Guide Sanitary and Washroom Equipment
In our category washroom equipment we offer a range of hygienic, energy-efficient devices for commercial and public areas. Choose hair dryers, automatic soap dispensers and hand dryers according to the needs of your customers. Naturally, our professional equipment with a contemporary design can also be used at home without any problems.
Contents:
- Why washing hands is important
- Washing facilities in public buildings
- Accessibility
Why washing hands is important
Cold, influenza and stomach diseases are caused by bacteria and germs that infiltrate the human organism through the mucous membrane. Usually, they are transmitted by hands and end up in the mouth, nose or eyes due to thoughtless gestures. Thorough cleaning of the hands can reduce the risk of transmission considerably. Not only the frequency of washing is important, but also the timing.
Wash your hands:
- after using the WC
- before eating, depending on the food afterwards as well
- when working in the kitchen and using the sink (more germs than the bathroom)
- after touching animals or their fur, saliva, excrements, etc.
- right after entering your home
- when preparing food
- after shaking hands with someone
- after touching waste, rubbish bin
- after cleaning your nose, coughing or sneezing
- after using a keyboard and smartphone
- after touching door handles, buttons and levers in public areas
- before applying lotion and makeup on the face
- before taking medicine
- when dealing with sick people, wounds, skin lesions
In order to reduce the count of germs it is not enough to wet your hands a bit. The wet hands – including the thumbs, nails and spaces between the fingers – should be lathered in soap for a whole 20 to 30 seconds. It goes without saying that you can and should turn of the running water for this duration. Liquid soap in contact-free soap dispensers is a much more hygienic solution that a soap bar that is being used by several people. PH-adjusted soap is gentle to the skin and prevents drying out and skin cracks. After lathering the soap simply rinse of the foam with clear water. The water temperature can be adjusted to personal preferences. Dry off the hands and space between the fingers. Try not to touch door handles in (public) locations with your clean hands. If possible, use your elbows instead.
Hand dryers
Towels made of cloth are used to dry hands at home. These should be exchanged weekly and then washed at 60°C minimum. Ideally, each member of the household has their own towel, towels for guests only are recommended as well.
Some locations also offer small one-time towels that are put into a laundry basket after being used. However, this is not feasible for public washrooms with high traffic, since every person needs their very own towel. Therefore, normal towels are not suitable for public spaces like restaurants or gyms. In most workplaces, this option is not even allowed. Currently, there are two alternatives to textile towels: electric appliances and paper towel distributors.
Electric hand dryers are more eco-friendly than paper towel dispensers (paper made from cellulose). High-performance dryers operating with pressurised air are rated with the best environmental soundness according to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). For the research factors like materials, production, transport, application and waste disposal of the methods were take into account.
⮩ More information about hand dryers
Compressed air hand dryer EXP'AIR in the creoven range
In hotel rooms most bacteria do not accumulate in the towel, though. In fact, microbiologist Chuck Gerba discovered that most bacteria are hiding on the hair dryers. Of all things, the one device which comes closest to our mucuosa on mouth, nose and eyes bears as many germs as a toilet. The reason for this is that the appliance is often temporarily placed on the toilet lid of the floor if there is no holder available.
If you do not want to expose your guests to pathogenic agents, opt for bathroom equipment and professional blow dryers. All hair dryers of the creoven selection allow users to place the handheld parts into a holder. The units can be used with one hand and are resistent to frequent use.
⮩ Click here for more information in our categories soap dispensers and hair dryers.
Washing facilities in public institutions
Due to hygienic reasons shared towels should not be used in the workplace. Workplaces do not only include companies, but also restaurants, hotels (public bathrooms) and administration.
The following is a rough outline of how sanitary facilities should be equipped:
Sanitary installations at the workplace require:
- warm and cold running water
- closed drain pipe system
- toilet paper, paper holder and toilet brush
- possibility to wash hands and cleaning agents (soaps)
- hygienic equipment to dry the hands (no textile towels)
- rubbish bin with lid
- coat hanger
- if required, skin care and protection products
- heating system
- lighting
- ventilation
When designing your washroom, clarify the following questions. How many traffic will there be per day? Perhaps you could compile statistics. Impact-resistant and scratch-free materials are recommended for traffic with more than 150 people per day. What does the target group expect in terms of style? In a sophisticated high-class restaurant all of the interior decor, including the washroom should be designed in an appropriate, matching manner. In contrast, a small snack bar will mostly emphasise functionality rather than stylish design.
Application of electric soap dispensers / hand dryers / hair dryers:
private bathrooms and WCs
restaurant and hospitality industry
agencies, administration, departments
day-care centres, schools
companies, workplaces
changing rooms: gym, swimming pool, spa
public institutions: concert hall, station, department store, cinema
laundry rooms
hospitals
Look out for:
economical consumption
low operational noise
short drying time
easy to clean / refill
protected against vandalism
IP protection codes
antibacterial surface coating
accessories, e.g. air filter
dimensions and design fits the interior decor
handicapped accessible
Accessibility
Children, senior citizens, sick people and the handicapped must be able to access gyms, restaurants or public buildings just as easily as other members of society. Public buildings and residential complexes must be designed and equipped accessible.
Washrooms and sanitary equipment must be accessible by wheelchair. The installation height of fittings should therefore be adjusted to the body height of the users. When planning the facilities it is crucial that all handles (faucet, soap dispenser, hand dryer, rubbish bin) are within reach. Touchfree use via motion sensors or operation with one hand are a particularly good choice. Devices with built-in heating should not exceed a temperature of 45° Celsius.
If you have any questions about equipping your facilities, do not hesitate to get in touch.
Images:
creoven.de and pixabay.com
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