At the September 22nd BCCCA luncheon, Michael Houang – Market Manager for Kimberly Clark did a presentation on Hand Hygiene for the Healthy Workplace – The following is a synopsis of that Presentation. 

One of the Challenges today  : Managing washrooms. That involves  labour, Sustainability and green cleaning.
What is your Perception of what washroom should look like what ?
Class a  washroom  versus steel factory ?
In a way your washroom is your business card.
When people walk into the washroom   does it show like a professional business card ?
The state of  washroom can make  or break an  account.
People might think If  the washroom is bad what else is bad ?
These days we have to Do more with less. More area to clean with less staff.

Who really cares about the washroom ?

Some of the people who care :

1. The Millennials – Born 1980 – 2005

They value  experience!

Money is not  the most important thing.

Millennials want today’s  work to be an experience and fun!
Millennials want  to see positive work environments
Most employees are under 35.

2. One  billion women will be entering  the  workforce …… they  want nice amenities !

3. Over next 5 yrs more contractors will be
Coming in to Bldg to  rent space and leave again.

Pull there experience from
Different Bldgs so they  have higher expectations.
They will complain more if the amenities are not up to par.
Even in a factory now want more now.

4. The Reality : Buildings  will  crammed with more people
They will  not build more washrooms to accommodate more people
So  it means  more service calls if  the washrooms  are not kept at  a high quality.
If the washroom experience is elevated it will bring the biggest return on your investment and efficiency will increase
By  elevating  that washroom  experience  it will bring the biggest return on your investment!

5.Top 3 complaints
A  company will   keep you based  of how well you maintain their  washrooms!
If conditions are Unsanitary.  Employers are not viewed favorably.
Paper products is  only 2-4%  of most companies budgets.
Most companies need make a bigger bang !
I Just want a cheap toilet paper they will  say……..
They need to do  more than that and as a service provider  you have to tell them that.
You will get more 80 % people prefer paper towels
New dispensers – more modern looking dispensers.
Paper towels  decrease germs by 77%.
A question: Folded towel versus roll towel
Cost savings- with roll towelling
You save 58% labour by using roll towelling
Rolltowels
Dried 3 times  more  per roll compared  to multifold
There is 48% less packing with roll towels
Roll towells are 100% compostable
Old  air  hand dryers blow 194% more germs on your hands
New air hand  dryer  blows 42% germs back
If you actually    touch the air hand dryer  machine you might  pick up fecal matter on your hands.
Bacteria is  on the wall also at this back of the air hand dryer.

6. So as a service provider How do we want to  take care of our customers?
Don’t just  have a conversation about paper towels Your customers  need to know who is end user of their facilities.
Globally we want to deliver the same message
Way to communicate  is to tell  to wash their  hands frequently using hand towels and soap.
You have to communicate his message that  you understand their facility
With a New system of wall towel  dispensers on the wall that are more attractive people will
Use it!
7.Sustainability
How can you increase your sustainability ?
Recycled paper costs are  going up. Because we are not making as much  new paper. So less supplies of recycled paper so price of that paper will go up.
There are some alternative fibres going to be used in the future to make hand towels

One of them Wheat straw.  Only the husks  will be used so that even People with with gluten allergies will not have a problem.

Bamboo is also another alternatively sourced fibre that will be used instead of paper towels that is coming soon.
Another way to give you more control over washrooms is that your service worker will receive a notice to his phone when the dispenser is empty. Thereby avoiding an annoyed customer phoning because dispenser are empty!