Facility Cleaning & Maintenance

SERVING THE FACILIT Y CLE ANING & MAINTENANCE INDUSTRY

APRIL 2018

� HOW TO STOP RESTROOM VANDALISM � HOTEL LAUNDRY: ON-PREMISE OR OUTSOURCE? � HANDS-FREE FUTURE HAS ALREADY ARRIVED

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Fairmont’s Nikki Stewart rises through the ranks to lead the housekeeping team at one of Canada’s most prestigious hotels

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� CONTENTS APRIL 2018

PHOTOS BY ROBYN RUSSELL

SPOTLIGHT 12 Checking in on Hotel Staff Precarious work takes toll on housekeepers

by Rebecca Melnyk

FLOORING 16 Protecting what’s Underfoot The lowdown on low moisture carpet cleaning

by Lee Senter 18 The Right Connection

Floor care in the Internet of Things

by Maggie Koester 20 Living with AI

Hands-free machines bring great potential to cleaning industry

by Jan Willem Tinge

COVER STORY 6 Service Second to None

Fairmont Royal York’s director of housekeeping takes on supportive role to bring hotel’s vision to life

by Clare Tattersall

IN EVERY ISSUE 4 Editor’s Letter

A Stay to Remember 10 Expert Q+A Time to Air the Laundry?

22 All Charged Up

Lithium-powered equipment improves return on investment

by Chris Botting

RESTROOMS 24 An Intelligent Investment Smart technology enhances restroom maintenance, improves user experience

by Bruce Ferguson 28 What a Relief Practical steps to stop restroom vandalism

by Jerry Babin

30 Clean Matters

A Royal Flush

Canada’s 8,000 hotels employ more than 300,000 workers, one-quarter of which are housekeepers, says the Hotel Association of Canada.

www.REMInetwork.com / 3

/ editor’s letter /

A STAY TO REMEMBER

I

’ve spent a fair share of time in hotels over the years; however, as a lifelong resident of Toronto — minus the 18 months I lived in Vancouver — I’ve never had the need to check-in to one of the city’s fine establishments. Of the more than 180 in the municipality, the Fairmont Royal York is among the top five hotels I’d like to stay in, partly for its history (it’s almost 90 years old) and to see if it’s actually haunted (a major allure after hearing this on a guided ghost walking tour), but especially since the iconic hotel recently completed renovating two-thirds of its guestrooms. Its grandeur is also appealing — not the hotel’s physical size as it’s no longer among the tallest in the city; rather, its sheer number of guestrooms, 1,363 to be exact. This got me thinking: How does the Fairmont Royal York remain so pristine and clean with so many patrons? Enter the hotel’s director of housekeeping, Nicole (Nikki) Stewart, who graciously gave Facility Cleaning & Maintenance a behind the scenes glimpse of the hotel’s biggest department as well as maintenance operations. You can read all about Fairmont Royal York’s inner workings in this issue’s cover story, Service Second to None.

From there we move to our Expert Q+A, which addresses the question many hotels ponder: Outsource laundry services or manage in-house? We then return to the topic of hotel housekeeping in Checking in on Hotel Staff, in which the author, Facility Cleaning & Maintenance’s online editor Rebecca Melnyk, tackles a new report that highlights the precarious work of this profession.

Rounding out this issue is our industry spotlights: flooring and restrooms. Topics covered include low moisture carpet cleaning, the impact of the Internet of Things, hands-free floor care equipment, the emergence of lithium-ion batteries, smart restroom technology and tips to tackle washroom vandalism.

If you’re interested in contributing editorial to the magazine, participating in our Expert Q+A, want to share a brand new or innovative product with us or simply provide feedback on the publication, please contact me. I’d love to hear from you!

CLARE TATTERSALL claret@mediaedge.ca

Editor Clare Tattersall claret@mediaedge.ca

Digital Editor Rebecca Melnyk rebeccam@mediaedge.ca

Publisher Liam Kearney liamk@mediaedge.ca

Senior Designer

Production Manager

Annette Carlucci Rachel Selbie rachels@mediaedge.ca

Sales Sean Foley seanf@mediaedge.ca

Stephanie Philbin stephaniep@mediaedge.ca

Contributing Writers

Jerry Babin Chris Botting Bruce Ferguson Maggie Koester Rebecca Melnyk Lee Senter Jan Willem Tinge

Circulation Yeshdev Singh

circulation@mediaedge.ca

Facility Cleaning & Maintenance is published five times a year by:

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SERVICE SECOND

TO NONE Fairmont Royal York’s director of housekeeping takes on supportive role to bring hotel’s vision to life

by Clare Tattersall

6 / FACILITY CLEANING & MAINTENANCE / APRIL 2018

T

here’s no missing the Fairmont Royal York when flying over Toronto, pulling into Union Station on one of the main train lines or travelling into the downtown core via the Gardiner Expressway. At 28 storeys, the recognizable landmark may no longer be the tallest tower in the city (or the British Commonwealth, for that matter) — a title it lay claim to in 1929, when it opened to great fanfare — but its presence is still pronounced amidst the massive office buildings and condos that now surround the chateaustyle hotel. Popularity has rarely waned since the first guests walked through the doors nearly 90 years ago into an opulent interior fit for not just a queen but ‘the’ queen; Canada’s monarch has called the historic hotel ‘home’ while visiting Toronto, as has several members of the royal family.

While many of the hotel’s original heritage features remain, including the famed ornate

crystal chandeliers found throughout and the hand-carved wood lobby ceiling, it has gone through a number of renovations throughout the years, even expanding to welcome a new type of guest — rooftop honeybees. In 2014, Fairmont unveiled its first bee hotel, providing the endangered species with a safe place to rest their wings. Most recently, the famed building underwent an extensive renovation that included the complete redesign of nearly 900 guestrooms across 11 floors as well as updates to its pool and health spa — a task that was no easy feat given the hotel was fully operational throughout the five-year construction process.

“We are fortunate enough at the Fairmont Royal York to run high occupancy levels but with these high business levels it was crucial to keep in mind the impact renovations would have on our guests,” says the hotel’s director of housekeeping, Nicole (Nikki) Stewart. “A main goal was to create a clear separation from our guests and the work being completed, whenever possible.

/ cover story /

In regards to noise, we had specific hours that construction could take place during the day and we ensured that construction hours were communicated to our guests before arriving at their rooms.”

Fairmont has since embarked on Phase 2 of its multimillion dollar hotel transformation, which includes the lobby, dining venues, meeting spaces as well as the complete redevelopment of more than 100 of the hotel’s most prestigious guestrooms.

“It’s a very exciting time seeing the Fairmont Royal York being transformed,” says Stewart, who joined the hotel in June 2016, upon relocating from Scottsdale, Ariz., where she served as housekeeping manager at the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess.

Stewart’s storied career with Fairmont dates back more than a decade. She began working for the luxury chain of hotels in 2005, as a room attendant at the Fairmont Jasper Park Lodge in Alberta, where she held progressive positions including housekeeping supervisor, housekeeping manager and laundry/valet manager. After five years at the mountain resort, Stewart briefly parted ways with Fairmont to serve at sea, specifically on a luxury cruise line as the ship’s senior assistant chief executive housekeeper. Eight months later, her feet returned to dry land and Fairmont where they have remained firmly planted ever since. From 2011 to 2015, Stewart called

�

the Fairmont Chateau Whistler in B.C. home before heading south of the border to the Grand Canyon state, only to travel back to the true north a little more than a year later.

“My role here is to support all the hardworking staff, my colleagues and leaders to deliver engaging, thoughtful service and to ensure every one of our guests is well taken care of,” says Stewart, who originally joined the Fairmont Royal York as senior housekeeping manager, laundry, and then quickly moved into the positions of director of laundry operations, assistant director of housekeeping and finally director of housekeeping.

In her current post, Stewart oversees a large team of more than 350 people — 297 housekeepers and 57 launderers to be exact. All cleaning and maintenance-related tasks are performed in-house, with the exception of the hotel’s overnight cleaning, dry cleaning services and maintenance of the iconic rooftop sign, which involves regular removal of debris that accumulates in the letters and yearly inspection of wiring components to ensure proper operation.

“Having all trades, from an engineering perspective, represented in-house is unique to our property and extremely advantageous in terms of timeliness and accuracy because this is an old building filled with a lot of nooks and crannies,” she explains.

On-premises laundry operations have also proven beneficial, says Stewart, who is thankful the original owner, Canadian Pacific Railway, had the foresight to include it in the building design.

“Having laundry on-site allows us to control the turnaround time and care of our linens,” she says, noting the facility processes an average of 1,000 pounds of laundry per day.

In an effort to become more efficient in its operations — laundry consumes copious amounts of H2O — the Fairmont Royal York installed a commercial water softener in 2005, which has reduced water use in the laundry to one wash and one rinse per cycle, saving 476,000 litres of water per day (enough water to supply 500 homes).

To put this in perspective, the hotel was originally using 676,000 litres of water daily to double wash and triple rinse the laundry.

The addition of the water softener is but one of many sustainable initiatives Fairmont has undertaken to reduce the hotel’s environmental footprint. Others include the installation of LED lights in each of the 1,373 guestrooms, implementation of an optional towel and linen reuse program, use of Green Seal or Safer Choice-certified cleaning products and donation of discarded guestroom soap and plastic shampoo/conditioner amenity bottles to Clean the World, which then

LEFT: EACH LAMP IN THE FAIRMONT ROYAL YORK’S ICONIC SIGN IS A SEALED UNIT SO AS LONG AS THE GAS INSIDE THE TUBE IS NOT CONTAMINATED (AS A RESULT OF A SMALL LEAK) AND THE ELECTRODES THAT CONDUCT ELECTRICITY REMAIN INTACT, THE SIGN WILL CONTINUE TO SHINE ITS NEON RED LIGHT OVER TORONTO’S DOWNTOWN CORE. RIGHT: THE HOTEL RECENTLY UNDERWENT A FIVE-YEAR REVITALIZATION THAT INCLUDED REFRESHING NEARLY 900 GUESTROOMS ACROSS 11 FLOORS.

8 / FACILITY CLEANING & MAINTENANCE / APRIL 2018

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THE FAIRMONT ROYAL YORK WAS THE FIRST COMMERCIAL PROPERTY TO BE RECOGNIZED BY THE CITY OF TORONTO UNDER ITS ICI WATERSAVER PROGRAM, WHICH PROVIDES REBATES TO ELIGIBLE FACILITIES FOR WATER SAVED AND TO HELP OFFSET THE COST OF INSTALLING WATER-SAVING HARDWARE AND EQUIPMENT. THE HOTEL WAS AWARDED A CHEQUE FOR $48,685 IN 2005, FOR ITS EFFORTS TO REDUCE WATER USE IN ITS IN-HOUSE LAUNDRY FACILITIES.

recycles and distributes them to homeless shelters across the country.

“We are one of the top donors in Canada,” Stewart proudly notes.

She is also pleased with the pace of cleaning at the hotel. While it varies depending on the size of the space, it takes 30 minutes on average to fully clean a guestroom. She credits this to the dedicated, tenured employees who pride themselves on providing an exemplary guest experience, the recent adoption of a hotel service optimization system, or HotSOS, and Fairmont’s extensive training programs.

HotSOS is a cloud-based solution that automates and prioritizes housekeeping operations, resulting in reduced check-in wait times. Housekeeping staff use mobile devices to receive tasks, submit maintenance issues and send guestrooms’ availability to the front desk, all in real-time.

“It has already proven, in the short nine months that we’ve had it, to be a room expeditor, which has improved guest satisfaction,” says Stewart. “We can assign a housekeeper to a room for cleaning if a guest is waiting, instead of tackling one

that doesn’t need service. It makes the most effective use of their time.”

However, without proper training, or a lack of, the quality of cleanliness would suffer. That’s why new employees begin their journey at Fairmont with Service Promise training, which focuses on the brand’s differentiator — providing exemplary customer service — followed by two weeks of extensive on-the-job training. In an effort to help staff apply what they’ve learned in training to their daily jobs, the hotel added a dedicated operations training manager to its team last year. This past January, Fairmont introduced its newest training program, Heartist, which teaches participants of the four-day in-class course, administered over four months, how they can connect with guests on an emotional level.

“Instead of process-oriented training, we’re focusing on delivering unexpected and personalized gestures that will surprise and delight those we come in contact with,” explains Stewart.

This heartfelt approach extends to hotel staff who are regularly recognized and rewarded for their achieve-

ments. Fairmont’s ServicePlus program encourages colleagues to honour the exceptional work of their peers by submitting ‘bravo-grams’ monthly. Each department also nominates one employee as ‘star of the month.’ This is in addition to the hotel’s recognition of leader, health and safety, and sustainability/charitable stars every month.

“It doesn’t stop there,” says Stewart excitedly. “Throughout the year, each department has its own initiatives in appreciation of colleagues, including monthly celebrations specific to their teams and daily recognitions.”

In the housekeeping department, staff are awarded a coin whenever they go above and beyond their job description to contribute to the hotel’s success. Collected coins are redeemable for a reward of the employee’s choosing, such as a movie gift card or monthly transit pass.

“Rewarding in a meaningful way inspires and motivates, and makes people feel appreciated,” says Stewart. “When you’re investing in your employees, you’re investing in yourself and the company’s success.” / www.REMInetwork.com / 9

/ spotlight /

TIME TO AIR THE LAUNDRY? Q+A: Pros, cons of in-house, outsourced linen services

L

aundry is one of the most important functions in a hotel and it is often the subject of great debate.

There are those who purport on-premises operations provide the best service while others believe outsourcing laundry is the better bet. Here, Rocco Romeo of HLS Linen Services discusses the good and bad of both and weighs in on whether a combination of the two is ever a viable option.

What are the advantages of handling hotel laundry in-house?

The main advantage is being able to control the timing of washing and delivery, which results in a faster turnaround time of linen.

A hotel can determine the order of items to be washed and processed as well as when they are to be laundered and even run laundry operations 24-hours, if required, which is not always possible if outsourced. A hotel can also carry a lower linen par level if laundering in-house since it does not have to take delivery and laundry time into account as is the case with outsourced operations; however, this creates other challenges such as more frequent replacement of linen.

Are there disadvantages?

There are many disadvantages to laundering in-house including equipment maintenance and capital replacement, which can be costly. Additionally, on-premises laundry is often more labour intensive and expensive to run due to lack of automation. Overtime costs can be significant during times of high hotel occupancy or equipment breakdown. If equipment does breakdown, it can wreak havoc very quickly because many on-site laundry fa10 / FACILITY CLEANING & MAINTENANCE / APRIL 2018

cilities only have one or two of each piece of equipment. Lower par levels, which are common with on-premises laundry, also lead to more frequent linen replacement, resulting in higher costs over time.

What are the benefits of outsourcing laundry?

There are many benefits including reduced capital expenditures, reduced labour costs and a reduction in maintenance and utility costs, the latter of which is typically significant with on-site laundry operations. Additionally, outsourcing laundry allows hotels to focus on core competencies instead of issues associated with operating a laundry facility. It also offers the opportunity to partner with companies that have the latest equipment and wash formulas to ensure linen life is maximized. Reliability is another benefit. Most external laundry service providers have redundancy in equipment (many of the same equipment to increase reliability) in case one machine needs to be repaired, so processing is not affected.

to ensure deliveries can be made in a timely manner, as well as the size of the provider’s fleet and whether it can accommodate the hotel loading docks.

Hours of operation, turnaround time (24 hours or less) and delivery time are also important. Usually evening or early morning delivery is best to ensure all soiled linen is picked up and returned within 24 hours.

It’s advisable to tour the external laundry service facility before signing a contract. Inspect equipment and take stock of the number of each piece of equipment to ensure breakdown won’t hamper operations. Find out what type of preventative maintenance program is in place and the quality control measures employed to ensure health, hygiene and safety.

Once a contract is in hand, review before signing. It should include items such as delivery and pickup times, rewash protocols, damaged or unusable linen protocols and sorting protocols for pickup and delivery.

Are there any drawbacks?

The drawbacks are not having control over laundry operations and having to wait the 24-hour turnaround time for linen. Since a hotel doesn’t control the timing of washing and delivery, it also needs to increase the par level of its linen inventory, which costs more in the short-term.

What should a hotel consider when selecting an external laundry service provider?

The hotel should consider the location of the external laundry service provider

Are there any instances when a mixture of both may be the best option?

A situation where a hotel sources out high volume items such as sheets, towels, bath mats and face cloths, and then internally launders specialty items such as shower curtains or low par level items does have some advantages. The specialty items can be handled with more care on-site than at an external laundry service facility. Usually these items require special handling and are more expensive to outsource for cleaning. /

LEANING

canadiancleaningconference.com

CHECKING IN ON HOTEL STAFF Precarious work takes toll on housekeepers

by Rebecca Melnyk

12 / FACILITY CLEANING & MAINTENANCE / APRIL 2018

/ spotlight /

W

hen Grace landed a job as a room attendant in a downtown Toronto hotel, she was happy to find steadier work after immigrating to Canada from the Philippines on a contract nanny position. But she soon became aware of the strenuous tasks she’d have to perform in her new role as housekeeper. In a single eighthour shift, she was required to not only clean 16 rooms but was under great pressure to maintain a high-quality level of cleanliness in each room — some untidy, others left in disarray.

As a single mother, Grace often hurried to meet her room quota in order to pick up her son from daycare on time. In the rush to balance work and family life, she neglected her physical well-being in favour of completing hours of tedious and repetitive tasks: cleaning shower wall tiles from top to bottom, removing stains, polishing toilets, vacuuming carpets, scrubbing coffee pots and lifting heavy mattresses — the reason for one of her injuries.

“Housekeeping is the most demanding, physical job in an entire hotel,” says Grace, who prefers not to share her last name.

“You’re in the same positions all day long, every day — bending, reaching, walking, twisting, squatting.”

Grace’s 23-year career as a room attendant reflects that of many hotel housekeepers, the majority of whom are visible minority immigrant women. Hotel employees are 40 per cent more likely to be injured on the job than any other service sector worker, and housekeepers have the highest injury rate, according to a study published in the American Journal of Industrial Medicine. It’s no wonder given that the Canadian Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCOHS) reports that a housekeeper assumes approximately 8,000 different body postures every shift. Repetitive motion injuries to the back, neck, shoulders and arms are going to be common.

Added to a housekeeper’s high-volume and arduous workload is the pressure to

satisfy monthly cleaning audits, which measure how effectively a room is cleaned.

Maintaining a high-quality level of cleanliness both increases the workload and hinders the amount of time a housekeeper needs to complete quotas.

“There’s a certain average for the audit you have to meet,” says Grace. “If you fail, you get stressed.”

But Grace and her co-workers’ job conditions are better than most. Their union contract under Unite Here Local 75 now limits the workload to 15 rooms per shift and provides better benefits.

Grace can relinquish two to three rooms a day, depending on the circumstances.

At other Toronto hotels, room attendants don’t necessarily have this right and their benefits may vary. Grace says one of her friends must clean 19 rooms a day and cannot leave until her quota is fulfilled.

Many workers routinely skip breaks, stay late to finish the job and endure physical strain in fear of being replaced.

Current trends in Toronto have heightened housekeepers’ fears about job security. Several hotels are converting to condos, costing thousands of hospitality jobs, and sustainability programs that encourage guests to conserve water and energy by forgoing housekeeping are leaving workers without rooms to clean.

Today, perhaps more than ever, many women in the industry see their jobs as disposable. Some are wary to speak up about body strain or anything that could make them appear weak or unable to work. Those who do are either supported by management or sometimes discounted.

According to a recent Oxfam Canada report, which underlined the precarious work of housekeepers at several major hotel chains in Toronto, the workload of room attendants is growing and so are injury rates. As one general manager in Toronto noted in the report, hotel rooms require much more cleaning than they did years ago, while guest expectations have increased. Despite

injuries, many continue to work in the same job.

One case highlighted in the study is that of Kerry Ann Palmer, a Jamaican immigrant who has been working in a downtown Toronto hotel for four years.

Three years ago, she reported a wrist injury to her supervisor who made her continue working without any modifications to her job, despite a doctor’s note. She’s now required to wear a brace at all times.

“These women feel stuck; they’d like to leave but this is the only experience they have,” says report author Diana Sarosi. “The work is too exhausting and demanding for them to take any courses or additional training. They are so enwrapped in survival, getting enough hours, getting things done. If they don’t have enough hours, then it’s about finding another job for extra income.”

A room attendant’s well-being is largely dependent on the culture of the hotel management, along with the type of programs implemented.

“The leadership style of the general manager can really set the tone for how (the hotel) wants (its) employees to be treated,” says Amrita Bhalla, a senior human resources executive with more than 10 years’ experience in the luxury hospitality industry and managing director of A.B. Consulting. “Housekeepers have such an important job (so) it’s really important to recognize and celebrate them …

(Instead, they are) usually the most underappreciated function.”

Bhalla recommends that room managers have a close link to their staff and “make sure leadership is quite present” at staff lunches or events. This is a good way to help facilitate communication between departments.

When it comes to occupational health and safety, many hotels currently implement programs and even focus groups that are designed to find ways to avoid injury. But from Grace’s experience, these programs aren’t taught on an ongoing basis, even as new employees come and go. If a housewww.REMInetwork.com / 13

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keeper has an injury, it is communicated to management but she says there needs to be more intervention ahead of time.

“Be consistent and educate the workers on how to better use body positions to complete duties,” suggests Grace.

“Because we have a quantity of rooms that have to be finished, the workers rush.

They don’t care about the movements and positions, and at the end of the day there is a lot of pain in their bodies.”

Programs to help housekeepers relieve body strain should include the use of visuals and videos, says Bhalla. She suggests companies get staff involved in the videos, while showing them how to use proper body positions when cleaning.

Translating health and safety materials into the top three languages spoken among staff is also key, she adds. Housekeeping is made up of a diverse workforce that’s often comprised of visible minorities whose first language may not be English.

“If you don’t do the right kind of onboarding and orientation for new hires in housekeeping, then it just becomes harder to correct it,” says Bhalla. “You’ll possibly have to deal with performance issues that aren’t the fault of new employees because they were never trained.”

In addition to training on proper body postures, CCOHS suggests hotels adopt new approaches to job design.

One option is job rotation where workers move between different tasks, at fixed or irregular periods, which provides greater variety and more evenly distributed muscular work.

It is also important that housekeeping staff be informed about hazards in the workplace, including the risk of injuries to the musculoskeletal system. CCOHS advises doing heavier tasks at the beginning of a work shift, rather than at the end when fatigue is at its maximum.

When a person is tired, the risk of injuring a muscle is higher.

Education should focus on proper body mechanics, work/rest/break schedules and stretches prior to certain tasks, says Jane Sleeth, senior national consultant at Optimal Performance Consultants Inc., which specializes in ergonomic and

accessibility solutions for a wide range of business. Housekeepers should learn how to self-treat musculoskeletal injuries and know when to visit a physiotherapist or chiropractor, she adds. There should also be training on actual case scenarios with feedback on body mechanics and the proper use of equipment to avoid ergonomic exposures.

After the Oxfam report was released, Susie Grynol, president of the Hotel Association of Canada, stated the study doesn’t “paint an accurate or balanced picture” of the hotel industry in Toronto, and that its members have a number of compliance measures in place to ensure not only high health and safety standards but also employee satisfaction. Many hotels, she notes, have acquired ergonomically-friendly tools to assist with cleaning.

Despite these efforts, the majority of calls that United Food and Commercial Workers (UFCW) Canada receives are from women working in the hotel industry who feel they need added protection to better negotiate fairer workplace standards. More often than not, the women are new to Canada and come from marginalized communities within large urban centres like Toronto and Vancouver.

“Having rights on the books and being treated fairly at work are not always the same thing,” says Derek Johnstone, special assistant to the national president of UFCW Canada, one of the country’s biggest unions. “Just because rights exist in a jurisdiction, (it) doesn’t mean that everybody in that jurisdiction is treated with all the fairness and dignity that one should expect at work.”

Many operations are franchised, he points out. Owners may operate according to standards but will run their businesses the way they believe a business should be run, with their values dictating how to communicate with staff.

“Some franchises are, without a doubt, good employers but you have a lot who are not responsible employers,” says Johnstone.

“This is the reality — provincial ministries of labour just don’t have the resources to ensure that every employer out there is acting responsibly.” /

Rebecca Melnyk is online editor of Facility Cleaning & Maintenance.

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PROTECTING WHAT’S UNDERFOOT The lowdown on low moisture carpet cleaning

by Lee Senter

C

arpet cleaning involves dry soil removal, soil suspension, soil extraction, pile grooming and

drying.

Soil suspension (pre-conditioning) is a critical step in the carpet cleaning process. It involves separating soil from the carpet fibre surface and holding it in suspension until extraction can take place. The procedure requires heat (or temperature), agitation, chemical action and dwell time.

Low moisture carpet cleaning methods provide added agitation and chemicals during the soil suspension process compared to traditional hot water extraction methods, which use increased temperatures, chemicals and dwell time for effective soil separation.

The most common carpet cleaning issues are caused by too much water left in the carpet (or too much dwell time) and poor choices in cleaning chemistries. These issues cause wickback of soils from the carpet backing and rapid re-soiling of the carpet as the result of villainous detergent residues.

16 / FACILITY CLEANING & MAINTENANCE / APRIL 2018

Low moisture cleaning methods typically minimize these problems because of their rapid drying time and use of specially formulated cleaning agents that dry quickly and/or to a crystal, which are subsequently vacuumed away. The downside is that the agitation cycle may be too aggressive for some carpet yarns and fibres, particularly cut pile carpets.

As a general principle, rotary brush or spin pad systems are not recommended (and in some cases prohibited) by carpet manufacturers as they’re known to cause tip bloom (the untwisting of carpet fibres) and fibre abrasion. Counter rotating brush systems are accepted since they lift the carpet pile. This aids in vacuuming and restores the resilience on many carpets.

LOW MOISTURE CLEANING METHODS

The majority of commercial carpeting is made from either nylon or olefin fibres. Nylon is a premium fibre that suffers from some soil wick-back. Olefin is a hydrophobic (water-fearing) and oleophilic (oil-loving) fibre that is often used because it is stain-proof. A low moisture cleaning

method is often the primary choice for carpet cleaners to avoid the soil wick-back inherent to heavily soiled olefin carpet. The most common low moisture cleaning methods include bonnet, dry foam, dry powder and encapsulation.

METHOD 1: BONNET CLEANING

Bonnet cleaning employs a rotary floor machine to remove soils from carpet. The carpet is first thoroughly vacuumed and then misted with a quick dry cleaning solution capable of dissolving oily soils.

The floor machine with a synthetic looped pad that has been moistened with the same chemistry is run over the carpet. The dissolved soils from the carpet are transferred to the looped pad.

Advantages of bonnet cleaning include quick drying time, and minimal wicking and chemical residue. On the downside, this method is overly aggressive on cut pile carpet and known to cause tip bloom. The bonnet pads get soiled quickly and aren’t replaced often enough by carpet cleaners, resulting in poor net soil removal. Most carpet manufacturers do not recommend this cleaning method.

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The dry foam method is a self-contained cleaning process. Dry foam is generated inside a specially designed cleaning machine. It is applied to already vacuumed carpet and agitated into the pile by counterrotating brushes. The soil-laden dry foam is then immediately vacuumed out by a builtin wet vacuum system.

This method has very good agitation and drying time. However, operator indifference or error can leave heavy soapy residues in the carpet.

brush machines. Soils are adsorbed and absorbed into the granular media.

Dry powder cleaning is the safest way to clean woven carpets or jute backed carpets that are known to shrink. In fact, manufacturers of woven products often specify it as the recommended technique to clean their carpet and rug products. This method does have its disadvantages, including the potential for soil buildup in the carpet due to over application of cleaner or inadequate removal of the powder.

METHOD 3: DRY POWDER

METHOD 4: ENCAPSULATION

In dry powder cleaning, virtually no water is used. This is why it’s often referred to as the only ‘true’ dry cleaning method for broadloom. Two basic kinds of granular powder are used in this method: a white powder (Capture or Millicare) and a brown moist powder (Host). After vacuuming, the dry powder is applied to the carpet via strainer or rolling barrels that have holes. The powder is agitated into the carpet pile by counter-rotating

Encapsulation is a term used to describe dry crystalline shampoo cleaning chemistries.

There are two types of encapsulation chemistries. The most popular encapsulant products are applied to the carpet

METHOD 2: DRY FOAM

by rotary, counter-rotating brushes or planetary disc machines. They encase soils and the carpet fibres and then dry to a crystal. The crystal cures and shatters into shards, which are subsequently removed from the carpet by routine vacuuming. The other type of encapsulant products actually coat carpet fibres and fill in extremely small abrasions on the fibre.

This makes the carpet look brighter and eliminates the grey in high-traffic areas. This low moisture cleaning method has extremely fast dry times, leaves no villainous residues and virtually eliminates wick back problems.

Unfortunately, application with rotary systems may void carpet warranties.

Great care must be taken when using planetary or rotary machines on the carpet with encapsulants. /

James (Lee) Senter is owner of Fresh & Clean and Shine in Toronto, and a certified flooring inspector and industry instructor. He can be reached at leesenter@senterprises.ca.

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THE RIGHT CONNECTION

Floor care in the Internet of Things

by Maggie Koester

I

t’s 10 p.m. and the average building service contractor that oversees a f leet of f loor care equipment and facility manager with multiple sites or areas under their purview either has no idea where their cleaning machines are or aren’t sure. Reality is, any company that has invested in quality f loor

18 / FACILITY CLEANING & MAINTENANCE / APRIL 2018

care equipment should know where their machines are as well as whether they’re actually being used, when they’re being used and if they’re being used properly. But sometimes the people responsible for answering these questions are hundreds of miles away from the actual site itself, making it

nearly impossible to draw conclusions and make decisions regarding f loor care. This is why ‘connected’ f loor care machines are becoming increasingly popular and, with the evolution of the Internet of Things (IoT), it is becoming easier than ever to address these queries — and many more.

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Connected floor care equipment is often capable of sending alerts on critical issues such as a machine moved outside a specific geographic region or not used in a set number of days.

MIGHTY MACHINES

There are many successful companies currently using connected cleaning technology to not only get a return on investment from their floor care equipment but to also properly train staff and run their operations more efficiently.

To ‘connect’ a piece of cleaning equipment, a small module is placed inside a machine to transmit data over a network to a cloud-based portal, which in turn converts raw data into powerful insights about how a machine is being used. There is no human interaction required with the module; the machines simply run as they normally would, with data collection for human use occurring in the background.

Connected floor care equipment is often capable of sending alerts on critical issues such as a machine moved outside a specific geographic region or not used in a set number of days or, in some cases, the detection of improper battery charging behaviour.

This data can be received in a variety of ways, including e-mail alerts, text messages, push notifications accessible through a mobile device or by way of more traditional means such as from computer or printed data extracts.

Since IoT sometimes inundates people with data, it’s important to have a system that provides simple reporting to help turn data into insight. In some cases, a cloud-based web portal is available for easy access to a multitude of data points like machine usage

by hours per day, week or month; usage by time of day; usage of eco-friendly cleaning solutions or other technologies; and how and when batteries were charged.

THE POWER OF COMMUNICATION

Telemetry can be a powerful tool. Those who have had the most success have used the data to drive meaningful insights, which has allowed them to change business processes to impact their bottom line.

When it comes to asset management, telemetry can be used to track where floor care equipment is located, how old it is, number of hours on the machine and whether or not equipment is where it should be. There have been cases where companies that use telemetry have tracked down lost cleaning equipment — imagine the cost savings of finding a machine that was about to be replaced in a storage closet.

Looking ahead, IoT in the cleaning industry will continue to evolve. When it comes to floor care machines, remote diagnostics and the ability to diagnose and service a machine before an operator even detects an issue are not out of the question, nor is the ability to integrate into other connected systems used in facility management. Telemetry-enabled machines and other IoT capabilities are changing the game by arming individuals with the tools to make data-driven decisions and drive return on investment through effective use of their machine fleet. /

Maggie Koester is the market development manager, telemetry, at Tennant Co. Tennant is committed to creating and commercializing breakthrough, sustainable cleaning innovations to enhance its broad suite of products and services, including floor maintenance and outdoor cleaning equipment, detergent-free and other sustainable cleaning technologies, aftermarket parts and consumables, equipment maintenance and repair service, specialty surface coatings and asset management solutions. Maggie can be reached at maggie.koester@tennantco.com or 763-540-1422.

IT’S TELEMETRY, DEAR WATSON Here are three real-life scenarios where adoption of a telemetry system has proven successful.

1. A building service contractor used proof of performance — real data about when and how often floors were being cleaned at customer sites — to win contracts and retain existing business.

These metrics also helped set the contractor apart from its competition.

2. The ability to view floor care machine usage across all of its locations afforded one retailer the opportunity to see which stores were being cleaned the most and which were not using the equipment. Utilizing this data, the retailer was able to correlate store complaints with stores that had unclean floors (and low machine usage) and create a best practices program that set specific machine usage goals. The results: Usage went up and customer complaints went down.

3. A university employed the ‘usage by time of day’ metric on its connected cleaning machines to assign machines to specific operators in each cleaning shift.

The data showed there was a gap in the university’s staffing and there simply weren’t enough trained equipment operators on staff during times when floors needed to be cleaned. The university has gone on to reinforce training with those operators in order to create greater ownership and accountability when it comes to floor care.

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LIVING WITH AI Hands-free machines bring great potential to cleaning industry

by Jan Willem Tinge

C

leaning technology has come a long way in recent years. While the mop is still used by many businesses to quickly clean floors, ride-on and walk-behind scrubbers are becoming mainstays because they are both effective and highly efficient.

The latest wave of floor cleaning equipment brings domestic robotic devices to the commercial market. Larger in size, these hands-free machines run autonomously, helping cleaning teams achieve consistent results and improving productivity by reassigning workers to other key priorities beyond floor care, which is often time-consuming when done manually. They are also equipped with features that enhance safety for those in the vicinity of the machines, and are ideal for eliminating musculoskeletal strain on workers.

In Canada, musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) account for the most lost-time injuries, the highest lost-time claim costs and the most lost-time work days of any type of injury. Repetitive motions are one of the causes of MSDs. Until now, the standard advice for reducing MSDs has been to limit the amount that workers bend, twist and stretch by providing angled tools and battery-powered equipment. This can help but floors still need to be maintained every day to ensure high cleaning and visual standards. The better option is to use hands-free machines that reduce worker involvement in floor maintenance without sacrificing quality of service.

Hands-free machines can also solve labour scarcity problems. The cleaning industry as a whole struggles with maintaining a consistent work force. High turnover is the result of monotonous tasks and the fact that

20 / FACILITY CLEANING & MAINTENANCE / APRIL 2018

cleaning is not seen as an exciting job, especially by younger generations. However, attracting younger workers is essential as many baby boomers are exiting the workforce.

Implementing hands-free machines provides a way to appeal to younger professionals who are interested in working with and alongside innovative technologies. In some cases, having hands-free machines can also serve as a marketing differentiator to set a company apart from its competitors and further entice potential employees or customers.

not only saves time but can also help reduce downtime and maintenance costs.

Today, technology exists that allows machines to dispense the proper amount of cleaning solution and water onto the floor according to the speed of the machine. Controlling chemical use has a positive impact on both the environment and safety. For example, more accurate dosing reduces waste and the potential for injury-inducing slip-and-fall accidents that can occur when too much liquid is used to clean floors.

BUY IT RIGHT

THE WAY AHEAD

Today’s robotic machines have a number of capabilities to enhance the cleaning process.

When selecting a machine, buyers should inquire about standard and added features such as built-in sensors, a fleet management system, cleaning solution flow technology, site performance tracking and the ability to conduct software updates.

Sensors help machines avoid obstacles and staircases in their path. They also allow robotic machines to be more efficient because they don’t need operators to help them manoeuvre around objects and people. A combination of sonar, 2-D Lidar, touch shield sensors and floor detector sensors will ensure a safe and intelligent machine.

It’s important for managers to be able to remotely access machine location, activity and critical service information when they are not on-site or in the same area as the machine. Having a fleet management system

Some people think that robots will eventually replace human roles in some markets. However, it’s more likely that autonomous floor care machines will continue to enhance the way that work is completed in the commercial cleaning industry.

Looking ahead, manufacturers may focus on features such as anti-hacking systems, logfiles and enhanced energy consumption to encourage better battery management. For now, robotic machines are reliable and cost-effective teammates that are easy to use and maintain. Businesses that are considering purchasing a machine should research the features included and the benefits that the innovation will provide to their operations. In many cases, an autonomous cleaner is a smart investment that will not only put a smile on the faces of the cleaning team but also those of building occupants and visitors. /

Jan Willem Tinge is vice-president of the facilities and machines platform at Diversey, a leader in smart, sustainable solutions for cleaning and hygiene.

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ALL CHARGED UP

Lithium-powered equipment improves return on investment

by Chris Botting

L

ower operating costs is the name of the game for today’s facility managers. As competitive pressure and regulatory compliance continues to evolve, it will become increasingly important for managers to assess and consider replacing older commercial floor care machines, lift trucks and aerial work platforms with newer, more efficient commercial tools. And, as most facility managers know, the decision to replace a fleet of commercial equipment is often not an easy one. They must consider a machine’s overall performance, its ease of use, the required maintenance and long-term operational costs. To secure an expense budget for new equipment, facility managers may also need to convince colleagues or stakeholders that it’s time to upgrade and have detailed information around the machine’s total cost of ownership.

22 / FACILITY CLEANING & MAINTENANCE / APRIL 2018

Fortunately, thanks to advancements in battery design and charging systems, there have been some exciting developments in industrial cleaning equipment. More and more original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) are using rechargeable lithium-ion batteries instead of the lead acid batteries they have historically used.

While lead acid batteries are straightforward to manufacture, many OEMs are forgoing them because their limited life and run time, slow charging time and need for maintenance reduce uptime and productivity. Lead acid batteries are also large and heavy, affecting machine ergonomics, and maintenance costs are higher due to watering and the need to clean up acid to mitigate corrosion.

Given these challenges, facility managers looking at replacing or upgrading commercial equipment would be wise to consider machines powered by lithium-ion batteries.

THE BIG FOUR

Lithium-ion batteries provide longer run time and range for machines. Since they are three times smaller and four times lighter than similar lead acid batteries, the same amount of energy fits into less space, enabling superior performance.

Lithium-ion batteries also charge more quickly and efficiently. This not only cuts hours off the charge time but it reduces machine energy costs by 10 to 15 per cent.

The maintenance costs for machines using lithium-ion batteries is lower. Lithium-ion batteries are always sealed, so they don’t require watering. And facility managers needn’t worry about corrosion due to acid.

As an added bonus, lithium-ion batteries often don’t need to be replaced. In many cases, they last as long as the machine in which they are installed.

/ flooring / TACKLING TOP CONCERNS

While the benefits of lithium-ion batteries are substantial, facility managers should anticipate questions from colleagues about two common concerns: purchase cost and safety.

At present, lithium-ion batteries are three to four times more expensive than lead acid batteries. However, the price of lithium-ion batteries is dropping at a predictable rate, around eight per cent per annum. With the accelerating adoption of electric vehicles in recent years, lithium-ion battery pack prices have been dropping much faster than predicted and may near cost parity with lead acid batteries within five years.

In addition, given that lithiumion batteries do not degrade or derate as readily as lead acid batteries, they don’t need to be oversized. The use of smaller battery packs means that bill-ofmaterials costs are lower — savings that OEMs can pass on to facility managers.

Safety is another justifiable concern.

Facility managers should look for equipment that uses a trusted and reliable battery management system (BMS). The

BMS is responsible for monitoring cell temperatures, voltages and currents during operation. By ensuring the battery’s cells stay within their safe operating area when in use, the BMS optimizes the machine’s performance and overall life. For this reason, it is important to select a machine where the battery manufacturer works closely with the OEM and the BMS developer.

Working hand-in-hand with the BMS, charging systems have a significant impact on battery life, equipment safety and performance. If the charger is not well integrated with the equipment, it can cause harm to the battery and ultimately jeopardize both the battery and equipment’s life.

For example, a deep knowledge of a lithium-ion’s internal chemistry and aging mechanisms is required to ensure a battery lasts as long as the machine it’s installed in. The same lithium-ion cells may be used in both a cell phone and

a floor care machine, but very different trade-offs will be made in the charging process for consumer electronics with two to three-year obsolescence versus an industrial machine expected to last more than 10 years. When purchasing a new machine, look to OEMs and distributors for evidence of a thoroughly designed and tested battery and charger system integration.

DON’T FORGET DUE DILIGENCE

Ultimately, the goal is to select a machine that will perform well and is easy to use, while reducing energy consumption levels, maintenance costs and overall operating expenses. Energy and maintenance costs can add up quickly, especially when considering a new fleet of industrial cleaning equipment. With this in mind, facility managers should do their homework and take a hard look at whether machines powered by lithium-ion batteries might be a better option for their teams. /

Chris Botting is manager of research at Delta-Q Technologies, a manufacturer of battery chargers for both lead acid and lithium-ion batteries.

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AN INTELLIGENT INVESTMENT

Smart technology enhances restroom maintenance, improves user experience

by Bruce Ferguson

I

t’s well known that poorly cleaned and maintained restrooms, regardless of facility type or industry, can damage reputation, negatively affect perception and impact a business’s ability to attract and retain tenants/customers. Still, many companies fail to recognize the significance of this threat to their bottom line. Those that do are turning risk into opportunity, and focusing on leveraging their approach to restroom service and maintenance as a point of differentiation.

SETTING THE BAR

Benchmarks need to be established in order to identify improvement opportunities and measure success in achieving goals.

When it comes to reporting on restroom maintenance and patron satisfaction, those benchmarks have typically been set by surveying restroom users. While that may be 24 / FACILITY CLEANING & MAINTENANCE / APRIL 2018

the best way to identify issues and measure improvement, it is costly and time-consuming. Moreover, its validity relies on sufficient levels of participation and frequency.

Even then, the data can be skewed by oneoff events and short-term conditions.

Acquiring and analyzing reliable data in sufficient quantities is a challenge; however, there’s no shortage of innovation, from proprietary Internet of Things (IoT) solutions and manual rating systems to advanced touchscreen technology, to help overcome the difficulty of monitoring restroom maintenance. These options offer a variety of ways to not only improve the quality and efficiency of restroom maintenance but enable ongoing data capture for results measurement, trend analysis and predictive analytics that increase patron satisfaction, improve labour allocation and decrease overall costs.

INTERNET OF MORE AND MORE THINGS

Many industry leaders in the away-fromhome towel and tissue, hand hygiene and cleaning chemistry markets are developing or already have IoT systems that monitor restroom conditions through the status of dispensing units (operationally and product fill levels) to indicate service and requirements. Some of the systems also capture traffic data via door sensors to enable more robust analysis and predictive modelling. These proprietary dispensing systems transmit data to the cloud, where it is stored and then accessed by facilities maintenance teams for appropriate action.

Advantages of using these systems include the ability to improve efficiency through labour allocation, report on quality and customer satisfaction, and identify cleaning and maintenance issues for

Quality Control System Kleenzone supports a real time interactive system that monitors and manages customer satisfaction, providing its customers with the tools to control their individualized services.

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ACQUIRING AND ANALYZING RELIABLE DATA ALLOWS FACILITY MANAGERS TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY AND EFFICIENCY OF RESTROOM MAINTENANCE, WHICH, IN TURN, INCREASES PATRON SATISFACTION AND DECREASES OVERALL COSTS.

proactive action and/or follow-up. However, because the systems are proprietary, a specific brand of product must be used throughout the facility.

VOICE OF THE CUSTOMER

Manual rating systems are currently appearing at restroom entrances. Patrons indicate their degree of satisfaction by pressing a button. Results are tracked and measured over time to improve quality and customer experience.

Unfortunately, this tool does not produce a particularly accurate representation of overall user satisfaction since customers more commonly comment when dissatisfied; however, it can provide a good indication of the frequency of user dissatisfaction with restroom conditions (although not the specific cause).

DIGITAL RESTROOM ATTENDANTS

Digital restroom attendant systems are replacing antiquated restroom wall log sheets with advanced touchscreen technology and door sensors that not only record cleaning and maintenance activities and restroom traffic but also direct user 26 / FACILITY CLEANING & MAINTENANCE / APRIL 2018

feedback. Restroom patrons can identify supply or cleaning issues using an antimicrobial touchscreen, or provide an assessment of the quality of their experience. Alert messages are sent directly to cleaning staff for immediate action. Use thresholds can be set for each restroom so that service requests and replenishment notifications are sent directly to cleaning staff once restrooms have been used by a specific number of patrons.

Dashboards and real-time reporting can then be employed to analyze data over extended periods, generate predictive analytics and enable cleaning staff to proactively address restroom needs before they become a source of tenant/ customer dissatisfaction and, ultimately, complaints. The data can be used for performance management, staff training

and monitoring of patron satisfaction. It provides facility managers and building service contractors the opportunity to increase efficiency through better labour planning and allocation, address service issues to improve customer satisfaction, adjust activities and implement process improvements, and regularly measure and report on quality and customer satisfaction.

Digital restroom attendants, by their very existence, communicate to tenants, customers of building service contractors and restroom patrons that a facility’s management team is committed to quality and the provision of positive customer experiences. This has been validated by a University of Alberta study of 12 of the most trafficked restrooms at Edmonton International Airport, where digital restroom attendants have been in place since 2015. The study examined the effect of placing a digital restroom attendant system outside one set of restrooms and not outside an identical set. Patrons were asked which restroom they believed to be cleaner. Seventy-five per cent selected the restrooms with the digital restroom attendant, citing the display of the last cleaning time and that cleaning activities were being monitored.

The digital restroom attendant system provides an ongoing indication of the level of restroom patron satisfaction throughout the airport. According to Shilendra Singh, general manager of Carillion Canada, the system has helped the maintenance provider better understand traffic trends and enabled his team to fine tune scheduling and resource allocation while being more proactive around stocking soap, toilet tissue and other supplies. Since its installation, he has seen a significant drop in the number of e-mails maintenance staff receives, which has declined to an average of 20 per month from 60 to 70. /

Bruce Ferguson is director of national accounts at Bunzl Canada, which provides cleaning and hygiene supplies, equipment, food and retail packaging, safety and industrial supplies to more than 45,000 Canadian businesses. Bruce has more than 25 years’ experience in the cleaning and hygiene industry. He is a recognized expert in facility cleaning and maintenance with a passion for infection prevention and control and assisting clients to create cleaner, healthier environments.

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WHAT A RELIEF Practical steps to stop restroom vandalism

by Jerry Babin

A

ll restrooms, regardless of location, are subject to abuse — clogged toilets, littered f loor, damaged dispensers, broken fixtures or graffiti. Here are five ways to ward off bathroom vandalism and the associated expensive repair costs.

1 Replace vitreous china fixtures such as toilets, urinals and sinks with those made from stainless steel. The durability of stainless steel will make it much harder for vandals to cause damage.

Consideration should also be given to upgrading countertops. Many are made with materials that are not impervious to water. Laminated particleboard, for instance, is prone to moisture damage; if the particleboard gets wet, it can swell and de-laminate, requiring replacement.

It is also a breeding ground for bacteria.

When switching to stainless steel, look for 16 or 14 gauge fixtures. The lower the number of the gauge, the thicker and better quality.

If concerned that a predominantly stainless steel restroom will feel sterile, painting the fixtures is always an option.

However, this is not a DIY project; done improperly, the paint may won’t adhere.

28 / FACILITY CLEANING & MAINTENANCE / APRIL 2018

Instead, consult a professional. Powder coating should ideally be done by the manufacturer to ensure proper adhesion.

2 Go hands-free. Sensor-operated faucets turn off when hands move away from the fixture, which reduces the risk of water damage and keeps moving hardware out of reach of vandals while saving water at the same time. Toilets and urinals with automatic flushing capabilities, again, reduce the number of exposed parts so less can go wrong and flooding is minimized. Similarly, no-touch, controlled soap and paper dispensers will frustrate vandals as they wait for another sheet of paper or dollop of soap with which to clog the toilet or messy the counter or mirrors.

3 Install back-to-wall (or wall-hung) toilets. In addition to maximizing space, they don’t have a traditional flusher that can be tampered with. As an added bo-

nus, it’s easier to keep the area around the toilets clean since they don’t contact the floor.

Wall-hung toilets can typically be retrofitted using exiting carriers. However, installation may require opening the wall and rerouting the waste pipe.

4 Consider replacing paper towel dispensers with hand-dryers. This will eliminate the source of many clogged and overflowing toilets and sinks, and significantly cut down on waste being strewn around the floor instead of in the receptacle.

5 Ensure restrooms are frequently cleaned and checked. If a problem is discovered, rectify it immediately. This tells the culprits they can’t (and won’t) win.

Others are also unlikely to deface a hospitable public space; it’s been proven that a well-cared for bathroom is simply less susceptible to vandalism. /

Jerry Babin, general/specifications manager for Morris/Lee Ltd., has been specifying plumbing, mechanical products and architectural accessories for a wide variety of projects, including schools, hospitals, commercial buildings and public spaces of all types, for more than 25 years. He can be reached at 905-832-0909.

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A ROYAL FLUSH A number of factors affect the mall customer experience, one being the look of the loo.

Today’s guests expect restrooms to be as swank and squeaky clean as the rest of the shopping centre; if not, there’s a good chance they’ll take their business elsewhere. Bayview Village Shopping Centre knows how important the washroom encounter is, so it comes as no surprise to patrons that the 110-store shopping mecca was recently recognized for its luxurious loos. The Toronto mall nabbed first place in Cintas Canada’s 2017 Best Restroom contest, which included not only the title of top throne but $2,500 in cleaning supplies and services.

Guests of the prestigious shopping centre are welcomed with chic chandeliers at the restroom entrance. Its washrooms feature fully enclosed stalls, each with its own touch-free toilet, faucet and hand dryer. There is a nursing room equipped with a changing station and sink, as well as two cushioned chairs. The washrooms also include stylish sconces on both sides of its classy handwashing basins.

It was a tight race amongst the finalists that came down to the wire. The five were selected based on cleanliness, visual appeal, innovation, functionality and unique design elements, with the winner announced Oct. 10, 2017.

1

Bayview Village Shopping Centre. Toronto, Ont.

2

Spring Grill House Restaurant. Hamilton, Ont.

3

Dorinku Restaurant. Edmonton, Alta.

4

New City Gas. Montreal, Que.

5

Renaissance Hotel. Montreal, Que.

30 / FACILITY CLEANING & MAINTENANCE / APRIL 2018

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I don’t just clean.

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For more information on how to get the best possible clean, visit CloroxHealthcare.ca. © 2017 The Clorox Company

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