CAROLINE MORGAN*, VALERIE SEJOURNE
*Corresponding author
A.I.S.E. – International Association for Soaps, Detergents and Maintenance Products
Avenue Herrmann Debroux 15 A, 1160 Brussels, Belgium

Abstract

Think of detergents and the type of products that spring to mind tend to be ones that we are most familiar with because we use them in the home: laundry and dishwashing detergents, household cleaners and personal care products.
But what of the myriad of professional cleaning and hygiene products and services used in public places: in schools, hospitals, offices, stations and airports, and food processing plants? The demands of professional cleaning can be very complex and challenging and mean this sometimes overlooked sector is actually one of the most interesting, innovative and exacting segments of the whole detergents industry?
This article shines a light on this specialised and vital part of the detergents industry, its unique demands and the innovative practices and solutions that can be found there.

A KEY CONTRIBUTOR TO PUBLIC HEALTH, HYGIENE AND WELLBEING
Companies in the professional cleaning sector help to ensure hygienic hospital equipment, safe food and beverage production, healthy public transport environments, and clean and pleasant offices. In Europe, hygiene standards are relatively high but outbreaks of diseases, such as the recent Ebola epidemic and occasional outbreaks of diseases such as SARS, H1N1 influenza, MRSA, Listeria, and other hospital-acquired infections are serious concerns and often a top priority for public health policy. Not to mention everyday food safety in all sorts of public settings to prevent the spread of food-borne bacteria like Salmonella and E. coli.
All this and more is part of the daily challenge of the professional cleaning industry, driving several examples of best practice and innovation.

A COMPETITIVE SECTOR
A few of the companies providing these vital produ ...