VISTA, CALIF.—During the pandemic, we learned several good restroom habits that kept us healthy. However, public health officials are concerned that many of these protective measures are now being tossed out the window. “Even when restroom surfaces look clean, they may be little more than a Petri dish,” says Klaus Reichardt, CEO and Founder of Waterless Co., Inc. marketers of no-water urinals. “With so many surfaces, counters, knobs, and handles in public restrooms, it’s hard not to come in contact with surface contaminants.” Making matters worse, toilet and urinal plume—the releasing of germs and bacteria into the air when toilets or urinals are flushed—continually...

At least several companies offer their own version of a wash and dry station for a public restroom. It is a great idea to dispense soap, wash one’s hands, move them over a bit and then dry them in one motion. Saniflow Corp. posted an article earlier this year entitled, “Wash and Dry Stations: What are they and why are they the best method for hand hygiene?” The article does a great job explaining what these stations are, the benefits they provide, and where it is best to install a washing and drying station. Below is a slimmed down...

NORTHBROOK, ILL.—UMF|PerfectCLEAN announced that Marie Ferguson, guest room attendant (GRA) at Element Orlando Universal Blvd has earned the company’s fourth annual National Guest Room Attendant (GRA) Excellence Award. UMF|PerfectCLEAN established the National GRA Excellence Award to recognize the invaluable contributions of GRAs—hotel housekeepers—who ensure safe guest and employee environments in hotels and lodges across the country. “Marie is an immigrant who joined my property through a contract labor company in early 2021,” said Chris Heaxt, General Manager, Element Orlando Universal Blvd. “From day one, she has brought such a high level of energy and engagement to our housekeeping team. Marie has some of the lowest minutes...

SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA—CodeSteri, a leading provider of disinfection solutions, announced the launch of PlaClin-M, a device designed to help ensure a clean and safe environment in offices, commercial establishments, and public spaces. CodeSteri started from the Korean government project to combat new infectious diseases by the incumbent professor and MD of Hanyang University Emergency Medicine, Seoul. PlaClin-M uses advanced plasma technology to quickly and effectively disinfect any surface and space in a matter of minutes. CodeSteri, with a $4.2M grant from the Korean government, developed PlaClin after five years of R&D efforts with top experts in related fields commencing from 2015 when Mers hit Korea...

DUBUQUE, IOWA—Innovative Ink Publishing, an imprint of Kendall Hunt Publishing Company, has released Sustainable Hospitality, written by green hospitality industry expert Dan Ruben. The textbook provides hospitality professionals and students with the knowledge and resources to make their properties environmentally sustainable. “The target audience is hospitality professionals who work for hotels, cruise ships, and other hospitality sectors, as well as hospitality students,” Ruben says. “Managers of senior living facilities, dormitories, and other lodging facilities will benefit from this book, too. Sustainable Hospitality offers a roadmap to a leaner operation—one where less energy and water are consumed, and where less waste is generated....

DUBLIN, OHIO—As the hospitality industry continues to recover from the effects of Covid-19, Selective Micro Technologies (SMT) has responded by offering new products to streamline and expedite some sanitizing and cleaning processes. These products were developed knowing that hotels and hospitality are experiencing challenges in attracting and retaining staff. “Selective Micro Technologies built these new configurations after extensive research with our hospitality partners,” says Alex Kelley, Director Development. Two new products address the need for quick room turnaround: the Clobberizer room deodorizer and CleanAir for ice machines. The Clobberizer room deodorizer rapidly releases pure ClO2 gas that will quickly and permanently...

SARASOTA, FLA.—The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recently found that several common pesticide ingredients pose a risk to humans, animals and the environment, and proposed new regulations that would impose restrictions on their use. EcoClear Products, maker of minimum-risk pesticides and cleansers, has reviewed the EPA action and announces that its pest control solutions, like RatX, MouseX, VoleX, and MoleX, do not include the targeted FGAR and SGAR ingredients. “Our pest control products are formulated with FDA GRAS ingredients and are safe to use around non-target animals when used as directed,” said Christopher Stidd, founder and CEO of EcoClear Products. “EcoClear Products...

NEW YORK—Nassimi—a leading textile manufacturer and pioneer in sustainable performance upholstery materials—continues to lead the industry toward higher product standards with a move to eradicate Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) from all new production. Staying true to its ethos, Nassimi’s commitment to 100 percent removal of PFAS is characteristically bold. As the first textile company to produce phthalate-free faux leather in the early 2010s and remove flame-retardant chemicals from its upholstery materials in 2017, Nassimi has always prioritized self-motivated product improvements. Now, the company has reformulated the last of its textile lines containing PFAS, Resilience TX, to create a...

HALLANDALE, FLA.—Reducing the impact on the environment is a strong challenge hospitality players must face. As a leading international amenities provider, Groupe GM continuously strives to become the most environmentally aware it can be. In 2018 the Group developed a complete eco-responsible program, Care About Earth, to help hoteliers answer these challenges while welcoming their guests. Bathrooms should be a clean and safe space for guests as should be the soap dispensers provided for guest use. When opening dispensers and filling them, germs, bacteria and even viruses can enter and settle on top of the product. The bacteria can also...

AMSTELVEEN, THE NETHERLANDS—For quite a few years now, many hotels have incentivized guests to skip housekeeping in exchange for a financial reward of some type. Covid-19 certainly increased the number of hotels that don’t offer daily housekeeping—primarily due to staffing challenges—but many hotels around the world still offer it. For hotels that do that, Floris Licht, Chief Planting Officer for Hotels for Trees has a program that not only helps hotel owners but the environment as well. The Hotels for Trees concept is simple: One new tree is planted each time a guest chooses to skip daily room cleaning. The...