Today, people are getting hygiene conscious and looking at best methods of hand hygiene in their washrooms. “Good and reliable soap dispensers are incredibly important to promote positive hand hygiene reducing the spread of germs from unwashed/dirty hands,” says Matthew Wannacott. Soap dispensers make an integral part of the smart washroom. You just cannot imagine one without them.
At many places, it is not uncommon to find a tilting liquid soap holder but the excess soap spilled over the washbasin is unbecoming. A proper dispenser with refilling facility reduces spillage, the unsightly mess and also reduces soap wastage by only dispensing the optimum level of soap required for hand washing. “For a
service company, this reduces costs, as less refills will be replaced through unnecessary usage,” says Matthew.
There are different kinds of dispensers, explains Kartik Iyengar. “The bulk dispenser available in different storage capacities helps dosing the liquid soap as per the user’s requirement. The sensor based dispensers are touch-free but require regular changing of batteries and are also sensitive instrumentation. The foam based dispenser is another option which is a variant in the hand wash category.”
Liquid soaps by far are likely to be more accepted in India. As awareness in public hygiene increases, the need to wash hands will rise. Hence, liquid soaps will be the most economical and hygienic system which will ensure cleanliness and stop cross contamination that could happen through a bar soap, adds Kartik.
“In fact, liquid soap contains ingredients that will help loosen dirt on hands, softens water and making it easier to lather the soap over the hands. Even after rinsing hands, it leaves no residues to irritate or make the skin dry,” says Dharmesh Mehta, Managing Director, Wellcare Cleaning & Hygiene Solutions Pvt. Ltd.
“Generally, it is better to use liquid soap than bar soap, particularly at work. The benefits of liquid soap include:
- Hygiene – it is less likely to get contaminated.
- Less waste – it’s easier to use, with less wastage. ‘Drop-in’ cassette dispensers use all the soap.
- DIRT – liquid soap removes dirt totally & keeps skin soft and smooth.
“Disposable liquid soap cassettes are convenient, as it does away with the need to wash and thoroughly dry the dispenser before refilling. If you want to use refillable containers, they must not be ‘topped up’. When they are empty, they must be thoroughly cleaned and dried before they are refilled to avoid contamination,” adds Dharmesh Mehta.
Further elaborating the importance of liquid soaps, Matthew says, “In smart washrooms they are ideal for washing hands, especially after using the toilet, changing nappies or handling animals. This helps prevent the spread of various forms of illnesses and germs. Some of which can cause serious health problems. Use soap and warm running water to wash hands for at least 5-10 seconds. “The benefits of liquid soap include less contamination possibilities and being encased in dispensers that do not dispense more than required. Liquid soap and dispensers are simple to use and cost efficient too,” adds Matthew.
Liquid soaps come as normal wash and anti-bacterial. They also come in different colours, textures and scents. Some liquid soaps, besides being dispensed in the form of foam for people who require different textures, also come in luxurious hand creams that sooth skin and moisturize.
Says Kartik, “While, the kind of liquid soap does not differ much from sector to sector, hospitals will favour the antibacterial hand wash over normal as a practice to reduce cross contamination. Also today, there is an increased awareness within corporates due to various epidemics in the past like Bird flu/H1N1. The responsible corporates prefer antibacterial hand wash in their premises.”
Industrial plant, on the other hand, says Matthew, will normally have standard liquid soap or moisturizing soap to keep workers hands clean and alleviate dry skin on hands. Hotels would normally stock luxurious soap to show to customers that every last detail of their hotel (even their soap) was ‘high end’. Not just gentle on hands, liquid hand wash provides users with a sense of cleanliness for longer durations.
Soap dispensers, on the other hand, with sleek & push system ensures hand hygiene at a variety of locations. In another variation, user’s preferred choice of soap option with a selection of innovative liquid, spray or foam pumps comes without the requirement of replacing the dispenser.
The unique pouch feature reseals each pouch ensuring that servicing of the soap dispenser is quick, simple and contamination free, says Matthew.
Soap dispensers can ideally be installed in a wide variety of areas, including offices, hotels, hospitals, school classrooms / colleges / universities, airports, police stations, cinemas / tourist attractions, leisure centres & gyms, motorway services, stadiums & port arenas, places of worship, department stores / shopping centres / shops, ferry ports / large cruise liners and railway stations.
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Green toilet for slum dwellers
Noa Lerner, a Berlin-based industrial engineer is developing a mobile public toilet for third world urban slum dwellers. Placed over a removable container covered with a plastic layer with odour-repellant and anti-bacterial substances, the toilet requires very small amount of water to rinse the top bowl.
The waterless green toilet could be emptied like a chamber pot once in a week. Each of the toilet barrels is sealed and nano-coated that allows them to be used for a week without emptying or cleaning. The waste generated from the toilet could be traded for energy in the form of cooking gas, warm water for showers, or electricity. Lerner will create a pilot project to be launched in India’s capital.
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No scholarship without a toilet
Another example of how coercion is used in sanitation programmes comes from Radhapur village, Banke district in Nepal’s Mid-western Region. The Village Development Committee (VDC) of Radhapur prevents people without toilets from getting recommendations for citizenship, land certificates and other services. Schools also do not give scholarships to students from “dalit” (untouchable) families that do not have a toilet in their house. Scholarship are made available by the Water Supply and Total Sanitation Programme. So far one school says it has provides scholarships to 133 households. The Radhapur VDC, Nepal Water for Health (NEWAH) and other organisations provide loans for toilet construction.
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