If there were any doubt about the vital role that proper hygiene, cleaning and sanitation practices play in ensuring human health, the news out of West Africa in recent months puts them to rest. At press time, more than 5,000 people had died from Ebola with more than half of those victims coming from Liberia and more than 1,000 each in Sierra Leone and Guinea. The disease hit home with US news agencies when cases began appearing in the US and deaths were recorded in Nebraska and Texas. Sadly, many of these deaths could have been avoided if careful hygiene practices had been followed, according the US Centers for Disease Control, which recommends washing hands with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer and avoiding contact with blood and body fluids.

But health concerns are by no means limited to Ebola. Last month, a Crown Princess cruise ship docked in California after 172 people on board fell ill with the highly contagious Norovirus during a nearly month-long trip. According to the CDC, about 1 in every 15 Americans will get Norovirus illness each year. Norovirus is also estimated to cause 56,000 to 71,000 hospitalizations and 570 to 800 deaths each year in the US. While the health risks pale compare to Ebola, the precautions to avoid contacting and spreading the virus are similar. The CDC recommends carefully washing hands with soap and water after using the toilet and changing diapers and before eating or preparing food. If soap and water aren’t available, use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. The CDC recommends cleaning and disinfecting contaminated surfaces with disinfectants.

Cleaning executives note that both Ebola and Norovirus are relatively easy to kill with products readily available to consumers and custodial staffs. Unfortunately, proper cleaning methods are rarely top of mind for most people until after an outbreak occurs. In contrast, cleaning is always top of mind for industrial and institutional cleaning professionals. That was evident at the annual International Sanitary Supply Association (ISSA) Interclean North America Show, where marketers of all shapes and sizes showed off their newest offerings to the multibillion-dollar industry and spoke with Happi about what works and what doesn’t in this ever-evolving industry. The event, held last month in Orlando, attracted approximately 16,000 visitors from 78 countries who had the opportunity to view and review products and services from more than 700 suppliers.

Interclean North America is a big event for a big industry. Kline and Company, Parsippany, NJ, puts the US I&I market at $12.4 billion, and growing about 3% a year. By segment, Kline breaks it out like this:

• Janitorial, $4.1 billion;
• Industrial, $3.4 billion;
• Food Service, $2.4 billion;
• Food Processing, $1.5 billion; and
• Laundry, $1.0 billion.

According to Laura Mahecha, an industry analyst with Kline, no major trends dominate the industry this year, and while there have been pockets of growth, much of the gains are due to price increases.

Winners & Losers
She explained that among end-users, fast casual restaurants, such as Chipotle and Panera, are growing at a faster pace than fast food joints, fine dining and other sectors within the US restaurant industry. According to the National Restaurant Association, restaurant and foodservice sales will grow 3.6% this year to top $683 billion. Even better, October marked the sixth straight month that consumers had boosted spending at bars and restaurants. Outlays on dining out have risen by an annualized 9% in that span, the fastest gain in three years.

In contrast, I&I product sales to schools (K-12) has slowed due to budget cuts. Mahecha noted that school janitors are stripping and waxing floors less frequently due to a lack of funding. Kline recently published its findings on cleaning product sales in the US janitorial and housekeeping market in a new report that is available on its site, www.klinegroup.com.

Things are a bit better in the US lodging industry, where profits are finally expected to exceed pre-recession levels, according to a study by PKF Hospitality Research. The average occupancy rate reached 62.2%, according to the American Hotel & Lodging Association.

Growth is also coming from the hand care sector, according to Mahecha. “Purell, as well as foaming hand soaps, hand sanitizer and liquid soaps have made gains,” she said.

With concerns growing about the important role that proper hygiene plays in keeping illness down, hand sanitizer dispensers are appearing in more and more places. Gojo executives are determined to keep the trend going with the rollout of Purell ES (Everywhere System).

“It is smaller for everywhere you need it; such as next to a bank of elevators,” explained Nicole Koharik, global marketing director, sustainability, Gojo Industries.

Ecolab’s new Nexa hand hygiene system dispenses a variety of liquids, gels and foams in manual and touch-free options. The manual dispenser even includes an antimicrobial agent on the push bar to inhibit the growth of bacteria, mold and mildew. The system is available in 1250- and 750ml sizes.

Hard Surface Kills
SealedAir Diversey is also creating value as it kills germs. For example, as Ebola fears spread, there’s been renewed interest in its patented Oxivir accelerated hydrogen peroxide disinfectant, according to Nancy Miller, portfolio manager, infection prevention, SealedAir Diversey. The formula kills just one minute following application, compared to the standard two minutes.

“We had an 80% increase in orders in October after the Ebola crisis broke,” explained Miller. “We created an outbreak crisis team to ensure supply, review labels and provide education. People thought they could disinfect a surface with a regular cleaner.”

Not to be outdone, marketer leader Ecolab offers Peroxide Multisurface Cleaner and Disinfectant, which the company describes as a hospital-grade product that kills a variety of bad actors, including Ebola. 

During ISSA, Clorox rolled out 4 in One disinfectant and sanitizer. It promises to kill bacteria, viruses and fungi on hard and soft surfaces, with no pre-cleaning. According to Clorox, illness-causing bacteria, including MRSA and VRE, can survive on soft surfaces from 20 to 80 days or even longer. The 4 in One formula also sanitizes the air, reduces allergens and deodorizes with a fresh clean scent.

Meanwhile, Intercon promoted Pure hard surface, an EPA-registered hospital disinfectant that boasts fast kill times (30-second bacterial and viral kill), meets OSHA bloodborne pathogen standards and is a rated Category IV, EPA’s lowest toxicity class. The product, based on patented silver dihydrogen citrate antimicrobial technology, was developed by Pure Bioscience, San Diego, and licensed by Intercon, St. Louis, MO.

A Sustainable Clean
Disinfection may be making headlines, but sustainability remains a long-term goal for nearly every marketer in the I&I industry. One of the key components is creating green formulas—something that the I&I industry is very successful at doing. In fact, products considered green now account for 30% of the I&I market, compared to less than 5% in the consumer product category, according to Steve Ashkin, The Ashkin Group, Inc., Bloomington, IN.

“Customers are still talking about green formulas,” agreed Ron Grella, office supply channel leader, Clorox Professional. “It’s not going away.”

At ISSA Interclean, Gojo released its 2013 Sustainability Report where the company proudly noted that it has already exceeded several goals two years ahead of schedule.

“We worked with our supplier to identify a new bio-based surfactant which helped us get to 85% green content,” explained Koharik. “Increased collaboration up and down the supply chain is necessary to find sustainable solutions.”

Gojo is doing a good job of searching for solutions, such as its EcoPreferred, a green-certified heavy duty hand cleaner that was introduced in 2013. In other moves, the company said it has already exceeded 2015 goals for water use reduction, solid waste generation and greenhouse gas emissions.

“We are accelerating our sustainability efforts,” added Koharik. “We want to emphasize what we can do too, not just what we can reduce.”

For example, the company is committed to getting hand hygiene products to more people around the world. To that end, its hand sanitizers can be found in “Mama Kits” in Nigeria. These all-in-one kits contain everything needed to help provide a clean and safe delivery. 

“We’re trying to change the mindset,” concluded Koharik. “It’s not just about reducing, it is creating value.”

Changing the mindset of what an I&I cleaner should be is the idea behind Aqua ChemPacs, 100% dissolvable liquid cleaning chemical packs (polyvinyl alcohol) for a wide range of neutral pH solutions. Users simply drop the packs into spray bottles, mop buckets, floor and carpet care machines.

“We’re getting a lot of attention, growing 15-20% a year,” noted Jim Riemer, national sales manager. “This is an alternative to traditional dilution control systems.”

ChemPacs are also available for laundry and warewashing applications. In every instance, according to the company, janitorial teams can save time, cut waste and improve overall efficiency of cleaning operations. 

Another new neutral pH cleaner is the OM Series of degreaser, multisurface cleaner, and bath and restroom cleaner from Nyco Products. The line is based on Eastman’s Omnia solvent, which meets EPA’s DfE’s criteria for a safer solvent, the highest rating on the Safer Chemical Ingredients List.

Athea Laboratories, a Milwaukee, WI-based private label manufacturer, introduced Enviro-Caustic drain opener, a high pH (13), non-caustic formula that performs like traditional drain openers, but is biodegradable, non-irritating to the skin and ships DOT non-hazardous. Athea maintains Enviro-Caustic Drain Cleaner is odorless, nonflammable and safer to use than traditional drain openers.

“The private label market is very strong; customers realize that they don’t need the big names, they just want solutions,” observed Patrick Rego, VP-technical services and regulatory, who noted that recreation facilities and health clubs are big clients for private label.

Reduced water use is the key benefit of SealedAir Diversey’s Ecobug waterless urinal system, which has been available in Europe for a year. Ecobug reduces water use by 98%, due to the incorporation of a proprietary, single-strain bacteria. 

“The story resonates with customers who want to reduce their water use and protect their plumbing,” noted Jessica Shultz, product manager, building care, SealedAir Diversey.

Clorox targeted urine with the summer introduction of Clorox Urine Remover, which is formulated to remove uric acid crystals. Hydrogen peroxide lifts the crystals and breaks down urine to eliminate odors. Clorox Urine Remover promises to remove urine from porous surfaces as well as on soft absorbent surfaces without bleach.

Whether janitors are servicing bathrooms or kitchens, hospital rooms or classrooms, keeping surfaces sanitized not only makes good business sense, it’s become critical to ensuring the health of patients, customers and employees. 

People Matters • No matter what surface or where cleaning is taking place, the success of an I&I product often comes down to the staff and to get the right people who are a good fit for your company. The I&I cleaning industry is notorious for its rapid turnover—but it doesn’t have to be that way, according to Derek Christian, founder of My Maid Service. “Hire for values, not skills,” he advised. “You can always teach someone how to do the job.” And how are business owners supposed to make sure that prospective employees share the same values? Try the old card trick! Choose a couple of your core values and write them on index cards. They could be words such as dependable, loyal, honest and motivated. Give the applicant your deck of values and ask him to choose six that are important to him. If the applicant’s values match yours (or even 4 of 6), you’ve found a fit. And once you’ve made the right hire, it’s important to teach a new employee in the correct manner, according to Liz Trotter, founder, American Maid Cleaning. “The ‘why’ matters,” she insisted. “Teach ‘why,’ then ‘how’ then ‘what.’” That’s because why something is done makes people listen, invokes passion and gives meaning to what people do, she explained. Similarly, Christian and Trotter said that good employees get even better when they work harder because it gives them a sense of purpose when you give them more responsibility. “Have confidence in their abilities,” Trotter recommended. “The payoff is that your employees have increased feelings of self-worth.”