ECJ EUROPEAN Cleaning Journal

Do customers understand the advantages of a chemical dosing system? Or do many still prefer the ‘glug glug’ method of dosing chemicals? Writing exclusively for ECJ, dispensing solutions specialist Brightwell Dispensers explains how modern systems offer cost, efficiency and safety benefits.

Until the 1970s – 1980s, facilities used pre-diluted, ready-to-use cleaning solutions such as spray bottles. As the chemical arrived pre-mixed, this was a convenient way of using cleaning chemicals. However this convenience came with a price. They were expensive, required more storage space and were harmful to the environment due to the amount of waste from the packaging and transport.

With the introduction of greener and more environmentally friendly cleaning solutions, it has become evident that in the professional cleaning and hygiene sector the use of chemical concentrates is the preferred choice. By choosing to dilute chemical concentrates at the point of use and sourcing water on-site, transport costs and in turn carbon emissions are reduced. In addition accurate dosing minimises chemical wastage and provides cost-in-use benefits.

The popularity of chemical concentrates paved the way for accurate dispensing and dilution systems that are fast becoming the norm in the cleaning and hygiene industry.

Chemical dispensing systems have been helping businesses such as hotels, care homes, hospitals and the leisure sector keep their premises clean for over 30 years. Here we explore the advantages of chemical dosing systems and how this is the way forward for the cleaning and hygiene industry.

What is a chemical dispensing system?

A chemical dispensing system is an equipment that dispenses or dilutes chemical at the point of use, by the end user. The most simplistic method would be the use of a pelican pump, whereby a pump is screwed to the neck of a chemical container. The more sophisticated solution is a venturi based dilution system, which ensures that chemical concentrates are diluted at their intended ratio for each specific cleaning task, resulting in controlled dilution. Today’s market offers a variety of chemical dispensing systems and the choice of which one to use will always depend on the business need.

Why are businesses using chemical dispensing systems?

The popularity of chemical dispensing systems has increased over the years thanks to their environmental, safety, accuracy and cost saving benefits. In this article we explore the advantages of why businesses choose chemical dispensing systems.

Environmental

The use of chemical concentrates in conjunction with chemical dosing systems is the better solution for the environment. It reduces excess waste as bottles that are used to refill with on-site diluted chemical are re-usable. For example one two-litre container of chemical concentrate could be the equivalent of 75+ spray bottles depending on the selected dilution ratio.  And using less packaging means fewer deliveries. Fewer deliveries lowers the amount of fuel, making a positive impact on the carbon footprint and reduces transport costs.

Safety

Modern dispensing systems are designed to ensure the safety of staff by eliminating direct contact of the operative with the chemical concentrate. When compared to the manual dilution, also known as the ‘glug-glug’ method, chemical dispensing systems increase user safety as the handling and management of chemicals is done in a way that protects the user from exposure to chemicals.

Additionally, there are many options on the market to store chemicals in a protective cabinet which creates a safer working environment, minimises the likelihood of tampering with the chemical and helps to reduces spillage and potential injuries.

Accuracy

Diluting chemicals where the user dilutes the chemical by manually pouring chemical into a bottle or other container before adding water sounds straightforward. However getting the dose wrong can have many negative implications for businesses. If the final cleaning solution is too diluted, surfaces do not get cleaned properly. This can result in unhappy users and inefficiencies, as the cleaning has to be carried out again. In sensitive environments such as hospitals, this can increase the risk of illness and spread bacteria, a serious consequence.

There is also the risk of using too much chemical. Have you ever walked into a bar and noticed how sticky the floors are? Not a great impression to make on your customers. With the self-pouring of chemicals operatives cannot accurately determine the right amount to use, which may result in inaccuracies.

Accurate dosing of concentrates results in cost control and one of the greatest advantages of chemical dilution systems is their accurate dosing property. With a correctly pre-set dilution ratio, a chemical dilution system will dispense chemical in a precise, reliable and consistent way. As the cleaning performance predominantly depends on how precisely the chemical concentrates are diluted, chemical proportioners are increasingly becoming the norm for business.

Cost-in-use

As businesses are constantly looking into ways to reduce and correctly forecast cleaning cost, the use of chemical concentrates in conjunction with a chemical dosing system gives many cost-saving benefits. Dispensing and dilution systems control the consumption of chemicals, monitor and report on usage to deliver an accurate ROI for businesses.

Traditionally companies shipped bulk cleaning products in large drums made up of large volumes of water. To reduce shipping costs associated with heavy freight loads, transporting chemicals in a concentrated form are now almost the standard for most businesses. Additionally, using a chemical dispenser means you can dispense the chemical straight away at the touch of a button, saving time and taking out the guesswork of manually pouring chemical.

The potential of less stock holding space and avoidance of misdosing also make these systems more financially attractive. Chemical dosing systems are cost-effective solutions that give businesses more control of their chemical usage costs.

We live in a digital world

People love data. With more modern technology continuously enhancing products, it’s not surprising we can now even keep an eye on how much chemical we use with dispensers. Joining the internet of things, dispensers are now capable of reporting how many times they are used, how much chemical is dosed and the cost per dose.

Smarter dispensing solutions and technical innovations will drive the cleaning and hygiene industry forward. The monitoring, controlling and operation of chemical dosing systems is very likely to be done through electronic gadgets we all carry around every day. This will mean that real-time data monitoring, data capture, usage reports and data analysis are likely to become very important features for future product ranges.

The future looks bright

Talking to many businesses it has become evident over the past few years that the traditional manual ‘glug-glug’ method is increasingly replaced by modern, high performing chemical dosing and dilution systems. Businesses understand the benefits of these systems and due to their advantages, they have revolutionised the cleaning and hygiene industry. The major benefits of dosing systems over manual dilution are directly related to the accurate, safe dispensing of chemicals and cost-in-use benefits.

Someone who has never seen one of these systems may initially think it looks complicated. However any doubts go once people see how easy they are to use, maintain and on how accurately the chemical usage is controlled.

Chemical dispensers are a one-stop cleaning station in that everything you need is in one place. The dispenser is mounted on the wall, making it easy to find and manage. At the push of a button, your chemical is ready to use. If the user is using multiple chemicals, dispensers often come with clear, colour-coded signage that shows which chemical to use for each application.

Overall, it is common practice for companies to use a chemical dispensing system. Which type they use is down to their business requirements and there are many products to choose from on the market. Dispensing systems provide safe and accurate dosing that manages cost-in-use and minimises waste and their popularity will increase in the coming years.

www.brightwell.co.uk