In the post-COVID era, public restroom cleanliness and hygiene will have a major impact on occupant satisfaction and business performance.
The Impact of Restroom Cleanliness on Consumer and Workforce Behavior
Before COVID, restroom cleanliness had a significant impact on customer and workforce impressions of a business.
Learn about implementing a sustainability program in your organization, starting with laying the foundation for future success.
Beginning Steps for Starting Sustainable Initiatives in Your Organization
Sustainability initiatives are currently driven by environmental concerns from skilled knowledge workers and business consumers.
Asking targeted questions will assist building service contractors and maintenance staff evaluate and improve the performance of facility cleaning and disinfection protocols.
Improving Facility Cleanliness Standards by Asking the Right Questions
Before the COVID-19 pandemic, facility cleanliness was evaluated by appearance and smell.
COVID-19 heightened awareness surrounding the importance of ongoing high-quality infection prevention in public facilities.
Facility Infection Prevention Challenges
One of the primary functions of facility custodial services is to prevent the spread of infection while limiting occupant exposure to toxic and corrosive disinfectants.
The recent widespread removal of mask mandates across the country emphasizes improving and maintaining high-quality indoor air in public facilities.
No More Masks, but Indoor Air Quality Needs Remain the Same
Recently, in a joint statement, the Governors of Washington, Oregon, and California announced the relaxing of state-wide mask mandates in schools.
Handwashing frequencies, which saw all-time highs during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, have declined significantly over the last few months, opening the door for other infections in the future.
Handwashing Habits Decrease Since Start of Pandemic
Pre-COVID handwashing frequencies after using the restroom were abysmally low--likely contributing to preventable illness and death worldwide, especially among vulnerable demographics (children, elderly, and immuno-compromised).
According to a 2014 publication by the Wiley Online Library;
From the 42 studies reporting handwashing prevalence we estimate that approximately 19% of the world population washes hands with soap after contact with excreta (i.e. use of a sanitation facility or contact with children's excreta).
Meta-regression of risk estimates suggests that handwashing reduces the risk of diarrhoeal disease by 40% (risk ratio 0.60, 95% CI 0.53–0.68); however, when we included an adjustment for unblinded studies, the effect estimate was reduced to 23%.
Our results show that handwashing after contact with excreta is poorly practiced globally, despite the likely positive health benefits.
The COVID-19 pandemic resulted in numerous changes to the foodservice industry that present additional infection prevention challenges.
Infection Prevention Challenges Facing the Foodservice Industry
Over the last two years, the foodservice industry has experienced monumental shifts in how it is required to serve customers--from delivery or curbside-only pickups to outdoor dining and limited indoor capacity.
Increased optics and the need to reduce waste and increase efficiency have created a demand for more environmentally sustainable and effective facility cleaning and maintenance solutions.
Green Cleaning Trends in 2022
Green cleaning trends and technologies are getting a push from several forces.
The cleaning industry has experienced a cosmic shift in occupant and organizational focus due, in large part, to challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, and the hits appear to be continuing well into the new year.
Cleaning Services Trends for 2022
For obvious reasons, 2020 and 2021 were significant for everyone.
Over the course of the pandemic, hand hygiene compliance at the workplace and in public venues skyrocketed, but recent data suggests that may be waning as the pandemic winds down and fears regarding the spread of illness abate.
Post-COVID Changes to Hand Hygiene
During the COVID pandemic, surveys suggested extremely high hand hygiene compliance among respondents across all demographics.