greener-washroom-services

Greener washroom services that are a breath of fresh air!

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Not many of us think about what’s required to keep a washroom functioning and ensure we don’t go running for the hills after entering. Truth be told, there are many items that need to be serviced to ensure these facilities run smoothly. When numerous people are using the facilities on a daily basis, it’s vital that key items are serviced regularly and ensure that the place smells great too!

If you believe the only green link with washrooms is the colour you go whenever you think about them, it’s time to think again!

One topic which is being talked about more openly is waste management, although probably not hygiene waste. Quills love finding sustainable solutions for our clients to help them with their environmental commitments so we can’t wait to tell you more. Take a look below.

Zero sanitary waste to landfill

We agree, this is an unpleasant topic but, this isn’t a time to be squeamish. Sadly, sanitary products cause more than 200,000 tonnes of waste a year. And when it comes to nappies, it’s estimated that in the UK, around three billion disposable nappies end up in landfill every year. Yuck! What’s worse is that sanitary products and disposable nappies will take more than 500 years to decompose. This means we could make a huge impact on the environment by choosing a provider who doesn’t send sanitary waste to landfill.

This is exactly what happens with Quills’ washroom services and sustainable solutions. Here’s how it works.

We’ll collect your sanitary waste on a regular basis and at a time that suits your business – if doing this outside of working hours is preferred this is not a problem. We’ll clean the sanitary bins and change the liners. We use antimicrobial liners in our feminine hygiene units which significantly reduce bacterial growth and combat odours. The waste is then taken away to plants specialising in Energy from Waste (EfW). The waste is then turned into renewable energy, and any residual waste from the EfW process is used as an aggregate in the construction industry. Absolutely nothing goes to landfill, which we love!

And as an additional green bonus, our feminine hygiene units are recyclable at the end of their working lives.

So, if you’re looking for ways to make your company more sustainable and you’d like to discuss greener solutions for workplace hygiene waste management and washroom services, send us an enquiry or give us a call on 0845 078 0324.

Zero Sanitary Waste

Energy efficient hand dryers

If you haven’t done so already, why not consider switching to energy-efficient hand dryers? This will help save your business money and reduce your energy usage too. Depending on the size of the unit and frequency of use, we have dryers that typically cost between £13 to £32 per year to run. We can install your chosen hand dryers and we can service them too.

Energy Efficient Hand Dryers

Reducing your water usage

We tend to think that because it rains so much in the UK, we don’t have to worry about saving water. But the sad fact is that climate change is having a massive impact on our water supply. Our summers are becoming hotter and drier, which will result in water shortages at certain times of the year, especially in the south which is more densely populated. By doing whatever you can to save water, you’ll not only reduce your water bills, you’ll also be helping to ensure every business and every person has access to enough clean water for their needs all year round.

In your company’s washrooms, you can install technology that will help your business save water without having to compromise on hygiene. Our Sensaflush and Autoflush units will help you reduce water consumption by up to 90%. And when your premises are vacant, such as at weekends, over the Christmas break or – and we really hope it won’t come to this – during another lockdown, the units will automatically flush every 12 hours, which will keep your water system flowing. This is important because stagnant water can become a breeding ground for harmful bacteria such as Legionella (which is the cause of the potentially fatal Legionnaires’ disease).

Air quality and ventilation

Without being too graphic, we all know the importance of having fresh air in the washroom! However, many washrooms have no access to an outside wall for ventilation and even if there is a window that can be opened, you probably won’t want them open in the winter. To help avoid wasting energy in the winter through heat loss, you can consider installing Air Cleaners. Covid-19 has shown us the importance of ventilation. By installing air purification systems in your washroom and in other parts of the building – you’ll control odours as well as destroying bacteria, viruses, mould and fungi. This is done through a process called ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI). UVGI uses ultraviolet light to kill microorganisms, improving the air quality by ensuring it is clean and hygienic. What’s more, this process will be happening 24/7, not just when you remember to open a window.

Air quality and ventilation

Even our journeys are greener

Saving petrol plays a key part in making our services more sustainable. That’s why we use route-planning software to plot the most fuel-efficient routes. We also have fuel analytic technology fitted in our service fleet which helps us to optimise our fuel consumption even further.

If you’d like to find out more about making your company washrooms greener and cleaner, feel free to get in touch.

Business building

What is included in property maintenance services?

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Unless property maintenance is your core business, all those little maintenance jobs are likely to be put at the bottom of your ‘To Do’ list owing to the fact that they don’t directly bring money into the company. By outsourcing your property maintenance services, you’ll significantly reduce the amount of time you spend on maintenance, enabling you to take care of what you’re good at, knowing that your premises are being looked after by the experts and you are fully compliant. 

We offer a number of property management services that will help you maintain your property to a high standard, giving you the peace of mind that your premises are clean, safe and well maintained. We’ll also help to ease your workload because all you need to do is contact us and we’ll do the rest! 

Grounds Maintenance

Planned Preventative Maintenance (PPM)

We will help you draw up a schedule of all the planned and compliance related jobs that you know you’ll need to do throughout the year. Our highly trained experts will make sure your equipment is working efficiently, identify any potential problems and schedule preventative repairs at a time that suits you. If you know there may be a problem but leave things until they go wrong, you run the risk of disrupting your work, reducing productivity or impacting business continuity, as well as incurring emergency call-out fees. An additional problem which many companies are experiencing as a result of the pandemic is that you can no longer rely on parts being available when you need them. With PPM, you can order spare parts in advance, so even if there’s a delay in delivery, you won’t experience disruption. 

A picture of work tools for minor repairs

Repairs 

Whether it’s a broken office chair, a cracked sink, a scratched table, chipped tiles, a leaking sink or a broken door, you need to repair it. With everyone recognising the need to work as sustainably as possible, our motto of ‘Repair Don’t Replace’ has never been more apt. Not only is repairing what you have the right thing to do for the planet, it’s also much more cost effective and less disruptive than buying and installing a brand-new replacement. 

And when you’re so obviously taking good care of your company’s property, it encourages your staff to take more care of it too, reducing the chance of accidental damage happening in the future. 

Cleaning and Hygiene

Quills offers cleaning services to maintain hygiene throughout your premises, especially in high-traffic areas. Since the pandemic, it’s even more important to ensure that everything possible is done to protect staff and visitors from the risks of infection, and our anti-bacterial deep clean service has become a very popular addition to our regular cleaning services. 

Cleaning & Hygiene picture of Quills worker

Grounds Maintenance

Outdoor grounds and communal areas come with their own maintenance and cleaning needs, and a facilities management service will provide everything you need, from grass cutting and gardening to waste management and de-icing in the winter months. 

Legionella Testing

Preventing the occurrence of the legionella bacteria in your property’s water system is a fundamental part of your company’s health and safety requirements. Our specialists will be happy to carry out a risk assessment and organise any monitoring, water testing, disinfection and remedial works necessary. All our staff are fully trained and certified. 

Contact us to find out more about what’s included in our property maintenance services and how we can help you with your particular needs.

Facilities Management Office Space

Why Employ a Facilities Management Company?

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If you’re responsible for your company’s property maintenance – whether it’s taking care of one building or managing a portfolio of properties – you’ll know how much time and energy it takes to keep on top of things. There are many different aspects to property maintenance, and keeping on top of all the suppliers you’ll need to carry out repairs, maintenance and any necessary health and safety tests at your properties will take a lot of time, record keeping and energy. This is why going through a Facilities Management Company (FMC) that offers comprehensive facilities management services – such as Quills – makes good business sense. 

Planned Maintenance Jobs

Every workplace needs to employ cleaners, and if your premises has grounds outside you’ll need someone to take care of those on a regular basis too, whether it’s a gardener to look after lawns and flowerbeds, or someone to maintain your paths and car park. If you employ cleaners and maintenance staff directly, you’ll need to pay all the associated costs that come with that, such as recruiting every time someone leaves or finding replacements when employees are off sick or on holiday, as well as the costs of putting them on the payroll and associated HR time. 

We can take care of all your cleaning and maintenance staffing needs on your behalf, giving you and your own staff the time to concentrate on work rather than trying to find someone to cover unexpected staff shortages at the last minute. 

Facilities Management Maintenance

Reactive Repair works

Let’s say, for example, you’re in need of a plumber to fix a leak. It’s been some time since you last used a plumber, and the person you used to use has now retired, leaving you with the problem of sourcing a good and trustworthy tradesperson at short notice. You would need to spend time and energy searching for new plumbers, researching them and reading reviews before booking the work, usually, at a day and time that suits them. By booking through our facilities management reactive service, all works are guaranteed and our trusted tradesperson who will be booked in at a convenient time, day or night.  Emergency call outs can be logged on our 24/7 helpdesk portal or you can call the emergency line if it’s out of business hours. 

As an FMC, Quills has a number of in-house and trusted contractor staff available at all times, so all you’d need to do is get in touch and book the service you need – we’ll take care of the rest. If your tradesperson is unable to make a scheduled maintenance appointment, it is our responsibility to find a trusted replacement who can do the work so the appointment will go ahead without disrupting your day. 

Facilities Management - Planned Maintenance

Scheduled Maintenance

and checks that need to be carried out on a regular basis to ensure your company is up to date with servicing as well as Health & Safety certification, such as PAT testing, fire safety or legionella water testing. An FMC will help you schedule routine work to make sure your company is meeting all its safety requirements. Quills also offers facilities tracking software that allows you to diarise work, check the progress of maintenance work and keep copies of the certifications, photos and other documentation in one central place. Key reporting on works and assets is also available.

Whether you are responsible for a single site or multiple site location, our facilities management services can take care of the upkeep and repairs for your premises. By outsourcing these jobs, you’ll have more time to concentrate on your core business. Contact us to find out more.

Hygiene solutions with environmental benefits

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Hygiene has become a vital part of everyday life, and in the ‘new normal’, businesses will need to consider what they purchase in order to provide a Covid-safe environment for your employees, visitors and customers. Since the pandemic, it has become an essential part of your company’s duty of care to ensure your workplace is clean and hygienic, and there are many products and services available, including some fantastic cost saving sustainable solutions.

If you want to reduce the amount of time you and your staff spend cleaning surfaces, there are a number of ways to provide antimicrobial protection that will minimise cleaning time and the amount or harsh cleaning products required.

Antimicrobial surface coating

Many companies coming out of lockdown want time-saving and more eco-friendly hygiene solutions and are implementing long term strategies to stay bacterial and virus free. This is why they are protecting heavy use areas with an antimicrobial surface coating which guarantees protection for 12 months against germs, bacteria and viruses, including SARS-CoV-2 and TGEV Coronavirus. The antimicrobial surface coating is clear and can be applied to a range of hard surfaces, touch screens and fabrics too.

As an employer it’s great to know that you can provide your employees and visitors with the peace of mind that high traffic areas, such as door handles, chairs, desks, buttons, touch screens, phones, handrails, turnstiles, gym equipment, flooring and play equipment, are protected. Having an antimicrobial coating in place means your company will save time and money by reducing the frequent cleaning and sanitising of these surfaces. So that’s fewer harsh chemicals, and fewer paper towels.

As the coating is safe to use on fabrics, it means that chairs, soft furnishings, fabric partitions and screens can also be protected.

Surface Spray

For shorter-term solutions, an antibacterial surface spray like PPE XtraSAN, creates a biofilm that will kill bacteria and viruses for up to 28 days. Like the surface coating, it provides a protective biofilm, which means you don’t have to use harsh cleaning chemicals on it and can save time and money on cleaning. And it’s a refillable product which means it’s also more sustainable.

Antibacterial chairs

If you run schools, colleges, healthcare centres, community halls, etc., talk to us about replacing your stacking chairs with ones that are antibacterial. These chairs have a silver-based additive that kills 99.9% of MRSA and E.coli. The chairs are strong, durable and easy to clean and can even be steam cleaned without damaging the surface.

AeraMax air purifiers

Air purifiers like AeraMax have unsurprisingly become very popular. The product comes with High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) filters that can remove 99.97% of air pollutants including germs, bacteria, allergens, pollen and mould. The purifier has a four-stage filtration process which includes a carbon layer to capture and neutralise odours, and an antimicrobial layer that traps bacteria, viruses and fungi, therefore taking them out of circulation.

When possible, natural air ventilation is key. However this isn’t always practical when you factor in the weather, safety, the building itself, noise and privacy for healthcare settings. You would also lose a lot of heating by keeping windows and doors open in the winter months, so air purifiers can be deemed a more energy efficient solution.

Air purifiers will continue to be useful additions to your office or commercial premises after the pandemic is over. They clean 99.7% of airborne particulates, including viruses and allergens, from the atmosphere, meaning the air is cleaner and more pleasant to work in. It is also less likely that colds will spread, keeping ‘presenteeism’ to a minimum and productivity high. They also remove odours which makes them useful in gym environments, nurseries and educational settings.

Hygienic office supplies

We also stock a number of office staples that have antibacterial properties, such as mouse mats, foot rests, back supports and trolleys (that’s got to be worth celebrating with tea and biscuits all round…individually wrapped, of course, to help reduce the spread of germs!).

Pedal bins are a necessity and are needed now more than ever. Though you could go one better and have touch free bins which enable everyone to dispose of their waste at the same time as minimising the spread of germs.

Hands-free soap dispensers are a great way to maintain hygienic practices, especially when used alongside hands-free hand towel dispensers.

When you greet visitors on arrival in reception, provide hands-free hand sanitiser dispensers for their convenience and safety. It’s going to be a while before we return to life without having to use so much hand sanitiser, so make it as easy as possible for people to maintain Covid-safe hygiene practices.

Face masks

To increase the safety of your staff and visitors, try our range of nano face masks. The properties of the masks mean that you can wear them multiple times before washing, and the antibacterial properties have been shown to last for over 50 washes. They are 100% cotton, recyclable and biodegradable giving them environmental benefits that disposable masks do not. Providing these for your staff is a great way to keep them safe and an environmentally friendly choice.

Hand sanitiser

We have a range of hand sanitisers available, including our NEW organic, alcohol free sanitiser that last for *8 hours! With only 0.5 ml per application and the ability to protect against 99.9% of bacteria and the Coronavirus this really is a product not to miss. The product provides a protective film with an active ingredient that breaks into the shell of enveloped viruses, killing them within 30 seconds. With other products, you’d have to sanitise your hands six times to gain the same eight-hour protection, making it great value for money. It’s also food safe and safe for children to use. As organic, non-hazardous, non-toxic and with no irritant chemicals, it’s environmentally friendly, and is a refillable product. What’s not to like!

*This is dependent on when and how this is used and in differing environments.

Repair don’t replace

When chips or cracks appear in ceramic sinks and toilets or on wall tiles, they need to be repaired as soon as possible and not just because they look unsightly. The cracks will accumulate dirt and grime, and that will provide a great breeding ground for germs and bacteria. The good news is that you don’t have to go to the expense and disruption of replacing the entire object as it can be expertly repaired in a sustainable way with a repair and for a fraction of the cost.

We hope the above has provided some insight into more sustainable hygiene solutions that don’t need to cost the earth.

Enquiries: hello@quilllsuk.co.uk