The importance of clean and germ-free commercial and working environments has been of much greater focus over the past year. In a bid to reduce the transmission of germs and viruses, we have all been doubling our efforts to regularly wash our hands and keep our working environments clean.
There has been a lot of advances in recent years, with new materials and technologies being developed that make keeping commercial bathrooms cleaner and easier than ever before. With the increased focus on keeping germs at bay, there has never been a better time to consider incorporating these advances into your commercial bathroom with a bathroom renovation.
Keeping public areas, and especially bathrooms, clean has always been a priority, but over the past year with the COVID-19 pandemic, keeping any area with high traffic and risk of people mixing clean and free from germs, bacteria, and viruses has become an even greater focus. Cleaning can only go so far in the reduction of the spread of viruses—it’s impossible to thoroughly clean and disinfect high-traffic surfaces in bathrooms after every user. To best control the spread, we need to reduce the amount of contact in combination with regular cleaning, and that’s where touch-free technologies come in.
There are several different ways in which you can incorporate touch-free technologies into your new commercial bathroom renovation. Understanding the technologies that are on offer is the first step in making an informed decision about which options are right for you, and which options may be best suited to your company. With a variety of options on this technology, Crystal Bathrooms designers are here to assist you in making the right choice.
Taps are one of the most obvious areas for contamination in the bathroom. With the increased focus on hand-washing, the taps in the bathroom are being used more than ever as people come solely to wash their hands. Touch-free sensors on both the taps and soap dispensers make sure there is as minimal contact as necessary, preventing the spread of germs when both turning the taps on and off.
After using the toilet, it needs to be flushed which offers a great opportunity for bacteria to spread from our hands to the flushing mechanism. Touch-free sensors can either detect when somebody stands up from the toilet or operate by a wave of the hand, preventing any surface contact before hand-washing.
While hand-dryers are generally only used after people’s hands have been washed, they still shouldn’t be overlooked as a receptor for germs and bacteria. Even when used with entirely clean hands, the constant presence of moisture can act as a breeding ground for new bacteria. Modern hand-drier designs are touch-free and are designed in such a way as to disperse the moisture effective to prevent build-up.
Light switches can be a breeding ground for germs just like any other fixture, but they are often something most people overlook compared to the toilets, taps, and hand-drying facilities. Removing the need for light switches with motion sensors both negates the need for contact and helps to save energy by automatically turning the lights off when nobody is present.
Touch-free technology can only go so far to keeping a commercial bathroom clean and germ-free. The nature of a bathroom means that even when all the latest technological advancements have been added, it is still a breeding ground for germs and bacteria if it isn’t cleaned regularly. Research shows that the bathroom doors are often just as contaminated with viruses and fecal matter as the taps and areas surrounding the toilet. Designing your bathroom renovation as an easy to clean space is just as important, if not more so, than incorporating touch-free technology.
Metal finishes are best as they are easy to wipe down and don’t have the crevices and grouting that tiling does, allowing space for bacteria to collect and grow.
An easy clean bathroom space doesn’t have to rule out tiling completely, though. The big problem with tiling is the grouting between the tiles which is traditionally a porous material allowing bacteria and germs to get beneath the surface. Epoxy resin grouting solves this problem by mixing a hard finishing, durable, and waterproof resin into the grouting, sealing it and preventing the bacteria from getting beneath the surface. It is also better suited for use with harsher cleaning chemicals without affecting the finish.
Crystal Bathrooms are the premier provider of stylish, modern, high-quality commercial bathrooms and renovations in Sydney. We believe that style and function can be perfectly blended into an ideal bathroom solution that makes your property stand-out. Our team of designers and engineers work closely with the best suppliers to offer you a simple, easy, and stylish touch-free bathroom renovation. When you choose Crystal Bathrooms for your commercial bathroom, you can be guaranteed to get the highest quality bathroom products that are easy to clean and maintain.