Coronavirus has brought cleaning and infection control to the forefront of people’s minds in a way never seen previously. Offering people reassurance around the cleanliness of amenities is therefore likely to be a priority as leisure facilities, shops and places of work reopen.
A recent study we commissioned here at Airdri found that COVID-19 was the main concern about office working for a quarter of UK adults. The same survey also found that most people (62%), agreed that they would feel less concerned if they knew the company’s products and policies for infection control.
It’s clear then that going into 2022, companies are going to have to work harder than ever to ensure that regular cleaning happens to reassure people of how clean their facilities are.
Washroom cleanliness is hugely important in instilling confidence around how clean a building is. It’s a place that all occupants and visitors will likely use and furthermore, can be an indicator of how clean the rest of the premises are.
Visual cues, such as cleaning checklists and making sure washrooms look sanitary by removing rubbish, sweeping, mopping and wiping down surfaces regularly will all help to give assurance. But arguably, making sure a bathroom smells fresh should be the top priority.
Steve Whittall, group research and development director at Airdri, said:
“A person’s sense of smell is the strongest of the five senses. It is the human body’s built-in defence mechanism, designed to set off alarm bells if a foul smell that could be harmful is detected. Sense of smell is strongly linked to memory too, so if a washroom smells bad, people will remember!
“Air fresheners can go some way to masking smells,” he continued, “but the best way to reduce washroom odour is to tackle the smell at its source.”
Here at Airdri, we are leading the charge in washroom odour control with the innovative SteraSpace air sanisation units which offer a new solution to ridding the washroom of odour. The units combine Photo Catalytic Disinfection (PCD), Germicidal Irradiation and Dual Waveband UV technology to create the most advanced virus and bacteria control technology of its kind. This offers a unique and highly effective way to eliminate 99% of bacteria, mould, fungi, viruses, dust mites, allergens, and harmful VOCs to result in clean, healthy air and surfaces in the washroom.
Steve continued: “Those in charge shouldn’t overlook how powerful fragrance can be in shaping people’s perception of how hygienic a building is. Trust in the safety and cleanliness of premises can be negatively affected if it smells bad.
“Washrooms are understandably the worse culprit for emitting odours. Bad, lingering smells are caused by bacteria that has managed to build up because of poor or infrequent cleaning procedures. Urinals can be particularly bad, but there could be issues with drains as well as the usual bathroom smells. On top of that, many premises have been closed for long periods of time, and while they might have been cleaned, air may be stagnant and air quality might be poor.
“In washrooms that see a lot of traffic, and especially those with urinals, odour can very quickly become an issue.
“Our equipment is key in these areas because it not only sanitises surfaces, but also sanitises the air. So, any area that would have a heavier bacterial or viral load would certainly benefit from this kind of approach of air and surface sanitisation, and it has the added advantage that it also deodorises the area by breaking down particles, rather than masking the smell. So, you’ve got sanitation and odour reduction all in one unit.
The other thing to think about is the cost to business of additional cleaning and odour control measures, luckily a SteraSpace unit is affordable as once installed will cost as little as £2 per month to run.”
Click here for more information on SteraSpace Sanitisers.