The gift that keeps on giving

Despite the minimalist approach to decorations in our streets, department stores, and shopping centres, there is no doubt that it’s November, and the Festive Season is upon us.

Often affectionately known as the ‘Silly Season’, you don’t have to travel too far from home to realise that in part it’s true. There’s a frantic feel in the air as people rush from place-to-place. Deadlines are now being measured in days rather than weeks, and the countdown has begun.

During the Silly Season there is increased activity in our shopping centres, cafes and restaurants, airport terminals, and venues generally. Anywhere that large groups of people gather throughout the year, more movement places facilities under greater pressure than usual.

So what is this gift that keeps on giving?

If you Google the phrase ‘the gift that keeps on giving’, you’ll see everything from advertising campaigns for specific products, or the true message of hope that is Christmas, to warnings about specific diseases that are readily transmitted. For me and many of the cleaners and facilities managers out there it is pure and simple … ODOUR. Whether present in washrooms, kitchens, or waste-disposal areas, it’s immediately noticeable and off-putting. And there is a solution.

Washrooms

Walk into any washroom over the next ten weeks and you will be confronted with odour. It’s the perfect storm; masses of people congregating in large groups, rushing around, eating and drinking in volume. The conditions oscillate between humid and dry-heat extremes, and it’s overwhelming. Whether a shopping centre, a restaurant, a holiday destination or festival, whatever the situation, there is a solution. Consider the solution as a ‘silent partner’. Biological cleaning products are powering away long after the cleaner has left the site. Good microbes found in biological cleaning products will continue to devour bacteria and waste that are found on surfaces and hidden in waste pipes. These are the sources of odour, and can be eliminated with correct dosing and application.

Kitchens, food preparation areas, and kitchen waste

Kitchens will be working overtime, handling more produce at this time than any other time of the year. The conditions will undoubtedly be the same; it’ll be muggy and kitchen staff will be flat out. Who knew that so much finger food can be consumed? Predictably, there will be odour issues. Waste pipes are designed to carry grease and food scraps away from the kitchens. Unsurprisingly, grease traps will be working overtime, and the potential is odour and the pests that are typically drawn to it.

Yet again there are solutions, and it’s not throwing highly perfumed cleaning chemicals at the problem. These are short-lived ways of dealing with the real problem. Why not engage your ‘silent partner’. Let the good microbes found in biological cleaning products continue to work 24/7 to deal with the odour-causing problems at their source.

The impact on your patrons – bad odours leave a negative impression

We all know that our sense of smell is highly reactive. Pleasant smells can evoke fond memories of loved ones and locations; we are literally transported back to sweet places. Have you ever stepped into the backyard on a warm summer evening and catch the waft of a neighbour’s BBQ, and suddenly you’re planning your next ‘grilling’ experience. Equally, if an event or location has left memories of unpleasant or even sickening odours, it is guaranteed to leave a lasting bad impression.

Why would you allow your venue, facility, or destination to leave a negative impression? Consider the gift that keeps on giving and let it be a positive experience, and not one worth the trouble of leaving a bad review.