Manually measuring cleaning chemicals is a common but time-consuming, wasteful, and error-prone process. Think about it - if employees make a minor mistake in measuring chemicals or water, the solution won’t perform effectively, resulting in inconsistent cleanliness levels and wastage of time caused by repeatedly cleaning the same area, not to mention potential damage to the surfaces requiring cleaning.

What’s more, the manual handling of chemicals is unsafe for the workers. Imagine being exposed to strong chemicals everyday; how disastrous would the health implications be! Experts suggest that if employees are exposed to harsh chemical fumes or spill chemicals on their skin, it could lead to hazardous situations in the workplace.

The inefficiency and risk associated with manual dispensing led the world to the usage of chemical dispensing systems. A chemical dispenser gets to the root of the problem by promising efficiency, accuracy and reliability. It conveniently eliminates the risk posed to worker safety and saves a lot of things for the facility managers - time, resources, money as well as some peace of mind.

However, modern chemical dispensers took time and went through many phases before they evolved into their current 2020 versions. Let’s take a look at their evolution.

The history

“The first chemical dilution system was rather simple. It screwed onto the end of a faucet. It wasn’t very accurate because water pressure would heavily impact its efficiency (in a rather negative way). But, it was the beginning of a new wave of cleaning. From then on, chemical dispensers continued to provide safer ways of diluting and dispensing chemicals and solved a multitude of problems for cleaning service providers,” says Om Krishna, Director Of Housekeeping, Suha Hospitality.

Although dispensers have evolved, the objectives behind using them have always remained constant - to ensure accurate chemical dispensing, regulating chemical and water use, and preventing exposure to chemicals. As chemical dispensers become more in-tune with individual facility needs, they become more effective.

“I have seen the dosing systems evolve from a beaker or a measuring cup to sophisticated systems like those provided by Brightwell, Hydro Systems or SEKO, which give you diluted or a readyto- use product,” says Mohamed Adil, Head of Operations, MBM.

According to Adil, even though traditionally measuring cups were easy to use, cheap and could be replaced whenever, their limitations outweighed their benefits. “For instance, wastage could not be controlled, it was entirely up to the cleaning person. As a result, one could not even pre-determine if the solution would work or not.

The beneficial features with using dosing equipment is always that you get better control on the consumption of products, and the staff is never connected to use concentrated solutions; it’s much more safe,” he continues. Adil believes that dosing equipment reduces cleaning costs upto 30 per cent by accurately diluting the proper amount of chemical, and it allows businesses to cut out any unnecessary wastage and support the bottom line.

“By dispensing the right amount of product every-time dispensing systems eliminate over use, which often occurs when employees conduct cleaning and therefore more chemicals don’t end up being wasted. Moreover, potentially hazardous chemicals are not dumped into sewers or other places where they can have a negative effect on water supplies or even in recycling the product. Hence, the modern dosing systems are sustainable,” he says.

The modern dispensing systems

Over the past 5 decades, chemical dispensers have evolved thanks to advances in technology and innovations in design. Modern chemical dispensers are a lot more versatile in terms of their size, features and a lot more. Today, there exists a chemical dispenser for any facility. Current dispenser capabilities include the following:

1. Connectivity

Thanks to technology, some dispensing systems have wireless reporting capabilities. This feature helps them keep facility managers connected to the system and informed at all times. If an issue, such as being out of product arises, the system will alert the facility manager, thereby ensuring minimal downtime.

2. Reliability

Modern dispensing systems are made with more durable materials which allow compatibility with multiple chemicals. Being connected to water systems, they also come with backflow protection.

3. Flexibility

These days, many dispensing systems dose several chemicals without the concerns of chemical carryover. This is beneficial for large facilities that utilize one dispensing system for dosing different types of chemicals.

4. Compact design

Because of their compact design, modern dispensing systems can be mounted on walls to optimize facility space.

5. Simplicity

Unlike old times, dispensing systems are now easier to install and promise minimum downtime in cleaning. In addition to this, they have an extremely user-friendly interface that makes them easy to use for everyone alike.

Benefits of a modern dispensing system

Needless to say, a modern dispensing system brings a lot of benefits to the table. Here are a few:

• They are a greener solution

Using traditional methods of chemical dispensing like prediluted, ready-to-use spray bottles, etc might be an easy practice, but it is certainly not an eco-friendly one. Spray bottles are not only expensive, they are also harmful to the environment due to waste created from their packaging and transport.

On the contrary, chemical dispensing systems are better solutions for the environment. They reduce excess waste, as users can use reusable bottles. Less packaging also translates to fewer deliveries and lower fuel use that significantly lessens the carbon footprint. Not to mention the reduction of transport costs.

• They are safer

Chemicals in their pure and concentrated form are hazardous and can have an adverse effect on the health of those who are exposed to them regularly i.e. your cleaning staff. Chemical dispensing systems eliminates the need for this direct exposure and promotes worker health!

• Ensure accurate dosing

For any facility, effective cleaning was and remains a top priority. To ensure this, accurate dosing of chemicals is essential. When the user manually dilutes the chemical with water, they risk using too much or too little chemical. This is because with self-pouring methods, the cleaning staff cannot always accurately determine the right amount of chemical to use. Using too much results in wastage and can create sticky surfaces. Using less can result in poor cleaning results. Chemical dispensers ensure an accurate dose of chemical, every single time.

• Cost-effective

All businesses aim to be cost effective. Chemical dosing systems are aligned with this objective. They make it easier to forecast the cleaning costs. They can control the consumption of chemicals and monitor how much they use.

• They require less training

Training new employees to use new and unfamiliar equipment can be difficult and time consuming. However, modern dispensing systems are so human friendly that anyone can operate them!

Choosing the right dispensing system

A good chemical dispensing system can act like a boon for a business, which has cleaning operations rooted in its core. However, it is imperative that the right choice be made. Here’s how to make one:

1. Assess your business needs

A facility needs to assess its size, budget and needs and then look for viable dispensing options to meet them.

2. Look for wireless reporting capabilities

Managers can’t be onsite 24/7, so investing in a smart dispensing system is key. This particular feature facilitates a lot of managerial decisions like procurement, deployment and more. A modern business would want to capitalize on this.

3. Compact designs and wallmount option

Even large facilities can benefit from a compact and accessible dispenser. Smaller systems that can be mounted to the wall reduce the overall footprint and make installation quick and simple.

4. A trusted brand

Look for a company of repute which is also known for a rich history in dosing and dispensing innovation. The manufacturer should have excellent customer service reviews. An expertise to help you select the best chemical dispensing system for your facility’s needs is a plus.

Going digital

People at the managerial levels love data. With more modern technology continuously enhancing products, why should chemical dispensing lag behind? Modern dispensers allow a manager to ascertain how much chemical is used in dispensers. Joining the internet of things, modern dispensers can provide interesting analytics like how many times they are used, how much chemical is dosed and the cost per dose. This aids procurement decisions and also helps a facility head towards cost effectiveness.

Smarter dispensing solutions and technical innovations are the future of the cleaning and hygiene industry. The monitoring, controlling and operation of chemical dosing systems is very likely to be done remotely, with the help of electronic gadgets we all carry around every day. This will mean that real-time data monitoring, data capture, usage reports and data analysis are likely to become very important features for future product ranges.

To summarize, chemical dispensing systems are a costeffective revolution in cleaning procedures. They are better for the environment, efficient and make cleaning easier by providing safe and accurate dosing.