NATIONAL REPORT—In today’s lodging industry, guests are more than travelers—they’re savvy consumers with high expectations for cleanliness, convenience, and corporate responsibility. Whether staying at an upscale resort, boutique inn, or eco-friendly hotel, visitors are increasingly judging establishments by the cleanliness and sustainability of frequently used spaces: the public restrooms. Restrooms, which are interspersed throughout lodging venues—including hotel lobbies, restaurants/bars, spas and fitness centers and convention/event centers—represent one of the first guest encounters that hotel patrons experience. It is vital for these high-traffic spaces to be clean and stocked, easy to use and aesthetically pleasing. According to Bradley’s Healthy Handwashing Survey, 84...

80 percent believe touchless fixtures are essential in public restrooms. 75 percent say touch-free technology improves the overall restroom experience. 84 percent have a negative impression of a business with an unclean restroom. 71 percent say they’ll spend more at a business with a clean, well-maintained bathroom. For more information on the Healthy Handwashing Survey visit https://www.bradleycorp.com/handwashing.

ATLANTA—ASHRAE recognizes the growing concern surrounding the recent clusters of Legionnaires’ disease cases, specifically in New York City and parts of Ohio, reaffirming the Society’s commitment to supporting public health and building safety through accessible guidance on Legionellosis risk management. Legionnaires’ disease, a serious form of pneumonia caused by Legionella bacteria, is most commonly associated with water systems where water is not adequately monitored or treated. After periods of heavy rains and flooding, there is an increased risk of Legionnaires’ disease due to potential contamination of water sources and disruptions to water systems. Flooding can mobilize Legionella bacteria-rich biofilms in water systems,...

NATIONAL REPORT—SAFEguard Pro is being greeted with great relief by a marketplace that spends hundreds of hours each snowfall removing ice and cleaning salt residue from flooring.  What has been surprising to many is that facility owners are first drawn to the impact on flooring even more than the labor savings and safety upgrade to their steps and walkways. Airports and roadways now remove ice as a last resort. This best practice is now available to everyone. For over a decade, their goal has been to prevent ice and keep roads and runways open and free of ice. To prevent...

With summer nearly behind us—my son has already been in school a week—it’s time to preview the next few months of the busy trade show/conference season. The season kicks off on August 23 with The Clean Show at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Fla. (August 23 to 26). This event is a great opportunity to connect with companies ranging from laundry equipment suppliers to floor cleaning equipment suppliers. Don’t miss this opportunity to learn how you can reduce energy and water consumption in your cleaning processes. Educational sessions will cover topics such as “Hygienically Clean, Clean Green and...

CLEVELAND, OHIO—There’s an old saying about restaurants: the condition of the restroom is a good indication of how clean they keep their kitchen. Many diners use it as a rule of thumb, and even customers who don’t subscribe to this thinking can be put off by a bad-smelling restroom. Something so far away from food prep can have a real impact on how an establishment is perceived. What might be surprising is where the offending odors actually come from—and how the cleaning process itself can sometimes make things worse. Restroom floor drains, other types of floor drains, and grease traps...

BEACON FALLS, CONN.—LAVATEC plans to honor several exceptional customers at The Clean Show, which is being held at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando. The inaugural class of LAVATEC’s Hall of Fame will be inducted during a 30-minute ceremony on Sunday, August 24 at 3 p.m. in booth 1303. Mark Thrasher, LAVATEC President and Managing Partner, talked about the importance of creating an event that recognizes highly valued customers. “We are getting close to reaching our 9,000th machine installation in North America. One of the things we have in common with the majority of our customers is an appreciation for...

For facilities in the hospitality and recreation industries, water is central to the guest experience, and managing it comes with unique challenges. From resorts with sparkling pools to water parks to swim schools, teams must balance guest satisfaction with water safety and compliance. Yet, even with seasoned operators, unexpected issues can arise, and these can lead to costly violations, system breakdowns or even serious health incidents. The Biggest Blind Spots One of the most persistent misconceptions is that visually clear water equals chemically safe water. Operators often prioritize aesthetics over water chemistry, assuming that if it looks good, it is good....

EAST LONGMEADOW, MASS.—Excel Dryer, Inc., the pioneering force behind the touchless, high-efficiency hand dryers, spotlights its partnership with two eco-conscious New York breweries: Lake Placid Pub & Brewery and Big Slide Brewery & Public House. These beloved Adirondack establishments, owned and operated by the same team, are the latest in a growing list of businesses using XLERATOR technology to advance their commitment to sustainability. For the breweries’ operators, environmental stewardship is more than a talking point—it’s woven into every part of their business, from compostable containers to 100 percent wind-powered facilities. But as they looked to make improvements in restroom...

CLEVELAND, OHIO—The customer experience starts in the parking lot where, too often, garbage and grease corals dominate a landscape where they should be invisible. Hospeco Brands Group offers the most complete weapon in this fight, the Hospeco Brands Group Chute and Dumpster Cleaning and Deodorizing Program, a product mix developed to keep dumpsters and trash cans, trash rooms, loading docks, and other high-odor areas deodorized and clean. An important distinction between the Hospeco Brands Group family of products compared to other odor-fighting tools is that Hospeco’s products do not mask odors; rather, they eliminate them. The lineup starts with Chute...