Christine Esposito, Associate Editor12.02.15
A fast-growing, fast casual restaurant chain. A brick wall near Pike Place Market in Seattle. A children’s hospital in Miami. All of these locales need to be cleaned effectively, efficiently and economically; in many cases it’s critical to keeping their operations running. In fact, without disinfectants, specialty cleaners, wipes and odor killing sprays, businesses can’t perform their primary function, which can be something as simple as burrito building or as complex as open-heart surgery.
Chipotle, for example, experienced an outbreak of E. coli linked to eight of its restaurants in Oregon and Washington. The burgeoning chain—it has more than 19,000 restaurants—took what it called “immediate and specific action,” including shuttering 43 restaurants in those two states out of “an abundance of caution” and conducting deep cleaning and full sanitization.
There was another recent and rather high profile I&I job in the Pacific Northwest. Armed with a special low-pressure steam machine that uses 280° water and 1200 psi pressure, Cascadian Building Maintenance cleaned up the famed Market Theater “Gum Wall,” which is near Pike Place Market. But the company also broke out hammers and chisels for areas where the gum was—cue the ick factor—6-7” thick.
All told, it entailed about 140 hours of manpower to remove more than a million wads from the 100 year old brick façade, according to Kelly Foster, co-owner of Cascadian Building Maintenance, which has been in the jan-san business since 1994 and has worked with the Pike Place Market Preservation & Development Authority to keep the gum wall “in check” with monthly cleanings—although those were conducted with much less fanfare.
“What made this job unique, was the media coverage,” Cascadian co-owner Kelly Foster told Happi in a phone interview, following the cleaning job, which made headlines across TV and social media.
Diverse Customers, Unique Needs
For companies like Foster’s and other jan/san crews, cleaning tasks can range from brick walls to bathrooms to boardrooms. It’s a never one-size fits all when it comes to I&I cleaning, and leading providers of commercial cleaning products recognize the market’s diversity.
“We serve a diverse range of customers in the commercial cleaning and healthcare industries, and overall the needs and challenges for each industry do differ quite a bit,” said Jennifer Case, associate director of marketing, Clorox Professional Products Company.
“For example, in the commercial cleaning space, facilities such as offices, schools, hotels and gyms are concerned with keeping patrons safe from the spread of illness-causing germs. Armed with the knowledge of which germs are of highest concern in these settings and which hot spot areas are most important to disinfect, we developed a variety of products to quickly and easily address these challenges.”
Case cited Clorox Commercial Solutions Clorox Disinfecting Wipes as a “convenient and powerful way to tackle germy spots due to its nine new Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-registered disinfecting kill claims, 12 new allergen-removal claims and 10-second sanitization time, the fastest contact time for bacteria.” They kill 99.9% of common illness-causing germs including methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aurous (MRSA) and Bordetella pertussis (the organism that can cause whooping cough), and protect against the spread of cold and flu viruses.
The wipes, which won the 2015 ISSA Innovation Award in the Cleaning Agents category at the ISSA/Interclean North America 2015, “certainly live up to the Clorox Professional name in terms of efficiency and performance,” said Case.
Wipes and healthcare go hand in hand. In fact, healthcare is the leading segment for disinfectant and sanitizer wipes application, according to the Industrial and Institutional Wipes USA: Market Analysis and Opportunities report from Kline & Company. One of the toughest challenges in these facilities is preventing the spread of Clostridium difficile (C. diff), one of the most common microbial causes of healthcare-acquired infections (HAI) in US hospitals, costing as much as $4.8 billion each year in excess costs for acute care facilities alone.
Due to C. diff’s severity and resistance, it’s essential to select the right disinfectant, noted Case.
“The main priority of our Clorox Healthcare business is to help make facilities safer for staff, occupants and visitors. Clorox Healthcare offers the most robust portfolio of EPA-registered surface cleaners and disinfectants, such as Clorox Healthcare Bleach Germicidal Wipes, in addition to ultraviolet (UV) technology, offering healthcare professionals a comprehensive approach to treating environmental surfaces to fight C. diff and other HAIs.”
Spartan Chemical Company has a new weapon to combat the spread of C. diff. Diffense is a ready to use formula that kills C. diff and other harmful bacteria and viruses. This EPA-registered, broad spectrum cleaner disinfectant has been proven to kill spores and also is effective against a comprehensive range of harmful bacteria and viruses including Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Norovirus and bloodborne pathogens.
“Diffense offers a convenient and effective solution for cleaning professionals,” John Swigart, president, Spartan Chemical Company, said in a press statement. “Whether you need thirty second disinfection for bloodborne pathogens, or disinfection of a quarantined C. diff patient room, Diffense delivers a broad range of efficacy in a handy, ready to use formula.”
Go Toward the Light
While many companies are addressing HAIs with wipes and liquid products, the use of UV disinfection is a growing trend. In fact, the UV disinfection equipment market is expected reach $3.6 billion in 2020, growing at a CAGR of 21%, according to a study offered by Allied Market Research.
It is a technology that takes over after traditional manual cleaning, according Daniel English, environmental services principal at Xenex Disinfection Services, San Antonio, TX, which sells the Xenon Full-Spectrum UV disinfection robot.
“Housekeepers, environmental services employees (EVS) and hand hygiene have significantly reduced infection rates. EVS employees do an extraordinary job in the limited amount of time they have to turn over hospital rooms. And that’s where the robot comes in—it quickly kills microscopic pathogens remaining in the room that could potentially harm the next patient,” he said.
According to English, high-touch surfaces in hospitals—bed rails, tray tables, remote controls and equipment—are well-established sources of infections.
“Traditional cleaning methods fail to eliminate some pathogens and studies show that 50% or more of high-touch surfaces may be routinely missed during the manual cleaning process. Germs and bacteria such as C. diff and MRSA can live on surfaces for months.”
The Xenex robot, which pulses intense UV light covering the entire UV spectrum to destroy viruses, bacteria and bacterial spores, can be used through a hospital’s facilities, from patient rooms to the OR to procedure rooms to restrooms, according to Xenex, which reports that its robots are in more than 300 hospitals, surgery centers and skilled nursing facilities in the US, Canada, Africa and Europe. A recent installation was Nicklaus’ Children’s Hospital in Miami.
According to English, six peer-reviewed studies from hospitals that had reductions in infection rates through the use of the Xenex robot have been published in the scientific literature, but a main hurdle to further penetration stems from the bureaucracy that comes when dealing with a complex organizations.
“We need to get buy-in from all of the parties involved in infection prevention at a hospital—infection prevention needs to insist that the robots are utilized, and the EVS team has to make it part of their cleaning protocol. We’ve found that when hospital leaders understand the financial potential of reducing their infection rates, then the decision to purchase our robots happens more quickly. And when members of the senior team become engaged, set the challenge and support the initiative, then the HAI reduction program really takes off.”
Plus, Xenex sees potential for its technology beyond healthcare settings.
“While we are currently focused on the healthcare industry because that’s where people are the most vulnerable, there are plenty of opportunities to provide disinfection for other markets, such as cruise ships, airports, hotels and sports facilities,” said English. “Our robots have been successfully used to disinfect locker rooms where football players were at risk for MRSA infections, and we have protocols developed for using the robots on cruise ships.”
Robots and the IoT
More companies are helping their industrial and institutional customers better service and monitor their facilities via automation and connected technologies, too.
Tork, for example, recently unveiled the EasyCube Intelligent Restroom System at ISSA/Interclean, which taps the Internet of Things (IoT) megatrend. EasyCube offers real-time restroom traffic and usage data with 24/7 visibility, ultimately helping reduce the number of rest-room complaints. The connected technology takes the pressure off maintenance staff by reducing or eliminating manual checks at each location. The web-based application, which can be checked on a smart phone, is connected to restroom equipment such as dispensers for toilet paper, towels and soap, enabling firms to shift from static cleaning schedules to cleaning when and where it is actually needed.
Sealed Air, which earlier this year broke ground on its new global HQ in Charlotte, NC, is also keen on automation that eases the burden on cleaning staff. In April, it acquired Intellibot Robotics LLC, a US-based privately owned pioneer in the development of robotic commercial floor cleaning machines. The acquisition included certain intellectual property, the manufacturing and engineering operations in Richmond, VA and sales. The firm will be integrated into the Diversey Care division’s Taski floor cleaning machine brand, which recently netted ISSA Innovation Awards for its Taski Swingo 2100μicro, a ride-on scrubber drier, and Taski Intellibot Swingobot 755, a robotic scrubber that enables staff to clean floors and other areas at the same time, doubling productivity and reducing costs.
Up to Sniff
Health is the main concern when it comes to I&I cleaning, but keeping facilities tidy is also good business, after all, how clean—or not clean—a facility seems can influence consumer perception.
According to GP Pro, a division of Georgia-Pacific Consumer Products, odor is a primary reason for public restroom dissatisfaction. To that end, the firm has rolled out the new Compact with ActiveAire Tissue Dispenser, billed as a first-of-its-kind product that uses motion sensing technology to neutralize odors at the source—inside the stall—which improves the overall away-from-home washroom experience.
This “market disrupting product,” which won both the Dispenser Category Award and Visitors’ Choice Award at ISSA, features six fragrance options, with “unique neutralization technology.”
Another brand tackling odor issues is Poo-Pourri. The Addison, TX-based company recently made its first appearance at ISSA’s big show in Las Vegas, touting new professional size bottles and a caddy for its toilet spray. According to the company, its original 1-, 2- and 4oz bottles, which are geared more for purses or home bathrooms, were increasingly popping up in public restrooms, prompting the firm to add 8oz bottles and 16oz refills that can be attached to a special caddy which can be hung inside the stall in a restaurant or office—spaces that are public, but have a personal space feel.
According to a survey Clorox conducted in cooperation with ISSA last year, 67% of cleaning industry professionals said that removing urine stains and odors is the toughest restroom cleaning task. Clorox contends its new Urine Remover eliminates urine odor by destroying uric acid crystals and breaking down the cell structure of naturally occurring sources of odor.
While “odor control is a big issue in the I&I market, completely eliminating odor is really the critical issue,” noted Zero Odor’s CEO Scott Anderson. “Most products encapsulate or mask odors with a scent or fragrance. When the product evaporates, the odor comes back as it was never eliminated. In many cases, the scent mixes with the offending odor creating an even worse odor….Completely eliminating odor is an idea that’s not very well understood.”
Zero Odor, according to company officials, is the only product on the market that permanently eliminates odor. “When it is sprayed in the air or on a surface, it seeks out and bonds with odor molecules. A chemical reaction occurs that stops the odor molecules from producing anymore odor. Permanently. It’s as if the odor molecules have been turned off—rendered powerless,” said Anderson.
The product doesn’t really have a scent of its own, but a “minor tracer scent that lets you know where you’ve sprayed,” said Anderson. “After a minute or two, the tracer scent is gone. In places where there’s always been a lingering odor, Zero Odor surprises everyone by creating, clean, fresh smelling air.”
The process, which is protected by seven US patents, is fueling the company’s growth.
“We’re now in over 12,000+ points at retail. In 2016 we expect to double our sales, with the I&I market becoming a strong component of our growth,” Anderson told Happi.
Bigger players operating in I&I are growing too, some by acquisition. For example, Ecolab Inc. has acquired the US operations of Charlotte, NC-based Swisher Hygiene Inc. for approximately $40 million in cash.
Housekeeping Heritage
When it comes to cleaning, heritage properties in the household sector also serve the needs of customers in I&I settings.
“The trusted brands of P&G translate perfectly to P&G Professional,” said Renee Buchanan, communications manager, P&G Professional. “Cleaning with these products can provide a comforting, familiar experience that puts customers at ease, particularly in the assisted living and hospitality sectors, where familiar scents or the softness of the linens can help residents feel like they’re in their own homes.”
P&G Professional’s housekeeping and janitorial products include Tide, Downy and Dawn and Spic and Span, the latter of which recently earned the IEHA’s first-ever Seal of Approval for use in assisted living communities. IEHA, a 3,500-plus professional member organization for persons employed in facility housekeeping at the management level, was founded in 1930.
“Spic and Span is an EPA-registered disinfectant developed to enable a simpler approach to cleaning and disinfecting, and cleaning professionals validated that unanimously in the IEHA Field Test. P&G Professional understands the unique cleaning needs of assisted living communities and we aim to develop services and products, like Spic and Span, that help businesses improve daily operations and deliver visibly cleaner results,” noted Buchanan.
And P&G Professional are behind the scenes in other sectors, from hospitality to football fields to restaurants. In fact, P&G Professional has been lauded by NFL equipment managers and El Pollo Loco CEO Steve Sather, too. (You can see more about P&G’s I&I efforts in the online version of this article on happi.com).
Satisfaction & Education
According to Freedonia Group, demand for I&I cleaning chemicals in the US is forecast to rise more than 3% a year through 2018 to $11.5 billion. Economic growth will play a role in those gains, but infection related health concerns will drive some of the fastest advances, particularly for disinfectants and sanitizers in the food and beverage processing industry and in healthcare faculties, according to the company.
I&I industry manager Laura Mahecha of Kline & Co. contends that while the market is fairly flat, some pockets are more robust than others—such as healthcare settings and fast-casual restaurants. Kline is currently working on a new syndicated study covering Europe’s I&I market, with emphasis on the top five markets of France, Germany, the UK, Italy and Spain.
Keeping close tabs on customers’ wants and needs will be critical to maintaining leadership positions in all I&I sectors.
“We certainly take both cost and convenience into consideration for cleaning industry customers,” said Clorox’s Case.
Savvy companies are also investing resources into compliance and education, because, as Case put it, “Even the best products are less effective when used incorrectly.”
Deb Group—which via its acquisition of Stoko Professional Skin Care has become a leading occupational skin care company—has kicked off its Infection Control in the Workplace Campaign, which will run through the fall and winter. And it’s not absenteeism, but rather presenteeism, where Deb’s shining the spotlight. The program is designed to help managers and those responsible for health and safety in the workplace reduce the financial impact that infectious diseases like the flu can have via infection control programs that include hand hygiene best practices and education. Why? According to Deb, 83% of working adults continue to work while sick, and only 34% of males and 56% of females wash their hands on average.
That’s something to think about the next time you borrow your co-worker’s stapler.
Chipotle, for example, experienced an outbreak of E. coli linked to eight of its restaurants in Oregon and Washington. The burgeoning chain—it has more than 19,000 restaurants—took what it called “immediate and specific action,” including shuttering 43 restaurants in those two states out of “an abundance of caution” and conducting deep cleaning and full sanitization.
There was another recent and rather high profile I&I job in the Pacific Northwest. Armed with a special low-pressure steam machine that uses 280° water and 1200 psi pressure, Cascadian Building Maintenance cleaned up the famed Market Theater “Gum Wall,” which is near Pike Place Market. But the company also broke out hammers and chisels for areas where the gum was—cue the ick factor—6-7” thick.
All told, it entailed about 140 hours of manpower to remove more than a million wads from the 100 year old brick façade, according to Kelly Foster, co-owner of Cascadian Building Maintenance, which has been in the jan-san business since 1994 and has worked with the Pike Place Market Preservation & Development Authority to keep the gum wall “in check” with monthly cleanings—although those were conducted with much less fanfare.
“What made this job unique, was the media coverage,” Cascadian co-owner Kelly Foster told Happi in a phone interview, following the cleaning job, which made headlines across TV and social media.
Diverse Customers, Unique Needs
For companies like Foster’s and other jan/san crews, cleaning tasks can range from brick walls to bathrooms to boardrooms. It’s a never one-size fits all when it comes to I&I cleaning, and leading providers of commercial cleaning products recognize the market’s diversity.
“We serve a diverse range of customers in the commercial cleaning and healthcare industries, and overall the needs and challenges for each industry do differ quite a bit,” said Jennifer Case, associate director of marketing, Clorox Professional Products Company.
“For example, in the commercial cleaning space, facilities such as offices, schools, hotels and gyms are concerned with keeping patrons safe from the spread of illness-causing germs. Armed with the knowledge of which germs are of highest concern in these settings and which hot spot areas are most important to disinfect, we developed a variety of products to quickly and easily address these challenges.”
Case cited Clorox Commercial Solutions Clorox Disinfecting Wipes as a “convenient and powerful way to tackle germy spots due to its nine new Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)-registered disinfecting kill claims, 12 new allergen-removal claims and 10-second sanitization time, the fastest contact time for bacteria.” They kill 99.9% of common illness-causing germs including methicillin-resistant staphylococcus aurous (MRSA) and Bordetella pertussis (the organism that can cause whooping cough), and protect against the spread of cold and flu viruses.
The wipes, which won the 2015 ISSA Innovation Award in the Cleaning Agents category at the ISSA/Interclean North America 2015, “certainly live up to the Clorox Professional name in terms of efficiency and performance,” said Case.
Wipes and healthcare go hand in hand. In fact, healthcare is the leading segment for disinfectant and sanitizer wipes application, according to the Industrial and Institutional Wipes USA: Market Analysis and Opportunities report from Kline & Company. One of the toughest challenges in these facilities is preventing the spread of Clostridium difficile (C. diff), one of the most common microbial causes of healthcare-acquired infections (HAI) in US hospitals, costing as much as $4.8 billion each year in excess costs for acute care facilities alone.
Due to C. diff’s severity and resistance, it’s essential to select the right disinfectant, noted Case.
“The main priority of our Clorox Healthcare business is to help make facilities safer for staff, occupants and visitors. Clorox Healthcare offers the most robust portfolio of EPA-registered surface cleaners and disinfectants, such as Clorox Healthcare Bleach Germicidal Wipes, in addition to ultraviolet (UV) technology, offering healthcare professionals a comprehensive approach to treating environmental surfaces to fight C. diff and other HAIs.”
Spartan Chemical Company has a new weapon to combat the spread of C. diff. Diffense is a ready to use formula that kills C. diff and other harmful bacteria and viruses. This EPA-registered, broad spectrum cleaner disinfectant has been proven to kill spores and also is effective against a comprehensive range of harmful bacteria and viruses including Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Norovirus and bloodborne pathogens.
“Diffense offers a convenient and effective solution for cleaning professionals,” John Swigart, president, Spartan Chemical Company, said in a press statement. “Whether you need thirty second disinfection for bloodborne pathogens, or disinfection of a quarantined C. diff patient room, Diffense delivers a broad range of efficacy in a handy, ready to use formula.”
Go Toward the Light
While many companies are addressing HAIs with wipes and liquid products, the use of UV disinfection is a growing trend. In fact, the UV disinfection equipment market is expected reach $3.6 billion in 2020, growing at a CAGR of 21%, according to a study offered by Allied Market Research.
It is a technology that takes over after traditional manual cleaning, according Daniel English, environmental services principal at Xenex Disinfection Services, San Antonio, TX, which sells the Xenon Full-Spectrum UV disinfection robot.
“Housekeepers, environmental services employees (EVS) and hand hygiene have significantly reduced infection rates. EVS employees do an extraordinary job in the limited amount of time they have to turn over hospital rooms. And that’s where the robot comes in—it quickly kills microscopic pathogens remaining in the room that could potentially harm the next patient,” he said.
According to English, high-touch surfaces in hospitals—bed rails, tray tables, remote controls and equipment—are well-established sources of infections.
“Traditional cleaning methods fail to eliminate some pathogens and studies show that 50% or more of high-touch surfaces may be routinely missed during the manual cleaning process. Germs and bacteria such as C. diff and MRSA can live on surfaces for months.”
The Xenex robot, which pulses intense UV light covering the entire UV spectrum to destroy viruses, bacteria and bacterial spores, can be used through a hospital’s facilities, from patient rooms to the OR to procedure rooms to restrooms, according to Xenex, which reports that its robots are in more than 300 hospitals, surgery centers and skilled nursing facilities in the US, Canada, Africa and Europe. A recent installation was Nicklaus’ Children’s Hospital in Miami.
According to English, six peer-reviewed studies from hospitals that had reductions in infection rates through the use of the Xenex robot have been published in the scientific literature, but a main hurdle to further penetration stems from the bureaucracy that comes when dealing with a complex organizations.
“We need to get buy-in from all of the parties involved in infection prevention at a hospital—infection prevention needs to insist that the robots are utilized, and the EVS team has to make it part of their cleaning protocol. We’ve found that when hospital leaders understand the financial potential of reducing their infection rates, then the decision to purchase our robots happens more quickly. And when members of the senior team become engaged, set the challenge and support the initiative, then the HAI reduction program really takes off.”
Plus, Xenex sees potential for its technology beyond healthcare settings.
“While we are currently focused on the healthcare industry because that’s where people are the most vulnerable, there are plenty of opportunities to provide disinfection for other markets, such as cruise ships, airports, hotels and sports facilities,” said English. “Our robots have been successfully used to disinfect locker rooms where football players were at risk for MRSA infections, and we have protocols developed for using the robots on cruise ships.”
Robots and the IoT
More companies are helping their industrial and institutional customers better service and monitor their facilities via automation and connected technologies, too.
Tork, for example, recently unveiled the EasyCube Intelligent Restroom System at ISSA/Interclean, which taps the Internet of Things (IoT) megatrend. EasyCube offers real-time restroom traffic and usage data with 24/7 visibility, ultimately helping reduce the number of rest-room complaints. The connected technology takes the pressure off maintenance staff by reducing or eliminating manual checks at each location. The web-based application, which can be checked on a smart phone, is connected to restroom equipment such as dispensers for toilet paper, towels and soap, enabling firms to shift from static cleaning schedules to cleaning when and where it is actually needed.
Sealed Air, which earlier this year broke ground on its new global HQ in Charlotte, NC, is also keen on automation that eases the burden on cleaning staff. In April, it acquired Intellibot Robotics LLC, a US-based privately owned pioneer in the development of robotic commercial floor cleaning machines. The acquisition included certain intellectual property, the manufacturing and engineering operations in Richmond, VA and sales. The firm will be integrated into the Diversey Care division’s Taski floor cleaning machine brand, which recently netted ISSA Innovation Awards for its Taski Swingo 2100μicro, a ride-on scrubber drier, and Taski Intellibot Swingobot 755, a robotic scrubber that enables staff to clean floors and other areas at the same time, doubling productivity and reducing costs.
Up to Sniff
Health is the main concern when it comes to I&I cleaning, but keeping facilities tidy is also good business, after all, how clean—or not clean—a facility seems can influence consumer perception.
According to GP Pro, a division of Georgia-Pacific Consumer Products, odor is a primary reason for public restroom dissatisfaction. To that end, the firm has rolled out the new Compact with ActiveAire Tissue Dispenser, billed as a first-of-its-kind product that uses motion sensing technology to neutralize odors at the source—inside the stall—which improves the overall away-from-home washroom experience.
This “market disrupting product,” which won both the Dispenser Category Award and Visitors’ Choice Award at ISSA, features six fragrance options, with “unique neutralization technology.”
Another brand tackling odor issues is Poo-Pourri. The Addison, TX-based company recently made its first appearance at ISSA’s big show in Las Vegas, touting new professional size bottles and a caddy for its toilet spray. According to the company, its original 1-, 2- and 4oz bottles, which are geared more for purses or home bathrooms, were increasingly popping up in public restrooms, prompting the firm to add 8oz bottles and 16oz refills that can be attached to a special caddy which can be hung inside the stall in a restaurant or office—spaces that are public, but have a personal space feel.
According to a survey Clorox conducted in cooperation with ISSA last year, 67% of cleaning industry professionals said that removing urine stains and odors is the toughest restroom cleaning task. Clorox contends its new Urine Remover eliminates urine odor by destroying uric acid crystals and breaking down the cell structure of naturally occurring sources of odor.
While “odor control is a big issue in the I&I market, completely eliminating odor is really the critical issue,” noted Zero Odor’s CEO Scott Anderson. “Most products encapsulate or mask odors with a scent or fragrance. When the product evaporates, the odor comes back as it was never eliminated. In many cases, the scent mixes with the offending odor creating an even worse odor….Completely eliminating odor is an idea that’s not very well understood.”
Zero Odor, according to company officials, is the only product on the market that permanently eliminates odor. “When it is sprayed in the air or on a surface, it seeks out and bonds with odor molecules. A chemical reaction occurs that stops the odor molecules from producing anymore odor. Permanently. It’s as if the odor molecules have been turned off—rendered powerless,” said Anderson.
The product doesn’t really have a scent of its own, but a “minor tracer scent that lets you know where you’ve sprayed,” said Anderson. “After a minute or two, the tracer scent is gone. In places where there’s always been a lingering odor, Zero Odor surprises everyone by creating, clean, fresh smelling air.”
The process, which is protected by seven US patents, is fueling the company’s growth.
“We’re now in over 12,000+ points at retail. In 2016 we expect to double our sales, with the I&I market becoming a strong component of our growth,” Anderson told Happi.
Bigger players operating in I&I are growing too, some by acquisition. For example, Ecolab Inc. has acquired the US operations of Charlotte, NC-based Swisher Hygiene Inc. for approximately $40 million in cash.
Housekeeping Heritage
When it comes to cleaning, heritage properties in the household sector also serve the needs of customers in I&I settings.
“The trusted brands of P&G translate perfectly to P&G Professional,” said Renee Buchanan, communications manager, P&G Professional. “Cleaning with these products can provide a comforting, familiar experience that puts customers at ease, particularly in the assisted living and hospitality sectors, where familiar scents or the softness of the linens can help residents feel like they’re in their own homes.”
P&G Professional’s housekeeping and janitorial products include Tide, Downy and Dawn and Spic and Span, the latter of which recently earned the IEHA’s first-ever Seal of Approval for use in assisted living communities. IEHA, a 3,500-plus professional member organization for persons employed in facility housekeeping at the management level, was founded in 1930.
“Spic and Span is an EPA-registered disinfectant developed to enable a simpler approach to cleaning and disinfecting, and cleaning professionals validated that unanimously in the IEHA Field Test. P&G Professional understands the unique cleaning needs of assisted living communities and we aim to develop services and products, like Spic and Span, that help businesses improve daily operations and deliver visibly cleaner results,” noted Buchanan.
And P&G Professional are behind the scenes in other sectors, from hospitality to football fields to restaurants. In fact, P&G Professional has been lauded by NFL equipment managers and El Pollo Loco CEO Steve Sather, too. (You can see more about P&G’s I&I efforts in the online version of this article on happi.com).
Satisfaction & Education
According to Freedonia Group, demand for I&I cleaning chemicals in the US is forecast to rise more than 3% a year through 2018 to $11.5 billion. Economic growth will play a role in those gains, but infection related health concerns will drive some of the fastest advances, particularly for disinfectants and sanitizers in the food and beverage processing industry and in healthcare faculties, according to the company.
I&I industry manager Laura Mahecha of Kline & Co. contends that while the market is fairly flat, some pockets are more robust than others—such as healthcare settings and fast-casual restaurants. Kline is currently working on a new syndicated study covering Europe’s I&I market, with emphasis on the top five markets of France, Germany, the UK, Italy and Spain.
Keeping close tabs on customers’ wants and needs will be critical to maintaining leadership positions in all I&I sectors.
“We certainly take both cost and convenience into consideration for cleaning industry customers,” said Clorox’s Case.
Savvy companies are also investing resources into compliance and education, because, as Case put it, “Even the best products are less effective when used incorrectly.”
Deb Group—which via its acquisition of Stoko Professional Skin Care has become a leading occupational skin care company—has kicked off its Infection Control in the Workplace Campaign, which will run through the fall and winter. And it’s not absenteeism, but rather presenteeism, where Deb’s shining the spotlight. The program is designed to help managers and those responsible for health and safety in the workplace reduce the financial impact that infectious diseases like the flu can have via infection control programs that include hand hygiene best practices and education. Why? According to Deb, 83% of working adults continue to work while sick, and only 34% of males and 56% of females wash their hands on average.
That’s something to think about the next time you borrow your co-worker’s stapler.
I&I customers are a diverse lot, to say the least, and that means R&D teams need to formulate cleaning and maintenance products that tackle germs and dirt on a variety of surfaces found in many different settings. Here’s a look at some recent cleaning and maintenance rollouts geared to specific end users. CHEERS: Craft breweries are becoming more popular. In fact, the growth rate of craft breweries is outpacing that of commercial breweries, according to industry estimates. But the enemy of any brewer, regardless of size, is poor sanitation. In order to deliver a quality glass of beer, every time, sanitation of the brew vessels is key—and a step that must be repeated throughout the process, according to Spartan Chemical, which now offers the BrewCheck craft brewery sanitation program. John Swigart, president said BrewCheck “gives brewers a program that allows them to take control of their flavor profile.” In conjunction with BrewCheck, Spartan introduced Acid Blend FP, a nitric and phosphoric acid blend detergent that’s formulated to clean and passivate stainless steel tanks. It inhibits the negative impacts of iron residue on beer’s flavor and leaves surfaces sparkling. STICK IT TO ‘EM: Ecolab now offers the Restora program for healthcare laundries, which uses a patent-pending formula to remove medical adhesives from linen during the wash process. Billed as a “first-of-its-kind solution in commercial laundry,” Restora uses a proprietary blend of solvents and surfactants to dissolve medical adhesives, including heart monitor pads, and the residue they leave behind—which is one of most difficult and costliest challenges for healthcare laundries. Tests showed that the Restora program can help healthcare laundries reclaim up to 99% of adhesive-stained linen. HOOP DREAMS: Bona US, a leader in hardwood floor care and maintenance, has rolled out Bona SuperCourt Athletic Floor Care System, which includes floor care and maintenance SKUs in addition to paint and finishes. SuperCourt Cleaner Concentrate is billed as professional strength non-toxic concentrate formulated for all urethane finished hardwood floor coated with an un-waxed finish. Bona has included SuperSport branded tools, such as mops and microfiber pads. The company contends it is the first in the industry to develop a full system of hardwood floor finishing, maintenance and care products specifically for athletic floors, such as gymnasiums and basketball courts. |