Bathroom hygiene is a sensitive subject at any time but especially so during a pandemic. With the spread of the corona virus throughout the world, the focus has shifted so much towards bathroom cleanliness that the hygienic qualities of sanitation products are now a topic of great importance not only for consumers wanting to modernise their homes but also for architects and project planners working on public buildings.
The subject is of interest from several different perspectives: the hygienic properties of sanitation products are important not only from the health-care viewpoint but also due to their impact on planning requirements and with respect to sustainability. Hygienic functions are frequently linked with the digitalisation of functions in the home and are increasingly ‘invisible’ in design, i.e., in comparison with the significance attached to them, the hygiene features of sanitation products are ‘conspicuously inconspicuous’. In other words, taking a closer look is all the more worthwhile.
The focus is shifting to hygienic requirements – in private and (semi-) public premises
An important aspect when it comes to hygiene and sanitation products is safety – not just for purely functional reasons but also for protection against bacteria and viruses. Naturally, this applies no less to fittings in public facilities than to those in the home. In this case, the development of the bathroom into a lifestyle sphere means greater demands not only on the quality of the time spent there but also on the duration, e.g., as a result of working from home, and, therefore, on the atmosphere.
Altogether, the awareness of the need for cleanliness and safety has increased significantly in the wake of current developments. A variety of solutions are already available from the industry. “When it comes to hygiene, there is no need to reinvent the bathroom”, says Jens Wischmann, managing director of the German Sanitation Industry Association (VDS). “The bathroom is actually one of the cleanest rooms in any dwelling thanks to the surfaces and modern products, which are standard nowadays.”
Today, hygiene as a subject is of much greater relevance in semi-public and public areas. The hospitality sector, for example, must develop new hygiene concepts. However, many sanitation facilities for offices, event locations and public areas must be adapted and converted to meet higher demands on hygiene. For such cases, too, the sanitation industry offers numerous solutions.
Naturally, the subject of hygiene is of utmost importance in the hospital and care sector. According to the ‘Helios-Kliniken-Gruppe’, one of the biggest providers of in-patient and out-patient care in Europe, around 600,000 patients become infected with pathogens in German hospitals every year. Some 400,000 of these hospital infections are unavoidable even if the hospital has done everything correctly in terms of hygiene measures because these infections are caused by patients’ own pathogens. However, around 200,000 of the infections caught in German hospitals could be avoided if strict hygiene measures were to be taken.
They go hand-in-hand: product care and sustainability
The care properties of sanitation products are frequently linked directly with hygiene. Thanks to the latest anti-microbial technologies and surfaces, it is easy to keep washbasins, bathtubs and toilets clean and hygienic. Such products have a special surface coating that dirt and limestone cannot adhere to, thus enabling the water to flush away any residues more easily. Furthermore, this puts a brake on bacteria growth.
Similar solutions that hinder microbial growth are also available for washbasins and toilet seats. Moreover, many modern toilets have a rimless flushing system that offers fewer places where bacteria or other pathogens can take hold. Another advantage is environmental friendliness when cleaning such products because they eliminate the need to use aggressive toilet cleaners.
Jens Wischmann also draws attention to sustainability: “Water-carrying bathroom products undoubtedly represent a growth market. And sustainability is already an important aspect of many hygienic sanitation products. I expect to see more new products and services from the hygiene segment at ISH digital 2021.”
Detailed information about ISH digital can be found at
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