zeit haben sich einige Mythen um die beste Art der Reinigung gerankt. Altro, der spezialisierte Hersteller für Sicherheitsbodenbeläge, erläutert, dass für ein erstklassiges Finish keine teuren Produkte oder Geheimformeln notwendig sind.

Finally, the cleaning equipment and process need to suit the special characteristics of safety flooring. In order to prevent accidents, Altro safety flooring is specially designed with a different surface profile to ordinary vinyl flooring. It incorporates surface aggregates which increase grip between the foot/shoe and the floor, providing greater slip resistance. As the surface profile of safety flooring cannot be completely smooth if it is to do its job properly, some items of equipment and cleaning processes are more effective than others. For example, cotton mop heads have a tendency to shed tiny fibres during use. These fibres can be left behind on the safety flooring increasing the likelihood of dirt and contaminant build-up on the surface of the flooring, giving a disappointing finish, undermining hygiene standards and reducing slip resistance of floors throughout the site. Our step-by-step cleaning guides at www.altro.co.uk/cleaning recommend effective mechanical, manual and steam cleaning processes.

Following these guidelines will help to give you a better result, with enhanced standards of hygiene. In addition, it will ensure that the flooring retains its important slip resistant qualities, whilst the most effective selection of process, equipment and (if appropriate) detergent, could provide the opportunity for time and cost savings. www.altro.co.uk I pavimenti antisdrucciolo forniscono la resistenza alle scivolate sui pavimenti degli edifici da almeno 70 anni e in questo periodo di tempo sono nati numerosi miti sul modo migliore per pulirli. La Altro, specializzata nella produzione di pavimenti antisdrucciolo, spiega come si può ottenere una finitura perfetta senza utilizzare prodotti costosi o formule segrete.

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DIVERSITY & INCLUSION

Transforming cultures Diversity & inclusion – one of the buzz phrases for the 21st century workplace. But what does it really mean, and how are cleaning sector companies embracing the concept?

Diversity & inclusion. It’s a phrase we have all heard many times but do we know what it means, and how many businesses can say they are truly embracing its objectives in their business culture?

In broad terms, diversity is any dimension that can be used to differentiate groups and people from one another. It means respect for and appreciation of differences in ethnicity, gender, age, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, education, and religion.

But it’s more than this. We all bring with us diverse perspectives, work experiences, lifestyles and cultures. As a source and driver of innovation, diversity is a ‘big idea’ in business and in society.

Inclusion is a state of being valued, respected and supported. It’s about focusing on the needs of every individual and ensuring the right conditions are in place for each person to achieve his or her full potential. Inclusion should be reflected in an organisation’s culture, practices and relationships that are in place to support a diverse workforce.

In simple terms diversity is the mix, while inclusion is getting the mix to work well together. And within the cleaning sector there are numerous examples of this being put into practice with dedication, and with success.

UK-based facilities services company Mitie has been committed to embedding the concept of diversity & inclusion in its business. It started a steering group devoted to this goal in 2010 and has a group diversity & inclusion manager, Karen Govier. She insists Mitie’s progress in this area is about hearts and minds, rather than being policy driven. “It’s

October 2015 | ECJ | 40

about transforming a culture, changing behaviour,” she says.

Govier’s own particular passions are in disability and the recruitment of exoffenders. “Disability is very interesting for us,” she explains. “Transparency of the workforce is a real challenge because we do not always know that a member of staff is disabled, for example. Some people do not declare their disability because it may be seen as a barrier to their employment. It may only come to light when there is an incident at work, or long-term absence through illness for example. To overcome these difficulties requires education, in order to tackle unconscious bias.”

Mitie has now employed more than 400 people with disabilities through its formal partnership with the organisation Remploy. Remploy delivers training programmes for Mitie people in mental wellbeing and disability awareness days workshops. “We have just completed our Diversity Week – Celebrating Differences in September 2015 and Remploy was one of our key partners,” explains Govier.

External benchmarking “I think it’s fair to say that no organisation can truly say they have disability ‘sorted’ but we are fully committed to the inclusion agenda,” she adds. To demonstrate this Mitie, in 2015, is one of only a very small number of organisations which provided evidence for benchmarking externally around race, gender, age and wellbeing for four parts of the business. The company has also achieved accolades and awards for its work in diversity.

Tackling the issues of inclusion and diversity – whether it is related to race, gender, disability, age etc – is indeed a major challenge. “We cannot pretend otherwise,” says Govier. “Commitment must come from the top and at Mitie we are fortunate to have our senior leadership team committed to champion the diversity agenda, and not just internally, but in partnership with key clients and within

the sector as a whole.”

One of the current areas of focus, for example, concerns the rehabilitation of ex-offenders. The business also has a charitable arm, the Mitie foundation, and its Ready2 Work scheme provides work experience opportunities for unemployed people who are now wishing to return to the workplace. Govier explained that the most recent London programme, the first of its kind, was dedicated to women with criminal convictions.

“The women we have been working with on this scheme have proved to be incredibly focused, determined to get their lives back on track and totally driven to prove themselves in the workplace.

Exceeding all expectations, seven out of nine women who completed the scheme have secured permanent positions with either Mitie or its partners,” she explains.

Implementing a proactive diversity & inclusion strategy also brings many business benefits. “Above all we attract and retain the best talent,” Govier says.

“What’s more, diversity of thought brings out the best ideas and that’s a huge benefit for our clients too.

“We have also discovered that if you have a good mix of people at all levels of the organisation, you have a much more rounded business.”

In terms of inclusion, inter-generational is key on the next stage of Mitie’s plan.

“We now have more people than ever before caring for other people at both ends of the age spectrum simultaneously - children, loved ones and parents.

“To be inclusive has to be the way we are moving because we aspire to be a business that people want to come and work for. Where they feel safe and won’t be judged, where they will feel supported.”

And Mitie’s clients have reacted “incredibly positively” to the company’s work in this area. “They appreciate what we are doing and actively want to be involved. Often we see it’s an inspiration and motivation for them to take their own agenda forward, to start taking some

DIVERSITY & INCLUSION action,” Govier concludes.

Another service business that has taken steps forward in its diversity & inclusion agenda is Principle Cleaning, based in London – through its involvement in a project to help people who have suffered from mental health issues back to work.

The East London NHS Foundation Trust provides people with mental health services and support. The East London Business Alliance (ELBA), Broadgate/ BritishLand and Principle Cleaning (ELBA members and Broadgate suppliers) have joined forces to support the foundation in its commitment and have partnered to create opportunities and open doors through an employment and skills project called ‘Broadgate Connect’.

Principle Cleaning recently opened the doors to the site of one of its clients, Lloyd’s of London, hosting three East London Foundation trust users sourced through Broadgate Connect which included an overview of Lloyd’s and Principle Cleaning including logistics, cleaning roles available and employer’s expectations.

Operations director David Saville explained how the company got involved.

“During a presentation organised by ELBA a professor from the NHS explained the significant problem in getting people back to work after a spell of depression – partly because of the stigma and partly due to those individuals’ gaps in employment.

“So we decided to see if we could help, and committed to trying to get people with mental health issues back to work. The ultimate hope is to give them a job, after offering them an initial period of work experience in clients’ buildings.”

The people Principle is working with are recovered and ready for work, however they still require some care. “They need mentoring and help with their confidence in most cases,” continues Saville.

Although the project is still very much in its infancy, Principle is keen to commit and continue with it. “The good thing about cleaning is there are always new things to be done, the routines are good for people, it’s supervised, it’s a people business and it’s fairly social,” says Saville. “So it lends itself to this kind of project. And as far as we’re concerned, it’s important to walk the walk, not just talk the talk. To really do something to help make a difference.”

How have clients responded to La diversité et l’inclusion sont devenues des mots d’ordre de la gestion des ressources humaines dans tous les domaines industriels et commerciaux. Mais comment cela se concrétiset-il dans la réalité de l’entreprise, et peut-on toujours prendre les devants pour obtenir une force de travail diversifiée dans un environnement garantissant l’équité et le respect pour tous ?

Principle’s new initiative? “They’ve been extremely receptive,” replies Saville. “A number of our clients are actually pushing for CSR initiatives. However it’s vital a project like this is carried out in a very controlled way.”

Chantell Brown is project manager for this initiative and is employed by ELBA. She explained that the aim of the programme is to offer candidates an insight into employment in a corporate environment, and also to raise awareness of the opportunities within the cleaning sector. “To highlight the fact people can really make a career in cleaning, to raise their aspirations and educate them about employers’ expectations,” she adds.

Employability skills Brown explains how it works for the candidates when they join the Training into Work scheme. “It’s a three-week programme. For the first week we concentrate on training in employability skills - issues such as communication, body language, appearance, CV development, money management. We are ‘polishing’ the candidates.”

During the second and third weeks the candidates go on placement with an employer on-site. “The candidate who has now been employed by Principle went to Lloyd’s of London and was mentored and supported there.”

What are the greatest challenges faced by potential employees who have experienced mental health issues? “The length of time candidates have been out of work can look bad on a CV. We encourage them to be open and honest about the reasons why they have not worked for a period of time.”

The candidates put forward by Brown to companies are considered to be ready and fit for work – they must undergo a detailed assessment before they go on-site.

“We are literally changing people’s lives,” says Brown. “Thanks to the companies that are participating in the programme we are giving people a reason to get up in the morning, a purpose.”

What does she consider to be the key attributes required by people being put forward for cleaning jobs? “With cleaning, I believe you have to be a practical and physical person. You must be a team player, and willing and flexible to do tasks that may fall outside your job description.

Vielfalt und Einbeziehung sind heutzutage in allen Bereichen des Geschäftslebens häufig gebrauchte Begriffe, wenn es um das Personalmanagement geht. Doch was bedeuten sie eigentlich, und wie kann jedes Unternehmen proaktiv sicherstellen, über vielfältiges Personal in einer Umgebung zu verfügen, in der alle individuellen Mitarbeiter fair und mit Respekt behandelt werden?

Candidates must be self-motivated because they are not always supervised, and capable of taking the initiative.

“Cleaners are often more customerfacing than they were in the past so they must look the part also.”

So what’s in it for the cleaning company (the employer)? “We hope we are presenting them with productive members of staff who they can train to work in the way they want them to work – and who will be loyal and effective.”

Another business offering employment opportunities to people who may otherwise experience difficulties in finding a job is ECMR in the Netherlands – a company specialising in the recycling of used cleaning machines. Co-founder and managing director André de Vonk explained why the company started its own initiative. “When we launched ECMR unemployment in the region where we are located had increased significantly and government support had declined. So the local council and companies decided to offer support where possible.

“The business we are in involves fairly basic tasks, therefore it was an excellent way for us to give something back to society. This initiative also sat very well with our own vision to promote sustainability in the broadest sense through the ECMR business.”

Working with local authorities and employment agencies, ECMR selected candidates who had been out of work for a long time, or maybe who had never had a job for various reasons – drug addiction, or social and physical handicaps. De Vonk says: “Our main objective has been to create a safe learning environment that enables employees to re-enter the workplace, improve their standard of living and provide a basis for individual growth.”

Each candidate is looked after by a supervisor at ECMR and their progress monitored against a set of KPIs. Employees each have their own tailormade programme and an initial limited contract of six months.

“The majority of candidates have become active members of the business, their confidence has grown and they are making a real contribution. That does not happen in all cases of course, however our overall success inspires us to continue our commitment,” de Vonk concludes.

Diversità e inclusione sono termini largamente usati al giorno d’oggi in tutte le aree commerciali quando si tratta di gestione delle risorse umane. Ma cosa significano esattamente queste parole e come possono tutte le aziende essere proattive nell’assicurarsi di ottenere una forza lavoro varia in un ambiente in cui tutti gli individui vengono trattati in modo equo e con rispetto?

October 2015 | ECJ | 41

SUSTAINABLE CLEANING

Sustainability - true meaning How do companies and customers interpret the term ‘sustainability’ today? And how has its meaning changed over recent years? Ann Laffeaty asks manufacturers their views.

Sustainability is all about caring for the environment. It is also about corporate social responsibility. But then again it encompasses practices such as recycling, reducing energy and minimising waste. Confused?

So are the rest of us. It seems that we all have a different understanding of what sustainability means and the term has evolved considerably since it was first coined. So what does sustainability actually mean to companies and their customers today? And how far removed is this from its original meaning?

The term sustainability encompasses a variety of topics according to Metsä Tissue’s UK and Ireland sales director Mark Dewick. “It includes supply chain management and working towards a better climate along with ethical business practices, improving safety at work and contributing to society,” he said.

“However 20 years ago I think consumers regarded sustainability as simply a matter of recycling cans and packets. At the same time, most end-users felt that it had nothing to do with them and that sustainability was the remit of larger companies and nations.”

He says the change in people’s perceptions has evolved alongside changes in our working practices. “Twenty years ago, everyone worked with a phone and a desk and meetings were held face-to-face while company car policies were based on the cost of petrol per litre,” he said.

“Nowadays teleconferences have become the norm; working from home is common and high-speed telecommunications underpin everything we do. Mean-

while, we have come to understand that vehicle emissions need to be minimised.

Sustainability policies have had to evolve to keep up with this pace of change.”

He says there has been a growing recognition that sustainability belongs to everyone. “With this has come an understanding that end-users can demand compliance from their suppliers to facilitate their own CSR strategy.”

According to Dewick, traceability is one of today’s hottest sustainability topics.

“Consumers and businesses are increasingly interested in the origin of the goods they purchase,” he said. “We believe in future they will continue to favour companies that can prove transparency along with a solid sustainability performance.”

Corporate sustainability is all about creating value for people and nature says Lena Söderholm, SCA’s global brand communication manager. “This creates a benefit for the environment and the community as well as our customers, consumers, investors, employees and other stakeholders,” she said.

She feels that while sustainability is still very much linked to the environment in the eyes of the customer, companies and corporations are shifting their focus.

“When SCA first published a sustainability report in 1998 it was named the Environmental Report,” she said. “In 2002 it became the Environmental and Social Report and since 2006 we have published a Sustainability Report in which environmental, social, financial and governmental aspects are covered. This reflects how the general view of sustainability has evolved.”

SCA’s sustainability focus has evolved in line with this, she says. “Much of our work in the 1990s was targeted towards environmental issues such as CO2 reductions but over the years there has been a growing focus on social and business aspects,” she said.

According to Söderholm, companies need to be adaptable when it comes to their sustainability policies. “It is crucial to have a continuous dialogue with all

stakeholders along with an understanding of trends and the business environment to ensure a sustainability strategy remains relevant over time,” she said.

Supply chain management and business ethics are two of today’s key sustainability issues, she believes. “Employee health and safety is also crucial while climate change and greenhouse gas emissions are dominating on the environmental side,” she said. “And water scarcity is a growing issue. You can’t really choose one single aspect that is important today since sustainability is too complex a topic.”

Transparency vital She agrees with Dewick that transparency is becoming increasingly important.

“Transparent reporting will soon be demanded by all stakeholders as the awareness of addressing sustainability issues continues to grow,” she said.

And she feels more emphasis will be placed on sustainability in the future.

“Companies need to truly integrate sustainability into their business models to be relevant in tomorrow’s society,” said Söderholm. “Corporations have an important role to play in solving societal needs.”

Nviro marketing manager Carl Robinson concurs that sustainability is still synonymous with terms such as ‘green’ and ‘environmentally-friendly’ in many people’s minds.

“However sustainability should focus attention on the end result: we must modify our behaviour from a business, societal and financial viewpoint to ensure we don’t compromise safety and the quality of life for future generations,” he said.

“At the same time, environmental impact is a critical element and we need to manage materials and natural resources responsibly along with health and social aspects.”

He says sustainability has become increasingly prominent in the corporate agendas of clients. “It has lost its ‘nice to have’ status, becoming instead ‘something we need to have if we’re to be seen Continued page 44

October 2015 | ECJ |43

SUSTAINABLE CLEANING Sustainability - true meaning (continued)

to be responsible’,” he said.

According to Robinson today’s growing focus on issues such as carbon footprint, energy use and procurement policies is a major step forward from what he terms the ‘greenwashing’ culture of the 1990s.

“Greenwashing made many people cynical about companies that claimed to be kind to the environment,” he said. “We welcome the attention that is now being placed on the livelihoods of workers as part of the debate about sustainable communities and economics.”

He believes that any sustainability policy needs to be embedded throughout a business. “Otherwise it may be forgotten the moment that things look tough,” he said.

“Sustainability is not just a fad: accreditation to standards such as ISO 14001 is important because it holds a company to its commitment. But sustainability shouldn’t be merely an exercise in compliance, it should be a way of life – both personally and professionally.”

He feels that the most important aspect of sustainability today is making sure the concept itself is sustainable. “We can’t afford to become desensitised to the need for action or be daunted by the scale of the challenge in moving towards true sustainability,” he said.

Linda Schroedter, responsible for environmental PR at Kärcher, also feels that the understanding of sustainability has changed. “The term used to be clearly connected to the environment and nature, and even today sustainability is often used as a synonym for environmental protection,” she said. “But there is a lot more to the concept and factors such as social responsibility have become an accepted part of sustainability today.

“There is also an economical dimension to sustainability – one that is driven by topics such as social standards at the supply chain and the challenge of integrating

She believes that sustainability will be increasingly integrated into companies’ core businesses in the future. “Sustainability topics will also shift further towards more local issues,” she said. “Instead of having one central sustainability strategy it will become important to assess which issues are of most interest to our production sites and which topics concern our customers. This will be a challenge since it will lead to sustainability strategies becoming less clear-cut.”

Much of what is written about sustainability can be both confusing and contradictory according to Diversey Care’s regional sustainability director Ed Roberts.

“Some even suggest that sustainability is the latest business ‘fad’ and will soon be replaced by the next one,” he said. “It is true sustainability has developed from the original ‘green’ concept and continues to go through further iterations and definitions. But as more organisations adopt sustainability practices and offer more sustainable products and services, any competitive advantage starts to diminish and this requires businesses to differentiate themselves in other ways.”

He says there are two compelling reasons why sustainability - whatever its

Que signifiait le terme de « durabilité » à des clients il y a dix ans, et que signifie-t-il aujourd’hui ? En quoi le sens de ce terme a-t-il évolué et comment les entreprises ont-elles suivi cette nouvelle interprétation de la durabilité ?

Welche Bedeutung hatte der Begriff „Nachhaltigkeit“ für Kunden vor 10 Jahren, und was bedeutet er heute?

Wie hat sich die Bedeutung verändert, und wie halten Unternehmen Schritt mit dieser neuen Interpretation von Nachhaltigkeit?

October 2015 | ECJ | 44

sustainability into the core business.”

According to Schroedter, factors such as reducing energy, water and detergent consumption are central considerations for Kärcher. “Our motto is to achieve more through efficiency and offer this to our customer,” she said.

She believes that any company’s sustainability strategy should be a good fit with that company’s values and its goals while also being realistic. “Otherwise the sustainability policy will not appear credible,” she said. “Sustainability has to be internalised by everyone and transferred into the DNA of the company.”

Local issues

interpretation - will remain core to future business operations. “The global economic recession demonstrated to even the most eco-sceptic of business leaders they could operate efficiently with reduced resources – and that this in turn would bolster earnings,” he said. “Meanwhile, the fact the world population is increasing means that a greater demand is being placed on finite resources such as oil, with the likely consequence of reduced availability and increased cost of such resources. So businesses need to become even more efficient and sustainable as a result.”

According to Roberts, the core essence of sustainability remains rooted in the environment. “However there are few if any products that can be labelled either sustainable or ‘environmentally friendly’ – though some may be more sustainable or more environmentally-friendly than others,” he said.

“For example, is an electric car environmentally friendly? Depending on what is being measured it may be better for the environment than a gas-guzzler, but what about when compared with public transport, a bicycle, or walking?

“If we truly want to be more sustainable we need to develop holistic sustainability: that is to focus less on the sustainability of ‘it’, but on the sustainability of ‘what it does’.”

UK managing director of Facilicom Jan Hein Hemke agrees that the meaning of sustainability has expanded to cover more than just ‘green’ issues. “A healthy return is needed in order for a business to be sustainable,” he said. “A company must be able to invest in order to continue to provide employment along with goods and services to clients.”

As far as Facilicom’s customers are concerned, he says sustainability means that the company operates in a manner that shows it considers the environment, its people and its financial viability. “In other words they want to know we’re going to be here to work with them for years to come.”

And he feels that the most important aspect of sustainability today is the understanding that it is everyone’s responsibility. “It is not something that can be left to another organisation or someone else,” he said. “There are so many critical steps in the process that it has to be a team effort.”

Che significato aveva per i clienti il termine “sostenibilità” 10 anni fa e che significato ha oggi?

Come è cambiato questo termine e come riescono le imprese a stare al passo con la nuova interpretazione di sostenibilità?

PRODUCTS: SUSTAINABLE CLEANING

Cleaning boost BASF says its Trilon M types are strong chelating agents which can boost primary cleaning performance in some applications.

Trilon M types are biodegradable and act as an alternative for other, less environmentally

friendly chelating agents says BASF. They meet ecolabel requirements and are used in various applications in all I&I market sectors. Available in liquid and solid formats. www.homecare-and-i-and-i. basf.com

offers the same benefits as the original and now cleans better, tackles more soils and is effective in more applications.

Like the original ec-H2O, ec-H2O NanoClean electrically converts water into a cleaning solution. This converted water is created by an on-board e-cell that generates millions of microscopic bubbles — nanobubbles — per millilitre of solution. These nanobubbles then promote the cleaning efficacy of the solution says Tennant. www.tennantco.com

Ergonomics

Vegetal-based SURE is the new range of vegetal-based cleaning solutions for kitchen, building and personal care from Diversey Care. These formulas are said to be 100 per cent biodegradable by natural processes as they contain plant-based ingredients and are free from artificial perfumes and dyes, quat, chlorine, phosphate and oxide compounds.

degradation after use. And only water-based resins are used in the production process.

In Europe the company’s partner is Wecoline and the range is Full Cycle Wecoline pads by Americo. www.wecoline.com

Keep up to date with latest news by visiting the ECJ website.

And have the email newsletter delivered directly to your inbox register at www.european cleaning journal.com

Mop alternative

Ingredients are derived from renewable sources – by-products of the agro-food industry and originating from sugar beet, maize, straw bran, wheat bran and coconut.

Almost all concentrates are non-classified and most solutions can be used without wearing gloves or goggles.

The SURE range has been developed in partnership with specialist in organic cleaning products Salveco. www.diversey.com

Vikan has redesigned the handle on its Easy Shine Kit for interior surface cleaning to make it more ergonomic.

The telescopic shaft extends the tool’s reach by 140 cm, compared to 105 cm with the old handle. There is an improved open/close system and better overall usability says Vikan.

Used for indoor windows, doors, mirrors and screens, the EasyShine Kit uses latest ultramicrofibre technology for cleaning down to a microscopic level. It uses only tap water, boasting a very deep clean with no chemical residues. www.vikan.com

New generation

Fully recycled

ec-H2O NanoClean is the next generation of Tennant’s sustainable cleaning technology ec-H2O - originally launched in 2008. The company says it

Americo has introduced Full Cycle base material for its floor pads. They are made from 100 per cent recycled PET plastic bottles, now with accelerated

FIMOP is a new compact scrubbing machine with cylindrical brush which has been designed

by Fimap to replace manual mopping systems in small and narrow rooms.

Because FIMOP is lightweight and comfortable to carry around, says Fimap, it eliminates the need for cleaners to carry heavy buckets. And the fact it regulates water flow also means a reduction in water consumption. There are two tanks - one for clean water and one for dirty water - so only clean water is ever used for cleaning.

The lithium-ion battery makes for easy and quick recharging, at any time. www.fimap.com

• Les Trilon M types proposés par BASF sont de puissants chélateurs qui peuvent renforcer la performance de solutions de nettoyage.

• Diversey Care a lancé la gamme SURE de solutions de nettoyage et d’hygiène d’origine végétale.

• Désignée ec-H2O NanoClean, Tennant a annoncé la nouvelle génération de sa technologie ecH2O du nettoyage.

• Vikan a redessiné la poignée de son kit EasyShine pour le rendre plus ergonomique.

• De nombreux tampons à plancher Wecoline, proposés par Americo, sont désormais produits à partir du nouveau matériau de base Americo Full Cycle dont la biodégradation a été accélérée.

• La Fimop, nouvelle laveuse compacte lancée par Fimap, est conçue pour remplacer les systèmes manuels de balayage humide.

• Bei Trilon M-Typen von BASF handelt es sich um starke Chelatbildner, die die Reinigungsleistung von Reinigungslösungen steigern können.

• Diversey Care hat SURE vorgestellt, eine Produktreihe mit Reinigungs- und Hygienelösungen auf pflanzlicher Basis.

• Tennant hat die nächste Generation seiner Reinigungstechnologie ec-H2O angekündigt: ec-H2O NanoClean.

• Vikan hat den Griff des EasyShine Kit neu gestaltet, um ihn ergonomischer zu machen.

• Viele Wecoline by Americo Bodenpads werden jetzt mit dem neuen Basismaterial Americo Full Cycle hergestellt, das noch schneller biologisch abbaubar ist.

• Die neue kompakte Scheuermaschine Fimop von Fimap wurde entwickelt, um manuelle Moppsysteme zu ersetzen.

• Trilon M types della BASF sono agenti di pulizia potenti che sono in grado di potenziare il rendimento delle soluzioni di pulizia.

• La Diversey Care ha lanciato SURE, una gamma di soluzioni di pulizia e igiene a base vegetale.

• La Tennant ha annunciato la prossima generazione della sua tecnologia di pulizia ec-H2O chiamata ec-H2O NanoClean.

• La Vikan ha riprogettato il manico del suo EasyShine Kit per renderlo più ergonomico.

• Molti dischi per pavimenti Wecoline della Americo sono ora prodotti utilizzando il nuovo materiale di base Americo Full Cycle che inizia a biodegradarsi ancora più velocemente.

• La nuova lavasciuga pavimenti compatta Fimop della Fimap è stata progettata per rimpiazzare i sistemi di mop manuali.

October 2015 | ECJ | 47

PRODUCTS: SUSTAINABLE CLEANING

• Le nettoyant de moquette en poudre ou pastille RM 760 de Kärcher se dispense de rinçage et nettoie très rapidement.

• IPC a introduit l’APC (Advanced Productivity Control), un système d’optimisation de l’usage d’eau qui se monte sur des machines de nettoyage à conducteur porté.

• Hagleitner a mis au point le système de dosage automatique COMPACT pour les machines à laver la vaisselle commerciales.

• Der Teppichreiniger RM 760 in Pulver- oder Tablettenform von Kärcher erfordert kein Spülen und reinigt sehr schnell.

• Neu von IPC ist Advanced Productivity Control (APC), ein Wasseroptimierungssystem, mit dem Aufsitz-Reinigungsmaschinen ausgestattet werden können.

• Hagleitner hat das integrierte, automatische Dosiersystem COMPACT für gewerbliche Geschirrspüler entwickelt.

• La macchina lavamoquette a polvere o a tavolette RM 760 prodotta dalla Kärcher non necessita di risciacquo e pulisce molto velocemente.

• La novità della IPC è Advanced Productivity Control (APC), un sistema di ottimizzazione dell’acqua che viene montato sulle lavasciuga pavimenti con operatore a bordo.

• La Hagleitner ha sviluppato il sistema di dosaggio automatico completo COMPACT per le lavastoviglie commerciali.

October 2015 | ECJ | 48

Deep clean

According to the GHS regulation all CarpetPro products are phosphate-free and not harmful to health. www.karcher.com

Battery life The patented RM 760 carpet cleaner (powder or tablets) from the Kärcher CarpetPro series is based on iCapsol encapsulation technology - the dirt is encapsulated and can be vacuumed after drying. The key advantage, the company says, is there is no need for rinsing and cleaning is completed in half the time.

The solution is applied with a spray extraction cleaner - it cleans deep into the pile and encapsulates the dirt, which dries as crystals. No further cleaning is necessary – the dried particles can be removed during the next maintenance clean with a vacuum.

Now available on IPC scrubber dryers is Double Battery Life (DBL), a technology that enables the smart battery charger to read the charge level so limiting ‘top-up’ charges when battery consumption is less than 50 per cent. This, says IPC, can double expected battery life - saving operating costs and reducing the number of batteries in the environment.

The company has also developed Advanced Productivity Control (APC) for use on its ride-on machines. Its engineers found that machines waste up to 70 per cent of their water because of the lack of a constant flow. APC controls that flow and eliminates the need for superfluous water. www.ipcleaning.com

Dishwash dose

integral COMPACT is an automatic dosing system for commercial dishwashing machines from Hagleitner. The company’s dishwasher detergent, integral CLEAN, carries the EU ecolabel and is free from NTA, EDTA and phosphates. www.hagleitner.com

PRODUCTS: SUSTAINABLE CLEANING

Waste plastics VoleoPro is the newest trolley from Vileda Professional, developed for areas where space is limited and a full-size trolley is too large - its footprint is half a square metre.

Two versions are available, basic and standard, and Vileda says this model offers a high degree of flexibility and customisation. It can carry all the company’s floor cleaning systems, boxes and buckets plus other tools needed for daily cleaning.

The constructional parts of the trolley are made of polypropylene (PP), and from August of this year those parts have been made of 95 per cent post consumed PP and five per cent virgin material. This is as a result of Vileda developing a way

to use waste material for the production of plastic parts, in conjunction with a partner. www.vileda-professional.com

Compostable Chicopee’s J-Cloth 3000 is a fully biodegradable, compostable cleaning wipe which the company claims combines strength, absorption and sustainability.

This cloth is said to incorporate all the design and product

features of J-Cloth Lavette such as the open, wavy texture for efficient pick-up of dirt.

J-Cloth 3000 has been tested by ISEGA for Food Contact Clearance (FCC) and is available in five colours to support HACCP regulations.

In terms of sustainability credentials it is biodegradable and compostable in accordance with DIN EN 13432 2000112 standard, and carries the seeding logo granted by DIN-Certco. www.chicopee-europe.com

• Le chariot de nettoyage VoleoPro de Vileda est construit à 95 % à partir de polypropylène recyclé.

• Le tissu J-Cloth 3000 de Chicopee est une lingette de nettoyage biodégradable et compostable.

• Der Reinigungswagen VoleoPro von Vileda wird zu 95 Prozent aus recyceltem Polypropylen hergestellt.

• Das Wischtuch J-Cloth 3000 von Chicopee ist vollständig biologisch abbaubar und kompostierbar.

• Il carrrello per le pulizie VoleoPro della Vileda è prodotto per il 95 per cento con polipropilene riutilizzato.

• Il panno per le pulizie J-Cloth 3000 della Chicopee è completamente biodegradabile e compostabile.

October 2015 | ECJ | 49

PRODUCTS: SUSTAINABLE CLEANING

• Filmop a mis au point l’Alpha Split pour ses chariots de nettoyage afin de permettre la collecte séparée de déchets.

• La gamme Evogen Professional de Genesis Biosciences se compose de produits de nettoyage microbien.

• Salveco a introduit une gamme de désinfectants des mains et de surfaces à base de végétaux.

• Le Dosely est un distributeur de solution de nettoyage qui se monte sur un chariot et trempe des têtes de balayage humide une à la fois.

• Suite à l’introduction de la réglementation européenne Eco Design, Numatic affirme disposer d’une gamme de moindre consommation en énergie et de meilleur rendement.

• L’appareil Shield proposé par Fragrance Delivery Technologies diffuse des parfums purs sans faire appel à des composés organiques volatiles ou à des solvants.

• Filmop hat zum Einsatz auf seinen Moppreinigungswagen das System Alpha Split entwickelt, das die getrennte Abfallsammlung ermöglicht.

• Die Produktreihe Evogen Professional von Genesis Biosciences besteht aus mikrobiellen Reinigungsprodukten.

• Neu von Salveco ist eine Produktfamilie mit Hände- und Oberflächendesinfektionsmitteln auf pflanzlicher Basis.

• Bei Dosely handelt es sich um einen mechanischen Spender für Reinigungslösungen, der an einem Reinigungswagen befestigt ist, um jeweils einen Mopp einzuweichen.

• In Folge der Einführung der EU-Richtlinien zu Ökodesign im vergangenen Jahr teilt Numatic mit, dass jetzt eine Produktreihe geboten wird, die bei geringerem Energieverbrauch eine bessere Leistung bietet.

• Shield von Fragrance Delivery Technologies bietet reinen Duft ohne VOCs oder Lösungsmittel.

• La Filmop ha progettato il sistema Alpha Split che permette la raccolta differenziata dei rifiuti e che può essere usato sui suoi trolley per mop.

• La gamma Evogen Professional della Genesis Biosciences consiste in prodotti di pulizia a base di ingredienti naturali.

• La novità della Salveco è una linea di sanitizzanti per le mani a base di piante e dei disinfettanti per superfici.

• Dosely è un dispenser meccanico di soluzione detergente montato su un carrello che impregna un mop alla volta.

• In seguito all’introduzione delle norme EU Eco Design avvenuta l’anno scorso, la Numatic afferma di offrire una linea di macchine che utilizza meno energia e allo stesso tempo offre miglior rendimento.

• Shield della Fragrance Delivery Technologies eroga fragranze pure senza utilizzo di VOC o solventi.

October 2015 | ECJ | 50

Separate waste

And chemicals continue to work after being applied, says Genesis, as the microbes cultivate in the area of application when they have been applied. www.genesisbiosciences.co.uk

Plant-based Using its patented technology, Salveco has developed a range of plant-based hand sanitisers and professional surface disinfectants. These disinfectants are the first in the world to benefit from the simplified authorisation proAlpha Split is the separate waste collection system introduced by Filmop for use on its Alpha trolleys.

Thanks to the new removable drawer positioned underneath the bag holder and the dividers of the upper section, the operator can have up to six different compartments for waste collection. By adding other small dividers that number can be increased to eight sections.

This removable drawer can also be used as an additional storage area for the trolley so that it can be used for a combination of waste collection, wet mopping and storage in one compact work station.

All Alpha trolleys are made with at least 30 per cent recycled plastics. www.filmop.com

Microbial Evogen Professional is a line of microbial cleaning products developed by Genesis Biosciences with an emphasis on improved performance.

The company says that while traditional biological formulas offer the same type of products consisting of a single standard bacteria type for every product and application, the Evogen range has been specifically designed with tailored microbial strains.

amount of cleaning solution applied to the mop during cleaning, which saves on cleaning chemical.

This means no more carrying of heavy buckets filled with presoaked mops and no manual pre-soaking - saving on time and labour and reducing the risk of cross-contamination says TTS. Less water and electricity are used because there are fewer mops to wash and detergent consumption is also reduced because Dosely soaks only the cleaning side of the mop which saves up to one-third of cleaning solution for each mop.

Dosely can be fitted to all of the company’s Magic Line trolleys. www.ttsystem.com

Eco vacuums cedure, the company says, which aims to encourage the use of biocidal products that have a more favourable environmental or human and animal health profile. www.salveco.com

One at a time Dosely is a mechanical cleaning solution dispenser designed to soak one mop at a time while it is on the trolley. Designed by TTS, the dosing system is secure in that detergent goes into a removable hermetic tank which can be locked into the trolley using a key. The operative also has the flexibility to adjust the

Register now for your free monthly email newsletter from ECJ. Simply send your email address to michelle@ europeancleaningjournal.com

Numatic International released its latest series of commercial dry vacuums just over a year ago, in response to the EU Eco Design regulations. It now boasts a vacuum cleaner range with better cleaning performance while using less energy. For example, the iconic Henry vacuum can clean the carpet more effectively than his higher wattage predecessor while using half the power.

With amendments to Eco Design and labelling regulations due in 2017 Numatic is continuing its efforts to further energy conservation. www.numatic.co.uk

Pure fragrance Fragrance Delivery Technology’s (FDT) Shield anti-vandal air freshening system uses patented Oxy-Gen Powered technology to deliver pure fragrance oil over a 60-day cycle.

There are no added VOCs, solvents, propellants or harmful emissions - which reduces the amount of VOCs being emitted by up to 90 per cent compared to aerosol cans says FDT. The refill is recyclable and the batteries last for over two years. www.oxygenpowered.com

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BUSINESS: EU MEMBERSHIP

The EU - will the UK stay or go?

Should we stay or should we go? That is the dilemma the Brits will have to get to grips with in the run-up to their referendum on remaining in the European Union, which could be held as early as May 2016. A ‘no’ vote would have far-reaching consequences for not only Britain but also the EU reports Hartley Milner.

With the exception of a few rebellious MPs, Britain’s main political parties are awaiting the outcome of prime minister David Cameron’s negotiations for EU reform before announcing the direction they will attempt to steer the electorate during the in-out campaign.

The business community, though, has not felt so restrained. The business case, on both sides of the Channel, is overwhelmingly that a divorce would be extremely costly for British exporters and the GB economy.

The EU is Britain’s main trading partner, taking more than €539bn (£400bn) worth of goods and services each year, or 52 per cent of all export shipments. An exit could cost the UK as much as €300bn (£215bn),

October 2015 | ECJ | 52

or 14 per cent of GDP, according to a German study.

But there are those who say that if Britain can negotiate an amicable separation, it could retain its strong trading links with EU countries. After all, non-member nations such as Norway and Switzerland both have sound economies based on strong trading links with the Union. Any loss in trade would be more than offset as opportunities open up in emerging world markets, or so the theory goes.

The arguments will rage in the months up to the referendum. A bill providing a mandate for the national poll to be held by the end of 2017 was passed by the UK parliament last month.

One thing both sides in the debate agree on is that if the ‘outers’ win the day, and the vote is upheld by the UK government, it could have calamitous implications for the EU, greater even than were Greece to pull out.

Disenchantment with burgeoning bureaucracy and perceived corruption within EU institutions is growing among the European electorate, along with fears

about the state of the euro and rapid rise in immigration.

In 2007 a majority of Europeans – 52 per cent – trusted the EU. That level of trust has now slumped to under a third, and the fear in Brussels is that a British exit could trigger a popular revolt and a wave of referenda across the region that would put the very future of the Union in jeopardy.

No concessions Volker Treier, deputy chief executive of the German Chambers of Commerce and Industry, hinted as much in a recent BBC interview. Calling on German chancellor Angela Merkel not to offer any concessions in upcoming talks with Cameron, he said: “There is a risk that if allowances are made for one country, others will also start demanding negotiations of their membership.”

Treier added that he was “astonished” the UK was even considering leaving and warned that it could lead to a drain of German investment from Britain.

Germany is Britain’s biggest customer Continued page 54

BUSINESS: EU MEMBERSHIP The EU - will the UK stay or go? (continued) in Europe. In July, it took €3.23bn (£2.4bn) worth of GB’s goods and services, while shipments to the Netherlands totalled €2bn (£1.5bn) and France €1.9bn (£1.4bn).

Also in the same month, exports to the US totalled €4.8 bn (£3.6bn) and almost €52.5bn (£39bn) in 2014.

And Marcus Wallenberg, chairman of Swedish bank SEB, said: “The UK stands for a liberal, mercantile idea far more so than any other European country. It is a very important balancing factor for countries with more of an industry background.”

He feared Britain leaving would weaken the EU’s global influence. “The UK has a tremendous position and influence in areas such as trade and in political clout.

Its relationship with the US is something we should be mindful of, and of its positive influence on the continental European debate.”

All this gives Cameron leverage as he negotiates a better deal for GB over the next few months or so, and business is not without sympathy for the UK cause, both at home and in wider Europe.

Benefits for all Bernd Atenstaedt, chairman of German Industry UK, which represents 100 chief executives of German companies operating in Britain, said: “We would urge the prime minister to convince the British people of the financial, economic and social benefits of the EU for the UK and give a firm commitment to remain in the EU. “We believe it is in the UK’s best interest to stay in the EU, for the benefit of our employees and, ultimately, the general public.”

But Atenstaedt, whose members employee more than half a million Brits, went on to describe changes to the nature of Britain’s relationship with Europe as “necessary reforms” that Cameron “should be looking to pursue in coming months and years”.

Cameron also has considerable business support at home, reflected in the British Chambers of Commerce’s latest Business Barometer poll of nearly 4,000 companies.

The key findings in the survey for the second quarter of 2014 are: • Most respondents think leaving Devons-nous y rester ou la quitter ? Tel est le dilemme auquel les Britanniques seront confrontés à l’approche du référendum sur le maintien de leur pays à l’Union européenne, dont la tenue pourrait être aussi proche que mai 2016. Un vote négatif aurait des répercussions étendues, pas seulement pour le Royaume-Uni, mais également pour l’UE, rapporte Hartley Milner.

October 2015 | ECJ | 54

the EU would be bad for Britain: 59 per cent saying that a full withdrawal would negatively impact on their business (down two points on Q1, 2014).

• But business wants more decisions made in the UK: the most positive scenario being that the UK remains in the European Union, but with specific powers transferred back to Westminster. Sixty per cent of respondents believe this would deliver a positive impact for their business (up six points on Q1, 2014).

• And businesses do not believe further integration would benefit them: 46 per cent saying that remaining in the European Union and integrating further would be a negative outcome (up nine points on Q1, 2014).

“These results show that firms believe a regenerated relationship with the EU, rather than further integration or outright withdrawal, is most likely to deliver economic benefit for the UK,” said director general John Longworth. “They do not want to get caught up in a whirlpool of further integration – only 20 per cent of those firms we surveyed felt that this would be beneficial. Yet the same companies say they do not want to rush for the exit.

“Unless the European Union is perceived to function in the interests of all its member states, it will continue to lose legitimacy, not just among the voting public but among business people as well. The prospects for UK business and trade would be improved substantially if meaningful EU reform were to take place.

Too many services companies, which together form the backbone of the UK export base, remain frustrated by the slow progress of the single market in services.”

Secure safeguards Longworth added that Cameron’s top priority must be to secure safeguards for the UK and other non-eurozone countries in future EU decision-making.

Meanwhile some heavy guns have allied themselves to the pro-Europe cause and have been firing off warnings about the consequences of a UK withdrawal. One of the biggest is Franco-German aerospace and defence giant Airbus, which employes 16,000 people in the UK. Airbus president Paul Khan said he Sollen wir bleiben oder sollen wir gehen? Das ist das Dilemma, das die Briten im Vorfeld ihres Referendums über ihren Verbleib in der Europäischen Union, das schon im Mai 2016 stattfinden könnte, in den Griff bekommen müssen. Ein „Nein“ würde weitreichende Konsequenzen nicht nur für Großbritannien sondern auch für die EU haben, berichtet Hartley Milner.

welcomed the British government’s quest to deliver “positive and hoped-for reforms” and stressed that were Britain to leave the EU the company would not suddenly shut down its plants.

But he signalled: “If after an exit from the European Union, economic conditions in Britain were less favourable for business than in other parts of Europe, or beyond, would Airbus reconsider its future investment in the United Kingdom?

Yes, absolutely.”

Serious consequences Khan’s remarks follow warnings from car giants BMW and Ford that quitting the European Union would have serious consequences for the British economy, particularly since the UK’s car manufacturing sector had become a net exporter with 83 per cent of vehicles it makes being sold abroad.

Other influential pro-Europe players to enter the fray include BAA, the UK’s largest airport operator; Deutsche Bank, the eurozone’s second biggest bank; Japanese car manufacturer Nissan; the WPP Group, the world’s leading advertising agency; telecoms giant Vodafone and Britain’s own Sir Richard Branson, founder of the Virgin Group. More recently, HSBC announced it was reviewing whether it should move its headquarters out of London, possibly to Hong Kong, and leading credit ratings agency Moody’s said Britain would be forced to negotiate a new trade settlement if it pulled out, or face a downgrade.

However, the chief executive of British construction equipment firm JCB, Graeme Macdonald, believes Britain has nothing to fear from a ‘no’ result in the referendum. He said: “I don’t think it would make a blind bit of difference to trade with Europe. There has been far too much scaremongering about things like jobs. I don’t think we or Brussels will put up trade barriers.”

Macdonald said red tape and bureaucracy must be reduced, describing some of it as costly and “quite frankly ridiculous”.

“Whether that means renegotiating or exiting, I don’t think it can carry on as it is,” he said. “It’s a burden on our business and it’s easier selling to North America than to Europe sometimes.”

Rimanere o andarsene? Questo è il dilemma che i britannici dovranno affrontare nel periodo che precede il loro referendum sul rimanere o lascire l’Unione Europea, che potrebbe addirittura tenersi a maggio del 2016. Il voto ‘no’ avrebbe delle consequenze su vasta scala non solo per la Gran Bretagna ma anche per l’UE, come ci riferisce Hartley Milner.

WASHROOM DISPENSERS

Vital to hygiene Howard Sedgwick, managing director at Cannon Hygiene UK, explains why having the correct dispensers and service can encourage good hygiene, reduce the spread of germs in the workplace and ultimately keep people healthy at work.

The second biggest cause of absenteeism is common colds and sickness picked up by hand to surface transmission of germs. Washrooms have a significant part to play in reducing the spread of germs in any building. Without knowing it, having facilities that aren’t fit for purpose can significantly impact on business operations in all sectors.

The most obvious link is food preparation or the hospitality sector. This strong connection means it’s critical that businesses get it right since hygiene is under continual scrutiny from customers and regulatory bodies.

However hygiene is becoming an increasingly important consideration among other sectors as businesses aim to drive down absence rates caused by the presence of germs, whilst creating a positive environment for staff and customers.

Having the correct dispensers and service, tailored to specific sectors and

buildings, is one of the easiest ways that organisations can ensure hands are clean and the chances of spreading bacteria are greatly reduced.

Over 130 million days were lost due to sickness absences in the UK in 2013 according to the latest data from the Office of National Statistics, with 27 million days lost due to coughs and colds and other minor illnesses.

Research has shown a strong link between hygiene standards and the cost of absenteeism, with the rapid spread of germs very easily creating spates of absence among staff in an office. In a study

by Dr C Gerber of University of Arizona, a harmless virus was put on a door handle in an office. Within four hours this virus had spread to half of the surfaces in that office.

The overall cost of absence can reach up to 1,200 euros per employee every year depending on the sector, creating a significant cost for both small and large organisations. While not totally unavoidable, it’s something that businesses can help limit by improving on hygiene.

In addition, beyond the design and fitout of premises, hygiene is of course a key factor in forming customers’ first impressions. This is what’s driving savvy firms to look at ensuring good hygiene standards throughout their workplace so that their profits stay healthy as well as their staff.

One size doesn’t fit all We know that bacteria found on hands spreads to surfaces when touched, so good hygiene naturally starts with clean hands. As a priority every business should first of all ensure that all their dispensers are fit for purpose.

Washroom dispensers need to be reliable, always filled, and be designed with the environment in mind. A busy restaurant washroom where people are constantly washing their hands needs a dispenser that works well with high volumes and is serviced more regularly. Whereas the requirement for a smaller business will be much less, but still as important.

Businesses also need to consider the end-user. For example in a high-end hotel or restaurant, where brands aim to provide high quality in everything they do – even among the small details, a high quality dispenser that provides a foam soap containing moisturisers complements the level of service these businesses need to deliver.

No-touch units that dispense soap automatically by sensing the hand underneath reduce the potential for crosscontamination between hands. In addition it’s also important that the right amount of soap for each wash is being dispensed – too little and hands continue to carry germs after washing, too much and this can quickly become a considerable cost.

This is particularly important given the cost pressures of modern procurement decision making.

Prevent cross-contamination Having a tightly sealed refills is also another design feature that should be considered to prevent cross-contamination.

Hospitals, dental practices, GP surgeries and care homes should use hermeticallysealed refills. These reduce the potential of cross contamination of bacteria in the valve, for those without this seal there is a risk that bacteria can find itself moving from the valve and into the soap reservoir, contaminating the soap and making further use unhygienic. Good services on the market also include new nozzles with each refill to further help reduce the potential of this happening.

In the food manufacturing industry, having soap in the washroom may not be enough to halt the spread of germs.

These businesses require separate hand sanitiser dispensers strategically placed to ensure they quickly kill bacteria on hands as they move around the building.

With the spread of germs so closely tied to hand washing, which itself is often done incorrectly - a staggering one in three people admit to not washing their hands regularly after going to the Continued page 58

October 2015 | ECJ | 57

WASHROOM DISPENSERS Vital to hygiene (continued) toilet - just having a soap dispenser in a washroom won’t be enough. There has to be an intervention as people leave the washroom to break the transmission of germs. Door handle sanitisers are one way businesses can achieve this.

These are installed above horizontal or vertical door handles and spray a solution onto the handle each time the door is used. This means that those that do wash their hands aren’t then immediately picking up bacteria from others by touching an infected handle.

Clean workstations Even if workers do not share their desk with others, by repeatedly touching their keyboard, telephone, desk surface and other areas around them, they are leaving themselves open to picking up germs.

Quelles sont les premières fonctions d’un distributeur installé dans des toilettes en dehors du domicile ? Et en quoi ces fonctions diffèrent-elles d’un environnement à l’autre ? Contemplant le rôle du distributeur, nous examinons différents agencements : distributeur verrouillant anti-vandalisme et anti-larcin pour stades et établissements scolaires, distributeur hermétique pour prévenir la contamination dans les hôpitaux et usines alimentaires ; systèmes de contrôle de déroulement pour éviter la surconsommation dans les bâtiments publics, etc.

October 2015 | ECJ | 58

Upon leaving their area and coming into contact with others, bacteria will always be brought back to their immediate area.

Hot-desk areas can be a breeding ground with up to 25,127 germs per square inch found on telephones alone.

This is why it is so important to ensure workers have access to desk and equipment wipes dispensers. Regular use will ensure that the things they touch more than anything else will remain germ free.

Creating an intervention that breaks the link between surface and hand will be crucial come break-time when they are holding that sandwich in their hands.

Given the huge cost to businesses of poor hand hygiene, whether this is reduced general perception or high absenteeism, you can see why more and more firms are Welches sind die wichtigsten Funktionen eines Waschraumspenders in einem aushäusigen Waschraum?

Und welche Unterschiede gibt es von einer Umgebung zur anderen? Wir betrachten das Ziel des Spenders und sehen uns abschließbare Spender an, die Vandalismus und Plünderung in Schulen und Stadien verhindern; dicht verschlossene Spender, die eine Kontaminierung in Krankenhäusern und Lebensmittelfabriken verhindern; portionsgerechte Systeme, die einen übermäßigen Verbrauch in öffentlichen Gebäuden verhindern, usw.

re-evaluating hygiene from the front door and right throughout their premises.

Many are keen to ensure employees and visitors can enter and leave the premises assured that their hands are as clean as possible and they’ve spent their time in a hygienic environment. Taking a tactical approach to a hygiene service in these areas can be a key part in achieving this.

For those who are being clever in the way they take an all-encompassing view of how hygiene can be improved, dispensers make it convenient for people to keep their hands clean, which is often a significant factor in how clean a building is. This is a simple and effective way for businesses to promote good hygiene and reduce the cost of absence. www.cannonhygiene.com Quali sono le funzioni principali di un dispenser per sale da toilette in un bagno non domestico? E in cosa differiscono queste funzioni da un ambiente all’altro? Prendiamo in esame l’obiettivo di questo tipo di dispenser e prendiamo in considerazione i dispenser con serratura per prevenire vandalismi e furti in scuole e stadi; dispenser ben sigillati per la prevenzione della contaminazione crociata negli ospedali e negli ambienti di produzione alimentare; sistemi con controllo della quantità erogata in dosi per prevenire il consumo smodato negli edifici pubblici ecc.

PRODUCTS: WASHROOM DISPENSERS

Sanitary waste

Image conscious

The Femcare MVP Sanitary bag dispenser provides a subtle method of disposing of (or containing) sanitary waste, either alone or in conjunction with a sanitary disposal unit.

Developed by Vectair Systems this is a wall-mounted system designed to be positioned beside the toilet, either simply fixed to the wall or to the cubicle wall for swift and easy use. Disposal bags are dispensed one at a time before being filled with sanitary waste.

Because of the non-adhesive material of the bags, blockages are also prevented in sanitary units as well as down toilet drains, leading to less overflow from bins. www.vectairsystems.com

For image-conscious premium washrooms SCA has developed Tork Image Design, a new dispenser line in stainless steel.

Said to combine state-ofthe-art functionality with sleek design, the units are made in horizontally brushed stainless steel contrasted by black details.

The distance between the wall and the dispensers makes the products look slimmer and creates the illusion they are hovering over the well says SCA. www.sca.com

Next edition of ECJ - November

Clean seat Hagleitner has added a toilet seat disinfecting and cleaning foam to its washroom dispenser family. The seatCLEANER dispenser allows users to apply the cleaner to the toilet seat with a piece of toilet tissue.

Refills are said to be long-lasting and economical, while the dispenser features a clean and

modern design. A small red light flashes to indicate to cleaning staff that it needs to be serviced.

Hagleitner offers a host of no-touch or manual dispenser ranges in various designs. www.hagleitner.com

• Vectair présente son distributeur de sacs sanitaires MVP comme un moyen subtil d’élimination de déchets sanitaires.

• Pour les toilettes haut de gamme, SCA a conçu la ligne de distributeurs Image Design en acier inox.

• La gamme de distributeurs pour toilettes Hagleitner comprend l’appareil seatCLEANER, qui livre de la mousse pour le nettoyage et la désinfection de sièges de sanitaire.

• Vectair teilt mit, dass der Spender Femcare MVP Sanitary Bag Dispenser eine dezente Möglichkeit bietet, um Damenhygieneartikel zu entsorgen.

• Für hochwertige Waschräume hat SCA die Spenderreihe Tork Image Design in Edelstahl entworfen.

• Die Produktfamilie mit Waschraumspendern von Hagleitner umfasst die seatCLEANEREinheit, die Reinigungs- und Desinfektionsschaum für Toilettensitze spendet.

• La Vectair afferma che il suo dispenser Femcare MVP Sanitary Bag Dispenser è un sistema discreto per lo smaltimento dei rifiuti sanitari.

• La SCA ha progettato la linea di dispenser Tork Image Design in acciaio inossidabile per le sale da bagno di alto livello.

• La linea di dispenser per sale da toilette della Hagleitner include l’unità seatCLEANER che eroga schiuma detergente e disinfettante per le sedute dei wc.

October 2015 | ECJ | 59

PRODUCTS: WASHROOM DISPENSERS

• La nouvelle gamme de distributeurs Katrin Inclusive de Metsä Tissue se compose de 10 modèles.

• Les distributeurs électroniques de savon sans contact Rely, de la société San Jamar, passent au fonctionnement manuel lorsque leur charge de batterie tombe.

• Les nouveaux distributeurs de savon DoctorClean sont à fonctionnement à la fois manuel et sans contact.

• Die neue Spenderreihe Katrin Inclusive von Metsä Tissue umfasst 10 Modelle.

• Rely, die hybrid-elektronischen, berührungslosen Seifenspender von San Jamar, schalten bei niedrigem Batteriestatus in manuellen Betrieb um.

• Die neuen Seifenspender von DoctorClean bieten sowohl manuellen als auch berührungslosen Betrieb.

• La nuova gamma di dispenser Katrin Inclusive della Metsä Tissue è composta da 10 modelli.

• I dispenser di sapone ibridi, elettronici e no-touch Rely della San Jamar passano automaticamente al funzionamento manuale quando la batteria è quasi scarica.

• I nuovi dispenser di sapone della DoctorClean offrono funzioni manuale e no-touch.

October 2015 | ECJ | 60

Inclusive The Katrin Inclusive range is the latest dispenser line from Metsä Tissue, designed to serve the needs of a broad range of users including children, the elderly, the visually impaired and those with disabilities.

There are 10 dispensers in the range, including new models for the Katrin System Hand Towel and Toilet Roll range, as well as dispensers for conventional paper products and soap. Also included are matching waste and feminine hygiene bins, along with dispensers for facial tissue. Black or white designs are available.

Other features include ease of installation and maintenance and the use of a single key for

all models to save cleaning staff having to carry around a collection of dispenser keys. www.katrin.com

Hybrid in soap

to access soap when the batteries are low. The dispenser cover actually has a ‘push’ icon indicator that goes on when batteries are low.

The unit can dispense foam, liquids and sanitisers. At 900 ml it is high in capacity and is easy to maintain with replaceable pumps and bulk reservoirs.

The Rely dispensing line also includes manual units. www.sanjamar.com

Functional

San Jamar has taken its notouch technology from towel dispensers into soap - its Rely electronic no-touch hybrid system is sensor-activated while also incorporating a manual push cover that allows the user

Dr Clean says its hand cleanser dispensers DT 1200, DT 1500 and DM 1200 are functional and practical, offering both manual and notouch function.

The patented modular design is said to be easy to clean and maintain while the flexible nozzle enables handling of liquid, spray or foam soap.

Dosage is adjustable. www.doctorclean.com.cn

CHEMICAL SOLUTIONS

A chemical change Ann Laffeaty traces the evolution of chemical cleaning products in the light of tightening legislation and a greater emphasis on sustainability and safety.

There was at time when the only requirement of a chemical detergent solution was that it should be capable of cleaning the item for which it was intended. But that all changed when the health, safety and sustainability implications of cleaning products began to be monitored more closely. For example, we discovered that Paradichlorobenzen - formerly used in urinal blocks – was a carcinogen. We also found out that Alkylphenol ethoxylates, a synthetic surfactant found in detergents, had an oestrogenic effect and could disrupt hormones in fish.

And as our concern for factors such as health, safety and sustainability began to grow, new legislation was introduced. This has resulted in some dramatic changes to the chemical cleaning industry over the past 20 years.

But are today’s safer, more environmentally-friendly products as effective as their predecessors? And do manufacturers and customers ever mourn the passing of yesterday’s more hazardous products?

CEBE Reinigungschemie manager Dr Jan Reimers confirms that today’s cleaning chemicals are generally more sustainable, safer and easier to use than their counterparts of 20 years ago. “Both the manufacturer and the end-user have become more sensitised to this issue,” he said. “It is not only legislation that puts the industry under pressure; end-users are also demanding safer and more sustainable products.

This has led to changes in formulations and higher levels of training on product use along with greater transparency on the part of the manufacturers where haz-

ardous ingredients are concerned.”

He says that many raw materials have recently been replaced with more environmentally-friendly, less hazardous alternatives. “In addition many products have become simpler - not only in their formulation but also in their use.”

However, he cites niche products as an exception to this rule. “Though even where specialty products are concerned the trend is to improve efficiency while also minimising hazard.”

According to Reimers, these changes in the industry have largely been determined by legislation. “If one considers, for instance, the changes in concentration thresholds for declaring a product as an irritant to the eyes, 20 years ago that threshold was generally a concentration of 20 per cent,” he said. “Today this has been reduced to one per cent in some instances.”

He adds that in some cases, changes in formulation have led to poorer performance. “This is the compromise that has to be made for sustainable development,” he said. “In other cases new raw materials have been discovered which have led to improved performance and sometimes also better environmental degradability.”

Change in behaviour But is there anything about the chemical solutions of the past that either Reimers or his customers miss today? “I can think of one thing that may be missed: Alkylphenolethxylates which, as non-ionic surfactants go, are still unsurpassed in many fields and are still in use in some industrial applications,” he said. “However their impact on the environment is substantial which means that phasing them out and prohibiting their use with only a few exceptions was the right thing to do.”

He describes surfactant-free systems for carpet cleaning – such as the company’s own Spray Brite product – to be among the recent ‘game-changers’ in the chemicals industry. “The development of green labels has also led to a change in market behaviour, particularly since the

phasing out of solvents in many products has led to them being more user-friendly.”

Dr Schnell Chemie’s marketing executive Franz Felbermeir agrees with Reimers that there is a trend towards developing products with a broader application window, such as general-purpose cleaning solutions.

Specialist products “Customers want to use one product to clean a range of different pollutants from a variety of surfaces,” he said. “At the same time, very specific products are being developed for specialist purposes such as the cleaning of marble, for example.

This means that users can rely on a narrow range of products that resolve 90 per cent of standard issues while having a second range of highly specialised products that deal with the remaining cleaning challenges.”

He says that today’s focused research on coming up with systems designed to improve efficiency through the use of better technical equipment - such as microfibre cloths, for example - has led to more effective cleaning. “On the other hand, restrictions in the use of certain chemicals such as some dangerous organic solvents has left the industry looking for replacements for what were highly effective cleaning chemicals in the past,” he said.

Like Reimers he feels that today’s cleaning chemicals are generally more sustainable, safer and easier to use. “As soon as there is an understanding of the potential risks involved with certain substances the trend is to substitute these very quickly,” he said. “Anything that helps our customers to become more efficient in what they do is always a welcome idea.

And if a product helps our customer to do a better job, that can be translated into a monetary advantage.”

But does he miss anything about yesterday’s chemical solutions? “Superficially one could complain about the fact that some highly effective surfactants such as Nonylphenoles are no longer available,” he Continued page 62

October 2015 | ECJ |61

CHEMICAL SOLUTIONS A chemical change (continued)

said. “However, these substances have a highly detrimental effect on the environment so the fact that they are no longer in use is overall good news. And this has helped us to keep the focus on seeking better and more sustainable ways to formulate new products.”

He describes the company’s Milizid sanitary cleaner as one of Dr Schnell Chemie’s most revolutionary products. “It is our best-selling product and it stays on the top of our list through constant evolution.”

New regulations Global marketing director of Diversey Care Lars Bo Madsen describes the changes in the chemical industry over the past 20 years as both significant and positive. “Changes have occurred due to regulatory introductions such as the Biocidal Products Directive, REACH, and latterly by GHS,” he said. “There has also been a move towards super-concentrated products that directly deliver less chemical and that entail less packaging, less storage, a lower carbon footprint and maximum safety for end-users.

“Meanwhile, closed systems and packaging with dosing control has been introduced to ensure accuracy, simplicity and safety. And end-users are increasingly requesting products with labels such as the Swan or Ecolabel.”

When asked whether today’s products were more effective than earlier versions he responds: “What is meant by ‘effective’? Does it mean that a product removes more dirt and soil, cleans more quickly, does so at a lower temperature, uses a less concentrated solution or cleans with less scrubbing? I don’t think we tolerated more dirt 20 years ago so the question really boils down to the last four.”

He refers to the Sinner’s circle that sets out the four cleaning parameters of chemistry, mechanics, temperature and En quoi les produits de nettoyage chimiques ont-il évolué les 20 dernières années ? Les produits actuels sont-ils plus efficaces, durables, sûrs et conviviaux ?

Et se peut-il que les produits d’hier aient des qualités absentes dans ceux d’aujourd’hui ? Un panorama de l’évolution des produits de nettoyage chimiques.

October 2015 | ECJ | 62

time. “Only when all four factors are harmonised can an effective cleaning result be achieved,” he said.

According to Madsen, super-concentrated cleaning products such as his company’s Diversey Smartdose system have changed the market considerably. This is a dosing platform for super-concentrated cleaners and disinfectants that is said to deliver larger amounts of cleaning solution, reducing plastic use and transport costs.

But what do Diversey Care’s customers miss about yesterday’s chemical products?

“Maybe it was the easier decision process – does it work and is it the right price?” said Marsden. “Nowadays the question: ‘Is it sustainable?’ has been added to the decision process.

“But to be honest there is little about chemical products of the past that either Diversey Care or our customers miss today since chemical products have generally become much easier and safer to use.”

The company is launching a range of products containing plant-based actives from renewable sources. Most of the SURE range of products are derived from by-products from the agro-food industry and originate from crops such as sugar beet, maize, straw bran, wheat bran and coconut.

Green cleaning “In the future I envisage that holistic green cleaning will become more prevalent,” said Marsden. “Green cleaning has already become more formalised in North America where it is accredited through schemes from the US Green Building Council’s LEED suite of accreditations and ISSA’s CIMS-GB scheme.”

Legislation has been the main driver for recent chemical industry changes says Dr Jim Taylour, head of research and development at Holchem Laboratories.

“The chief focus in terms of legislation Wie haben sich chemische Reinigungsprodukte in den vergangenen 20 Jahren geändert? Sind die gegenwärtigen Produkte effektiver, nachhaltiger, sicherer und benutzerfreundlicher? Und haben die chemische Reinigungslösungen von gestern etwas geboten, das wir heute vermissen? Wir werfen einen Blick auf die Entwicklung der chemischen Reinigungsprodukte.

has been on personal and environmental safety,” he said. “The chemicals industry is relatively highly regulated and as new knowledge comes to light, regulations change and the industry reacts in order to ensure it remains legal.

“In addition the industry often preempts legislation and through codes of practice and industry guidelines recommends voluntary restrictions or a change of use for certain chemicals.”

As an example he quotes a voluntary ban in 1995 on the use of Alkylphenol ethoxylates and Nonylphenol ethoxylates in detergents based on evidence that these compounds were endocrine disruptors.

The ban was brought in before the legislation had been put into place.

Plant-derived formulas Taylour echoes Marsden’s view that an increasing number of today’s raw materials are plant-derived. “An example of this can be seen in the use of palm oil-derived surfactants,” he said. “However, this issue has been complicated by considerations about the sustainability of palm oil production.”

Holchem offers a range of chemicals including its Perbac OPD open plant disinfection solution. This is claimed to be a safe and effective disinfectant for use on open surfaces without the strong acrid smell issues associated with peracetic acid disinfectants.

Like Marsden, Taylour feels that an increasing trend towards the use of superconcentrates has further changed the face of the industry. “This is particularly the case in the hospitality and facilities management sectors where the traditional ready-to-use toilet cleaner has been replaced by a thicken-on-dilution system developed using novel surfactant chemistry,” he said. Holchem’s Optimum Toilet Cleaner Concentrate is an example of this.

Taylour believes that industry regulations will continue to change and shape the chemicals sector. “As legislation such as BPR, REACH and the Detergent Directive matures, detergent and disinfectant suppliers will continue to drive the development of their products to ensure that they remain legal, cost-effective and safe both for personnel and for the environment,” he said.

Come sono cambiati i detergenti chimici negli ultimi 20 anni? I prodotti di oggi sono più efficaci, più sostenibili, più sicuri e più facili da usare? E c’era qualcosa nei detergenti chimici del passato che ci manca oggi? Una panoramica dell’evoluzione dei detergenti chimici.

PRODUCTS: CHEMICAL SOLUTIONS

Four from one The new ECOMULTI dilution system from Brightwell Dispensers offers a cost-effective way of diluting up to four chemicals from one unit.

The new patented design of all Brightwell proportioners eliminates the need for metering tips, enabling installers to calibrate up to 12 independent dilution ratios per chemical outlet.

ECOMULTI is a flexible system allowing chemical cabinets to be installed on either side of the dispenser, with an alternative option of drawing chemical from hanging brackets to avoid contact with hazardous chemicals. Other accessories include multi-lingual pictograms. www.brightwell.co.uk

Smart cleaning To coincide with the launch of its new SMART chemical dosing system Werner & Mertz has developed three new formulations under its green care professional brand which are free of CLP classification and cover up to 80 per cent of daily cleaning tasks.

TANET alcoSmart is an alcoholbased maintenance cleaner said to offer high wetting, dispersing and cleaning properties.

SANET inoSmart, meanwhile, is a sanitary cleaner featuring a dual acid formulation for high performance limescale and soap removal. And the new floor cleaner is TAWIP novoSMART, based on a formula containing coconut soap with self-shining attributes, boasts high emulsifying qualities combined with slip resistance. www.wmprof.com

Dirty footwear Designed to reduce the risk of cross-contamination from dirty footwear is the SS2 footwear sanitising system from Dema Europe. This, it says, is much easier to use than traditional

boot dips, sanitising mats or spray bottles.

When a user steps down on the grate, the SS2 sprays a fine mist of atomised sanitiser onto the shoe sole. Thanks to the air-operated pump a consistent amount of sanitiser is sprayed in a consistent pattern for dependable coverage every time. The SS2 system also includes an optional boot scrubber, which can be used to remove soils prior to sanitising.

Featuring durable stainless steel and polyethylene construction, the SS2 is said to be easy to maintain and the large collection basin is designed for simple cleaning. www.demaeurope.com

In a pouch New from Diversey Care is the Pro Series Smart Mix Pro, a dilution control system in a pouch.

Designed for smaller businesses, it’s said to provide an alternative to all ready-to-use (RTU) spray bottles.

A case of Smart Mix Pro (two pouches) prepares eight onequart RTU bottles of cleaning solution, reducing storage

requirements by 80 per cent. To mix the solution cleaners simply add one gallon of water to the pouch, close the cap and burst the inner pouch of concentrated chemical by squeezing it. This releases the perfect dose of concentrate into the water.

Smart Mix Pro is said to create less plastic waste than bottles and transportation energy consumption is reduced because of the product’s smaller size. www.diversey.com

Universal Uniwersal VC 250 is a universal cleaning agent for waterresistant surfaces developed by Voigt, also incorporating active oxygen, anti-stone and antifingerprint technologies.

The company has also rebranded its cleaning chemical line recently in order to make it easier for users to understand the products - each of the six product groups has been assigned its own colour code. www.voigt.pl

Biotech solution From HTS BIO comes a range of cleaning solutions developed using biotechnological solutions called Ecoway. These use living micro-organisms to bring about transformative processes in matter. HTS formulations contain both micro-organisms and biosurfactants.

The fact Ecoway products contain no toxic chemicals means they have been zero-hazard labelled. The range is colourcoded by product family and covers floors and multipurpose cleaning; surfaces; kitchens and agrifood businesses; toilets; air freshening and wastewater. www.htsbio.com

More Planta Buzil is expanding its ecological Planta range of cleaning solutions to include the Multi Stripper P 321 universal basic cleaner and Multi Gloss P 320 gloss coating.

Both products, which have been awarded the Austrian Ecolabel, boast optimum performance as well as a high level of environmental sustainability.

Planta Multi Stripper is said to have a high level of dirt and film-removing action and short reaction time. Planta Multi Gloss, meanwhile, is a gloss dispersion that resists surface disinfectants, contains no zinc, fluorine detergents or perfumes and offers resistant protection with strong filling power and good coating. www.buzil.com

• Le nouveau dispositif Ecomulti de Brightwell Dispenser permet de gérer la dilution de jusqu’à quatre produits chimiques débités par un seul distributeur.

• Werner & Mertz a développé le système de dosage chimique SMART. • Le système de désinfection de chaussures SS2 proposé par Dema Europe s’attaque au risque de contamination croisée par des chaussures sales.

• Diversey Care a introduit un système de contrôle de dilution, le Pro Series Smart Mix Pro, dont l’agencement à ballonet serait le premier du monde.

• Signé Voigt, l’Uniwersal VC 250 est un agent de nettoyage universel pour surfaces résistant à l’eau.

• Spécialiste des solutions biotechnologiques, HTS Bio aligne la gamme Ecoway de produits de nettoyage.

• Buzil a étendu sa gamme écologique Planta en y introduisant un nettoyant universel et un revêtement brillant.

• Der neue Ecomulti von Brightwell Dispensers ermöglicht die Verdünnung von bis zu vier Reinigungschemikalien aus einem Spender.

• Werner & Mertz Professional hat das Chemikaliendosiersystem SMART entwickelt.

• Mit SS2, dem Desinfektionssystem für Schuhe, von Dema Europe wird das Risiko der Kreuzkontamination durch verschmutzte Schuhe angegangen.

• Laut Angaben von Diversey Care handelt es sich beim neuen Pro Series Smart Mix Pro um das branchenweit erste Verdünnungsregelungssystem in einem Beutel.

• Voigt bietet Uniwersal VC 250, ein Universal-Reinigungsmittel für wasserfeste Oberflächen.

• HTS Bio ist auf biotechnologische Lösungen spezialisiert und bietet die Produktreihe Ecoway mit Reinigungsprodukten.

• Buzil hat seine umweltverträgliche Produktfamilie Planta um einen Universal-Grundreiniger und eine Glanzbeschichtung ergänzt.

• Il nuovo prodotto Ecomulti della Brightwell Dispensers offre il modo di diluire fino a quattro prodotti chimici con un unico dispenser.

• La Werner & Mertz Professional ha sviluppato il sistema di dosaggio dei prodotti chimici SMART. • Il sistema di sanitizzazione delle calzature SS2 prodotto dalla Dema Europe combatte il rischio di contaminazione crociata causata da calzature sporche.

• La Diversey Care afferma che il suo nuovo prodotto Pro Series Smart Mix Pro è il primo sistema di controllo delle diluizioni in sacca sul mercato.

• La Voigt propone Uniwersal VC 250, un detergente universale per le superfici resistenti all’acqua.

• La HTS Bio è specializzata in soluzioni di biotecnologia e propone la gamma di prodotti di pulizia Ecoway.

• La Buzil ha aggiunto alla sua linea di prodotti ecologici Planta un detergente universale generico e un trattamento lucido per pavimenti.

October 2015 | ECJ | 63

NEW PRODUCT REVIEW

• Unger a introduit le Stringray, nouvel outil de nettoyage de verre en intérieur, qui pulvérise et nettoie en une seule étape.

• Un nouveau procédé de fini antibactérien pour tissus et têtes de balayage humide a été développé par Rezi en collaboration avec l’université d’Innsbruck.

• Vectair Systems a lancé quatre nouvelles gammes de fragrances : Classico, Fruits, Oriental et Airoma Therapy & Spa. • Chicopee a lancé le Microfibre Light, un tissu de nettoyage jetable pour le secteur de la santé.

• Vileda Professional présente son système à balayage humide plat UltraSpeed Pro comme étant le plus innovant du marché.

• Zimmer a mis au point un désinfectant hygiénique des mains à l’eau, le Desinfect Hand & Skin.

• Bei Stingray handelt es sich um das neue Innenreinigungssystem von Unger, das das Sprühen und Reinigen in einem Schritt ermöglicht.

• Ein neues antibakterielles Endbearbeitungsverfahren für Tücher und Mopps wurde von Rezi in Zusammenarbeit mit der Universität Innsbruck entwickelt.

• Vectair Systems hat vier neue Sprayduftnoten eingeführt: Classico, Fruits, Oriental und Airoma Therapy & Spa. • Chicopee hat Microfibre Light vorgestellt, ein für den kurzzeitigen Einsatz im Gesundheitswesen entwickeltes Reinigungstuch.

• Laut Vileda Professional handelt es sich bei dem Flachmoppsystem UltraSpeed Pro um die innovativste Lösung am Markt.

• Zimmer hat Desinfect Hand & Skin entwickelt, ein Händedesinfektionsmittel auf Wasserbasis.

• Stingray è il nuovo attrezzo per la pulizia dei vetri interni prodotto dalla Unger, che spruzza e pulisce contemporaneamente.

• Un nuovo trattamento di finitura antibatterico per panni e mop è stato sviluppato della Rezi in collaborazione con l’Università di Innsbruck.

• La Vectair Systems ha introdotto quattro nuove gamme di fragranze aerosol: Classico, Fruits, Oriental e Airoma Therapy & Spa. • La Chicopee ha lanciato Microfibre Light, un panno a breve durata adatto per le pulizie nel settore sanitario.

• La Vileda Professional afferma che il suo sistema di mop piatto UltraSpeed Pro è il più innovativo sul mercato.

• La Zimmer ha sviluppato Desinfect Hand & Skin, un disinfettante per le mani igienico e base di acqua.

October 2015 | ECJ | 64

Glass Stingray For faster, more flexible and more ergonomic cleaning of indoor glass surfaces Unger has developed the Stingray tool.

Stingray is powered by battery and enables spraying and cleaning in one step thanks to new Apply and Clean technology. The new microfibre TriPad simultaneously cleans windows and frames. The enclosed spray nozzle design prevents

over-spraying, eliminating drips, streaks and the rework associated with wet window sills.

The triangular shape of the TriPads makes for easy cleaning in corners and hard-to-reach areas, while the new Easy-ClickPoles allow safe and comfortable cleaning at heights up to four metres.

The ready-to-use replaceable pouches, pre-filled with 3M Scotchgard professional glass cleaner, can be changed in seconds. www.ungerglobal.com

Four ranges

Vectair Systems has grouped its new and existing Airoma aerosol fragrances into four new ranges: Classics, Fruits, Oriental, and Airoma Therapy & Spa. This, the company says, makes it easier for customers to identify suitable fragrances for their needs.

The Classics range is a line of powerful and modern fragrances best suited to washrooms, toilets and care homes, while the Fruits range is made up of fresh and fruity aromas for use in offices, hotels, airports and shopping centres.

For hotels, bars and clubs the Oriental range offers rich and exotic scents, and the Airoma Therapy & Spa line offers soothing and sensual fragrances for changing rooms, gyms and leisure centres. www.vectairsystems.com

Short-term use

Copper finish A new antibacterial finishing process for cleaning textiles (cloths and mops) has been developed by Rezi in collaboration with the University of Innsbruck.

Damp cleaning textiles are often ideal breeding grounds for germs, which can present a serious problem in areas such as healthcare. The new Copper+ process from Rezi is a technique based around copper for the antibacterial finishing of cloths and mops.

The natural antibacterial effect does not depend on any kind of chemistry or nanotechnology and is safe to use for both users and the environment. Copper not only prevents bacterial growth, it also eliminates up to 99.9 per cent of bacteria. www.rezi.at

Fast flat mop According to Vileda Professional its new UltraSpeed Pro is the most inventive bucketand-press flat mopping system available. As the successor to the UltraSpeed concept, this new system is a complete revision with features designed to offer fast, high performance and convenient cleaning.

Flexibility has been a key consideration in developing the new system, says Vileda, therefore UltraSpeed Pro is offered in three kits - all of them can be tailor-made to suit individual needs.

The first version, System, contains the mopping system; chassis, bucket(s) and press.

Starter contains the system plus mop frame and mop pad, while Ready-to-Go is made up of the starter kit plus a telescopic mop handle.

Up to 750 square metres per hour can be cleaned single step, Vileda claims, or 360 square metres two-step. www.vileda-professional.com

Next edition of ECJ - November

Water based

Chicopee’s Microfibre Light is a new cleaning cloth designed for short-term use in the healthcare sector. Said to remove and trap 99.9 per cent of microbes without the use of chemicals, it eliminates the need for laundering.

Known as the ‘capillary effect’, Microfibre Light’s fibres act like a magnet, removing and trapping bacteria until released. This is because they are positively charged - whilst bacteria, dirt and dust are negatively charged – consequently they are all attracted to the cloth.

Available in five colours to help meet HACCP standards, with 40 sheets in each pack. www.chicopee-europe.com

Zimmer Reinigungstechnik has developed Desinfect Hand & Skin, a water-based hygienic hand disinfectant certified to EN 1500. This use of purified water and sodium chloride in a simple electrochemical process produces an effective disinfectant that is totally harmless for the user says the company. After unleashing its anti-germ effect it breaks down into water and sodium chloride.

All Desinfect products are free of alcohols, phenols, aldehydes, solvents, and any scents, auxiliary agents, additives or other polluting hazardous substances.

Suitable for use in medical institutions, residential care, schools, food production and processing and catering, Desinfect Hand & Skin also has no added fragrance. And it is exempt from CLP labelling. www.desinfect.eu

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