After meticulously reviewing hundreds of guest reviews for various establishments such as hotels, restaurants, and cafes, one thing becomes abundantly clear: hygiene is of paramount importance to guests.
Notably, guests rarely make explicit comments commending good hygiene practices. Rather, their feedback typically centers around hygiene when they encounter subpar standards at a location, falling below their expectations. They just assume good standards of hygiene as a part of the service provided.
It is worth mentioning that comments from guests often touch on more than just the cleanliness of the facilities. They may point out issues like missing or malfunctioning installations and instances where advertised hygiene standards on a hotel’s website do not align with the actual practices observed on-site.
A recent Google search conducted on September 20, 2023, revealed the following statistics:
- TRIPADVISOR + HYGIEN (SWEDISH) 230k results
- TRIPADVISOR + HYGIENE (ENGLISH) 8.6M+ results
Clearly, hygiene is a matter of considerable concern for guests.
Numerous guest comments end with a decisive statement:
“We will not return due to the lack of hygiene.” – Guest
Breakfast buffet, Quality Hotel, Fredriksstad, Norway (2023-01-09) Expired, smelling, sticky, unfresh solution for guest hygiene.
This sentiment prevails even if guests otherwise enjoyed the venue, its cuisine, or the overall service. Adequate hygiene standards have emerged as non-negotiable deal-breakers.
At Hygiene of Sweden, we collaborate with restaurants, hotels, and other public places where the risk of disease transmission is significantly higher than in the comfort of one’s home. We have observed a wide spectrum of hygiene standards in these diverse settings, which often seem to mirror the level of interest and personal hygiene applied by the on-site operations manager or responsible personnel.
We strongly advocate for the implementation of directives that mandate clean, functional, and effective hygiene solutions for the benefit of both guests and staff.
The main reasons identified for the reluctance to implement and maintain adequate hygiene standards include:
- Lack of interest
- Cost considerations
- A desire to avoid ongoing maintenance responsibilities
- Concerns about potential damage to interiors by the chemicals
Much like how many people fasten their seatbelts without anticipating a collision, never use their fire extinguishers they installed, or the defibrillator, maintaining clean hands in locations where individuals come into contact with numerous people and shared surfaces should be regarded as a minimal hygiene standard.
Standard dispensers are normally available in the price range of 100-200 EUR. Maintenance merely entails changing batteries (unless connected to an adapter) and refilling the liquid, straightforward actions. However, these practices are still relatively new and not universally mandated. Consequently, many establishments opt to forego them. Yet, if hygiene matters to guests, shouldn’t hosts pay more attention to it?
Choosing an alcohol-free solution eliminates concerns about damage to the flooring and other surfaces. Additionally, a tank-based dispenser ensures a continuous supply of sanitizer after each re-fill, mitigating the risk of it running out. These are all arguments Hygiene of Sweden present to hosts.
It is a common sight to find a sign in restrooms at most restaurants and hotels in the US that reads, “All employees must wash hands.”
However, it is imperative to recognize that employees are not the sole reason when it comes to spreading bacteria. Therefore, these signs should extend their directive to include all guests as well.
Studies have shown that as few as 19% of people actually wash their hands after using the restroom (source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24889816/).
Furthermore, an even smaller percentage adhere to the World Health Organization’s recommended 10-step handwashing procedure with soap and water.
This is why a clean, functional and effective solutions for hand disinfection is a smart solution in a restaurant, bar or hotel.
- Automatic, Touch free
- Alcohol Free
- Branded
Jureskogs Restaurant at Sveavägen Stockholm
Read more about the advantages regarding sustainability choosing an ethanol free solution for hand hygiene in the PDF Environmental Product Declaration.
SAFETY INFORMATION
Use disinfectants safely. Always read the label and product information before use.
Biocider ska användas på ett säkert sätt. Läs alltid igenom etiketten och produktinformationen före användningen.