For five years now, the 4-star superior Hotel Alpin Juwel in Saalbach-Hinterglemm has been using conventional tap water instead of cleaning agents. With the "Green Cleaning" method, micro dry steam devices (not to be confused with conventional steam cleaners!) ensure clean and germ-free surfaces thanks to dry steam at 190 degrees. This means that environmentally harmful cleaning agents can be completely dispensed with in everyday hotel life. The Salzburg-based company now has the backing of a recent international study which shows that cleaning agents are more harmful to the respiratory tract than car exhaust fumes.
Surfactants, nitric acid, chlorine and much more - the composition of many cleaning products resembles a toxic cocktail, often with negative effects on the environment and health. A recent study by Indiana University classifies the exposure to aerosols caused by cleaning as being as high as inhaling car exhaust fumes, not excluding possible cell damage. The 4-star superior Hotel Alpin Juwel in Saalbach-Hinterglemm proves that professional cleaning also works without the use of chemicals.
Massive cost savings, fewer sick days
The Salzburg-based company has been using the "Green Cleaning" method for five years. In this high-tech cleaning method, normal tap water is atomized at 190 degrees and 9 bar pressure to produce micro dry steam. This dry steam with a water content of just 5 percent has excellent dirt-dissolving properties. It penetrates the smallest microstructures and thus creates germ and virus-free surfaces without leaving any moisture behind. Alexander Schwabl, Managing Director of the Alpin Juwel, sums up: "For five years now, all areas in our hotel, from the kitchen to the rooms to the wet areas, have been cleaned exclusively with micro dry steam. Even carpets, upholstery and the dusting of curtains and heaters are cleaned with micro-dry steam appliances. Our experience has been consistently positive." Not only has the hotel with its 80 rooms been able to reduce cleaning costs by around 40 percent, the new method has also significantly reduced the time required and therefore the personnel costs. The same applies to water consumption. Normally, room cleaning in a hotel consumes around 50-60 liters. Cleaning with micro dry steam only requires 1.5 liters per hotel room. Schwabl: "Cleaning is now 30 percent faster. As our staff no longer come into contact with harmful cleaning agents, there is also less sick leave or problems with allergies."
High-tech micro dry steam appliances are not 0815 steam cleaners
Conventional steam cleaners work with low heat and a water content of up to 40 percent. Although this can remove dirt from hard and resistant materials, these cleaners are unsuitable for sensitive materials, as the high water content in the steam soaks and damages sensitive surfaces.
This is not the case with micro dry steam appliances, which use industry-proven and patented technology to generate extremely dry steam at 190 degrees. As the water particles in the micro-dry steam are so small that they no longer have any surface tension, they can penetrate even the smallest pores - unlike with conventional steam cleaners with a high water content - and thus loosen even stubborn stains. In addition, the high temperature of over 190 degrees automatically ensures thermal disinfection, as even stubborn germs are inactivated at 90 degrees. Experts also speak of a reduction in germ and virus contamination of over 4 LOG levels. With conventional wiping, the reduction is at most LOG 3. "Every cleaning agent, even if it is organic or 'natural', leaves behind residues - just think of the classic streaks after window cleaning," explains Fritz Pattis, Managing Director of Medeco Cleantec GmbH and inventor of the Green Cleaning concept. "And it is precisely this residue that new dirt adheres to more quickly and is an ideal breeding ground for germs. In short, the more you clean with chemicals, the less hygienic it becomes. With our system, you can break this vicious circle using just tap water, save 100 percent of cleaning agents, protect the environment and also save time, as the work is done 30 percent faster than with conventional methods."
