Astral Hygiene Blog | Commercial Cleaning & Hygiene Advice UK

  BS EN Cleaning Standards Explained | BS EN 1276, 14476, 13697 & 1650 Guide  21st July 2026 | By Yewan Armstrong | Cleaning Tips , Environmental Health , Hygiene The Complete Guide to BS EN Cleaning Standards: Why They Matter When Choosing Professional Cleaning Products Maintaining high standards of hygiene has never been more important. Whether you're responsible for a healthcare facility, school, office, restaurant, care home or industrial workplace, selecting the correct cleaning and disinfectant products is essential for protecting staff, visitors and customers. One of the easiest ways to identify a product's proven effectiveness is by looking for BS EN certified cleaning standards . These recognised European testing standards, adopted throughout the UK as British Standards, provide independent verification that disinfectants have been scientifically tested against bacteria, viruses, fungi and yeasts under strict laboratory conditions. At Astral Hygiene , we supply a...

  What Is BS EN 1276? Why It Matters for Cleaning and Disinfection  27th June 2025  | By Yewan Armstrong   |  Cleaning Tips ,  Environmental Health ,  Hygiene ,  Sustainability ,  Coronovirus When it comes to cleaning and disinfection, not all products are created equal. In environments where hygiene is critical—like food preparation areas, hospitals, schools, and public spaces—it’s essential to use disinfectants that are proven to work. That’s where BS EN 1276 comes in. This recognised European standard certifies that a product can kill 99.999% of harmful bacteria within minutes. In this post, we’ll explain what BS EN 1276 means, why it matters, and how to ensure the products you’re using meet this important benchmark. What Is BS EN 1276? Why It Matters for Cleaning and Disinfection When choosing cleaning products—especially in commercial, healthcare, or food environments—it’s vital to understand the standards that ensure safety and effectiv...

  BS EN 1276 and BS EN 14476: Commonly Questions Answered  4th April 2025  | By Anna Armstrong   |  Cleaning Tips ,  Environmental Health ,  Hygiene We've answered some commonly asked questions about BS EN 1276 and what it means for your business. What does BS EN 1276 mean? The Food Standards Agency has published guidance documents for all food handlers to prevent the risk of cross-contamination of E-Coli. As Astral Hygiene are so well versed in food hygiene regulations we can now offer advice and support regarding the safe and most effective use of our products including  Cleaner Sanitiser  for use on Hard Surfaces, and Bactericidal Detergent for use in water to ensure safe food preparation. What exactly is BS EN 1276? BS EN 1276  is a European Standard which ensures that the bactericidal activity of chemical disinfectants is effective against controlling harmful micro-organisms. All BS EN 1276 chemicals have been tested to ensure they ...

BS EN 1276 and Dish Sanitising: What to Check Choose a cleaning and disinfection process suitable for dishes and utensils, rather than relying on a standards number alone. What BS EN 1276 establishes BS EN 1276 is a laboratory suspension test of bactericidal activity. It is not a hard-surface-only test and does not establish activity against flu or other viruses. See the BSI standard description . Check the intended use The Food Standards Agency points businesses to disinfectants meeting BS EN 1276 or BS EN 13697. A test result does not make a product suitable for every application. Check that the manufacturer permits the intended use on dishes or utensils, and follow the stated dilution, temperature, contact time and rinsing instructions. Use a documented process Remove food debris and clean thoroughly. Then disinfect using an appropriate method and allow the required contact time. Follow any rinsing and drying instructions. A commercial dishwasher must be operated and maintained acco...

  Eco friendly cleaning myths debunked......  18th July 2022  | By Anna Armstrong   |  Cleaning Tips ,  Environmental Health ,  Hygiene ,  Sustainability ,  Coronovirus As a company that put the environment at the heart of every thing we do, we take quality control very seriously. We sample every product, test it thoroughly, but importantly with the eco friendly range we ensure that this product has been tested by the relevant organisations to confirm the ingredients in these chemicals are not toxic. We do this by making sure that our  Eco Friendly Range  is approved by the EU Ecolabel Council, and this certifies that this product which carries this label has a guaranteed, independently verified low environmental impact.  As a family friendly, and environmentally conscious business we choose to stock  Eco Friendly Products , because they benefit both the earth and our families.  What does “Eco-Friendly” Mean? This ter...