School washrooms are infamous for unpleasant odours, which can negatively impact the overall hygiene environment for students and staff. To maintain a clean, odour-free environment, it is essential to address the root cause of the problem and ensure effective cleaning. One innovative approach that schools can adopt is using microbial cleaning solutions, particularly those from Enviroplus. But before we dive into how microbial cleaning works, let’s take a closer look at the causes of washroom odours and why traditional cleaning methods might fall short.
What Causes Washroom Odours?
Washroom odours typically originate from bacteria, urine, sweat, and other organic matter accumulating in washrooms. Poor washroom ventilation and high usage further intensify these issues in schools.
The main culprits behind the persistent bad bathroom smells are volatile organic compounds (VOCs) produced by bacteria as they break down organic waste. These VOCs are responsible for the lingering, often pungent odours in bathrooms, particularly around urinals and toilets. Inadequate cleaning practices can allow these bacteria to thrive in hard-to-reach bathroom places, contributing to persistent smells.
Why Traditional Cleaning Might Not Be Working
Traditional cleaning methods primarily use chemical disinfectants and strong fragrances to mask odours rather than eliminate the source. While these methods can provide a temporary solution, they often fail to penetrate the layers where odour-causing bacteria hide. Additionally, harsh chemical cleaners can damage surfaces over time, creating micro-abrasions that become breeding grounds for bacteria. As a result, the odours return soon after cleaning, requiring frequent reapplication of cleaning agents, which increases maintenance efforts and costs without addressing the root cause of the problem.
Replacing traditional technologies with biotechnological alternatives requires extensive research and innovation to achieve superior performance whilst lowering hazards and improving user safety. Only by developing a successful synergistic blend can you improve product performance, improve safety and health, lower cost in use, lower impacts on the environment, eradicate of odours at the source and provide a residual cleaning effect offering a deeper, cleaner and longer-term clean thorough our microbe-based cleaners.
How Microbes Work: The Power of 4th Generation Cleaning
Microbe-based products fully break down organic soiling, reduce odours at the source, and reach areas not easily reached by traditional cleaners. They ultimately provide a residual long-term cleaning effect that better preserves the freshly cleaned condition for longer. This gives customers a differentiated solution from their competitors and potentially more significant financial savings due to quicker maintenance cleans.
The microbes contained within the cleaning products are present as spores that germinate when the product is used in its intended cleaning environments. The bacteria multiply by dividing themselves, allowing them to colonise the application area exponentially. The bacteria secrete enzymes that are not alive but function to speed up biological reactions required for the bacteria to break down organic matter effectively.
Enzymes help to break down complex molecules into simpler, smaller molecules, which allows bacteria to more easily take these into their cells and use them for energy and growth, which is crudely how they “feed.” Different types of enzymes are responsible for helping to break down different types of organic matter and can be selected to target specific types of soiling.
By carefully formulating microbe strains and combinations of strains specifically designed to target soiling in the intended cleaning environment, Enviroplus microbial-based products provide a superior, long-lasting clean that is better for health and the environment.
Microbial cleaners offer significant advantages over usual traditional chemical methods:
Long-lasting effect:
Unlike traditional chemical cleaners, microbes continue working, providing a deeper, longer-lasting clean through the creation of self-renewing. By carefully formulating microbe strains and combinations of strains specifically designed to target soiling in the intended cleaning environment, Enviroplus microbial-based products provide a superior, long-lasting clean, which is better for health and the environment.
Lower toxicity:
Microbial cleaners are lower-toxicity and environmentally safer, effective in helping reduce students’ and staff’s exposure to harmful chemicals.
Enviroplus Washroom Solutions
Enviroplus offers a range of washroom cleaning products that harness the power of microbes to create cleaner, fresher environments. Enviroplus products are designed to provide long-lasting, effective odour control and deep cleaning for schools looking to adopt this innovative approach. Some of the top products to consider include:
e-Washroom X: Bathroom Cleaner
- Cleans, refreshes and eliminates organic waste build-up
- Deodorises by eliminating the source of bad odours
- Readily biodegradable formulations containing active microbes
- Effectively provides wetting, penetrating, soil cutting and anti-redepositing
e-Flush: Toilet bowl, Urinal Cleaner and Deodoriser
- Reduces build-up of uric acid
- Formulated with active microbes
- Readily biodegradable
- Biosystem and septic-safe cleaner
- Utilises the power of active microbes to eliminate odours
Certified Products
e-Washroom X and e-Flush have GECA and Global GreenTag certifications.
The GECA ecolabel is a sign of trust for specifiers, consumers, procurement teams, and business owners. It allows consumers to have confidence in their purchasing decisions and trust GECA-certified products to be healthier, safer, and better for the environment.
Green Tag™ is a third-party, green building product rating and certification system underpinned by rigorous scientific and Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) processes.
The Green Tag™ ecolabel rating positions a product at the top end of the green product market, enabling manufacturers to fully communicate the work they have undertaken to improve their products’ ecological and health benefits for the first time.
These certifications align with our long-term vision to empower the community by ensuring its health, protecting its natural environment, and responsibly using resources.
Indigenous Literacy Foundation
In addition to our products being certified, Abco is a major supporter of the Indigenous Literacy Foundation and does our part to give children in remote Communities across Australia access to more books and learning resources.
When you buy selected Enviroplus products, including e-Washroom X and e-Flush, a portion of our profits is donated to ILF. This donation funds books and learning resources for children in remote Indigenous Communities across Australia. As of 2024, Abco has donated $350,000, supporting Communities with 35,000 books.
About Enviroplus
Enviroplus is an Australian cleaning brand leveraging the power of biotechnology and low-toxicity alternatives to formulate high-performing products that are easier on the environment and healthier at work.
Enviroplus is on a mission to improve the cleaning industry. From our independently certified products and cleaning tools to our social initiatives and education, we help organisations reach ESG goals. For more information, visit their website and explore how they can support your facility’s cleaning needs.
In addition to washroom solutions, Enviroplus offers a range of bins and bin liners, floor and hard surfaces, heavy-duty, kitchen, and paper solutions.
To learn more about Enviroplus, visit: https://enviroplusproducts.com.au/
