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COVID-19

COVID-19, caused by a coronavirus called SARS-CoV-2, has hammered the lodging industry harder than any event ever before. Every element of a hotel’s operation has been impacted—from cleaning & maintenance to food and beverage. Many hotel companies are responding aggressively with revamped operations plans. What we all can agree on is that hotels may never be the same again. This area of Green Lodging News highlights the latest news and trends. Contact Glenn Hasek, editor, at (813) 510-3868, or by e-mail at: greenlodgingnews@gmail.com.

COVID-19

Home COVID-19
COVID-19, caused by a coronavirus called SARS-CoV-2, has hammered the lodging industry harder than any event ever before. Every element of a hotel’s operation has been impacted—from cleaning & maintenance to food and beverage. Many hotel companies are responding aggressively with revamped operations plans. What we all can agree on is that hotels may never be the same again. This area of Green Lodging News highlights the latest news and trends. Contact Glenn Hasek, editor, at (813) 510-3868, or by e-mail at: greenlodgingnews@gmail.com.

iCleanse Partners with Mohegan Sun, Provides Swift UV Disinfection

HARTFORD, CONN.—In a development that further illustrates the company’s steady market expansion, iCleanse announced that fifteen Swift UV units have been installed throughout Mohegan Sun, which is one of the largest entertainment, gaming, dining, and shopping destinations in the United States. iCleanse is a place-based startup that offers high-definition advertising screens coupled with chemical-free Swift UV (ultraviolet light) devices that disinfect smartphones, a known nexus for COVID, RSV, influenza, and other pathogens. The Swift UV units have been installed throughout Mohegan Sun, just in time for the peak of the cold and flu season. Swift UV’s technology disinfects potentially infectious diseases...

Bradley Survey Finds Americans Are Strategic Handwashers

MENOMONEE FALLS, WIS.—According to the Healthy Handwashing Survey conducted by Bradley Company, Americans implement handwashing on an “as needed basis.” Case in point, 74 percent wash their hands more frequently or more thoroughly in response to seasonal virus outbreaks and 54 percent increase their handwashing activity when they’re sick. In addition, 77 percent make it a point to wash up when on a road trip or in an airport and 67 percent wash more when they have travel coming up. Public restroom usage is another handwashing occasion. Respondents said they suds up 89 percent of the time after using a public facility. The majority of those who skipped...

Excel Dryer Partnership Results in Hand Dryers with Customized Artwork

EAST LONGMEADOW, MASS.—Artists For Humanity (AFH), whose 23,500-square-foot Epicenter is Boston’s first LEED Platinum certified building, has combined its commitment to sustainability with its dedication to art and design—and ensured neither stops outside the restroom doors. The organization provides Boston teens with opportunities for creative expression, mentorship, and paid work experience on an array of client art and design projects, all while they prepare for college and their careers. Now, thanks to a partnership with Excel Dryer, AFH has installed first-of-their-kind XLERATOR Hand Dryers customized with artwork designed by local teens in its facility bathrooms. “When we learned about the amazing work AFH was doing,...

How to Handle Cold & Flu Season Sustainably

NATIONAL REPORT—Cold and flu season is here, which means facility managers face the dual challenge of helping promote a healthy environment for facility occupants while maintaining sustainable efforts. Although flu season occurs in the fall and winter seasons, its peak activity is now until February. As a facility manager, you play an important role in helping ensure your facility stays clean and occupants stay healthy during this time. Here are several sustainable considerations you can incorporate in your facility’s cleaning routine to help your occupants stay healthy. Focus Your Cleaning Routine During this period, many facilities see an uptick in foot traffic...

Cold & Flu 101: How to Minimize the Spread of Germs in Your Facility

NATIONAL REPORT—Minimizing the spread of germs should be top-of-mind for facility managers, especially this time of year. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that up to 11 percent of the U.S. comes down with the flu each year. Businesses can help facility occupants stay safe from infections, like influenza or the common cold, by taking the time to analyze and enhance their cleaning programs. Upticks in infections lead to increased absences in schools, offices and other businesses, resulting in lost productivity. Outbreaks can also negatively affect the public’s perception of a business. Implementing cleaning and hygiene best...

Westgate Las Vegas Resort Chooses PathoSans Cleaning Solutions

GLENDALE HEIGHTS, ILL.—PathoSans, a leading provider of sustainable and socially-responsible cleaning and disinfecting solutions, has teamed up with Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino to provide a healthier environment for guests and staff. Westgate Las Vegas, an iconic Las Vegas property known for its legendary entertainment and spacious guestrooms, is using PathoSans sustainable and socially responsible cleaning solutions to clean guestrooms efficiently, safely, and sustainably. “People would rave about the cleanliness of guestrooms, and we would explain how we use safe and effective products with PathoSans,” said Deborrah Ong, Vice President of Hotel Operations for Westgate Las Vegas. “Clean has no smell....

AURA Launches the Ion Bar for IAQ

CHAPEL HILL, N.C.—AURA Technologies, an innovative provider of technology solutions for health, safety, security, and national defense, launched the AURA Ion Bar, a groundbreaking new product category in the indoor air quality space. The Ion Bar is the only system in the world that creates a germ-destroying barrier across any two spaces safely using Negative Air Ions (NAIs). This first-of-its-kind product addresses a critical flaw in current indoor air quality systems by targeting the contamination that occurs in areas where you feel most vulnerable to germs and contaminants—such as conference rooms, elevators, bathrooms, classrooms, and public transport. The AURA Ion Bar...

PTAC Attachment Provides Extra Layer of Guestroom Air Filtration

When was the last time you stayed at a hotel with a PTAC and noticed an extra air filtration cover over the PTAC? You most likely have not experienced this but at a trade show earlier in the year I discovered a company, RZ Industries, that makes an air purifying filter that attaches to the front of the PTAC. Called the RZ AIRflow, it improves the air quality of the guestroom by removing 99.7 percent of airborne particulates from inside and outside. The system uses carbon filters and a HEPA filter. There is no added noise when using the...

Excel Dryer Upgrades Electrostatic HEPA Filtration in All Hand Dryers

EAST LONGMEADOW, MASS.—Excel Dryer has upgraded to electrostatic HEPA filtration, which is an optional feature for their XLERATOR hand dryer models and is now available in its newly expanded, surface-mounted, ADA-compliant ThinAir Hand Dryer product line. ThinAir is a high-efficiency model that includes all the standard enhanced features—including adjustable sound, speed, and heat controls—while also protruding less than four inches from the wall to adhere to ADA regulations. ThinAir dries hands in 14 seconds, operates on 950 watts, and helps facilities qualify for several LEED Credits and WELL Points. The upgraded HEPA filtration system uses electrostatically charged media, which allows for increased airflow and attracts...

UMF|PerfectCLEAN Launches QUICKtab Touchless Dispensing System

NORTHBROOK, ILL.—UMF|PerfectCLEAN introduced QUICKtab, a unique, touchless disinfectant tablet dispensing system, at the Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC) 2023 Annual Conference in Orlando. With its innovative features and unparalleled convenience, QUICKtab is set to transform the way one dispenses disinfectant. With QUICKtab, there is no need to handle disinfectant tablets. Hygiene specialists never have to handle tablets while dispensing or using Klorese ready-to-use (RTU) tablets, which are ideal for hospitals, hotels, schools, and universities. “The latest addition to our comprehensive infection prevention program, QUICKtab ensures that environmental services (EVS) hygiene specialists stay safe while decreasing the risk of infections throughout their facilities,” said UMF|PerfectCLEAN CEO George Clarke. “QUICKtab is...