Managed care blog

You don’t have to be a germophobe to fear the restrooms at the local rugby stadium, local McDonald’s or shopping centre. The common cold, E. coli and hepatitis A all flourish in public toilets and sinks just waiting to pounce and infect. Despite many scientific studies stating that these and many other bacteria are ever-present in washrooms, is there any real chance of catching something serious from a restroom?

Let’s face it: The majority of people who read this article do not wash their hands when they stop for a bathroom break at the office. It’s a sad fact, our wives, girlfriends and partners are right; we are dirty slobs. We use the urinal and, with other things on our mind, we splash some water on our hands, wipe them on our Dockers and head out.

In that two-minute trip to urinate, not only did we leave tons of germs on every surface we touched, a lot of germs attached themselves to us as well. What follows are some tips on how to maintain good hygiene in public washrooms as well as the straightening out of some tall toilet tales about what you can catch from a restroom.
What can you catch?
The facts can appear grim. From a common cold to stomach flu viruses, bad things lurk on sink surfaces, hand dryers and toilet seats. Without proper care, you’re at risk of being bedridden for weeks with a multitude of diseases like the nasty-sounding streptococcus (a form of strep throat and meningitis), Ecoli, hepatitis A, and staphylococcus (the virus behind food poisoning and a form of pneumonia).

It is highly possible that the strange cold you caught in the middle of the summer was transmitted to you through a public washroom. Despite these true risks that exist everywhere you go to drain your main vein, not many people are willing to pull a Howard Hughes and disappear from society, thankfully.
Your first line of defence
There are many simple things that protect you from airborne and surface bacteria, the most powerful being your own immune system. People in decent to excellent health can afford to be reckless more often than the very young or the elderly. Now, this doesn’t mean we recommend licking toilet seats at the mall, but if you’re a healthy young man you can take our restroom tips a little more lightly.

While it is obviously unsanitary to not wash your hands after touching dirty surfaces, more often than not, you will come away unscathed. Your body is tough enough. Yet, when your system is already down from allergies or a cold, any introduction of pesky bacteria can extend your sick leave from days to weeks.
Healthy immune system or not, there is much you can do to avoid being a walking, talking, deadly virus. Firstly, wash your damn hands! It is the key to avoiding any germs left from a previous carrier. With hot water, lather up (with soap) for 20 to 30 seconds, not the one or two ticks you usually spend. Wash your palms and backs of your hands, in between your fingers and under your fingernails. The friction you generated has just killed off the deadliest of the bathroom bacteria.

When in the bathroom stall, you can use your foot to flush if you’re sick or think your immune system is weakened. The toilet surface is just another place crawling with sickly potential. When you do flush, make sure you exit the stall immediately after, or else the airborne particles that fly around after you press the lever can get into your lungs and give you a cough or cold. Now, we don’t mean you have to fly outta there like a bat out of hell, but don’t stand around for the fun of it — you did the deed, move on.

Use toilet seat covers where available if you’re going to sit or generous strips of toilet paper to cover the seat, avoiding contact of bacteria with your bottom. When you’re done, be courteous to your fellow bathroom users and push your toilet paper seat cover into the bowl with your hand or foot, or throw the seat cover in the garbage bin in the stall.

Tear off paper towels to turn on the faucet and open the door when exiting the bathroom, otherwise touching the metallic surfaces negates your thorough hand-washing. These are all straightforward, simple, logical steps everyone should take to maintain a more sanitary lifestyle. You can now shake somebody’s hand and exchange greetings, instead of diseases.
What can’t you catch?
Scary as it seems, organisms known to carry STDs like chlamydia and gonorrhoea have been found on toilet seats in your local restroom. Yet, unless you have a moderate butt laceration, there is little chance you’ll get the clap. Infections such as these are called sexually transmitted for a reason; they need a genital tract or cut to travel into, which is not likely to occur.

Not only that, but these germs (and other diarrhoea-causing bacteria) have a short life span and quickly die after being exposed on the seat, in the sink or anywhere else. Even in the case that you do come into contact with a germ or virus, there has to be a fair amount of it for it to have any effect.

If you sit on urine or get sprayed by toilet water as you flush — besides being completely revolted — there is a small chance of infection, just like any other bacteria in the washroom. It’s best to wipe off the seat before you get comfortable. Don’t be a bum.
Quick tips to go
• Avoid contact with any surface in the bathroom: cover the toilet seat with paper; use towels to turn on faucets and open doors.
• Close the lid of the toilet (if there is one) before flushing to block nasty airborne particles.
• Wash your hands thoroughly for 30 seconds with soap and hot water, and then repeat.
• Keep hand sanitizer handy whenever you’re in a pinch and need clean hands.
While you don’t have to be obsessive-compulsive about good hygiene, you can’t go to the other extreme and trust that favourable statistics and a good immune system will save you.

Aside from washing your hands frequently, carrying some wet wipes or hand sanitizer will provide adequate protection. Using your wrist or a paper towel to open doors and faucets can cut your germ exposure as well.

Despite the relatively high amount of germs present in public bathrooms, it is very simple to avoid any potential problems by following a few steps. Using common sense as a guide, there is no reason to be anxious in the bathroom, unless you’ve got the runs…

In spite of the many advances in medical science infectious diseases, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO), remain the major cause of death worldwide. The microorganisms causing these diseases spread from person to person and within a short space of time can travel the globe.

One of the main ways microorganisms spread is through hand and other contact surfaces. Even for so called “respiratory diseases such as colds and flu, an estimated 40% are acquired by touching surfaces. Norovirus, possibly the world’s most infectious organism and the greatest cause of stomach upsets, spreads rapidly via communal surfaces e.g. contaminated upholstery, floors and equipment in closed and semi closed communities such as schools, hospitals and hotels. However, the home can also be a location for acquiring infectious diseases. It has been said in the past that “cleanliness was next to godliness” in importance and this could even be …

BY
PROFESSOR CHRIS GRIFFITH
Von Holy Consulting CC

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Foot odor (or foot odour; is a type of body odour that affects the feet of humans and is generally considered to be an unpleasant smell.
The main cause is foot sweat. Sweat itself is odorless, but it creates a perfect environment for certain bacteria to grow and produce bad-smelling substances. Bacteria are naturally present on our skin. Foot odour is also the result of wearing shoes and/or socks with inadequate air ventilation for many hours. Because human feet are densely covered with sweat glands, perspiration of the feet can combine with surface bacteria to produce odour. Hair on the feet, especially on the toes, may contribute to the odor’s intensity by adding increased surface area in which the bacteria can thrive.
Given that socks directly contact the feet, their composition can have an impact on foot odour. Polyester and nylon are common materials used to manufacture socks, but provide less ventilation than cotton does when used for the same purpose. Wearing polyester or nylon socks may increase perspiration and therefore may intensify foot odour. Because socks absorb varying amounts of perspiration from feet, wearing shoes without socks may increase the amount of perspiration contacting feet and thereby increase bacterial activities that cause odour
Odour qualities
The quality of foot odour is often reported as a thick, cheesy smell. Some describe the smell like that of malt vinegar. However, it can also be ammonia-like. Brevibacteria are considered a major cause of foot odour because they ingest dead skin on the feet and, in the process, convert amino acid methionine into methanethiol, which has a sulfuric aroma. The dead skin that fuels this process is especially common on the soles and between the toes. The brevibacteria is also what gives cheeses such as Limburger, Bel Paese, Port du Salut, and Munster their characteristic pungency.
Propionic acid (propanoic acid) is also present in many foot sweat samples. This acid is a breakdown product of amino acids by Propionibacteria, which thrive in the ducts of adolescent and adult sebaceous glands. The similarity in chemical structures between propionic acid and acetic acid, which share many physical characteristics such as odour, may account for foot odours identified as being vinegar-like. Isovaleric acid (3-methyl butanoic acid) is the other source of foot odour and is a result of actions of the bacteria Staphylococcus epidermidis, which is also present in several strong cheese types.
Prevention
A very effective and cheap way to deal with it is sodium bicarbonate (a mildly basic white salt also known as baking soda, bread soda, cooking soda, bicarbonate of soda, sodium bicarb, bicarb soda, or simply bicarb). Sodium bicarbonate will create a hostile environment unsuitable for the bacteria responsible for the bad smell. Four pinches of it on each foot everyday are usually enough (two inside the sock and two on the insole of the shoe). Sometimes it might take one or two days before the shoes completely lose their old smell. Washing your feet and applying the sodium bicarbonate daily are also potentially useful solutions.
While there are a number of other remedies, sodium bicarbonate, if bought in a supermarket, costs approximately 20 times less than common odour-eaters or odour-killer powders.
Among the earliest foot deodorants were aromatic herbs such as allspice, which nineteenth-century Russian soldiers would put in their boots. Some types of powders and activated charcoal insoles, such as odour eaters, have been developed to combat foot odour by keeping the feet dry. Special cedarsoles can be recommended for this purpose because of their antibacterial characteristics. Or as activated charcoal foot insert wafers, such as Innofresh footwear odour absorbers. Hygiene is considered important in avoiding odour, as is avoidance of synthetic shoes/socks, rotation of the pairs of shoes worn and the possible soaking of feet in a tub of iced tea. Another method of preventing foot odour is the use of readily available Zinc and Castor Oil cream. Applying this daily after washing the feet will act as a barrier cream and allow the skin to recover from the saturation condition caused by the sweat. A period of seven to ten days of daily use should eliminate the problem when followed by weekly application of the cream, which will prevent any recurrence.

Do you wear your shoes in the house or leave them at the door? It’s an especially important choice for people with small children who play on the floor.
In some countries and cultures, it’s scandalous to walk into a home with shoes on. But in the rest of the world, most people do.
“Good Morning America” tested the bottoms of eight different people’s shoes, as well as two dogs’ paws, for bacteria. The researcher’s shoes contained the most bacteria of all — 66 million organisms.
It’s no reflection on her; she probably just stepped directly in something.
In a recent study, researchers at the University of Arizona found nine different species of bacteria on people’s shoes. These types of bacteria can cause infections in our stomachs, eyes and lungs.
The study also found bacteria live longer on our shoes than in other places. As we walk, we constantly pick up new debris that feeds the growth of more bacteria.
The researchers tested to see if bacteria on shoes would transfer to the tile floors in a house. More than 90 percent of the time it did. Carpeting harbours bacteria even more.

‘GMA’s’ Test Results
“GMA’s” test results were “dirtier than a toilet seat,” said Jonathan Sexton, a research assistant at the University of Arizona’s College of Public Health. “Toilet seats generally have 1,000 bacteria or less, and these are in the millions so there’s a lot more bacteria here.”
The results troubled the researcher.
“I’m concerned,” she said. “I’m going to make sure everyone takes their shoes off from now on. As soon as they get to that door, their shoes are going to be off.”
Children under age 2 are the most vulnerable to the germs we track into the house, because they play on the floor and put their hands in their mouths on an average of 80 times an hour.
“That means that your child can possibly be exposed to every single bacterium that you picked up on your shoe or the bacteria from the park, the store, everywhere you went that day,”
Out of “GMA’s” 10 tests, nine contained coliform, a type of bacteria that comes mostly from human and animal waste.
Scientists blame the floors of public restrooms and bird and dog droppings. The dogs in “GMA’s” test came in fifth and ninth place for dirtiest soles.
But that doesn’t mean dogs are cleaner than people. One of the dogs in the test had just been for a walk in the rain, which probably cleaned his paws. Also, paws are much smaller than our shoes, so they carry fewer germs.
Expert Tips for Keeping Clean
The easiest way to ensure that you don’t track the germs on your shoe soles into your home is to leave your shoes at the door or carry them to the closet. Then you should wash your hands.
Researchers found washing shoes in the washing machine on the cold cycle, with detergent, killed the bacteria. So for some shoes that might be an option. You can also wipe them with a disinfectant.
While you may be comfortable taking your footwear off before entering your home, you may not know how to ask guests to do so.
Anna Post, author and spokesperson for the Emily Post Institute, which offers advice on manners and etiquette, said when having visitors in your home, removing shoes is something you can ask of a guest. But you have to keep in mind that everyone might not be comfortable with that, she added. (They may have holes in their socks or know they have stinky feet)
Post suggested having a clean pair of slippers or socks for them to wear instead. If you are entertaining in your home and someone refuses to take off their shoes or you don’t know them well enough to ask them to do so — it might just be easier to do a big cleanup the next day, which you have to be prepared for when entertaining…
The bottom line is that you need to make guests feel welcome in your home.
Etiquette consultant Janice Gibson said it’s important to remember that “proper etiquette” is about making others feel comfortable.
“I am a Southern lady who entertains frequently and would never ask a guest to remove his or her shoes before entering my home — it’s just not a gracious thing to do,” she said.
“Some people may have a foot odour problem or maybe the ladies haven’t had time for a pedicure, so this would only make them feel self conscious and uncomfortable. Keep in mind that part of entertaining in your home is cleaning up afterwards.”
So, if you absolutely insist on asking guests to remove their shoes, you should have some pretty slippers available for them to wear,” Gibson said. “Of course, there are cultures around the world who expect their guests to remove their shoes due to the fact that they sit and sleep on mats on the floors. Hopefully, a guest would be informed and know in advance if this custom is practiced by the host then plan accordingly. I guess you just have to decide what’s more important — your floors or your guests?”
But at least one etiquette consultant said hosts should not ask guests to remove their shoes.
“It’s not really proper to ask a guest to remove their shoes. But if you see that other people have removed their shoes, then you should remove yours, too.

Researchers, in conjunction with a major shoe corporation, recently identified a myriad of dangerous and health-threatening germs carried unknowingly on your shoes.

In pursuit of a marketing angle to prove the usefulness and marketability of their new line of washable shoes; the Rockport Company, along with researchers at the University Of Arizona, uncovered a plethora of remarkable facts and grotesque data regarding the dangerous germs clinging to the bottom of our shoes.
In the study, 10 subjects were asked to wear previously clean shoes for a period of 2 weeks. The shoes were then analyzed in the laboratory by the team in Arizona headed by Chuck Gerba (a professor in the Departments of Soil, Water and Environmental Science and in Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the University of Arizona)
What Germs Can Be Carried On Shoes?
The study, reported in April of 2008, found the following in large numbers:
Escherichia coli (E. Coli) – causing symptoms ranging from severe stomach pain accompanied by diarrhea to kidney failure and potential death in 1 out of 50 victims.
Klebsiella pneumonia – a gram-negative bacterium that can rapidly destroy lung tissue and in 25 to 50% of patients will cause death.
Serratia ficaria – causing gallbladder empyemas and sepsis as well as biliary infections.
Gerba stated that “The common occurrence (96%) of coliform and E. coli bacteria on the outside of the shoes indicates frequent contact with fecal material, which most likely originates from floors in public restrooms or contact with animal fecal material outdoors” .
Regular Soap Eliminates Bacteria and Viruses
Hotel Rooms Infested with Germs Bug Guests
Early Germ Exposure Boosts Immune Function
The study also showed that bacteria can be tracked by shoes over long distances into the subject’s homes after the shoes were contaminated with bacteria.
Most strikingly, the study found that the transfer rate of bacteria from the shoes to uncontaminated tiles ranged from 90% to 99%. Given that most home flooring includes porous wood, throw rugs and carpet; direct transmission is virtually certain.
How to Protect Home Flooring against Shoe Germs
While the sponsors of the study hope to market washable shoes, other alternatives are as follows:
Ask family members to habitually remove shoes prior to entering the home.
Consider the appropriateness of asking guests entering your home to remove their shoes. Provide dedicated keeping areas and even alternative moccasins or slippers for their use while in the home.
Ensure that all home maintenance workers either remove boots or shield work boots appropriately with disposable booties.
Clean hard surfaces with antibacterial floor cleaning solution (designed for the flooring type) frequently.
Vacuum on a routine basis and perform steam cleaning on a scheduled basis for wall to wall carpeting.
Wash throw rugs in the warmest water possible, replacing routinely or as needed.
Examine soles of worn shoes and wipe with disinfecting cleaner as needed (washing hands properly when complete).

Now there is a modern approach
A NON-TOXIC, NON-CORROSIVE MULTIPURPOSE DIGESTER WITH ODOUR CONTROL
This is a proprietary blend formulation of surfactant based cleaners with a consortium of highly active bacterial spores that will effectively degrade residual organics found in bathrooms, kitchens and other areas in household and industry as well as your shoes or gym equipment. This effectively degrades organics resulting in odour control and stain removal.
A bioactive blend grease cutting formulation with a unique combination of cultures, enzymes and nutrients to effectively digest complex proteins, cellulose, starch, fats, oil and grease.
FEATURES
A selected blend of highly active bacteria cultures.
Contains a balanced buffer system that secures optimum enzyme activity.
Cultures are a mixture of anaerobic and aerobic microorganisms.
High enzyme activity including protease, amylase, cellulose and lipase.
Non-volatile and non-corrosive.
Easy to be handled and to use.
Good stability and shelf life.
TYPICAL BIOLOGICAL/BIOCHEMICAL CHARACTERISTICS:
Minimum Aerobic 9, 0 x 107 CFU/ml.
Minimum Anaerobic 5, 3 x 107 CFU/ml.
pH 5.5 – 8.5
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS
Appearance: Opaque liquid
Odour: Fresh fragrance
OPTIMUM CONDITIONS FOR USE
Bacteria and enzymes perform with a pH range of 5.5 to 8.5 with the optimum near pH 7.0. Temperature affects the activity of the working solution and action increases with the rising temperatures up to 49°C. No activity can be expected below 5°C.

STORAGE AND HANDLING
Store in a cool, dry place. Avoid excessive inhalation. Wash hands thoroughly after handling.
APPLICATIONS
Carpets and flooring
Micro-organisms destroy the root cause of odours. They will control odours from pets and organic spills (milk, etc.) Dilute 10% solution with water and spray onto the carpets and completely wet the area. Scrub the surface and allow the micro-organisms to work in between the fibres overnight. Allow to dry and then vacuum clean.
Bathroom and shower floors and general surfaces
Solidification of wastes, strong odours on floors can be overcome
Floors: i.e. ceramic, vinyl, cement and timber
Spray onto the surface to be treated weekly.
General Surfaces:
Spray onto the surface to be treated weekly.
Deep Cleaning of Floor and Surfaces:
Spray onto the surface to be treated when planning a deep clean.
General Surfaces with in the Gym and Gym Equipment:
Spray onto the surface to be treated weekly.
Deep Cleaning of Floor and Surfaces in sauna and steam rooms:
Spray onto the surface to be treated when planning a deep clean and or maintenance.

For more detailed information please visit www.mces.co.za for a cleaner greener smarter perspective on the concept.

You go to gym to exercise get fit, strong and healthy, or so the theory goes.
The gym is the last place you would think would be a threat to your well-being or is it?
Research shows that workout facilities can be a breeding ground for illnesses ranging from colds, flu and viruses to bacterial infections. Microbiologists have discovered that dangerous bacteria lurk not only in the unpleasant sweaty residue left on gym equipment, but in hot-tubs, steam-rooms, saunas, changing rooms and even sports drinks bottles. Some of the germs and bacteria can thrive for days in the humid gym environment, and are killed only when the area is thoroughly cleaned and disinfected.
In a recent survey for Men’s Fitness magazine, Dr Derren Ready, a clinical scientist in microbiology at University College Hospital in London, admits he was shocked when swabs taken from an unnamed London gym revealed dangerously high levels of bacteria. One site harboured 132 million bacteria in an area the size of a small coin, while the average count was 16 million, he says. Compare those levels with the 500 bacteria count you could expect to find in a similar sample taken from a toilet seat, and you can see why experts are increasingly concerned.
BACTERIA HOT SPOTS AT THE GYM
Gym Equipment
Expects have found that germs are found in every nook and cranny of the gym. On the bench-press, the bikes, boxing gloves, literally everything. Sweaty residue on gym equipment, particularly the machines often used by several people in quick succession, such as weights and exercise bikes, can also harbour infectious bacteria. The actual sweat is really not a problem; it is primarily the moisture from sweat that causes problems by helping germs to grow.
Locker Rooms and Showers
Locker rooms and especially showers are found by expects to have a very high number of bacteria, including the types of bacteria which cause athletes foot and ring worm. The showers may look clean, but don’t for a moment think that the gym janitor cleans the showers like you clean yours at home (if they clean them at all!)
Dirty towels
Seemingly clean towels handed out to members are also a breeding ground for viruses and bacteria. Gyms and health clubs are not governed by the same standards as hospitals, which set regulations for the temperature at which towels must be cleaned, so just because the towels say “clean” does not mean they are germ free

Clothing and Accessories
The average pair of running shoes has 76 times more fungi than a toilet bowl! The warm, moist environment acts as a breeding ground for spores. Water bottles carry germs and bacteria, usually from not being cleaned properly.
Hot-tubs and Swimming Pools
Poorly-maintained hot-tubs and heated swimming pools can be a breeding ground for dangerous bacteria. And the warm temperature makes matters worse; the chlorine in hot tubs loses much of its disinfecting power, while the germs thrive. Even in cool pool water bacteria can live if the water is not maintained. The best way to prevent such bacteria from forming is to clean out the pipes to the pool, not just clean the pool, but this is often not done by the gym, or not done frequently enough.
Sauna and Steam Room
The wooden benches in saunas and steam rooms which have lots of crevices, providing gaps for bacteria to live and thrive in. And the warm temperature again just makes matters worse, providing the ideal breeding ground for germs and bacteria.
DON’T BE SCARED OFF FROM THE GYM! Going to the gym is still one of the best things you can do for yourself, exercise can help prevent medical problems and boost your mental health- so I really hope I haven’t scared you off. And there are some very easy ways to KEEP YOURSELF SAFE! Just follow the easy rules:
(1) Wash your hands thoroughly before and after exercise. I know you hear it all the time, but it is the most effective way to keep germs at bay. Those cold-causing viruses and respiratory bacteria don’t live for very long outside the body, but while they are alive they are looking for a way into your body (a host). So after touching weights and exercise machine hand rails, try your best to keep your hands away from your eyes, nose, ears and mouth until you can lather up.
(2) Wipe down the machines, preferably with disinfectant wipes, before and after use. Gyms should disinfect them on a regular basis, but it is good gym etiquette to make sure you don’t leave a pool of sweat behind you. And it will give you piece of mind to know they are clean before you use them, because you cleaned them!
(3) Bring your own sweat towel, actually, bring two! Place one on machines and benches before you sit down to protect yourself. Use the other to blot sweat off your body. If you bring your own towel, you can ensure it is clean and germ free.
(4) Wash your water bottle, most people just use and refill, in between uses make sure you sterilize your water bottle with boiling water or put it in the dish washer to kill the germs.
(5) Wipe off yours shoes or leave them outside, your sneakers have a large amount of bacteria, more than most toilet bowls and seats! Don’t bring them into your house, and if you have to, make sure you wipe them down with disinfectant.
(6) Wear flip-flops when walking in the shower or sauna. Fungi and bacteria thrive in damp shower stalls. Flip-flops won’t keep you fully fungi-free, but it is better than going barefoot.
(7) Sit on a towel or wear shorts in the sauna to avoid direct contact with the seating, which may contain germs and bacteria.
(8) Use your own exercise mat or cover the one you borrow with a clean towel. Otherwise, you could end up coming in contact with bacteria and germs left behind on the mats.
(9) Change your sweaty shorts. You are more likely to develop a yeast or bacterial infection from leaving them on than from anything else you would encounter at the health club. So shed the shorts right after your workout. If you have post-exercise errands to run and can’t shower right away, change into dry underwear and shorts first, then wash up and dry off thoroughly at your opportunity.
To learn more about cleaning and hygiene for gyms, gym equipment, saunas and steam baths please visit www.mces.co.za for a cleaner greener smarter experience.

Defining a Green business:Sustainable business, or green business, is an enterprise that has no negative impact on the global or local environment, community, society, or economy—a business that strives to meet the triple bottom line.
The term “green business” is used in discussions of businesses and business practices which are viewed to be environmentally sound. In the early 21st century, many companies began capitalizing on growing consumer desire for sustainable business by “greening” their practices to make them more environmentally friendly, and a number of entrepreneurs sometimes known as ecopreneurs opened businesses with a green slant. Today, green business is an extremely profitable branch of the business world, and it hosts a range of companies, from prestigious multinational companies to small, locally based companies.
In order to be considered a green business, a company must use practices which are viewed as sustainable and environmentally friendly. These practices might include the use of organic and natural products to build its factories, tighter protections against emissions, and environmentally responsible sourcing of supplies. For example, a green clothing business would seek out organic, fair-trade cotton to promote an environmentally friendly image, and it might have a factory with a living roof, or power gained from solar panels. Many green businesses are also concerned about human and animal exploitation, and they make an attempt to create cruelty free products and to pay their workers well in addition to providing them with benefits.
The goal of a green business is to keep its environmental footprint small, reducing waste and reusing materials as much as possible. Many use innovative building techniques for their facilities which are designed to promote energy efficiency, along with building materials which are environmentally friendly like panels fabricated from recycled materials. These companies also encourage their workers to think about the environment when they generate printed material and think about new products.
A green business can sell all sorts of things. Many car manufacturers, for example, have green model factories and offices to convince their target consumers that they are concerned about the environment. Many green businesses also offer green products, ranging from composting toilets to green architecture. When a company offers environmentally products, many consumers also assume that the company itself is environmentally responsible, as its products reflect a concern about the environment.
The success of green business has shown that it is economically feasible and in fact very sensible to do business in a sustainable, environmentally friendly way. It has also encouraged the growth of initiatives which are designed to benefit the environment, from carbon trading to tax breaks for people who make energy-efficient modifications to their homes. However, it has also given rise to “greenwashing,” a trend exhibited by companies which want to capitalize on the green revolution in business without actually doing the deed. When businesses market themselves aggressively as green, you may want to do some deeper research to ensure that they are not greenwashing in an attempt to win your Rands and cents.
The Trends of Green Business for 2011 and BeyondToday’s business is all about being green. From Apple, to Zodiac everyone is talking about how green their approach, packaging, or methods are. But green business is really in its infancy, and the future of being green will no doubt distil down to some very real and definable goals and practices.
In fact, businesses today find themselves carrying the green banner will be put to the test to define their actions, and it must make sense to the soon to be green savvy public. So, what are some of these definable trends that will dictate the future of green business? Let’s take a look.
A Measureable ImpactFirst up, businesses will find it harder to do business under the “Green” herald unless they hold themselves accountable to their own carbon footprint. While today we can find a number of carbon footprint calculators, the net results tend to vary between sites. As time continues on, these results will merge together to a more cohesive reporting structure, and this is the measuring stick to which the company will report i.e. developing and then publishing a sustainable report.
A company’s net carbon footprint may be as important to its success as its bottom line, since no doubt one could drive the other. This is especially true if it is a public company that is directly coupled to selling to the public. The voting by the green aware public will no doubt be done by the purse strings.
Building Greener BuildingsFor a lot of businesses, a major part of their environmental impact can be found in the very building that their business takes place in. A green building is not only potentially cheaper to operate; it can pay big dividends in brand appearance and customer loyalty.
Already, Obama has been providing money to businesses for energy overhauls, and this is a trend that may be increasing. At the very least the red tape of a new building may tie the expense of a less than efficient building design to increased cost. That is, you may find that it is cheaper to be green than not. Today utilities are being held accountable for energy standards, but incentives may make it the logical choice for all businesses.
Green Branding With the CustomerSoon businesses will find that it is simply not enough to talk to consumers about being green – instead they will need to educate them. Through promotions, handouts, special deals, and other means, businesses will find that an educated customer will better appreciate the new emphasis on being green.
By relating to the customer on green issues, the door is open for further dialog on others. Even such things as giving out free branded reusable bags is a simple but effective way of using the green relationship to build the business and improve the customer relationship.
Open Green PracticesThe consumer of today is better informed than ever before, and this is a trend that will no doubt continue. In order for a business to be seen as green, it will no doubt need to have the chain more open to all parties. This can be seen today by the inclusion of local growers for big chain grocery stores, and the trend will no doubt continue.
Not only grocery stores and produce markets will be affected by the need for open green practices. Restaurants will find it beneficial to proudly declare that a particular side item is being provided by a given local producer. The act of being green is really building a responsible community on a global scale, so it should come to no surprise that strengthening the local community ties works well with being green.
With these trends, the future of a successful green business will be defined. The business soon must responsibly measure and report their environmental impact to a given standard. They must build the places of business to a green standard. They will need to reach out and connect to their customers on green matters, to the advantage of both. And finally, they will need to develop and refine openly green practices that tie together the sense of a green community.
While these trends are more evolutionary than revolutionary in their arrival, you may be surprised at how fast they can become a standard accepted business process in 2011 and beyond.
Please visit Managed Care Economical Solution’s website and learn about one small company in South Africa that walks the talk by subscribing to the concept that every product produced in the world today leaves a mark on the environment. This is known as its ecological footprint. A product’s ecological footprint starts with its design and continues through to its disposal and is such measured as being harmful or eco-friendly.
At MCES we have associated ourselves with leaders in Biotechnology and Enzyme technology and it is our personal desire to strive to develop market and sell products that are highly effective and efficient so that these may accomplish the various cleaning, hygiene, sanitation and waste treatment applications without compromising the environment. All the products that we manufacture and market are exceptional high performance products leaving the smallest ecological footprint possible as can be attested by various environmentally concerned institutions in South Africa.

What is Mould? : Moulds are microscopic organisms found virtually everywhere, indoors and outdoors.
Mould is alive, but it is neither a plant nor an animal. Mould is a type of fungus. It is part of a group of living organisms that are very common and serve an important role in the environment. Penicillin, an antibiotic that has saved many lives, in its natural state is a type of mould, as is yeast.
Mould is formed by microscopic creatures belonging to the Fungi Kingdom. When tiny airborne spores of mould burst, and then land on a favourable surface, they proliferate into visible colonies, and find new favourable surfaces on which to further develop. Fungal growth requires oxygen, adequate temperature, nutrients and water.
Temperature tolerance:
Thermophiles – 35ºC + human pathogens such as Aspergillus Fumigatus
Mesophiles – 18ºC to 35ºC
Psychrophiles – some fungi grow at 4ºC or below.
Nutrients:
Paper, wallpaper, wallboard, sugars (fruits, vegetables), fabrics, wood, dust, etc
How does mould grow?
Mould seeks MOISTURE, WARMTH, and FOOD, and all three conditions are necessary for it to grow. Mould is most likely to find a place to grow in a bathroom, basement or kitchen, but it can grow in other rooms if conditions are favourable. The climate where you live and your living habits affect the ability of mould to grow.
Mould spores can thrive and reproduce in wet or damp parts of your home: areas that have had flooding or where leakage has occurred in roofs, pipes, or walls, or areas around house plants, especially ones that sometimes are over-watered. In just 48 hours, a moist environment combined with room-temperature conditions and an organic food source can lead to mould growth.
Some places where mould can grow in your home are:
carpet
drapes
upholstery
leather
wood products
clothing paper
cardboard
books
rags
wallboard
cloth ceiling tiles
ductwork
paint
wallpaper
household dust
After it gets the food it needs, mould can move to virtually any kind of surface. Mould growth prefers temperatures between 4 and 38 degrees Celsius. If a warm enough area in your home is humid or damp and contains items that mould likes to eat, your home could develop a mould problem.
How does mould enter a home?
Mould spreads by creating reproductive cells called spores and sending them into the environment. Mould spores are too small to detect with the naked eye. They are everywhere around us and you cannot avoid being exposed to them.
Mould spores travel in the air and attach to people’s skin, clothing, shoes, shopping bags and belongings. Other ways spores can enter your home invisibly are:
• through open doors and windows
• through your home’s heating, ventilation and air conditioning system
• on the fur of a pet
Once spores enter, they can settle onto carpeting or other surfaces inside your home. You cannot keep spores out of your home, but regular home cleaning and maintenance often can prevent mould problems before they arise.
How do I know if my environment has mould problems?
• If you see whitish, greenish, bluish, or even dark spots on the walls or ceiling the place may have mould problems.
• Rooms that accumulate humidity such as bathrooms, kitchens or air conditioning systems usually have problems with mould because fungi develop in high humidity environments.
• Rooms with water leakage or infiltrations may have mould infection.
• If the mould infection is in closets, check for leakages from water pipes nearby.
• High risk buildings:
- Near forests, due to high concentration of mould colonies
- Nearby the sea or a river as the high humidity level raises the development of new colonies.
- Buildings with poor sun exposure, as the sun is a natural germicide and helps prevent humidity.
Can mould make me sick?
Yes, Mould can make you sick. In addition to its being an unpleasant odour and sight, mould can cause harmful effects to human health that might turn to allergic infections and toxic reactions.
The most common Allergic Effects are:
• Nasal congestions and irritation;
• Mucous membrane irritation;
• Allergic reactions – Rhinitis and Asthma;
• Sneezing and coughing; • Throat and eye irritation;
• Difficulty breathing;
• Asthmatic attacks;
• Itching and skin stains.
Infectious Effects
Immune suppressed patients are more likely to develop mould infections. Included in such groups we can highlight the danger to patients such are:
- HIV positive
- Organ transplanted
- Burned
- Under chemotherapy or radiotherapy;
- Newborns
- Elderly
- Other immune-suppressed patients
Toxic Effects
Mould toxin studies suggest that toxins may be the cause of:
- Pulmonary haemorrhage;
- Reactions in the immunological system (reducing the ability of the organism to react to diseases);
- Neurotoxin effects such as fatigue, headaches, memory loss, depression, erratic moods, convulsions and shaking;
- Potential cancer trigger.
How to control mould?
It is impossible to completely eliminate airborne mould. Specialists warn that living in environments entirely safe from mould spores, bacteria or viruses would not be healthy since our immunological system needs to be active. It is recommended that steps be taken to reduce airborne microorganisms, not complete extermination.
Prevention
• Reduce humidity in your home by opening windows for approximately 30 minutes daily;
• Prevent leaks due to rain; and when unavoidable, dry and treat water damage within 24 to 48hours;
• Regularly clean places that accumulate humidity such as showers, faucets and pipes and the floor areas around such fixtures;
• Limit carpets and plants in your home;
• Use air purifier to drastically reduce high contamination levels.
• Whenever possible, leave objects exposed to sunlight after cleaning. It is very important that objects are dried after cleaning otherwise they will be subject to new mould contamination.
• Porous materials such as wood, fabric, cushions, and mattresses retain water and are likely to be contaminated, making it difficult to clean them. In the event that these objects are contaminated, it is advised to dispose them.
Bio-Enzyme with an Instant Odour Control is an effective way of treatment
A bio-enzyme i.e. bacillus subtilis in a liquid concentrate or ready to use as a suspension treatment consisting of specially developed synergised enzyme, aerobic, anaerobic and facultative in nature. It is harmless to animal and marine life and non-pathogenic. Reduces BOD, (biological oxygen demand), and the foul odours and gases it produces. This not only eliminates odours, it eliminates the cause. These friendly bacteria cannot rest in the presence of organic waste material, it must process it.
Sprayed into the ventilation system, works its way through the system, consuming organic waste material in its presence, then builds itself up into a full strength colony and goes dormant. You might say that it sleeps with its eyes open, waiting to swing into action. As long as you continue to treat, the colony will stay and keep working for you.
For deodorization or general odour control, apply a liberal amount of to the origin of the odour. For example, apply directly to system duct work, drip pans, evaporator coils and other associated air conditioning elements to eliminate odours associated with bacteria, mould.
Advantages:
• Effectively cleans and controls organics
• Digests organic waste
• Not acidic or alkaline
• Non-pathogenic and non-toxic
• Eliminates strong odours
• Good initial odour control
• USDA accepted / Certified salmonella free
• Harmless to plants, marine, and animal life
• Economical to Use
Recommended for Use on the Following:
• Air Condition Systems, Heating systems, Fresh Air Filters
• Vehicles, Campers, RV’s, Floors, Walls, Carpet, Furniture, Fabrics
• Attics, Crawl Spaces
• Pet Areas, Kennel Grounds
• Saunas and steam baths
Can be used in a ready to use formula or in its more cost-effective concentrated formula and diluted with up to ten parts of water and remains effective. Has a light fresh scent that dissipates quickly.
DILUTION:
Dilute 1litre non-chlorinated water to one 100ml of concentrated. This dilution is to be used for ALL applications involving HVAC systems.
Spraying for HVAC system sanitizing:
After dilution, spray approximately 250ml of into the coils, the return air, and then saturate the filter while the air is running on cool or fan. Leave the fan running for at least 1 to 1½ hours. DO NOT apply any chemical based product into the air system after using the bacteria treatment
Fogging for HVAC system sanitizing:
After dilution, with the HVAC running on cool or fan, fog approximately 350ml directly into the return air on a light fog setting until the fogger’s solution bowl is empty. Then spray approximately 100ml on the filter until it is saturated. Leave the fan running for approximately 1 to1½ hours. DO NOT apply any chemical based product into the system.
General Use:
Dilute 1 litre of non-chlorinated water to one 100ml of concentrated. Spray or fog into vehicles, on walls, carpets, furniture, upholstery, drapes, or pet areas, can also be fogged into attics or crawl spaces.
Safety Requirements:
This friendly bacterium is USDA Food Grade Accepted and does not require any safety clothing or equipment for its use. However, it is always best to use a respirator especially when fogging
For more detailed experience please visit www.mces.co.za or contact us at info@mces.co.za we will be glad to assist.

The commercial and household cleaning marketplace has undergone a transformation second to none in recent years. This is due to the concerns over the impact that conventional cleaning chemicals are having on custodial employees, building occupants, and the environment that are driving many more facility and household executives to consider green cleaning.
The cleaning industry uses an estimated 3.6 billion kilograms of chemicals and nearly 2.1 billion kilograms of paper products annually, the potential environmental impact inside and outside the facility and general households is tremendous.
Many of the chemicals commonly found in conventional cleaning products have ingredients that can cause respiratory and dermatological problems for those who use the products and for those who occupy the facilities where they are used. Green cleaning programs are designed to move away from these products to ones that are less harmful to employees, building occupants and the environment.
Much attention has been focused on these cleaning products, but green cleaning involves more than just selecting green products. A successful green cleaning program requires that the right products be used in the proper quantity and that the recommended cleaning procedures for the job are followed. It requires that employees be properly trained. And more importantly it requires that building occupants understand what a green cleaning program is and what it means to them.
Fewer Harmful Chemicals
Green cleaning can be implemented in practically every type of facility, from schools and office buildings, to restaurants, retail facilities and everyday households across the world. Those who have put comprehensive programs in place have found that the benefits extend beyond the original purposes of protecting the health of employees, building occupants and the environment. Facility executives have found that green cleaning does not increase cleaning costs. In fact, over the long-term, green cleaning frequently reduces the total cost of cleaning. Because there are fewer toxic chemicals that employees must work with, liability exposure also is reduced. Similarly, with fewer toxic chemicals to store, track, maintain and dispose of, the cost of complying with regulatory requirements is reduced.
Fortunately, it is not necessary to reinvent the wheel when it comes to establishing a green cleaning program. Many of the program requirements can be obtained from the product manufacturer’s training programs. While facility executives may have to rethink some of the materials and processes used, and likely have to purchase new cleaning equipment, it is not necessary, nor is it recommended, to implement the entire program all at once. The shift to green cleaning can be done gradually, updating materials, processes and equipment in one area at a time, expanding into additional areas as time and funding permit.

Cleaning Products
Typically, cleaning chemicals receive the most attention when organizations launch a green cleaning program. There are more than 100,000 chemicals that are registered with the American EPA for use in cleaning. Only a small number of these have ever been closely studied in regards to how they affect the environment and people’s health. Even fewer have been certified as green products.
Any cleaning chemicals used in a facility’s green cleaning program should be certified by an independent testing program, such as Eco Choice, Green Seal, EcoLogo, or EPA’s Design for the Environment Program. Certification demonstrates that the product has been proven to protect both people and the environment while being effective in performing its designated cleaning tasks. Simply relying on manufacturer’s claims is no guarantee that the product is actually green.
The move to green cleaning starts with an audit of the cleaning products already in use. Chances are at least some of them meet the standards for being green. Identify those products that meet green standards as well as those that will need to be changed. Then, narrow down the list of products that don’t meet green standards to those that can be changed relatively easily at minimal cost.
Changes in Process
Simply switching to green cleaning products will provide some level of improvement. However, if the green cleaning program is to achieve its full potential, facility executives should re-evaluate their cleaning procedures. For example, one of the most common problems with conventional cleaning programs is the overuse of cleaning chemicals. This is a result of the old belief that if some is good, more is better. To be effective, processes should be put in place to ensure that the proper amount of the right cleaning product is used for the particular job.
Audit the processes currently in place. Determine what steps need to be taken to modify those processes to make them green. It may be necessary to switch to automatic dispensers for cleaning products to regulate the quantity of products being used. All processes should be designed with a focus on the goal of protecting the health and safety of building occupants while still cleaning effectively.
It will also be necessary to review the equipment being used during the cleaning processes, as cleaning equipment can contribute significantly to poor IAQ. For example, conventional vacuum cleaners are a major contributor to indoor airborne dust and water from extractors, if allowed to remain within the carpet for an extended period of time, can contribute to the growth of harmful biological contaminants.
All vacuum cleaners used in a green cleaning program should be HEPA-rated. Units should meet the Carpet and Rug Institute’s vacuum cleaner requirements of capturing 96 percent of all particulate matter, 0.3 microns in size or larger. Units should also operate with a sound level less than 70 dba.
The carpet extractor must be sufficiently effective at removing the water from the carpet so that the carpet fully dries in less than 24 hours.
Proper training is critical to the success of the green cleaning program. Without it, it is too easy for mankind to fall back on past practices, negating many of the program’s benefits and ultimately blaming the product.
• Requirements for training are not limited to staff who will be using the equipment.
• It is important to involve and educate everyone within the facility, including all employees and occupants, so that they understand why the switch is being made to green cleaning products and processes and what differences they can expect to see with a green cleaning program.
• Without that understanding, facility executives may receive a high number of complaints concerning the cleanliness of the facility.
For example:
• Conventional cleaning chemicals typically have a fragrance that people come to expect, particularly in restrooms.
• Some green cleaning products do not have similar fragrances.
Unless building occupants understand the changes, they may assume that if they do not smell the fragrance that they are accustomed to, the restrooms are not clean.
Before moving to green products and processes, it is important to involve those who will be responsible for purchasing the equipment and supplies for the program. Green cleaning complicates the buying process. Products and equipment should be certified by independent agencies. Those bidding to supply chemicals and equipment should be able to supply the necessary documentation to prove certification. Purchasing agents should understand the importance of that certification and not be willing to waive it to reduce costs.
Making the Shift
Even with the full support of the organization, often it is best to move slowly. Suppliers for the cleaning products must be identified. Cleaning equipment that meets the required standards must be purchased. Employees must be trained adequately in the use of the products and the equipment and understand the rational for the change.
In auditing current cleaning products and processes, a number of changes should have been identified in order for the facility to move to green cleaning. Some of these changes will be relatively easy and can be implemented at no or low cost. Others will be more difficult because they will require a significant investment and new equipment and training.
Start with the no- or low-cost items. There remains a lot of scepticism among both building owners and occupants when it comes to green cleaning, including the cleaning effectiveness and the cost of the program. Facility executives can demonstrate the effectiveness of their program by taking a series of small steps toward green cleaning, and then showing both what has been done and what its impact is.
Facility executives can also implement some relatively low-cost items that will significantly improve the effectiveness of the program. One of these low-cost yet highly effective measures is the installation of walk-off matting at all building entrances. It has been estimated that as much as 90 percent of the dust found in the typical facility enters the building through the front door. Walk-off matting that extends for a minimum of 12 to 15 feet inside a building at each entrance will prevent much of this dirt from being tracked into the facility, thus reducing cleaning requirements.
Another effective measure that can be implemented to reduce cleaning requirements is the installation of touch less controls in restrooms facilities. Touch less faucets, dispensers and flush valves offer the benefits of improved hygiene and appearance, reduced cleaning costs, the elimination of cross contamination, and reduced water and product use; all of which are in line with the goals of a green cleaning program.
Once no- and low-cost items have been implemented, prioritize the remaining processes that will need to be modified, the extent and cost of those modifications, and develop an implementation schedule.
As the green cleaning program evolves, it is important that facility executives keep everyone informed about the program. This is particularly important during the early phases of the program when building occupants notice changes in the building and may raise complaints.
When having to face such complaints, it would be easy for employees or management to revert back to old cleaning methods, negating the effectiveness of the green cleaning program and the purpose of such change.
Contracting For Green Cleaning
For facility executives who outsource cleaning services, selecting a qualified contractor is essential. Green cleaning programs are expanding at an estimated rate of 20 to 30 percent per year. While many qualified contractors can provide green cleaning services, some if not most have simply added a green logo to advertising, claiming to be green without fully implementing or even understanding the necessary changes to make their processes green.
When evaluating contracting options, there are several factors facility executives should consider:
References. Any contractor bidding on green cleaning services should provide customer references. Facility executives should contact all references to determine how the contractor carried out the switch to green cleaning, how successful the switch has been, how the cleaning processes are different under green cleaning, and how the contractor communicated those changes to the building staff and occupants.
Experience. Contractors should be required to identify the certifications that the company and its employees have received. Ask for a listing of memberships in organizations that promote or set standards for green cleaning programs.
Products Used. Have the contractor identify what certification agency is used to demonstrate that the cleaning products used meet the requirements for green cleaning. The facility executive should also determine whether all of the contractors’ cleaning products are certified.

Having a Green Business strategy is no longer a luxury, it is a must. Incorporating green sustainability will provide your business with a huge competitive advantage. In-addition with a Green Business Strategy your business can expect a 10 to 1 return on any green initiative.
Going “GREEN” for your company will not equal lost revenues. Going green will save your company money while increasing profits. With billions of dollars in Government grants, rebates and incentives you can turn your company from environmental conscience to green sustainability. Green is big business and a big opportunity for any business.
I develop a complete green business strategy based on your goals, your marketplace, your team and your budget. The simple formula which should appeal to everyone in your organization is:
Green business practices = Revenue/Company growth = Company stability = Job Stability
Sustainability Strategy Development and Implementation
The best strategy in the world is worthless if it is not implemented successfully. The key to a successful implementation is a strategy that is designed to build the leaders of your business. You need to work as a team to help develop a shared view about where you see your company’s sustainable future lies. Only then when you have identified your company’s values, goals, strengths, weaknesses and key sustainability priorities will your sustainability strategy be implemented. This collective approach truly aligns leaders and pays off on a successful sustainability strategy that allows your business to increase value while increasing revenue, create an elite brand, and succeed.
The Development of a Green Employee Benefit Package.
Surveys have shown that employee job satisfaction is higher in companies whose employers are focused on finding ways to reduce the company’s carbon footprint and the employees reap the benefit of being able to help improve the environment while they earn a living. The creation of a Green Employee Benefit Package can also be an excellent way to recruit and retain top talent. Monetary compensation is not the overriding factor in determining an employee’s work satisfaction. it can help you create ‘Green’ benefits including:
• Eco Charter creation
• Free eco-consults
• Carbon offset programs
• Time off for sustainable volunteer programs

Sustainability training and education
Sustainability training and education is geared towards aligning your entire organization with your sustainable strategy. Education and training are key areas to ensure your employees both understand your sustainable initiatives and commit to them. The more employees are educated, the more they will contribute to your sustainable implementation.
An ancillary benefit to sustainable training is that employees witness the sustainable commitment your organization has made. This works in tandem with your ‘Green’ benefits package to further deliver the sustainability message throughout your entire organization.
“Implementing sustainable practices in your business now will equip you for the challenges and opportunities in the future.”
Training employees and or customers to go green at work
Welcome to the 21st century – by now, going green has proven to be more than just a passing fad. This is how many businesses are improving the energy efficiency of the buildings they work in, the sustainability of the products they use and produce and reducing their overall carbon footprint on the earth.
It’s been shown that going green at work helps businesses not only save money on monthly electricity bills, but is also more appealing to consumers and in particular customers.
The energy used in commercial buildings and manufacturing plants accounts for almost half of all greenhouse gas emissions and nearly 50 percent of energy consumption worldwide, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
Because this is where most people spend the majority of their day, the workplace can make the biggest impact by going green. Training employees to understand the importance and necessity to reduce office waste conserve energy and move away from harsh cleaning chemicals can take time, but the payoff is worth it.
Before you get everyone in your organization on-board and involved in a green movement to save the company money, save the earth’s natural resources and creating enthusiasm you nas the employer needs to have bought into and deeply believe that this is the way to move forward – only then by following these simple steps will it become a reality:
Set up green teams. Gather employees from different levels and departments within the organization to lead your program. Forming a diverse team with employees from all levels will ensure greater support and success of your program.
Organize green team meetings. Set up a regular time each week or month where your green team can get together and discuss projects. Identify areas within the business that are the least efficient and brainstorm what could be done to improve it.
Raise awareness. Send emails, hand out fliers and hang posters with information on how the business is going green and how every employee can get involved. Encourage employees to share their green ideas with the green team members in their departments.
Hold events. Get employees involved and informed by holding a green event in the office. From brown bag lunches to outdoor picnics, find a way to get everyone excited and aware of the organizations new green efforts. Invite a green expert to come in and talk about ways to save energy around the office, compare cleaning chemicals to biological cleaning products.
Make it fun. Find ways to make your green movement fun by making it competitive. Divide employees by department or team and start a competition to see who can be the greenest around the office. Competitions can range from collecting the most cans, plastic bags and containers to conserving the most printer paper, get creative with it.
Reward their efforts. After each competition, hand out environmentally-friendly prizes such as reusable water bottles or samples of eco friendly cleaning products to the teams that show the greatest improvement. Publicly recognize teams and individual employees who have gone above and beyond to walk and talk green at work.
Going green in the office doesn’t have to be something that takes up a lot of time or effort. With the support of management, starting a green movement in your organization can be fun and help the company save money let alone improve your corporate image but most of all you would have archived in motivating a group of people that may not have done this on their own.

It’s not the bathroom – it’s the kitchen. In fact, there could be up to 200 times more fecal bacteria on your kitchen cutting board than on your toilet seat. This is likely because people regularly disinfect their bathroom while kitchen items may be overlooked.”
According to Dr. Joseph Mercola, “germs/bacteria in the home can show up where you least expect them, even if you diligently try to keep your home clean. Despite good efforts by most to keep their homes germ free, over 65 percent of colds, 50 percent of all cases of diarrhea and 50 percent to 80 percent of food-borne illnesses are caught in the home, and common household items are often to blame.
Bottom line: New research shows…Your home may be germier than you think!
Out of 32 places in the home, the top spots for bacteria are the toilet bowl, kitchen drain, kitchen sponge or counter-wiping cloth, bathtub, and kitchen sink; according to a new study.
The study and survey come from the Hygiene Council.
Researchers visited 35 U.S. homes, swabbing for bacteria in 32 locations in each home.
Here’s how those spots ranked, in terms of the average number of bacteria per square inch. Spots with the same average number of bacteria have the same rank.
Toilet bowl: 3.2 million bacteria/square inch
Kitchen drain: 567,845 bacteria/square inch
Sponge or counter-wiping cloth: 134,630 bacteria/square inch
Bathtub, near drain: 119,468 bacteria/square inch
Kitchen sink, near drain: 17,964 bacteria/square inch
Kitchen faucet handle: 13,227 bacteria/square inch
Bathroom faucet handle: 6,267 bacteria/square inch
Bathroom sink, near drain: 2,733 bacteria/square inch
Pet food dish, inside rim: 2,110 bacteria/square inch
Kitchen floor, in front of sink: 830 bacteria/square inch
Toilet floor, in front of toilet: 764 bacteria/square inch
Kitchen countertop: 488 bacteria/square inch
Bathroom countertop: 452 bacteria/square inch
Garbage bin: 411 bacteria/square inch
Dish towel: 408 bacteria/square inch
Toy: 345 bacteria/square inch
Kitchen tabletop: 344 bacteria/square inch
Home office phone or refrigerator door: 319 bacteria/square inch
Toilet seat: 295 bacteria/square inch
Bathroom light switch: 217 bacteria/square inch
Microwave buttons: 214 bacteria/square inch
Kitchen chopping board: 194 bacteria/square inch
Child-training potty: 191 bacteria/square inch
Infant changing mat and infant high chair: 190 bacteria/square inch
Kitchen phone: 133 bacteria/square inch
Bathroom door’s inside handle: 121 bacteria/square inch
Toilet’s flush handle: 83 bacteria/square inch
TV remote control: 70 bacteria/square inch
Home office computer keyboard: 64 bacteria/square inch
Home office computer mouse: 50 bacteria/square inch
Did you know?
Some 40 Percent of Surface Disinfectants are Ineffective in Eliminating Viruses That Cause Gastroenteritis
ScienceDaily (Mar. 17, 2010) — Some 40% of commercial disinfectants used to clean surfaces are believed to be ineffective in eliminating noroviruses, a group of viruses responsible for more than half of all foodborne gastroenteritis outbreaks. According to a recent study published by Université Laval researchers in the Journal of Food Protection, only bleach-based disinfectants drastically reduce the concentration of these viruses.
Noroviruses spread directly via contact with infected persons or indirectly through contaminated objects, foods, or surfaces. The effectiveness of disinfectants used to clean surfaces at home or at businesses in the food sector is therefore crucial for limiting the spread of these viruses, which affect over 21 million people every year in the United States alone.

So what is a homeowner to do to try to protect the family from all of these dangerous microorganisms or is it really as dangerous as the scientists and manufacturers of disinfectants make out?
I have yet to see a gravestone read: Here rests Joe Blog who sadly passed away from a dangerous overdose of bacteria contracted from the kitchen sink.
What is more appropriate is the fact that the manufacturers of disinfectants have been extremely creative in devising good advertising material utilizing facts from the scientific literature matching an array of disinfectant products that they had to find new application for and applying these to possible everyday scenarios. They have been extremely effective in putting the fear of God into most. But in reality has the bug infested toilet or kitchen sink really killed anyone you know?
The best solution is to take a different approach to managing the environment inside your home!
If you choose to use chemicals – first read the manufacturers label carefully – know which bugs you need to kill that may be potentially harmful (in fact this is quite stupid who the heck knows this). Next if the manufacturer does not state the minimum time the disinfectant must be in contact with the specific bugs it is designed to kill how will you know if you are doing a good job? Lastly are you wanting to disinfect or sanitize – this is important to know because killing bugs requires a two-step process, cleaning and disinfecting/sanitising. Cleaning means removing surface dirt and debris, and while it is an important part of the bug-killing process, it doesn’t kill bugs by itself. Cleaning a surface ensures that bugs have no place to hide from chemicals that can kill them.
You have to have a clean surface to sanitize – well this puts a spin on disinfecting. Now what if kitchen cleaners contain disinfectants? Do these products make it possible to clean, sanitise and disinfect in one step?
The scientists tell us the chemicals used to disinfect take up to 10 minutes to fully disinfect a surface but no-one tells us for how long this will remain disinfected.
Question – which is more thrilling – to sit around for ten minutes or longer to wait for the bugs to die or watch paint dry? Who in today’s busy – busy life has the time to do this – the down side is – if you do not do this then quite frankly why be bothered?
OK -To be sure you’re using a product that actually kills germs; it is recommended you look for an Environmental Protection Agency registration number on the label. And watch for two words: sanitize and disinfect. These are legal terms that guarantee that a product will meet certain specifications. “Sanitize” means it will kill 99.99 percent of specified bacteria within 30 seconds of application on the one hand but up to one hour for other bugs. “Disinfect” means it will kill specified organisms within 10 minutes or up to one hour of application. It is possible for an agent to both sanitize and disinfect, depending on how long you leave it on. In short – Yes.
OK so now we know which room in the house is the bacteria haven – Which device can we now identify as one of the worst offenders?
When maintaining your kitchen, cleaning the trash can is probably the most unpleasant chore you will tackle. It is also one of the most important when it comes to eliminating or preventing unsightly messes, odour, and bacteria. It is a dirty job, but if your trash can is cleaned properly and often, the task should not be too daunting.
Because it is virtually impossible to keep a trash can germ free, the best you can do is keep it as clean as possible and disinfect it at least once a week to keep the germs in check and prevent them from spreading to other areas of your kitchen and home.

You should always line your trash can with a garbage bag. Rarely will a grocery or shopping bag be suitable for the task because they are ill fitting and allow garbage direct contact with the trash can. Therefore, it is important to choose bags designed for the size of your trash can.
There are antibacterial garbage bags available, this is not necessary if you maintain cleanliness of your trash can and its surroundings. You may wish to disinfectant but this does not have the desired effect as all disinfectants are contact driven and the residual effect of the disinfectant will not last.
When waste materials from a range of processes are deposited in collection vessels to await disposal, a range of chemical and biochemical reactions can then occur to stimulate formation of malodours. In garbage bins with minimal or restricted air exchange, there is also the added problem that anaerobic microclimates form very rapidly in waste materials. This provides ideal conditions for certain nuisance microorganisms to bring about the partial breakdown of organic substrates and/or to cause one of many transformations of organic materials present.
The result is the production of volatile organic (and inorganic) molecules associated with malodour. Many of these molecules are soluble in water and will be carried in any moisture in the bin. When the bin is opened, or lid removed, during normal use these unpleasant odours can then escape.
Emptying is often the only method for controlling these malodours, but service agreements, cleaning schedules and associated costs may not allow frequent enough emptying. This can leave a persistent background malodour and the impression of neglect and insanitary conditions.
The use of masking agents and other chemicals is common, as is the use of biocidal products for the elimination of all microbial activity. Such products are of limited use and do not offer a contribution to an effective and environmentally friendly integrated waste management philosophy.
.Second, when disposing of waste in the interest of good hygiene practise you may wish to, drain any wet items such as watery foods or meat juices and ring out wet paper towels or napkins. The moist environment encourages bacterial growth, but should your garbage bag puncture or develop a tear, liquids will flow out leaving a mess in the trash can and on your floor. If the hole goes unnoticed, you may also inadvertently spread contaminants across your home as you carry your garbage outside.
Further, carefully place items into the trash can so that the garbage bag doesn’t pull away from the sides and allow waste to drip down the sides of the can. Carelessly tossing waste into the trash also leads to accidentally dropping garbage on the floor. Even if trash is quickly picked up and redeposit into the trash can, after just a few mishaps the floor can become contaminated with germs even if it appears clean.
Microscopic bacteria / germs multiply rapidly and cause very noticeable odours, it is important to empty your trash can regularly, even if it is not completely filled. Don’t wait until the garbage bag is so full that it tears or spills its contents. Emptying your garbage at least once a week (more often for larger households) not only makes cleaning easier; it will also reduce the attraction of ants, flies, roaches, mice, and other pests. If your trash can contains raw meat, soiled tissues, decaying material of any kind, or other highly bacterial substances, you will want to empty it right away.
After you empty your trash can, you can begin cleaning it with a soapy biological cleaning agent and sponge reserved just for this purpose. Wipe down all the surfaces of the trashcan, inside and out, including the bottom. Leave the trashcan to air dry.
After your garbage has been removed from the home and the trash can has been cleaned, it is then time to clean the floor where the trash can has been. (You don’t want to do this beforehand because there is no point to mopping your floors and then setting the dirty garbage bag down on it.) You can either mop the floor with your usual cleaner or you can spot clean the area with a disinfectant or a biological solution and water. If your trash can was stored inside of a cupboard, don’t forget to clean the cupboard walls and door, including the handle.
Finally, you will want to sanitize the sink where you rinsed the sponge and dumped the cleaning solution, because any germs that were in your trash can have since been transferred there. Use a cleanser you’re accustomed to using.
Once the sink is cleaned, wash your hands well (as you should do each time you throw waste into the trash can) and you are done.
There is a green alternative to alleviating these foul odours and leaving your bin clean and bug free:
We applied a bacteriological solution to an empty bin; the first benefit to be noticed is the pleasant fresh citrus fragrance. This fragrance is widely accepted in kitchens, slowly released from the natural carriers and compatible with the microorganisms. During use of this biological device any moisture present in the waste materials is drawn to the natural carriers and bound, along with any malodour molecules. This technology prevents the malodour becoming reversible.
Specialised selected microorganisms are activated and go to work on breaking down of these molecules. The combined effect is odour control. When the device is spent the sachet is easy to dispose of. It can be safely handled with the container waste and be disposed of by incineration, landfill and composting which can add to the value in a landfill for natural organic degradation.
Benefits
• Contains Bio-Enzyme technology to bind to odour molecules
• Contains a complex consortium of safe microorganisms specially selected for their ability to metabolize organic molecules associated with malodour
• Contains a blend of natural mineral carriers well known for their ability to bind moisture and volatile inorganic molecules
• Pleasant fresh citrus fragrance
• Convenient packaging for ease of use
• Easy and safe to dispose of
• Long lasting and cost effective
Environmentally friendly – contains no harsh chemicals
The complex consortium of safe microorganisms are such designed that they will compete for food the same as harmful bacteria but will out compete harmful bacteria as a result the harmful bacteria will starve and die.
What can you take from this message?
Firstly you have a choice –
• Use chemicals that may or may not work in a way that you think it may because of misleading advertising. GREEN WASHING.
• You have no idea as to the time span for either application or residual longevity – if you don’t why bother?
• the manufacturer is not prepared to tell you for how long the product will work
• All you know and possibly believe is that it will have some cleaning action because it smells like it is working
Secondly there is an alternative – use biologically eco friendly safe products that really work know that by way of its mode of action it will neutralise unwanted bugs.
For more information on friendly bacteria please visit www.mces.co.za or contact us directly info@mces.co.za

Today I would like to take the entire toilet thing to a new level. We have spoken about female toilets in my last blog – but have you ever given the men’s urinal any thought?
Coming from a man – the urinal is probably the single closest object that take man back to his caveman days – The main differential being – we actually stand in front of a porcelain object instead of a tree.

A urinal is a specialized toilet for urinating into generally used by males. It has the form of a container or simply a wall, with drainage and automatic or manual flushing.
The different types of urinal, for single or multiple users in trough style designs are intended to be utilized from a standing position- probably to remind us men about the time we where cavemen.
Public urinals often contain a deodorizing urinal deodorizer block contained within a plastic mesh guard container or a plastic mesh guard without a urinal cake. The plastic mesh guard is designed to prevent solid objects (such as cigarette butts, feces, chewing gum, or other objects) from being flushed and possibly causing a plumbing stoppage.
Purposes
In busy men’s washrooms, urinals are installed for efficiency: compared with urination in a general toilet, usage is faster because within the room there are no additional doors, no locks, and no seat to turn up; also a urinal takes less space, is simpler, and consumes less water per flush than a toilet. Urinals also come in different heights, which help for those who might be very tall or very short (here I refer to the distance your winkie is from the floor). Often there are barriers dividing the urinals, which add to privacy.
Flushing
Most public urinals incorporate a flushing system to rinse urine from the bowl of the device to prevent foul odors. The flush can be triggered by one of several methods:

Manual handles
This type of flush might be regarded as standard. Each urinal is equipped with a button or short lever to activate the flush, with users expected to operate it as they leave. Such a directly-controlled system is considered the most efficient provided that patrons remember to use it. This is far from certain, however, often because of fear of touching the handle, which is located too high to kick. Urinals with foot-activated flushing systems are sometimes found in high-traffic areas; these systems have a button set into the floor or a pedal on the wall at ankle height. The Americans with Disabilities Act requires that flush valves be mounted no higher than 44 in. AFF (above the finished floor). Additionally, the urinal shall be mounted no higher than 17 in. AFF, which has a rim that is tapered and elongated and protrudes at least 14 in. from the wall. This enables users in wheelchairs to straddle the lip of the urinal and urinate without having to “arc” the flow of urine too high and because it’s a rest
Timed flush

In Europe, manual flush handles are unusual. Instead, the traditional system is a timed flush that operates automatically at regular intervals. Groups of up to ten or so urinals will be connected to a single overhead cistern, which contains the timing mechanism. A constant drip-feed of water slowly fills the cistern, until a tripping point is reached, the valve opens (or a siphon begins to drain the cistern), and all the urinals in the group are flushed. Electronic controllers performing the same function are also used.
This system does not require any action from its users, but it is wasteful of water where the toilets are used irregularly. However, in these countries men are so used to the automatic system; attempts to install manual flushes to save water are generally unsuccessful. Users ignore these not because of deliberate laziness or fear of infection, but because activating the flush is not habitual.
To help reduce water usage when restrooms are closed, some restrooms with timed flushing use an electric water valve connected to the restroom light switch. When the building is in active use during the day and the lights are on, the timed flush operates normally. At night when the building is closed, the lights are turned off and the flushing action stops.
A flushing system connected to the opening of the washroom door can count the number of users and operate when the count reaches a certain value. At night, the door never opens, so flushing never occurs.
Automatic flush

Electronic automatic flushes solve the problems of both previous approaches, and are common in new installations. Active or (more usually) passive infrared sensors identify when the urinal has been used (or when someone has stood in front of it and moved away), and activate the flush. Thus the urinal is cleaned, where with a manual flush it might not have been, but water is not wasted when the toilet is not used.
Automatic flush facilities can be retrofitted to existing systems. The handle-operated valves of a manual system can be replaced with a suitably-designed self-contained electronic valve, often battery-powered to avoid the need to add cables. Timed-flush installations may add a device that regulates the water flow to the cistern according to the overall activity detected in the room. This does not provide true per-fixture automatic flushing, but is simple and cheap to add because only one device is required for the whole system.
To prevent false-triggering of the automatic flush, most infra-red detectors require that a presence be detected for at least five seconds, such as when a person is standing in front of it. This prevents a whole line of automatic flush units from triggering in series if someone just walks past them.
The automatic flush mechanism also typically waits for the presence to go out of sensor range before flushing. This reduces water usage, compared to a sensor that would trigger a continuous flushing action all the while a presence is being detected.
Door-regulated flush
This is an older method of water-saving automatic flushing, which only operates when the room is being used. A push-button switch is mounted in the door frame of the restroom, and triggers the flush valve for all restroom urinals every time the door is opened. While it can’t detect the use of individual urinals, it provides reasonable flushing action without wasting excessive amounts of water when the restroom is not being used. This method requires a spring-operated automatic door closer, since the flush mechanism only operates when the restroom door opens.
Waterless urinals

A more recent innovation is urinals that use no water at all. The innovation is secured with several patents. Models later introduced, utilize a trap insert filled with a sealant liquid instead of water. The lighter-than-water sealant floats on top of the urine collected in the U-bend, preventing odors from being released into the air. Although the cartridge and sealant must be periodically replaced, boosters claim the system saves anywhere between 55,000 and 170,000 liters of water per urinal per year.
Other companies do not use a cartridge; instead they have developed an outlet system that traps the odor, preventing the smell often present in toilet blocks. Another method to eliminate odor was introduced a deodorizing block in their waterless urinal that was activated during use. Waterless urinals can be installed in high-traffic facilities and in situations where providing a water supply may be difficult or where water conservation is desired.
Most waterless urinals however do not remove odor staining on the surface of the urinals, if not normally cleaned. Even when maintained according to recommendations, flush-free urinals emit a fish-like odor that most people find unpleasant. In February, 2010, the headquarters of the California EPA removed waterless urinals that were installed in 2003 due to “hundreds of complaints” including odors and splashed urine on the floors.
Arrangement of urinals

Urinals in high capacity men’s washrooms are usually arranged in one or more rows. In men’s bathrooms, the urinals are usually placed directly opposite the door, so that men have their back to those who enter or stand outside. Those in the street may come in sets arranged in a circle, with all men facing the center, with screens high enough that men cannot wet each other, and usually high enough that they cannot see over it. In a street urinal with an outside screen or wall, the men may stand back to back.
Urinals used in a high throughput capacity area are part of efficiently designed washroom architecture. Large numbers of them are usually installed along a common supply pipe and drain. There may be partitions for privacy.

Often, one or two of the urinals, typically at one end of a long row of urinals, will be mounted lower than the others; they are meant for young boys and other males who cannot reach the regular urinals. In facilities where males of various heights are present, such as schools, urinals that extend down to floor level may be used to allow anyone of any height to use any urinal. In other bathrooms, trough urinals are placed, which most of the time can hold large numbers of men and boys.
Once used exclusively in commercial or institutional washrooms, urinals for private home installation are now available. They offer the advantage of substantial savings of water in homes with multiple male occupants.
Street urinals and vespasiennes
In some localities, urinals may be located on public sidewalks or in public areas such as parks. These urinals are usually equipped with partitions for the sake of privacy. They may or may not be equipped with flush mechanisms.

A city famous for its street urinals is Paris, France. Until the 1990s, street urinals were a common sight in the city, and in the 1930s more than 1200 were in service. Parisians referred to them as vespasiennes, the name being derived from that of the Roman Emperor Vespasian, who, according to an anecdote, imposed a tax on urine. Beginning in the 1990s, the vespasiennes (renowned for their smell and lack of hygiene) were gradually replaced by Sanisettes. Today only one vespasienne remains in the city (on the boulevard Arago), and it is still regularly used. They still exist in other French cities, and in other countries. The Netherlands has a number of strategically-placed street pissoirs in various cities.
In the Philippines, Marikina city was the first city to install street urinals in the late 1990s. When the Marikina mayor Bayani Fernando was appointed chair of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority, he installed street urinals in the rest of the capital as well.
Makeshift urinals
During the Korean War, Vietnam War, Operation Desert Storm etc., “piss tubes” were used as makeshift urinals. To make one, soldiers would affix an inverted water bottle on one end of a rigid tube, burying the other end. Removing the base of the bottle made a funnel which would be left at the proper height. Deposited urine simply soaked into the ground. When the area became saturated, the device was relocated.
Urinals for women
Nearly all urinals are intended for use by males, but a few have been designed for use by women. From 1950 to 1974, the American Standard company offered the mass-produced “Ladies’ Home Urinal”. It did not provide significant advantages over conventional toilets, because it used just as much floor space and flushing water. Its main selling point was that women could use the fixture without touching it.
Several other designs have been tried since then, but they either required the user to hover awkwardly or to bring her genitals into close contact with the fixture. Most have not caught on. Current clothes fashion such as panty hose and slacks inhibit women from using them because they do not want their garments to touch the urinals or the floor. Often, women have little experience with them and do not know whether to approach them forward or backward.
More recently, models that use specialized funnels have been introduced, with some success, at outdoor festivals such as Glastonbury (to reduce cycle times and alleviate long lines).

So you thought you knew everything about taking a leak?
The flush of a urinal either mechanically or automated is equally disturbing and can easily be equated the toilet sneeze of a toilet bowl distributing fine droplets of faecal matter, human body fluids and pathogens in the same manner.
Then there is the strange phenomenon that only man can manage – picture this – there is this beautiful porcelain vase like devise mounted on the wall designed as a catchment area for urine the height, width and depth of the collection area is totally disproportionate to the size of mans penis yet by some incredible manner man seems to distribute a substantial volume of urine onto the floor.
Now is this because the penis is to short or is it that man does not stand close enough. (Tough one)
If man stands to close then there is the possibility of back-slash and your trousers get splashed and every one outside of the restroom knows what you have done – oh so embarrassing. If you stand a bit further back you stand the risk of splashing on your shoes and on the tiles. Now the shoe part is not that bad but urine on the tiled floor presents a total different janitorial problem. Urine seeps into the cement grouting between the tiles and deposits itself under the tile. This is where most of the foul stale urine odour emerges from and no known chemical can get there to eradicate this stench.
There are ways to remedy this odour by using a biological product that eliminates such organic matter. (You may wish to visit our website and learn more about the products designed to eliminate odour)
Then there is the risk of contaminating other areas within the bathroom i.e. the basin tap – you have just touched yourself, a bit of spray back has contaminated your hand or hands (big boy) and God forbid that you have actually remembered to flush as you do – you have touched the button or lever.
If you do decide to wash your hands – how many people that have experienced the same as you have touched the tap? The big question – do I wash my hands or not?
And you thought you were just going to have a leak – this is so complicated – perhaps we need to resort back to the caveman – find a tree and pee against it.