ECJ EUROPEAN Cleaning Journal

What problems could be caused by putting the wrong refills of soap, hand towels or toilet paper into a washroom dispenser? Does it actually matter if there is a mismatch between the products inserted into the dispensers provided? Manufacturers give their thoughts on this issue.

Most hygiene companies offer their washroom dispensers as part of a package, bundled together with bespoke refills of paper, soap and other related products.

They take pains to ensure that the customer knows precisely which product they should be putting into which dispenser by providing corresponding codes and adding clear cross-referencing information to their websites.

Customers are then able to buy a complete washroom system, safe in the knowledge that their refills will work seamlessly with their dispensers. The manufacturer, meanwhile, will have gained a long-term customer who will continue to buy their refills for however long he or she continues to use those same dispensers.

However, there are some customers who choose a different approach. Perhaps they prefer not to be “locked in” to a specific system and are keen to make up their own minds as to the suitability or otherwise of a refill. They will then scour the internet in search of alternative –potentially cheaper - refills of soap, hand towels and toilet paper and load these inside the units they already have in place.

But are there any problems associated with adopting this strategy? Could it have any negative or unintended consequences – either for the customer, the manufacturer or both?

Cost pressure

All washroom consumables are designed to work seamlessly with a specific dispenser to achieve maximum efficiency, hygiene and performance, according to Kimberly-Clark Professional’s vice-president Alejandro Pagani. “By using a controlled washroom dispensing system customers are able to cut costs, save time and reduce waste while also achieving control over their hygiene levels and resources,” he said.

However, he admits that some customers have a tendency to fill their dispensers with products made by rival companies.“Cost may be a leading factor in the reason why customers may use other refills,” he says. “The cost-of-living crisis continues to place more pressures on businesses with 46 per cent of firms claiming they expect their prices to rise. However, choosing the cheapest consumable per case rather than looking at the lifetime value of a product in combination with the dispenser can often be misleading. A consumable and dispenser that work together as part of a controlled system can result in significant savings.”

He claims that a number of problems can arise in cases where customers use refills in washroom dispensers for which they haven’t been designed. “The products may not fit properly, and this could lead to tissue streaming on the floor along with waste and mess in the washroom,” he said. “As a result there might need to be unnecessary and costly service checks on the premises, and these would squander both time and resources.

Bad fit

“Meanwhile, other issues could include lower levels of hygiene due to cross-contamination along with high numbers of user complaints due to run-outs and an unpleasant washroom environment.”

Controlled washroom dispensing systems are designed to deliver the optimum quantity of hand towel, soap or toilet tissue to prevent waste, reduce costs and lower the risk of run-outs, according to Pagani. “We will always recommend the best dispenser for each consumable to our customers along with the most effective washroom dispensing system for their specific needs,” he said.

Kimberly-Clark products include the Icon collection of washroom dispensers which is said to offer a high capacity. Units in this range feature visual lighting cues and jam-free performance while all soap products are supplied in enclosed cassettes. This is claimed to eliminate the risk of airborne bacterial contamination as well as evaporation and costly spillages and leaks.

“The combination of the right consumable with the best dispenser will reduce the need for reactive servicing visits and refills,” said Pagani. “This process starts at the design stage for both the consumable and the dispenser.”

Essity communications director Jenny Turner claims using a dispenser without the recommended refill could lead to a number of inefficiencies. “For example, the dispenser might give out too much or too little of the product with each use or it might even fail to work altogether,” she said. “If paper towels of the wrong size have been jammed into a dispenser, too, it will be difficult for the end-user to pull out a towel and this will cause frustration.

False economy

“Alternatively, visitors might only be able to pull out hand towels in clumps. They will then use just one or two of them to dry their hands while the remaining towels will create a mess on the units and ultimately be wasted.”

She says Tork Xpress hand towels are an example of a product that has been designed to fit a specific system. “Each bundle is highly compressed to provide fewer runouts and make the product easier to handle by cleaning staff,” she said. “And this leads to a more efficient use of time and resources along with an enhanced user experience.”

According to Turner, a soap dispenser might also fail to work reliably if it has been fitted with the wrong refill. “It could also lead to costly leakages and a mess on the units,” she said. “Meanwhile, the end-user will be dissatisfied with the facilities and be left with a poor impression.“

She believes the practice of refilling systems with non-compatible refills can often be a false economy if this means that the dispensers subsequently fail to work well for the end-user. “It could lead to more frequent refilling along with time spent on resolving complaints due to run-outs or dispensers becoming jammed,” she said. “It could also result in extra cleaning, which means staff members will have to spend more time on tasks that have a relatively low value.”

Essity incorporates system identifiers into each dispenser and product pack to ensure dispensers and refills are compatible throughout the ordering and refilling process. “There are alpha numerical indicators on our packs that are also visible inside our dispensers and used for assortment navigation on our digital product content,” said Turner. “This enables the customer to check the system identifier throughout the ordering process to minimise the risk of error.”

She claims a dispenser-refill mismatch scenario needs to be avoided because it could lead to interruptions to planned servicing visits along with inconsistent levels of delivery. “Our intention is to always sell the entire washroom solution - and we can only secure a quality result if our systems are combined with our own refills,” she said.

But at the end of the day, would it be better if manufacturers simply made universal dispensers with interchangeable refills? Surely this would make life easier for everyone? Not so, says Kimberly-Clark’s Alejandro Pagani “One size does not fit all,” he said. “There are many factors that need to be considered such as fluctuations in the cost of raw materials plus different requirements for specific environments such as hygiene and frequent use for healthcare, ease of use for schools, high footfall at stadiums and sports venues, etc.

“By combining the right dispenser with the right consumable and ensuring that these work together as part of a complete controlled system you can bring consistency and sustained improvements to a facility.”

One size doesn’t fit all

Essity’s Jenny Turner agrees, claiming that washroom hygiene brands such as Tork are committed to launching market-leading innovations based on the latest technologies and a deep understanding of customer challenges.

“These innovations have driven advances in reducing waste, reducing packaging and improving efficiency,” she said. “If the market were to supply universal dispensers with interchangeable refills, the customer would be deprived of the benefits these innovative systems bring in terms of helping them to achieve better hygiene and better business efficiency.”