Issue Date: 3 October 2012
Ref: DIV12/12
THE SIMPLER WAY TO CLEAN THE WASHROOM
Apparently there are 48 million toilets in the UK, equivalent to four for every five people. Each day we use around one and a half million litres of washroom cleaning product and the commercial sector spends an estimated £55m on these each year. In fact, washrooms account for around 60 per cent of the total amount spent on building care chemicals. Clearly there is potential to save money by reducing the amount of product being used. But this is only part of the story. Around 80 per cent of the cost of daily cleaning is the wages of the people doing the work so anything that improves productivity can save money as well.
The conventional approach to washroom cleaning is to use separate products for each area such as toilets, basins, walls, floors and mirrors. But lots of different products have to be sourced, purchased and stored, cleaning staff need training on each product and switching between products for each task adds to complexity. This all adds up to extra time and money.
Sealed Air’s Diversey business has simplified washroom cleaning and reduced overall costs with its new TASKI Sani 4in1 product. This unique super concentrate formulation combines powerful disinfection, descaling, detergent and deodourising performance in a single product covering all routine daily washroom cleaning tasks. As with conventional products it is important to work from clean to dirty areas to minimise the risk of spreading dirt or contamination. Separate tools, mops and cloths are used for different surfaces the product is always the same. Fewer products are required and processes are simplified, productivity improved and costs reduced. Further savings are made because Diversey’s dilution and dosing control platforms - SmartDose, QuattroSelect, J-Flex, Exact - eliminate wastage and optimise performance with no repeat cleaning.
While the need to control and reduce costs is ever present the cleanliness of the washroom should never be neglected. Guests and visitors form opinions about premises or businesses based on their perceptions of hygiene. This is more than basic cleanliness and includes factors such as appearance, smell and attention to detail that all create an overall impression.
Research by Diversey and others has shown a link between perceptions of hygiene and customer behaviour. In restaurants, for example, around two thirds of people who enter a dirty premises will leave immediately or before completing their meal. Either way, lack of cleanliness leads to lost business. Similar studies confirm that washrooms have the biggest impact on perceptions and the recommendations that customers make. This has implications for businesses’ reputations.
The superior cleaning performance of TASKI Sani 4in1 enables users to improve the cleanliness and appearance of their washrooms, simply and effectively. It contains two biocidal active ingredients, is compliant with the Biocidal Products Directive, and has been tested for disinfection against bacteria, yeast and fungi found in washrooms. This means it is highly effective against the typical causes of stains and smells that create a bad impression. The strongly acidic formulation prevents and removes the build up of unsightly lime scale with regular use. It can be used on a wide range of hard surfaces, including mirrors. Unlike traditional disinfectants, which can damage the fibres, it can be used with microfibre.
Alongside cleanliness, the smell of a washroom has a major impact on perceptions and impressions. Regular cleaning helps remove many of the causes of smells but sometimes a little extra help is needed. Diversey adds its patented Odour Neutralising Technology (ONT) to many products, including TASKI Sani 4in1, to chemically eliminate nasty smells rather than simply mask them with strong perfumes.
Using fewer products with simpler cleaning processes helps to reduce costs and promote productivity but TASKI Sani 4in1 can deliver even more direct savings. In many applications such as retail, healthcare and transport the washrooms are cleaned regularly throughout the day, perhaps even hourly. Under these circumstances conventional thickened toilet cleaners can be prohibitively expensive and, according to Diversey’s tests, no more effective than liquid cleaner. This is because thickened products cling to the bowl for long-lasting action when used once or twice a day but if cleaning is more frequent this benefit is literally flushed away.
TASKI Sani 4in1, on the other hand, is ideal for cleaning toilets when used at its standard dilution. The toilet is flushed and the product sprayed into the bowl which is then brushed before a final flush. Tests by Diversey have shown that this simple and effective new way of working reduces toilet cleaning costs by around three quarters compared with conventional thickened products.
Diversey gives users total flexibility to choose efficient and sustainable super concentrated products for workplaces of any size by offering TASKI Sani 4in1 in all of its dosing and dilution control platforms. It is also available in ready-to-use trigger bottles and five litre containers.
While an effective daily cleaning regime ensures the washroom retains the cleanliness and appearance that protects and enhances the reputation of a business there will be times when a little extra effort is required. Diversey offers a number of “problem solvers” that present users with a complete set of products for almost every conceivable requirement.