Hand in hand with an increasing trend towards ‘green’ building and concern for our environment, there is a concerted move towards the use of advanced, new ‘green’ chemicals in regard to products being used in the cleaning industry, says Barrie Steyn, chief operating officer of Sterikleen, a subsidiary company of Excellerate Property Services.
“When ‘green’ chemicals first became available on the market there was a two-week waiting period before they made an impact, ie for the bacteria to grow and take effect, but now there is instant impact and continued use further enhances the result,” says Steyn.
“While the entire industry has been moving in this direction for a number of years, during the last five years there has been a concerted drive among customers and suppliers to utilise ‘green’ products which not only have an immediate impact, but which are also sustainable. This increasing demand has resulted in significant innovations, with the use of chemicals which not only work while cleaning is taking place, but also continue to work long after cleaning has stopped. “
He says the latest innovations in cleaning technology have many benefits for businesses, particularly manufacturing and other industrial operations or those where hygiene is critical, such as food production.
“An advanced formulation with extended microbial cleaning capability provides superior immediate cleaning of surface oils comparable to industrial strength floor cleaners. Using patented microbial technology, the product’s bio-enzymatic action penetrates deep into the pores of the surface to attack and remove embedded residual soils and eradicating potential harmful microorganisms.
“From a hygiene perspective, it’s a fact that aerosolized grease and food spills collect particulate soils, contributing to the build-up of grime on kitchen floors. Residual organics collect in the microscopic pores of the surface, cracks, corners and grout and also pack deep into surface irregularities. Floors are not clean as long as these embedded soils remain and detergents alone cannot penetrate the layers of residual grime. As a result these deposits can produce unpleasant odours and support unwanted insects and bacteria,” says Steyn.
Specifically designed for cleaning floors and hard surfaces, continued use of this advanced, easy-to-use cleaning product prevents future build-up of organic soil and grime, keeping the floor truly deep-clean, odour-free and controlling potentially harmful microorganisms. It eliminates the greasy floor coating that causes slipperiness as well as the need for rinsing after mopping. In addition, the active ingredient in this stable formulation remains dormant until exposed to organic soil.
Keeping the Coastline Clean
As part the KZN-iSimangaliso Coast Care Programme, Sterikleen cleans the beaches for iSimangaliso from St Lucia on the KwaZulu-Natal north coast all the way up to Kosi Bay on the Mozambique border. The iSimangaliso Wetland Park is South Africa’s first world heritage site which includes almost nine percent of South Africa’s coast. Its beaches include Maphelane Beach, First Rocks, Mission Rocks, Cape Vidal, Leven Point, Sodwana, Nine Mile, Mabibi Beach, Island Rock, Manzengwenya, Lala Nek, Rock Tail Beach, Black Rock, Dog Point, Boteler Point and Bhanga Nek.
Says Steyn: “We clean all the beaches during the week and on peak season we clean every day. We use a very labour intensive way of cleaning, picking up all litter and elements that are not natural to the park or beach. The bags of litter are then collected from central points and dropped off at recycling plants such as Wetlands recycling. We also carry out dune rehabilitation where the dunes have been eroded by storms or animals in the park section. The advantage of running a labour intensive project is that it creates jobs for the local communities, where there is very little or no work available.”
For further information contact Sterikleen on 011 6998604 or email barrie.steyn@epsgroup.co.za.
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