The Cleen App is FREE to download and enables customers and visitors to rate the washrooms in any type of venue from restaurants and shopping centres to sports stadia and airports.

With the Cleen App, users can either compliment accessible and clean washrooms or post complaints and issues they have faced such as dirty basins, no soap or toilet paper, access problems for people with disabilities and lack of baby changing facilities.

The reviews are fun and easy to post by clicking different icons and users can even upload photographs to support their review.

These can then be viewed by other Cleen App users so that they can see which venues have good – and poor – washroom facilities and make a choice to visit accordingly.

In addition to the Cleen App, HSG UK have also developed a complete washroom management tool for Businesses and washroom service providers called the Cleen Dashboard.

By using the Cleen Dashboard, businesses and washroom services providers can have full and immediate access to an online dashboard highlighting the issues so that they can take action and directly respond to customer feedback.

Washroom service providers can also use the Cleen Dashboard to manage their portfolio of washroom clients.

HSG UK Managing Director Simon Rice has drawn on his company’s expertise as a market leader in washroom water conservation and services and worked with digital marketing agency Subism in Derby and London to develop the cutting-edge technology.

Mr Rice explained: “It has long been a bug bear of mine that, in this day and age, we are still faced with washrooms that are dirty, smelly with no toilet paper and overflowing nappy and sanitary bins.

“Having worked in the washroom industry for many years, I was determined to give the public a voice and turn the tide on the washroom roulette.

“Many washrooms are also still not fit for purpose – and therefore badly affect the quality of life – for a large part of our community and particularly for people with disabilities and parents needing baby changing facilities.”

Mr Rice continued that he was confident that the app would be embraced by a wide range of businesses and venues.

“A positive review is are a good advertisement and marketing tool for a business. When feedback is negative, the business has the information available immediately to address the situation or take their washroom services provider to task.

“First impressions definitely count, and our aim is to improve the world one washroom at a time.”

Cleen App was welcomed by Karen Irwin, Bladder & Bowel UK, part of Disabled Living

She said: “The accessibility and standard of washrooms is a major consideration for disabled people when they are deciding where to visit – whether that be a shopping centre, theatre or restaurant.

“Cleen App is therefore a simple and engaging way of giving disabled people a voice to share their experiences – good and bad – to help other people make those decisions.

I hope that it will be embraced by businesses in all sectors as there is a growing understanding amongst businesses that disability, simply put, is good for business.

“Access to washrooms is sometimes governed by the physical make up of a building but there is no excuse for sub-standard facilities and cleanliness and Cleen app addresses this which is very welcome.”

The Cleen App, is available from the App store for Apple devices and the Google Play Store for Android. For further information visit www.cleen.world.

For businesses and washroom service providers wanting to take advantage of the Cleen Dashboard, please email dashboard@cleen.world or visit the website.

If you would like to feature on Bladder & Bowel UK’s blog please contact us via bbuk@disabledliving.co.uk

The post The Hygiene Services Group in Derby launches new Cleen App appeared first on Bladder & Bowel UK.

Paper towels required the destruction of trees, factory processing, additional packaging, storage and travel miles. Plastic bags to collect, store and remove used ones and staff to dispose of them and refill the dispensers, some could be composted, but most were buried or burned. The financial and environmental cost savings cannot be denied. Also, the newest dryers are becoming more efficient, faster and using even less energy.

The more powerful the fan, the louder it gets

But there are new problems presented by these noisy machines- the more powerful the fan the quicker the drying time, but the louder they become.

Many people, especially young children, particularly those with more sensitivity to sound and those who dislike surprises, are finding hand dryers create anxiety and for many a refusal to use public toilets. As a continence advisor I see this problem frequently and families report their children preferring to try to hold their poo and wee, or even to wet or soil their underwear, rather than using public toilets. Others refuse to go out to places with the feared equipment, using only toilets they know have no dryers, so limiting choices for the rest of the family too.

Having discussed the problem with many families, also with some children who were able to explain or describe their fears. It appears that the issue is less the volume of the noise, more that the child is unable to prepare themselves as they do not know when the noise will start. They do not have the visual clues as they are in a cubicle.

One mother had made a laminated sign saying ‘Out of order’ which she would hang on the machine when they went into the toilet, removing it when they left. Sometimes there were more than one dryer, so she carried three signs, but some motorway services had multiple machines, so her son refused to use the loo without enough signs. Mum said it was amusing to overhear the comments of other customers as they found that all of the hand dryers were broken.

Another mother reported turning off the electricity supply at the wall- if the socket was obvious, also trying to remember to switch it on again when leaving.

Another family were able to add painted eyes and a smiling mouth to the dryer in their child’s school and to give it a name, an attempt to give it ‘pet’ status. Their child became more accepting of it and would talk to it, while it was silent, but still was upset when it made a noise whilst she was in the cubicle.

One child responded well to a project, she would photograph the different sorts of dryers and give them a rating according to their noisiness, appearance and effectiveness, adding further scores for position of the machine and other features. This quickly became a fascination and developed into an obsession.

Other families have reported carrying ear defenders and using ear plugs to reduce the sound, with varying amounts of success- some children refusing to use the toilets if the ear defenders are not in mums’ handbag.

Another mother said she and her son sang loudly whilst he was on the loo to drown out the sound, this was also beneficial in helping him to empty his bladder and bowel more efficiently, but not everyone would have the level of confidence needed and not every child is proud of their parents singing.

As it is the lack of warning that the noise is about to start, that appears to be the biggest problem, I considered placing a sign above the dryers, asking people to call out before starting to use it. But that would only be effective if everyone was able to read the sign and were willing and able to help.

Probably the most successful idea has been, recording the noise and playing it back, more quietly to start with and at random times, while the child is happily playing, increasing the volume as the child gets used to it.

It is probable that different children will respond to different methods, families may need to try a variety of ideas, before finding one that works for the child.

I do wonder if it might be possible for the dryer manufacturers to create a warning noise or note, just before the fans start up, to warn anyone who is upset by these devices.

But the most important thing is to keep trying different options, to keep pushing a little bit more, so that a fear of toilets does not isolate the child and their family, limiting their options and preventing them choosing where they want to go out to.

We want to hear your thoughts on hand dryers

Have you had any success with these techniques or found any other ideas that could be helpful to other families or carers? Please share your comments below.

This post has been written by Fiona Boorman, Children’s Specialist Nurse at Bladder & Bowel UK.

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