Astral Hygiene Blog | Commercial Cleaning & Hygiene Advice UK

  Disposable Sanitary Bins.... Did you know that most organisations don’t need to use sanitary bin contractors to collect sanitary waste or nappies? If you want to save at least £500 per year, keep reading!   Astral Hygiene have had a partnership with  Binny Bins,  since 2015, and we have been using and selling these bins since then.  We have tested these bins, and have sold thousands, so I thought it was about time that I did a blog on these fantastic money saving bins.     Binny disposable sanitary bins  remove the need for traditional sanitary bin supplier contracts and are already in use across many organisations including NHS Sites, cafes, restaurants, bars etc. There is a considerable amount of mis-information concerning sanitary waste to ensure organisations utilise traditional sanitary bin suppliers. However, both the HSE and the Department of Health (DOH) clearly define sanitary bin waste as “offensive waste” and this is not hazardou...

Legionella and Water Hygiene: Key Considerations Legionella control starts with understanding your water system and assessing its risks. A general cleaning-product claim does not establish that a product or process will control Legionella throughout a water system. Plan appropriate controls Controls may include managing temperatures, avoiding stagnation, inspecting the system, cleaning and descaling outlets, and keeping records. The appropriate programme depends on the system and the people using the premises. Clean outlets safely HSE advises dismantling, cleaning and descaling showerheads and associated hoses quarterly, or as determined by the risk assessment. Do not select a general kitchen sanitiser for water-system treatment merely because it carries BS EN 1276. Follow HSE water-system guidance and its maintenance guidance . Obtain competent advice where required. This blog was written by  Anna Armstrong ,  Director of Sales and Operations  at Astral.  Please...

  Info for Chicken Farms - Omnicide Disinfectant - What is it?  13th May 2021  | By Yewan Armstrong Omnicide  is a powerful, fast acting, broad spectrum disinfectant designed to provide excellent bio-security protection even in dirty conditions with lasting residual protection. What Does It Contain? Omnicide  contains a blend of two powerful active ingredients: glutaraldehyde and COCO QAC. COCO QAC is cocoalkyldimethylbenzyl ammonium chloride. This molecule contains a range of short, medium and long alkyl chains. Long chain activity is needed to control gram-negative bacteria. Why Use It? • It destroys many virus and gram negative bacteria which are tolerant to other disinfectants and cause disease throughout the world • The number one choice for bio-security programs when the disease risk is high • DEFRA approved - diseases of Poultry order 1:125 & general orders at 1:50 • Suitable for use in a variety of sectors and particularly useful in the poultry secto...

  Rolls Royce or Lacklustre?  5th May 2021  | By Anna Armstrong   |  Cleaning Tips ,  Coronovirus ,  Environmental Health ,  Hygiene Gyms and fitness centres attract people from all walks of life, and making close physical contact with the gym equipment is the name of the game right?  That is potentially why these centres have been delayed in reopening, and also why it is so very important to get the sanitisation of the centres 100% right. The staff, the personal trainers, the centre staff, the pool attendants all work in varied environments, going to public halls, conducting outdoor boot camps, doing 1:1 sessions in peoples’ houses; this means they are moving around differing environments, and have the potential to touch many shared surfaces. Support has been given in several research studies that gyms contain high amounts of germs, bacteria and viruses (Markley et al., 2012; Mukherjee et al., 2014).  Before COVID I would regularly go i...

  Are you ready for Hygiene 2.0?  21st April 2021  | By Anna Armstrong   |  Coronovirus ,  Hygiene The virus that effectively shut down the world in 100 days, has taught us a great deal about Hygiene, and particularly how to manage it The virus that effectively shut down the world in 100 days, has taught us a great deal about Hygiene, and particularly how to manage it. It has also taught us that we need a new strategy, to manage the effects of any future pandemics or breakouts, to slow the spread down without having to shut everything down. Businesses, individuals; everyone has been through such a difficult and harrowing time over the last 12 months…. so now is the time to devise a plan to counter the effects of new virus outbreaks to allow us to manage it whilst still allowing businesses to function. In 2007, statistician Nassim Nicholas Taleb defined “Black Swan” as an event that “is an outlier,” as it lies outside the realm of regular expectations. Black...

  Are all hypochlorous products made equal??  7th April 2021  | By Anna Armstrong   |  Hygiene Not all Hypochlorus Acid is created equal... can you be sure your HOCI is in the right state to kill bacteria and virus - or if it is just salt water? Since 2020 the popularity of  Hypochlorous Acid  has increased exponentially, and its explosion can only be testament to the benefits of this biocide that effectively bottles the same capability the human immune system uses to fight infection. This chemical is amazing, and in the right formulation, and in the right chemical state it can kill up to 99.9999% of pathogens quickly and safely.  IF it is the right formulation,  HOCI  can be used effectively on hard surfaces, on skin and hands, in fogging machines and in some cases, babies bottles and dummies. This incredible chemical, in it’s pure form has been proven to kill E. coli, Salmonella, C. difficile, Coronaviruses and Norovirus faster than ot...

BS EN 1276 vs BS EN 14476: Understanding Product Claims BS EN 1276 and BS EN 14476 address different disinfectant claims. A product meeting one standard should not automatically be assumed to meet the other. BS EN 1276: bactericidal activity BS EN 1276 evaluates bactericidal activity using a suspension test. It is not a hard-surface-only test. See the BSI standard description . BS EN 14476: virucidal activity Check the product’s specific virucidal claim, the organisms covered and its test conditions. Bactericidal evidence does not establish that a product is effective against viruses. Read the instructions Use the product only for its intended application and follow the stated dilution, contact time, surface compatibility and rinsing requirements. “Tested against” a standard should be supported by evidence of the result and applicable conditions. For food premises, see official cleaning guidance . Ask Astral Hygiene for product documentation if you need help comparing disinfectants. Th...