ORLANDO, FLA.—A research study conducted on behalf of Clean the World by the University of Arizona (UA) showed a 100 percent bacterial contamination rate in refillable dispensers that contain shampoo, body wash, conditioner, hand soap, or lotion. Of 82 samples taken, 63 (76 percent) yielded bacterial numbers greater than 1,000 colony-forming units per gram of product (CFU per gram), and 40 samples (49 percent) exceeded 10,000 CFU per gram. According to The Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, for non-eye-area products, counts should not be greater than 1,000 CFU per g or mL. An Executive Summary of the...

ATLANTA—Oxy-Gen Powered, a leader in innovative air-freshening solutions, has launched its Fab 30 urinal screens for men’s restrooms. Infused with high-quality fragrance and Neutra-Lox, a proprietary malodor eliminator, the screens eliminate rather than mask foul odors to keep urinals smelling fresh for 30 days. Fab 30 features a unique design to eliminate splashes and is available in 10 distinct fragrances that complement Oxygen-Pro air freshener scents for a total odor control solution. “Foul smells and urinal screens that don’t prevent splash-back can negatively impact the satisfaction of individuals using a facility’s restrooms,” said Andy Piucci, Vice President of Sales-North America,...

READING, PA.—To help businesses protect their customers and their brands from bed bugs, Rentokil Steritech, a Rentokil North America company and part of the world’s largest commercial pest control firm, is offering its on-site Bed Bug Symposium as a complimentary service to interested businesses. Bed bugs have become a prevalent issue across North America, impacting a variety of business types. In recent years, bed bug sightings and infestations have been reported in hotels, healthcare facilities, multifamily apartment and condominium complexes, schools and colleges, offices, public transportation, and more. However, many businesses do not have bed bug protocols in place and employees...

The Boutique Design New York (BDNY) and HX: The Hotel Experience trade shows wrapped up this past week at the Javits Center in New York City. While HX looked the smallest it has ever been, together with BDNY the two shows were formidable to cover. On my radar this year was what was newsy and new. Here then is what I found most interesting at this year’s shows: The Humble Co. featured its bamboo toothbrushes, natural toothpaste and other products. The toothbrush handles are made of easily biodegradable bamboo and the bristles out of nylon, a durable material that degrades...

PARSIPPANY, N.J.—Travelodge by Wyndham—part of Wyndham Hotels & Resorts, the world’s largest hotel franchising company with more than 9,200 hotels in over 80 countries—is building upon its 2019 growth momentum with the introduction of a new program in 2020 touting initiatives that streamline operations to drive value to owners while helping reduce the brand’s environmental impact. The adventure-focused brand, which has more than doubled its openings year-over-year as of the third quarter, has a history of eco-friendly efforts based on its strong concentration near many U.S. national parks. The new initiative, Travelodge + GO Green, aims to reduce overall waste...

NATIONAL REPORT—Many of us have concerns over how cleaning products are harming us and the environment. The chemicals in cleaning products have been proven to cause serious illnesses such as respiratory disease and cancer. And when these chemicals get rinsed down drains, they move into our ecosystem, where they contaminate and harm plants and animals. For this reason, many homeowners and businesses are using green-certified cleaning products for their daily cleaning needs. These products are sustainable and better for the environment than traditional cleaning products. It is easy for homeowners to control what cleaning products they’re using inside their own...

FRANKLIN, TENN.—Quore, an award-winning provider of workforce communication and engineering/housekeeping management technologies, is exhibiting at HX: The Hotel Experience Powered by AAHOA for the first time next week. Attendees visiting Booth 1220 will see innovative cloud-based solutions that help hotels operate more efficiently and improve communications between guests and staff by streamlining housekeeping, guest relations, engineering, and every other aspect of running a hotel. “We are eager to experience HX as a first-time exhibitor and network with hoteliers looking to optimize their operational workflows,” said Richard Bradbury, Quore VP of Strategy and Alliances. “Our customers continually say that implementing Quore...

FOREST, VA.—NanoTouch Materials announced broad support for corporate ESG (environmental, social and governance) initiatives as well as UN SDGs (United Nations sustainable development goals) with their line of self-cleaning surfaces for facilities. One of the main categories of initiatives has to do with health and wellness in the built environment. Commercial real estate owners and investors, along with facility managers and facility services firms, are racing to offer innovative new approaches in this category. “We’re very excited to be able to contribute to these wellness initiatives with products that also positively impact occupant experience,” says NanoTouch Co-founder Dennis Hackemeyer. “Imagine having...

ATLANTA—Oxy-Gen Powered, a leader in innovative air-freshening and hygiene solutions, is introducing Oxygen-Pro, a programmable and continuous air freshening system that eliminates malodors. Oxygen-Pro allows users to customize the fragrance intensity with various cartridge sizes and settings. The Regular cartridge offers 30-day odor control and the Grande cartridge can be set to 30-, 60- or 90-day scent delivery. The fragrances have no CFCs, propellents, alcohols or allergens, and no added VOCs or solvents. “Many air fresheners simply mask odors and only release scent periodically, either via gels, solids or aerosols,” said Chris Whiting, Executive Vice President—North America, Oxy-Gen Powered. “Our...

NEW YORK—Today, Dyson launched the Dyson Airblade 9kJ hand dryer. With a completely unique design and cutting-edge technology, the Dyson Airblade 9kJ hand dryer enables people to dry their hands quickly and hygienically, while using low energy and offering an alternative to single-use paper towels. “At Dyson we believe hand drying should be fast, hygienic and responsible in its energy use. We solved many of these problems when we disrupted the industry with the launch of the first Dyson Airblade in 2006,” explains Jake Dyson, Chief Engineer. “We continue to pioneer with the Dyson Airblade 9kJ hand dryer—our latest hand...