More than 52 slums in Kalyani, North Kolkatta, have achieved in making their township open defecation free. Sanitation stage shows have encouraged villagers in not only making toilets in their homes but also taught them to keep them clean.
A wide range of bacteria survives through even hand washing, hence the need to find an effective way of drying hands. The ultra quick hand dryers because of their speed…
Community participation has not only helped women of Bawana resettlement to get an access to basics like water and toilets but has also provided them a safe and secured environment
Second in the series on Smart Washroom, in this issue CIJ focuses on Tissues, the various kinds of tissues and their usage. Tissues enhance the hygiene factor as it is meant only for one time use, whether to wipe hands after using the toilet or the face after a wash. Toilet tissues, on the other hand, help clean the toilet seat before and after use, making it a hygienic experience for any user. Few of the industry experts share their view on the importance of tissues.
In the last couple of years, high tech washrooms with self rotating sanitized toilet seats, sensor based lighting systems, luxurious self-cleaning combination toilet bidet that warms up when in use, remote controlled hand-free motion sensor operations, music and built-in speakers have created waves world over. While many are awe-inspired by the improved washroom luxury, the pressing need for hygienic washrooms has led many others to adopt best practices which make a Smart Washroom possible. In a series, starting from this issue, CIJ will be carrying articles on what go into making a Smart Washroom.
Smart washrooms are designed to meet the customer needs, says Matthew Wonnacott, Marketing Manager, Vectair Systems Inc. Such washrooms are a unique experience for the user. Having an automatic fragrance dispenser that only disperses a fragrance in a time interval that best meets the facilities ‘traffic’ would be considered smart – or a fully automated hand dryer that users do not have to touch to function, thus reducing the bacteria spreading to different surfaces is smart. Concisely put, “these washrooms are built with the latest technologies and are independent of manual intervention for maximum applications”, says Kartik Iyengar, Marketing Manager – Fabric Care & Personal Care, South Asia, Diversey India Pvt Ltd.
Sensor based urinals or toilets which senses human presence and activates the flushing system, aesthetic looking tissue paper for face, hands & toilet, feminine hygiene bin for sanitary waste disposal, liquid hand wash dispensers with accurate dosing system, hand dryers… all make smart washrooms.
Experts share below their views on soaps & dispensers and how it contributes to hygiene:
Namrata Marwaha, Executive Housekeeper, the Leela Palace Kempinski, New Delhi, has been with the group for the last three decades spearheading the housekeeping divisions of various Leela properties. Namrata is passionate about building & motivating her team and bringing in creative ideas in housekeeping.
An old expression on price versus quality: Cheap things are not good, good things are not cheap. This is as true in every sector as much as it is in facility maintenance. Originally, maintenance largely kept in house, was determined by factors such as cost, control and cleanliness. This is true of the banking sector too. Either the security guard did cleaning himself or a local cleaner was hired to maintain the bank premises. Primarily such practices enabled in giving a clean look at low costs.
With many multinational banks, nationalised banks and private banks opening several branches in various cities and ATMs at almost every street, the need for better cleaning standards is enhanced. The heavy footfall during working hours at all these premises has paved the way for outsourcing professional maintenance services. Outsourcing, simply put, would mean hiring workers to clean but in actual terms it’s not just about outsourcing maintenance services but outsourcing the right service provider. It’s about the right vendor implementing the best cleaning practices; about engaging the right cleaning aids and agents; about paying the right cost to procure these aids…
Cost control by way of automating maintenance processes resulting in higher efficiency is yet to catch up in many segments, including banking which is broadly divided into cooperative banks, private banks, nationalised banks and international banks in India. As more and more banks have now begun outsourcing cleaning services, what is the prime factor that determines their choice while hiring a contractor? Cost or Quality?
Some of the tried and tested processes have given effective cleaning results where carpets are concerned. Here are a few of them:
Multiplexes today are more than just places of entertainment. Red carpet welcome, auditorium ambience, comfortable pushback chairs and hot samosas / patties, popcorn, ice-cold cola… served at your seat. But the people seem to be unconcerned about the litter they throw around. Anita Rodrigues, Vice-President of Inox Leisure Ltd ensures that the auditorium is made spic & span minutes before a show begins. Wonder how she gets it cleaned? Preeti Swaminathan narrates with interest the 10-minute cleaning scene at Inox, Mumbai.
Tork of SCA Tissue Europe, UK, has in its report highlighted the general perceptions of washrooms at work. A study polled around 2,500 people in the UK, France, Germany, Sweden…