FM FOR ISSUU

Shaping the
Future of Cleaning
The past number of months
have shown us that Cleaning
Services are now more important
than ever to our customers and
employees and must be executed
to a high standard.
We caught up with global
manufacturer and industry experts,
Diversey, to understand how the future
of cleaning has changed and what tips
they could give us to put our employees
and customers at ease.
Here’s what the Experts had to say
The coronavirus pandemic has brought
about a new standard of clean for
facility hygiene. Suppliers, such as
ourselves, have had to adapt quickly
and learn to be agile to meet the needs
of our customers and the changing
environment. As the world recovers,
our customers have had to learn fast
and adapt to a new way of working
to ensure their clients feel safe and
secure to return to some semblance of
normality; it has been a quick learning
curve for us all.
An unusually high demand for cleaning
and disinfecting materials placed an
immediate and immense strain on
supply chains across the world, creating
challenges that Diversey were eager
to overcome and meet. This resulted
in our commercialisation processes
and supply chain becoming more agile
and our portfolio of products and
equipment increasing dramatically to
meet our customers' needs.
Cleaning and disinfecting
come to the forefront
Before the pandemic, cleaning was
necessary, but wasn’t always viewed as
essential for saving lives. Now faced with
a highly contagious virus, businesses
are scrambling to adjust to a new
standard of hygiene. For example, some
retailers and foodservice organisations
announced they would clean and/or
disinfect certain frequently touched
surfaces every 30 minutes, while others
implemented occupancy limits or
shifted entirely to outdoor pick-up and
delivery rather than allowing customers
indoors.
As more businesses reopen and
encourage people to visit their facilities,
a clear and different approach to
cleanliness is required. Gone are the
days of “good enough” and simply
cleaning for appearance. Employees and
customers now demand more.
Facilities Implement Different
Technology and Tools
When pandemics occur, organisations
are under pressure to show that they
are doing something different to protect
their customers and employees. But
different does not always mean the
new method is better. For example,
one Hong Kong airport is testing fullbody
disinfection booths at entrances.
However, spraying disinfectant on hands
and skin will do nothing to prevent the
virus from entering the building and
may cause health issues.
Electrostatic sprayers (ESS) are also in
high demand from organisations that
want to apply disinfectant to a large
area at once. Some companies are
testing this equipment to clean quickly.
However, the reality is that many people
are not properly disinfecting when
using an ESS or are creating additional
health risks for staff so companies
should ensure that adequate training is
provided to prevent this.
Cleaning in a New World
This pandemic has created widespread
awareness about the role of cleaning
in preventing the spread of infections.
At a time when people are fearful to
enter facilities and interact with others
in close quarters, businesses must adopt
new methods of cleaning. The visible
process of cleaning instils confidence
while removing invisible pathogens.
Implementing Diversey’s top tips
will demonstrate to customers and
employees that their health and safety is
a top priority.
20 | FM AUTUMN-WINTER 2020/21