Christine Esposito, Managing Editor12.02.20
When a local gastropub paid for space on a digital billboard on Route 22, a busy highway in northern New Jersey, it didn’t boast about its new microbrew or gourmet burger; instead, it hyped its newly-installed air filtration system. In the next town over, administrators of local public high school announced they would switch to all remote learning for the remainder of the week so janitors could perform extra deep cleaning after two students fell ill from coronavirus.
Such is life in 2020 as COVID-19 still holds a firm grip on the US, with cases (sadly) reaching new milestones week after week at press time through mid-November—all with the traditional flu season looming large in the months ahead.
While facial masks somehow became a controversial means to help mitigate the spread of coronavirus, cleaning didn’t catch such ire. In fact, disinfecting and sanitizing procedures that were once conducted during off-hours have moved out of the shadows and into public view. Business owners, facilities managers and public administrators have invested more money into, ramped up the frequency of, and enhanced their protocols to reassure customers, students and employees that they are safe inside their restaurant, retail store, college dormitory and elsewhere. Hand sanitizer stations have popped up like weeds and those who have returned to the office are more likely to run into a cleaning crew than their colleagues who are still working from home.
“Before COVID, we always thought cleaning, disinfection and hygiene practices were important, but in retrospect, they were under appreciated. That has gone by the wayside. It is so important now,” Brian Sansoni, SVP of communication, outreach and membership at the American Cleaning Institute (ACI), told Happi in late October. The good news is, consumers have confidence in cleaning products.
In a recent ACI Consumer Confidence Survey conducted by Ipsos on September 10 and 11, 2020, 86% of Americans are confident in the ability of their cleaning products to protect against COVID-19. Two-thirds of Americans (65%) said businesses are cleaning enough, and more than half of Americans (51%) believe businesses, schools and other public locations are maintaining an adequate level of cleanliness in preparation for cold and flu season.
According to Sansoni, it is important for business to emphasize the hygiene and cleaning practices that they are using. Respondents in the ACI survey expect to see businesses take additional cleaning and disinfecting measures in order to maintain a safe environment, including: providing hand sanitizer (73%), frequent wipe-downs of surfaces (77%), and signage of cleaning measures and regulations (53%).
“Seeing is believing,” insisted Sansoni.
A Clean Mandate
Leaders across I&I—and their customers—agree, and as such, have been working together to put in place new procedures and practices designed to reassure consumers that their spaces are safe.
Reassurance is a good thing. Prior to COVID-19, 44% of people said that they felt concerned about germs outside the home, but that percentage has jumped to 93% these days, according to a recent study by Remesh and Lysol.
“While previously businesses’ cleaning and disinfection protocols may not have even crossed consumers’ minds, following the onset of COVID-19 they are top of mind,” Eric Pearlman, marketing director, RB Professional Business Solutions, Americas, told Happi. “Consumers want to feel reassured that when they leave the home, they’re entering spaces and businesses that have stringent cleaning and disinfection protocols in place. They also like to know that these protocols are backed up by a name they trust, like Lysol.”.
During 2020, Lysol forged alliances with a number of businesses to help them implement and strengthen custom cleaning and disinfection protocols, and develop solutions to safely get back to business in the “new normal,” noted Pearlman.
“Our alliance partners have found that there is a clear benefit to partnering with a brand like Lysol to help drive consumer confidence. For example, through our partnership with Hilton, we learned that 78% of survey respondents said that they would be more likely to choose a hotel that had specific germ protection protocol in place, such as Hilton CleanStay with Lysol protection. Additionally, according to a Hall and Partners Equity study in November of 2019, Lysol was the number one brand that consumers said they would be likely to use to protect against illness-causing germs.”
According to Pearlman, Lysol has been partnering with high profile customers including Delta, Avis, Major League Baseball, American Campus Communities and Amtrak.
For Amtrak, RB’s experts and microbiologists help the railway operator strengthen its disinfecting protocols from the train to the station, starting with its Northeast Corridor and Pacific Surfliner trains and later expanding across the Amtrak network. In addition to protocols, RB is supplying Amtrak with EPA-approved disinfection solutions that have been proven to be effective against the SARS-CoV2. The move will put Lysol products in use by Amtrak employees, cleaning crews as well as customers at select stations and there are plans to make them available on board trains, too.
The airline industry is taking similar steps. Through its United CleanPlus program, United Airlines announced that it is using Clorox Total 360 System to disinfect terminals at 35 of the airline’s busiest airports. Through the program, United has been working closely with Clorox and the Cleveland Clinic since early May to consult on all its cleaning and disinfecting protocols. The airline also uses Clorox Disinfection Wipes on all mainline aircraft and in United Club locations.
In July, the American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE) and the Global Biorisk Advisory Council (GBAC)— which is a division of ISSA—established a partnership to accredit airports that meet the highest levels of cleanliness and safety to minimize risk from coronavirus and other infectious agents. As part of the agreement, AAAE—which represents 7000 individuals who work at 875 public-use commercial and general aviation airports—will act as a strategic partner with GBAC for two programs: GBAC STAR Facility Accreditation Program, which helps public and commercial facilities establish and maintain a cleaning, disinfecting and infectious disease prevention program to minimize risks associated with infectious agents and biohazards; and GBAC Fundamentals Online Course: Cleaning & Disinfection Principles, an e-learning course that trains cleaning professionals on infection and contamination control measures for infectious disease prevention, including a variety of cleaning and disinfection topics with a special emphasis on SARS-CoV-2.
Cleaning and The Economy
Stakeholders agree that instilling consumer confidence is essential to a return to normal for every type of business.
“Cleaning and disinfecting protocols and other hygiene measures need to become visible priorities for businesses—cleaning is no longer a behind-the-scenes operation,” said Dr. Andrew Cooper, Ecolab senior vice president of global research, development and engineering.
According to Cooper, Ecolab’s customers have always met rigorous cleaning and safety standards, as Ecolab has partnered with them for decades to ensure they are using the right cleaning and disinfecting programs, products and protocols to maintain clean and safe environments.
“What’s different now is that consumers have heightened expectations for cleaner, safer spaces. They need to see clean in order to believe clean,” he said. “Hotels, restaurants, grocery stores, office buildings and other physical locations will need to build trust in how they resume operations, and that begins with the basics of what a clean and safe environment means.”
Brands operating in the hard-hit hospitality sector have been out front with programs and messaging targeting tentative tourists.
Marriott International, for example, created the Marriott Global Cleanliness Council in April to tackle COVID-19 and focus on developing the next level of global hospitality cleanliness standards designed to minimize risk and enhance safety for consumers and Marriott associates. Advisory members included Dr. Ruth L. Petran, senior corporate scientist, food safety and public health for Ecolab, as well as stakeholders from inside Marriott’s c-suite and others like Dr. Michael A. Sauri, an infectious disease specialist at Adventist Healthcare; Dr. Richard Ghiselli, head of the School of Hospitality & Tourism Management at Purdue University; and Dr. Randy Worobo, professor of food microbiology in the Department of Food Science at Cornell University.
Sandals Resorts, which has 15 locations in Jamaica, Antigua, Saint Lucia, The Bahamas, Barbados and Grenada, is touting its new “Platinum Protocols of Cleanliness.” These include the introduction of additional hospital-grade disinfectants; electrical aerosol sprayers for advanced cleaning; the use of UV-LED lighting equipment to inspect cleanliness; air duct sanitization for each arrival and upon each departure; weekly steam-cleaning and sanitization of carpeting; and placement of antibacterial gels and soaps in each guest room.
Best Western Hotels & Resorts (BWHR) continues to enhance its cleaning program known as We Care Clean, through its partnership with P&G Professional, the away-from-home division of Procter & Gamble. Last month, BWHR announced it would add Microban 24 Professional to its cleaning protocol. Starting this fall, all 2,300 Best Western-branded locations across the US and Canada will have access to Microban 24 Professional. Launched earlier this year, just ahead of the pandemic in the US, Microban 24 is on pace to register first-year sales of $200 million. A recent survey from P&G Professional found that 70% of hotel guests have a more stringent definition of “hotel cleanliness” since COVID-19. In addition, more than 60% rated overall cleaning and housekeeping procedures as extremely important attributes to their guest experience.
Service providers that operated with an already high level of cleanliness have upped their games, too.
European Wax Center, for example, stepped up its own measures, which already included soaking all tools in antibacterial disinfectant and sanitizing wax suite beds with antibacterial wipes after each guest. In light of COVID-10, it also created a dedicated task force charged with ensuring the top safety and sanitation. Dubbed Team Scrub, the task force was comprised of multiple stakeholders representing guests, franchise business owners and employees like Nicole Sandoval, who is European Wax Center’s director of education.
“The team was tasked to scrutinize our already extensive safety and sanitation protocols with the objective to enhance our current brand cleanliness standards factoring in currently published local safety and health guidelines. Team Scrub also solicited best practices input from certified industrial hygienists and environmental scientists,” said Sandoval.
EWC’s new safety commitments included social distancing, contactless check-in, added PPE for its wax specialists and additional and frequent deep-cleaning of high-frequency touchpoints.
“By implementing additional sanitation and health measures, we can continue to focus on delivering the best and safest experience for our guests,” she said. “While we will continually evaluate the latest standards and best practices in line with the guidance from health and safety experts, we understand that there will always be a subset of our guest population that may be at risk and will continue to take an elevated approach to cleanliness and sanitation in our centers, which are already best in class.”
For its part, movie theatre operator AMC Entertainment this Fall launched “AMC Safe & Clean,” which its CEO said was “the cornerstone of our efforts to woo back moviegoers to cinemas.” AMC’s protocols included easy availability of disinfecting wipes and hand sanitizer, along with HEPA vacuums and enhanced air filtration through MERV 13 filters. Plans were developed under advisement of current and former faculty of Harvard University’s School of Public Health and The Clorox Company, according to AMC.
Hands Up!
While brick and mortar foot traffic is down, retailers have taken steps to protect consumers who are making their way back into physical stores. Grand Rapids, MI-based Meijer, which has 256 supercenters and grocery stores in the Midwest US, announced new measures ahead of the holiday season, including rolling out new hand sanitizer stations. It said each store would install eight stations near high-traffic travel paths—entryways, pharmacies, produce areas and check lanes—with the installment complete by mid-December.
Similar installation efforts have been happening elsewhere, and with greater emphasis on hand washing as a means to tamp down the spread of the virus, there are changes afoot within the hand hygiene marketplace, according to Kline.
This August, the market research firm surveyed more than 500 I&I end users about their usage, spending and purchasing behavior for hand care products and how that has changed in light of the coronavirus pandemic. The results, which are included in Kline’s new Industrial & Institutional Hand Care USA research, show “unprecedented growth” in sales and consumption of hand care products, which is expected to continue for several years.
According to Kline, 81% of end users in the survey said they will spend more on hand care in 2020 than they did 2019, with nearly half estimating they will spend up to 50% more. That’s sure to boost the $1.6 billion I&I hand care market, which posted a modest 3.2% rise from 2018 to 2019, according to Kline.
The survey sample, which included end users in healthcare, industry, office buildings, restaurants, retailers, education and building service contractors, also provided insight into how preferences have changed. For example, 43% said they have increased usage of antibacterial hand soaps, a sector that had been waning as people were concerned about resistance, noted Laura Mahecha, industry manager, I&I cleaning, Kline. There’s been a shift in dispensing technology too; 43% said they converted from manual to touch-free dispensers and 24% said they had removed jet/air hand dryers in favor of paper towels.
Hand sanitizers became a hot commodity during the early days of the pandemic. As current manufacturers were furiously trying to meet rising demand, there was a seemingly endless list of local distilleries and cosmetics companies that were shifting their typical production to make hand sanitizers for frontline responders. And, there were plenty of issues with noncompliant products being flagged by the FDA, too—many of which were reported by Happi.com.
In June, the leader in hand sanitizers with its Purell brand, Gojo, announced what it called “significant steps” to expand its capacity to meet exponential increases in demand for Purell sanitizer, soap, wipes and surface spray.
“We believe the world will forever be changed by this pandemic and we see this translating to a sustained increase in awareness of the importance of safe and effective hygiene practices,” Gojo President and CEO Carey Jaros said in a statement when the increased capacity steps were announced. “This will result in ongoing, heightened demand for our essential Purell skin care and surface solutions.”
At the time, Gojo said it was running its facilities 24/7, working with its existing suppliers to dramatically increase raw material and component supplies, and implementing creative partnerships with other companies that directed bottles and caps its way. All of that was necessary as Gojo was producing more than twice as much hand sanitizer pre-pandemic. In addition, the company signed a lease agreement for a facility in Navarre, OH which will be used for storage and distribution, and it purchased a 325,000-square-foot facility in Maple Heights, OH to manufacture Purell Surface Spray. With the two new facilities, Gojo now has four manufacturing sites in Ohio.
Supply issues were felt across the I&I market, especially in the early part in the pandemic. Tight supply has since loosened on the raw materials side, but according to Kline’s Mahecha, packaging supply remains tight.
These issues were brought to light during a US Senate panel hearing last month that examined manufacturers’ response to COVID-19.
Douglas Troutman, ACI general counsel, corporate secretary and SVP, government affairs, authored a letter that was part of the November 17 hearing in front of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee. In it he said there were a number of important lessons for the entire supply chain as demand sharply outpaced the ability to distribute enough necessary products and chemistries in the pandemic’s initial phases.
“First and foremost, protections needed to be put in place to safeguard employees’ health and safety, while production accelerated and was kept running 24/7 to keep pace with demand,” Troutman wrote. “Manufacturers had to prioritize for critical needs and shift production lines and staff resources. Supply chains were stretched, leading to the need to overcome major raw material, ingredient, packaging and pump shortages as other industries became overwhelmed by the demand or limited in production capacity due to the pandemic’s restrictions.”
Job One
Now more than ever, efficacy is driving the I&I sector.
“It’s clear that the current pandemic is unlike anything the world has faced in modern times,” said Cooper of Ecolab.
He said customers seek advanced products, like hospital disinfectants, combined with independent verification that the proper cleaning procedures are being followed.
“That’s why the Ecolab Science Certified program includes a focus on front-of-house procedures, training and auditing to help consumers see clean in action. That front-of-house focus is paired with the Ecolab Science Certified seal, a visible commitment to a higher level of cleanliness,” insisted Cooper. The program was created to help restaurants, hotels, grocery stores and other businesses deliver a higher level of cleanliness through science-backed products, protocols, training and periodic auditing.
On the product front, Ecolab recently received approval from the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for its Sink & Surface Cleaner Sanitizer, which made the product the first registered by the EPA to kill SARS-CoV-2 in just 15 seconds (the fastest product currently available as of November 9, 2020, boasted the company). The concentrated no-rinse, 2-in-1 cleaner and sanitizer designed for use on any hard, non-porous food contact surface—from food prep areas and the third sink in the kitchen to guest tables. Ecolab offers the product for use in spray bottle, bucket, wipe, third sink or electrostatic spray applications. It is one of only four electrostatic spray products proven effective against SARS-CoV-2.
Ecolab also received EPA approval for its Peroxide Multi Surface Cleaner and Disinfectant, which is a 3-in-1 peroxide hard-surface cleaner, glass cleaner and disinfectant that can be used across multiple environments, ideally suited to non-food contact surfaces including bathrooms, windows and mirrors. The EPA-registered product kills SARS-CoV-2 in 30 seconds in both spray bottle and electrostatic spray application.
Last month, 3M’s TB Quat Disinfectant Ready-to-Use Cleaner was approved by the US EPA for kill claims against SARS-CoV-2. Third-party laboratory testing confirmed the disinfectant’s efficacy against the virus with a 60-second contact time on hard, non-porous surfaces. The general non-acid cleaner and disinfectant contains no abrasives or bleach and is formulated to disinfect hard, non-porous surfaces, including floors, walls, metal surfaces, stainless steel surfaces, glazed porcelain, glazed ceramic tile, plastic surfaces, bathrooms, shower stalls, bathtubs and cabinets. It may also be used in the kitchen on counters, sinks, appliances and stovetops, while a rinse with potable water is required for surfaces in direct contact with food. Long used in high-traffic facilities, including hospitals, nursing homes, schools, hotels and office buildings, 3M made its TB Quat Disinfectant Ready-to-Use Cleaner available in a spray bottle for consumers, too.
Obtaining EPA approval or SARS-CoV-2 has been a critical step for many brands—and that has made the agency’s List N: Disinfectants for Use Against SARS-CoV-2 swell. As of October 21, EPA approved more than 500 surface disinfectant products for use against SARS-CoV-2, up from just 85 that were listed in early March.
Alliances and Product Development
In late October, Diversey signed a distribution agreement with Novalent Ltd., a US biotechnology engineering firm that developed a long-lasting technology to protect against bacteria and viruses. In the accord, Novalent products are available through Diversey as part of the company’s full line of sanitation solutions for a range of commercial environments, including food and beverage manufacturing. Novalent’s microbiostatic, dry-state agents can be applied on virtually any surface to provide protection from microbial regrowth between cleanings and for up to 90 days at a time. The technology has been approved by the EPA for use on food contact surfaces.
According to Edwin van der Heijden, vice president of hospitality and food service, North America, Diversey takes the philosophy of green cleaning seriously and is committed to providing solutions that effectively remove pathogens, prevent environmental harm and lower the total cost of cleaning. He said that technology from Greensboro, NC-based Novalent meets these high standards as a water-based, non-toxic antimicrobial that reduces the overall bio-load and potentially reduces sanitation costs for an extended period.
In a move similar to Ecolab’s Science Certified endeavor, Diversey created the Shield Program which was launched globally across the full range of sectors in which Diversey operates— hospitality, food service, education, offices (specifically targeting building service contractors) and retail.
“There is now an urgent need to convey a visible commitment to the highest standards of hygiene and cleanliness. This means satisfying raised expectations for safer and healthier hotels, restaurants, schools, offices and retail environments. Our new Shield Program offers a demonstrable way to drive and restore trust. It enables businesses to communicate their enhanced hygiene measures in a fast and easy way to ensure the confidence of staff, guests, visitors and students alike,” CEO Phil Wieland said in a statement when the new program was unveiled earlier this year.
Businesses that match Diversey’s program requirements can display the Clean and Ready Shield badge in entryways. Once enrolled, businesses will undergo periodic audits that deliver a thorough and all-encompassing independent verification that they are continuing to maintain the highest level of cleaning and disinfection, according to Diversey.
Facilities owners have long been under pressure to get the job done. Machinery and robotics are playing a greater a role in accomplishing tasks with greater efficiency.
At ISSA’s virtual show last month, Diversey showcased the new Taski IntelliSpray technology, which it says facilitates both mechanical floor cleaning and the disinfection of floors or surfaces in just one application. Designed for use with Taski ride-on scrubber drier, the Taski IntelliSpray also has an integrated hand spray tool for manual disinfection. It is available as a retrofit for existing machines or can be specified with new Taski ride-on machines, according to Diversey.
UV-C disinfection is also on the rise across many categories. Recently, third party testing revealed that Diversey’s MoonBeam3 UV-C disinfection technology is effective in just seconds against SARS-CoV-2. The portable unit disinfects quickly, reliably and responsibly and is designed for fast disinfection of public and high risk areas. It offers three individually-adjustable arms that can be positioned at almost any angle, optimizing disinfection energy to allow dosing of both horizontal and vertical surfaces, in just three minutes, according to the company.
Even as the world grapples with the novel coronavirus, regular old dirt and grime and other germs continue to build, and I&I leaders have launched new products to tackle these needs in areas from food service to healthcare.
Ecolab launched Exelerate Tufsoil, a ready-to-use gel cleaner and degreaser for food and protein manufacturers. It helps enable more effective cleaning while minimizing time spent removing tough, burnt-on soils in fryers, ovens, smokehouses, dryers, racks, catwalks and environmental areas. The patent-pending formula contains alkaline, solvent and surfactant components that interact to improve cleaning performance and effectively cut through tough carbonized sugars, oils and proteins. The gel formula delivers an improved cling time compared to a foam alkaline cleaner, ensuring a longer contact period on vertical surfaces. By extending exposure time, Exelerate Tufsoil has the ability to break down tough soils more efficiently. In addition, there can be a reduced odor when compared to foam alkaline products, helping improve the application experience.
Disinfecting surfaces in hospitals is challenging and time-consuming work, too. Research suggests only 50% of surfaces in patient rooms and operating rooms are effectively disinfected. Proper disinfection of portable and shared medical equipment is also an important component of infection prevention as this equipment frequently becomes contaminated with healthcare-associated pathogens. In addition, such equipment often has irregular and difficult-to-clean surfaces resulting in suboptimal manual cleaning and disinfection. A study conducted by Curtis Donskey, MD, an infectious disease specialist at the Louis Stokes Cleveland Veterans Affairs Medical Center, found medical equipment was not disinfected after use 90% of the time. Sampling also showed that 27.5% of mobile equipment had one or more pathogens on them.
These results demonstrate that mobile equipment is frequently used, infrequently cleaned and can serve as a vector for dissemination of pathogens. To that end, Clorox Healthcare launched its first sporicidal solution, Clorox Healthcare Spore Defense Cleaner Disinfectant, available through the Clorox Total 360 System, the company’s electrostatic sprayer. This disinfectant is a low fragrance bleach that kills C. diff in five minutes in addition to 42 other pathogens and can be used in sensitive patient settings. In turn, this new product provides healthcare professionals a facility-wide solution by ensuring C. diff spores, among other pathogens, are killed on hard, non-porous surfaces in patient rooms, in operating rooms and on transport equipment often missed during manual cleaning, said the company.
Front Line
The COVID-19 pandemic has ramped up the need for novel chemistries, tools and training—and the I&I sector has risen to the challenge.
“While the crisis has brought terrible consequences for individuals and communities everywhere, it has also reinforced the value and need for the cleaning products industry to work toward our long-term, ultimate goals of helping people lead healthier, happier lives and building a vibrant and sustainable future,” wrote ACI’s Troutman in the association’s letter to Congress.
“For companies that lead the way, their value proposition has been elevated,” insisted Mahecha of Kline.
As the need for proper cleaning products rose in prominence during the pandemic, those who are doing the hard work deserve recognition, too.
During the ISSA Show North America Virtual Experience Virtual Event last month, Gavin Macgregor-Skinner, director at GBAC, discussed the need to identify cleaning crews and janitorial workers as essential employees. In a session on “The Future of Cleaning – Cleaning for Health and Wellness with Innovative and Creative Solutions, he said, “They are going to have identification that shows they are essential employees—and they are going to be given the recognition that they are part of the US critical infrastructure to keep our society going.”
The COVID-19 pandemic has served as a call to action for the industry to shore up the supply chain, remain agile and work collectively to further elevate the products and workers who clean schools, hospitals, workplaces and all private and public spaces.
Such is life in 2020 as COVID-19 still holds a firm grip on the US, with cases (sadly) reaching new milestones week after week at press time through mid-November—all with the traditional flu season looming large in the months ahead.
While facial masks somehow became a controversial means to help mitigate the spread of coronavirus, cleaning didn’t catch such ire. In fact, disinfecting and sanitizing procedures that were once conducted during off-hours have moved out of the shadows and into public view. Business owners, facilities managers and public administrators have invested more money into, ramped up the frequency of, and enhanced their protocols to reassure customers, students and employees that they are safe inside their restaurant, retail store, college dormitory and elsewhere. Hand sanitizer stations have popped up like weeds and those who have returned to the office are more likely to run into a cleaning crew than their colleagues who are still working from home.
“Before COVID, we always thought cleaning, disinfection and hygiene practices were important, but in retrospect, they were under appreciated. That has gone by the wayside. It is so important now,” Brian Sansoni, SVP of communication, outreach and membership at the American Cleaning Institute (ACI), told Happi in late October. The good news is, consumers have confidence in cleaning products.
In a recent ACI Consumer Confidence Survey conducted by Ipsos on September 10 and 11, 2020, 86% of Americans are confident in the ability of their cleaning products to protect against COVID-19. Two-thirds of Americans (65%) said businesses are cleaning enough, and more than half of Americans (51%) believe businesses, schools and other public locations are maintaining an adequate level of cleanliness in preparation for cold and flu season.
According to Sansoni, it is important for business to emphasize the hygiene and cleaning practices that they are using. Respondents in the ACI survey expect to see businesses take additional cleaning and disinfecting measures in order to maintain a safe environment, including: providing hand sanitizer (73%), frequent wipe-downs of surfaces (77%), and signage of cleaning measures and regulations (53%).
“Seeing is believing,” insisted Sansoni.
A Clean Mandate
Leaders across I&I—and their customers—agree, and as such, have been working together to put in place new procedures and practices designed to reassure consumers that their spaces are safe.
Reassurance is a good thing. Prior to COVID-19, 44% of people said that they felt concerned about germs outside the home, but that percentage has jumped to 93% these days, according to a recent study by Remesh and Lysol.
“While previously businesses’ cleaning and disinfection protocols may not have even crossed consumers’ minds, following the onset of COVID-19 they are top of mind,” Eric Pearlman, marketing director, RB Professional Business Solutions, Americas, told Happi. “Consumers want to feel reassured that when they leave the home, they’re entering spaces and businesses that have stringent cleaning and disinfection protocols in place. They also like to know that these protocols are backed up by a name they trust, like Lysol.”.
During 2020, Lysol forged alliances with a number of businesses to help them implement and strengthen custom cleaning and disinfection protocols, and develop solutions to safely get back to business in the “new normal,” noted Pearlman.
“Our alliance partners have found that there is a clear benefit to partnering with a brand like Lysol to help drive consumer confidence. For example, through our partnership with Hilton, we learned that 78% of survey respondents said that they would be more likely to choose a hotel that had specific germ protection protocol in place, such as Hilton CleanStay with Lysol protection. Additionally, according to a Hall and Partners Equity study in November of 2019, Lysol was the number one brand that consumers said they would be likely to use to protect against illness-causing germs.”
According to Pearlman, Lysol has been partnering with high profile customers including Delta, Avis, Major League Baseball, American Campus Communities and Amtrak.
For Amtrak, RB’s experts and microbiologists help the railway operator strengthen its disinfecting protocols from the train to the station, starting with its Northeast Corridor and Pacific Surfliner trains and later expanding across the Amtrak network. In addition to protocols, RB is supplying Amtrak with EPA-approved disinfection solutions that have been proven to be effective against the SARS-CoV2. The move will put Lysol products in use by Amtrak employees, cleaning crews as well as customers at select stations and there are plans to make them available on board trains, too.
The airline industry is taking similar steps. Through its United CleanPlus program, United Airlines announced that it is using Clorox Total 360 System to disinfect terminals at 35 of the airline’s busiest airports. Through the program, United has been working closely with Clorox and the Cleveland Clinic since early May to consult on all its cleaning and disinfecting protocols. The airline also uses Clorox Disinfection Wipes on all mainline aircraft and in United Club locations.
In July, the American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE) and the Global Biorisk Advisory Council (GBAC)— which is a division of ISSA—established a partnership to accredit airports that meet the highest levels of cleanliness and safety to minimize risk from coronavirus and other infectious agents. As part of the agreement, AAAE—which represents 7000 individuals who work at 875 public-use commercial and general aviation airports—will act as a strategic partner with GBAC for two programs: GBAC STAR Facility Accreditation Program, which helps public and commercial facilities establish and maintain a cleaning, disinfecting and infectious disease prevention program to minimize risks associated with infectious agents and biohazards; and GBAC Fundamentals Online Course: Cleaning & Disinfection Principles, an e-learning course that trains cleaning professionals on infection and contamination control measures for infectious disease prevention, including a variety of cleaning and disinfection topics with a special emphasis on SARS-CoV-2.
Cleaning and The Economy
Stakeholders agree that instilling consumer confidence is essential to a return to normal for every type of business.
“Cleaning and disinfecting protocols and other hygiene measures need to become visible priorities for businesses—cleaning is no longer a behind-the-scenes operation,” said Dr. Andrew Cooper, Ecolab senior vice president of global research, development and engineering.
According to Cooper, Ecolab’s customers have always met rigorous cleaning and safety standards, as Ecolab has partnered with them for decades to ensure they are using the right cleaning and disinfecting programs, products and protocols to maintain clean and safe environments.
“What’s different now is that consumers have heightened expectations for cleaner, safer spaces. They need to see clean in order to believe clean,” he said. “Hotels, restaurants, grocery stores, office buildings and other physical locations will need to build trust in how they resume operations, and that begins with the basics of what a clean and safe environment means.”
Brands operating in the hard-hit hospitality sector have been out front with programs and messaging targeting tentative tourists.
Marriott International, for example, created the Marriott Global Cleanliness Council in April to tackle COVID-19 and focus on developing the next level of global hospitality cleanliness standards designed to minimize risk and enhance safety for consumers and Marriott associates. Advisory members included Dr. Ruth L. Petran, senior corporate scientist, food safety and public health for Ecolab, as well as stakeholders from inside Marriott’s c-suite and others like Dr. Michael A. Sauri, an infectious disease specialist at Adventist Healthcare; Dr. Richard Ghiselli, head of the School of Hospitality & Tourism Management at Purdue University; and Dr. Randy Worobo, professor of food microbiology in the Department of Food Science at Cornell University.
Sandals Resorts, which has 15 locations in Jamaica, Antigua, Saint Lucia, The Bahamas, Barbados and Grenada, is touting its new “Platinum Protocols of Cleanliness.” These include the introduction of additional hospital-grade disinfectants; electrical aerosol sprayers for advanced cleaning; the use of UV-LED lighting equipment to inspect cleanliness; air duct sanitization for each arrival and upon each departure; weekly steam-cleaning and sanitization of carpeting; and placement of antibacterial gels and soaps in each guest room.
Best Western Hotels & Resorts (BWHR) continues to enhance its cleaning program known as We Care Clean, through its partnership with P&G Professional, the away-from-home division of Procter & Gamble. Last month, BWHR announced it would add Microban 24 Professional to its cleaning protocol. Starting this fall, all 2,300 Best Western-branded locations across the US and Canada will have access to Microban 24 Professional. Launched earlier this year, just ahead of the pandemic in the US, Microban 24 is on pace to register first-year sales of $200 million. A recent survey from P&G Professional found that 70% of hotel guests have a more stringent definition of “hotel cleanliness” since COVID-19. In addition, more than 60% rated overall cleaning and housekeeping procedures as extremely important attributes to their guest experience.
Service providers that operated with an already high level of cleanliness have upped their games, too.
European Wax Center, for example, stepped up its own measures, which already included soaking all tools in antibacterial disinfectant and sanitizing wax suite beds with antibacterial wipes after each guest. In light of COVID-10, it also created a dedicated task force charged with ensuring the top safety and sanitation. Dubbed Team Scrub, the task force was comprised of multiple stakeholders representing guests, franchise business owners and employees like Nicole Sandoval, who is European Wax Center’s director of education.
“The team was tasked to scrutinize our already extensive safety and sanitation protocols with the objective to enhance our current brand cleanliness standards factoring in currently published local safety and health guidelines. Team Scrub also solicited best practices input from certified industrial hygienists and environmental scientists,” said Sandoval.
EWC’s new safety commitments included social distancing, contactless check-in, added PPE for its wax specialists and additional and frequent deep-cleaning of high-frequency touchpoints.
“By implementing additional sanitation and health measures, we can continue to focus on delivering the best and safest experience for our guests,” she said. “While we will continually evaluate the latest standards and best practices in line with the guidance from health and safety experts, we understand that there will always be a subset of our guest population that may be at risk and will continue to take an elevated approach to cleanliness and sanitation in our centers, which are already best in class.”
For its part, movie theatre operator AMC Entertainment this Fall launched “AMC Safe & Clean,” which its CEO said was “the cornerstone of our efforts to woo back moviegoers to cinemas.” AMC’s protocols included easy availability of disinfecting wipes and hand sanitizer, along with HEPA vacuums and enhanced air filtration through MERV 13 filters. Plans were developed under advisement of current and former faculty of Harvard University’s School of Public Health and The Clorox Company, according to AMC.
Hands Up!
While brick and mortar foot traffic is down, retailers have taken steps to protect consumers who are making their way back into physical stores. Grand Rapids, MI-based Meijer, which has 256 supercenters and grocery stores in the Midwest US, announced new measures ahead of the holiday season, including rolling out new hand sanitizer stations. It said each store would install eight stations near high-traffic travel paths—entryways, pharmacies, produce areas and check lanes—with the installment complete by mid-December.
Similar installation efforts have been happening elsewhere, and with greater emphasis on hand washing as a means to tamp down the spread of the virus, there are changes afoot within the hand hygiene marketplace, according to Kline.
This August, the market research firm surveyed more than 500 I&I end users about their usage, spending and purchasing behavior for hand care products and how that has changed in light of the coronavirus pandemic. The results, which are included in Kline’s new Industrial & Institutional Hand Care USA research, show “unprecedented growth” in sales and consumption of hand care products, which is expected to continue for several years.
According to Kline, 81% of end users in the survey said they will spend more on hand care in 2020 than they did 2019, with nearly half estimating they will spend up to 50% more. That’s sure to boost the $1.6 billion I&I hand care market, which posted a modest 3.2% rise from 2018 to 2019, according to Kline.
The survey sample, which included end users in healthcare, industry, office buildings, restaurants, retailers, education and building service contractors, also provided insight into how preferences have changed. For example, 43% said they have increased usage of antibacterial hand soaps, a sector that had been waning as people were concerned about resistance, noted Laura Mahecha, industry manager, I&I cleaning, Kline. There’s been a shift in dispensing technology too; 43% said they converted from manual to touch-free dispensers and 24% said they had removed jet/air hand dryers in favor of paper towels.
Hand sanitizers became a hot commodity during the early days of the pandemic. As current manufacturers were furiously trying to meet rising demand, there was a seemingly endless list of local distilleries and cosmetics companies that were shifting their typical production to make hand sanitizers for frontline responders. And, there were plenty of issues with noncompliant products being flagged by the FDA, too—many of which were reported by Happi.com.
In June, the leader in hand sanitizers with its Purell brand, Gojo, announced what it called “significant steps” to expand its capacity to meet exponential increases in demand for Purell sanitizer, soap, wipes and surface spray.
“We believe the world will forever be changed by this pandemic and we see this translating to a sustained increase in awareness of the importance of safe and effective hygiene practices,” Gojo President and CEO Carey Jaros said in a statement when the increased capacity steps were announced. “This will result in ongoing, heightened demand for our essential Purell skin care and surface solutions.”
At the time, Gojo said it was running its facilities 24/7, working with its existing suppliers to dramatically increase raw material and component supplies, and implementing creative partnerships with other companies that directed bottles and caps its way. All of that was necessary as Gojo was producing more than twice as much hand sanitizer pre-pandemic. In addition, the company signed a lease agreement for a facility in Navarre, OH which will be used for storage and distribution, and it purchased a 325,000-square-foot facility in Maple Heights, OH to manufacture Purell Surface Spray. With the two new facilities, Gojo now has four manufacturing sites in Ohio.
Supply issues were felt across the I&I market, especially in the early part in the pandemic. Tight supply has since loosened on the raw materials side, but according to Kline’s Mahecha, packaging supply remains tight.
These issues were brought to light during a US Senate panel hearing last month that examined manufacturers’ response to COVID-19.
Douglas Troutman, ACI general counsel, corporate secretary and SVP, government affairs, authored a letter that was part of the November 17 hearing in front of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee. In it he said there were a number of important lessons for the entire supply chain as demand sharply outpaced the ability to distribute enough necessary products and chemistries in the pandemic’s initial phases.
“First and foremost, protections needed to be put in place to safeguard employees’ health and safety, while production accelerated and was kept running 24/7 to keep pace with demand,” Troutman wrote. “Manufacturers had to prioritize for critical needs and shift production lines and staff resources. Supply chains were stretched, leading to the need to overcome major raw material, ingredient, packaging and pump shortages as other industries became overwhelmed by the demand or limited in production capacity due to the pandemic’s restrictions.”
Job One
Now more than ever, efficacy is driving the I&I sector.
“It’s clear that the current pandemic is unlike anything the world has faced in modern times,” said Cooper of Ecolab.
He said customers seek advanced products, like hospital disinfectants, combined with independent verification that the proper cleaning procedures are being followed.
“That’s why the Ecolab Science Certified program includes a focus on front-of-house procedures, training and auditing to help consumers see clean in action. That front-of-house focus is paired with the Ecolab Science Certified seal, a visible commitment to a higher level of cleanliness,” insisted Cooper. The program was created to help restaurants, hotels, grocery stores and other businesses deliver a higher level of cleanliness through science-backed products, protocols, training and periodic auditing.
On the product front, Ecolab recently received approval from the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for its Sink & Surface Cleaner Sanitizer, which made the product the first registered by the EPA to kill SARS-CoV-2 in just 15 seconds (the fastest product currently available as of November 9, 2020, boasted the company). The concentrated no-rinse, 2-in-1 cleaner and sanitizer designed for use on any hard, non-porous food contact surface—from food prep areas and the third sink in the kitchen to guest tables. Ecolab offers the product for use in spray bottle, bucket, wipe, third sink or electrostatic spray applications. It is one of only four electrostatic spray products proven effective against SARS-CoV-2.
Ecolab also received EPA approval for its Peroxide Multi Surface Cleaner and Disinfectant, which is a 3-in-1 peroxide hard-surface cleaner, glass cleaner and disinfectant that can be used across multiple environments, ideally suited to non-food contact surfaces including bathrooms, windows and mirrors. The EPA-registered product kills SARS-CoV-2 in 30 seconds in both spray bottle and electrostatic spray application.
Last month, 3M’s TB Quat Disinfectant Ready-to-Use Cleaner was approved by the US EPA for kill claims against SARS-CoV-2. Third-party laboratory testing confirmed the disinfectant’s efficacy against the virus with a 60-second contact time on hard, non-porous surfaces. The general non-acid cleaner and disinfectant contains no abrasives or bleach and is formulated to disinfect hard, non-porous surfaces, including floors, walls, metal surfaces, stainless steel surfaces, glazed porcelain, glazed ceramic tile, plastic surfaces, bathrooms, shower stalls, bathtubs and cabinets. It may also be used in the kitchen on counters, sinks, appliances and stovetops, while a rinse with potable water is required for surfaces in direct contact with food. Long used in high-traffic facilities, including hospitals, nursing homes, schools, hotels and office buildings, 3M made its TB Quat Disinfectant Ready-to-Use Cleaner available in a spray bottle for consumers, too.
Obtaining EPA approval or SARS-CoV-2 has been a critical step for many brands—and that has made the agency’s List N: Disinfectants for Use Against SARS-CoV-2 swell. As of October 21, EPA approved more than 500 surface disinfectant products for use against SARS-CoV-2, up from just 85 that were listed in early March.
Alliances and Product Development
In late October, Diversey signed a distribution agreement with Novalent Ltd., a US biotechnology engineering firm that developed a long-lasting technology to protect against bacteria and viruses. In the accord, Novalent products are available through Diversey as part of the company’s full line of sanitation solutions for a range of commercial environments, including food and beverage manufacturing. Novalent’s microbiostatic, dry-state agents can be applied on virtually any surface to provide protection from microbial regrowth between cleanings and for up to 90 days at a time. The technology has been approved by the EPA for use on food contact surfaces.
According to Edwin van der Heijden, vice president of hospitality and food service, North America, Diversey takes the philosophy of green cleaning seriously and is committed to providing solutions that effectively remove pathogens, prevent environmental harm and lower the total cost of cleaning. He said that technology from Greensboro, NC-based Novalent meets these high standards as a water-based, non-toxic antimicrobial that reduces the overall bio-load and potentially reduces sanitation costs for an extended period.
In a move similar to Ecolab’s Science Certified endeavor, Diversey created the Shield Program which was launched globally across the full range of sectors in which Diversey operates— hospitality, food service, education, offices (specifically targeting building service contractors) and retail.
“There is now an urgent need to convey a visible commitment to the highest standards of hygiene and cleanliness. This means satisfying raised expectations for safer and healthier hotels, restaurants, schools, offices and retail environments. Our new Shield Program offers a demonstrable way to drive and restore trust. It enables businesses to communicate their enhanced hygiene measures in a fast and easy way to ensure the confidence of staff, guests, visitors and students alike,” CEO Phil Wieland said in a statement when the new program was unveiled earlier this year.
Businesses that match Diversey’s program requirements can display the Clean and Ready Shield badge in entryways. Once enrolled, businesses will undergo periodic audits that deliver a thorough and all-encompassing independent verification that they are continuing to maintain the highest level of cleaning and disinfection, according to Diversey.
Facilities owners have long been under pressure to get the job done. Machinery and robotics are playing a greater a role in accomplishing tasks with greater efficiency.
At ISSA’s virtual show last month, Diversey showcased the new Taski IntelliSpray technology, which it says facilitates both mechanical floor cleaning and the disinfection of floors or surfaces in just one application. Designed for use with Taski ride-on scrubber drier, the Taski IntelliSpray also has an integrated hand spray tool for manual disinfection. It is available as a retrofit for existing machines or can be specified with new Taski ride-on machines, according to Diversey.
UV-C disinfection is also on the rise across many categories. Recently, third party testing revealed that Diversey’s MoonBeam3 UV-C disinfection technology is effective in just seconds against SARS-CoV-2. The portable unit disinfects quickly, reliably and responsibly and is designed for fast disinfection of public and high risk areas. It offers three individually-adjustable arms that can be positioned at almost any angle, optimizing disinfection energy to allow dosing of both horizontal and vertical surfaces, in just three minutes, according to the company.
Even as the world grapples with the novel coronavirus, regular old dirt and grime and other germs continue to build, and I&I leaders have launched new products to tackle these needs in areas from food service to healthcare.
Ecolab launched Exelerate Tufsoil, a ready-to-use gel cleaner and degreaser for food and protein manufacturers. It helps enable more effective cleaning while minimizing time spent removing tough, burnt-on soils in fryers, ovens, smokehouses, dryers, racks, catwalks and environmental areas. The patent-pending formula contains alkaline, solvent and surfactant components that interact to improve cleaning performance and effectively cut through tough carbonized sugars, oils and proteins. The gel formula delivers an improved cling time compared to a foam alkaline cleaner, ensuring a longer contact period on vertical surfaces. By extending exposure time, Exelerate Tufsoil has the ability to break down tough soils more efficiently. In addition, there can be a reduced odor when compared to foam alkaline products, helping improve the application experience.
Disinfecting surfaces in hospitals is challenging and time-consuming work, too. Research suggests only 50% of surfaces in patient rooms and operating rooms are effectively disinfected. Proper disinfection of portable and shared medical equipment is also an important component of infection prevention as this equipment frequently becomes contaminated with healthcare-associated pathogens. In addition, such equipment often has irregular and difficult-to-clean surfaces resulting in suboptimal manual cleaning and disinfection. A study conducted by Curtis Donskey, MD, an infectious disease specialist at the Louis Stokes Cleveland Veterans Affairs Medical Center, found medical equipment was not disinfected after use 90% of the time. Sampling also showed that 27.5% of mobile equipment had one or more pathogens on them.
These results demonstrate that mobile equipment is frequently used, infrequently cleaned and can serve as a vector for dissemination of pathogens. To that end, Clorox Healthcare launched its first sporicidal solution, Clorox Healthcare Spore Defense Cleaner Disinfectant, available through the Clorox Total 360 System, the company’s electrostatic sprayer. This disinfectant is a low fragrance bleach that kills C. diff in five minutes in addition to 42 other pathogens and can be used in sensitive patient settings. In turn, this new product provides healthcare professionals a facility-wide solution by ensuring C. diff spores, among other pathogens, are killed on hard, non-porous surfaces in patient rooms, in operating rooms and on transport equipment often missed during manual cleaning, said the company.
Front Line
The COVID-19 pandemic has ramped up the need for novel chemistries, tools and training—and the I&I sector has risen to the challenge.
“While the crisis has brought terrible consequences for individuals and communities everywhere, it has also reinforced the value and need for the cleaning products industry to work toward our long-term, ultimate goals of helping people lead healthier, happier lives and building a vibrant and sustainable future,” wrote ACI’s Troutman in the association’s letter to Congress.
“For companies that lead the way, their value proposition has been elevated,” insisted Mahecha of Kline.
As the need for proper cleaning products rose in prominence during the pandemic, those who are doing the hard work deserve recognition, too.
During the ISSA Show North America Virtual Experience Virtual Event last month, Gavin Macgregor-Skinner, director at GBAC, discussed the need to identify cleaning crews and janitorial workers as essential employees. In a session on “The Future of Cleaning – Cleaning for Health and Wellness with Innovative and Creative Solutions, he said, “They are going to have identification that shows they are essential employees—and they are going to be given the recognition that they are part of the US critical infrastructure to keep our society going.”
The COVID-19 pandemic has served as a call to action for the industry to shore up the supply chain, remain agile and work collectively to further elevate the products and workers who clean schools, hospitals, workplaces and all private and public spaces.
