Issue Date: 12 August 2015
Ref: DIV15/22
Ultra-Concentrates Pass The College Test
Petroc Standardises on QuattroSelect for Daily Cleaning
Petroc, the largest college in Devon, has reduced costs, simplified processes and enhanced safety by standardising on ultra-concentrates in the QuattroSelect dilution control platform from Diversey Care for the preparation of daily cleaning solutions used by its building care teams.
“We’ve installed QuattroSelect throughout the college and it’s helped us reduce our budgets on cleaning products as well as making our processes simpler and safer,” says Dave Bedson, Premises Manager at Petroc. “You get more for your money and I would recommend Diversey Care to anybody.”
With more than 4000 students Petroc offers an extensive range of courses and qualifications, from A Levels to apprenticeships and vocational training to degree programmes, at campuses in Barnstable and Tiverton. Like any busy environment with a large number classrooms, offices, open areas and washrooms, building care presents a significant challenge.
“When I joined the college the teams were sourcing cleaning products from a variety of suppliers,” says Dave Bedson. “Processes were inconsistent and inefficient with very little compliance and the team members were trying to learn about too many different products. I knew that we could make improvements.”
Although he was familiar with Diversey Care from previous senior roles in the public and retail sectors, Dave wanted to be sure that the company’s products offered the right combination of performance and value for the college. After making contact with the company’s local territory sales manager Ali Wilmot through distributor Alliance he discussed and assessed the various options before deciding on ultra-concentrates in the QuattroSelect dilution control platform. The system has since been installed in every cleaning cupboard – over 20 - throughout the college.
QuattroSelect is a highly efficient system that is ideal for larger sites with centralised cleaning operations. It allows up to four cleaning products to be prepared in different dilution rates and speeds to fill any combination of spray bottles, buckets and cleaning machines. Products are supplied in sealed colour-coded pouches that are placed inside a slim-line wall cabinet containing the dilution controls and dispensing tools. Installation is simply a matter of connecting the cabinet to an available water supply.
The system ensures solutions are always automatically prepared at the correct dilution for superior performance with no waste or repeat cleaning. Precise dilution of ultra concentrates is by far the most economical way to prepare solutions in commercial settings. The cost of a typical spray bottle is a fraction of a similar ready-to-use, off-the-shelf and consumer products or even conventional commercial bulk chemicals.
“We have saved money because there is no under or over-dilution,” says Dave Bedson. “It’s much quicker to fill up the containers and only takes a couple of seconds.”
Ultra concentrates are also highly sustainable. One pouch of QuattroSelect floor cleaner prepares 1250 litres of ready-to-use solution. This can reduce chemical consumption by 99%, plastics consumed by 99%, packaging used by 90%, and CO2 emissions by 99% compared with two five-litre conventional products in standard packaging. Because the pouches and cabinet create a secure and closed system there is no risk of building care team members coming into contact with undiluted product which helps to promote simplicity and safety in use.
“It has improved health and safety because there is no risk of spillages,” says Dave Bedson. “Pouches are self-contained and everything is managed by the water feed. It’s completely safe.”
Although a wide range of building care products is available for use with QuattroSelect the college has standardised on just four covering all daily cleaning tasks: TASKI Sani Des daily washroom cleaner and disinfectant; TASKI Sprint 200 multipurpose hard surface cleaner; TASKI Jontec 300 low-foaming floor cleaner; TASKI Sprint Glass Cleaner for washable surfaces including glass, chrome, stainless steel and laminate countertops. These are dispensed by QuattroSelect into spray bottles or directly into buckets for wet-mop floor cleaning.
“Diversey Care supplied the spray bottles with colour coding and all the relevant information printed on them,” says Dave Bedson. “This type of support is important.”
Although QuattroSelect is the preferred platform for the college there are a few situations where it is impractical. For these the college employs Diversey Care’s portable SmartDose system which requires no connection to a water supply. The same extensive range of building products is available with the same colour coding. This promotes familiarity and consistency which means there is minimal need for additional training for member of the building care team who use both platforms.
Although his responsibilities only extend to building care, Dave was asked by the catering manager and teaching manager to advise on suitable products for the college’s kitchens. He had no hesitation in recommending Diversey Care and the kitchens have since adopted products such as Suma Multi D2 multipurpose cleaner and Suma Bac D10 detergent sanitiser for hard surfaces, supplied as ultra-concentrates in the popular Divermite format. Diversey Care products are also used in all of the college’s dishwashers.
“We’ve had very few issues but Diversey Care is always there to give advice and support when we need it,” says Dave Bedson.