MENOMONEE FALLS, WIS.—Businesses that fail to keep their restrooms clean and maintained are unwittingly flushing away customers’ repeat business and sales. According to the Healthy Handwashing Survey from Bradley Corp., almost 60 percent of Americans make it a point to stop at a business and will spend more money at the establishment if they know it has clean and maintained restrooms. In fact, those age 25-44 are even more likely to shell out more cash based on the condition of a business’ restroom. Conversely, there are negative business repercussions for experiencing a restroom in poor condition. More than half of Americans say an unclean...

PHOENIX—Recognizing the importance for the hospitality industry to take the lead on addressing its most significant global challenges and on establishing sustainability programs that meet evolving guest expectations, BWH Hotel Group is doubling down on its commitment to environmental and social responsibility across its expansive global portfolio. Alongside its engagement with the Sustainable Hospitality Alliance, BWH Hotel Group has created a new global sustainability strategic initiative, called “Because We Care,” which will focus on three important pillars: Earth, People and Community (EPC). BWH Hotel Group is celebrating the significant efforts its hotels across nearly 100 countries have already undertaken...

MIAMI—ABCO Cleaning Products, a leading provider of sustainable cleaning tools, has provided five tips for becoming more sustainable and socially responsible this Earth Day. “While Earth Day is just 24 hours, implementing sustainability practices should be something business leaders and facility managers strive for every day of the year,” said Carlos Albir Jr., Director of Operations, ABCO Cleaning Products. Five sustainability practices business leaders should consider incorporating this Earth Day include: Prioritize green cleaning. A truly sustainable cleaning program can help reduce an organization’s overall carbon footprint. Organizations like GreenSeal, Ecologo and FSC have vigorous standards for sustainability, so look to...

FORTVILLE, IND.—Holloway House, Inc., the maker of the Quick Shinefamily of floor care products, announced that it has eliminated per- and polyfluorinated substances (PFAS) from its Quick Shine Multi-Surface Floor Finish and Quick Shine Hardwood Floor Luster. PFAS or “forever chemicals” have been thought to be a vital component in floor care products. In the past, it has been accepted that water-based coatings could not perform successfully without the presence of these chemicals. “It has been a long-time desire and goal to remove these forever chemicals from our floor care formulas,” said Chris Eck, President of Holloway House, Inc. “By...

MINNEAPOLIS—Tennant Company, a world leader in designing, manufacturing and marketing solutions to reinvent how the world cleans, announced its full i-mop portfolio of mechanized walk-behind scrubbers that empower organizations to finally drop the dirty, traditional mop and step up to a better, more efficient and more sustainable clean. The complete i-mop line gives facility cleaning the productivity and performance boost of mechanized cleaning with mop-like maneuverability for small, cluttered spaces, enabling them to achieve a consistently deeper clean with less time, less water, and a lot less effort. “The days of dirty, difficult mop-and-bucket cleaning are coming to an end,” said...

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....