HYGIENE 2.0 – SMART BATH WARE IS KEY TO ENSURING PERSONAL CLEANLINESS IN THE NEW NORMAL By Mr. Sanjay Kalra, CEO, Bath Products & Tiles, Brilloca Limited

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NATIONAL, 21st August 2020 (GNI): Tech innovation – as the essential enabler of our time – is seeing accelerated integration across sectors in a call to mitigate the impact of Covid-19 business and safety. With hygiene gaining precedence as primary line of defense, the ongoing pandemic has significantly reinforced the importance of sanitation and bath ware industry in-turn. The permanent fixtures such as taps and cisterns in a standard bathroom are potential infection hotspot, if not sanitized regularly. This raises the dire need of technological innovations in bath ware products to minimize physical touch and ensure enhanced cleanliness and hygiene. As a result, contactless and touch-free bathroom fixtures have become critical and catalyzed IoT in the bath ware industry.

With digital driving hygiene today; few key innovative trends emerging to make bathrooms smarter are observed as below;

Automated Sanitation: Automation in water closet is key to avoiding physical contact and maintaining proper hygiene. Self-cleaning nozzles for instance will not only facilitate ease of clean-up for the users but will clean it requiring minimal manual intervention. Remote controlled water closet provides the facility of avoiding physical contact with the cistern. Automated seat covers too will aid in contactless use of sanitary ware propagating the touchless element for added personal hygiene.

Sensor Integration: Among the bathware, contactless faucet fixture or sensor enabled flushing water closets are not just favorable and convenient choices but the need of the hour. Not only at home but in public areas like restaurants, schools, colleges, airports, clubs and hotels; sensor faucets are extremely beneficial for washrooms/ restrooms. For instance, contact-free handwashing allows frontline healthcare professionals to maintain optimum levels of cleanliness while performing their duties. The no-touch element expands to sanitaryware as well – such as modern water closets and their inbuilt sensor for flushing.

Breaking silos between public and private hygiene: In curbing the expedited spread of Covid-19, accessories that don’t need physical contact are indispensable today. Hands-free fixtures that can be installed in both public and private bathrooms and washrooms are deemed to be the new normal providing higher levels of hygiene. This is not only valid for homes but also public space; thus paving way for decelerated spread of infection by touch. 

A new wave of innovation has indeed emerged in bath ware segment to ensure of safety by making our bathrooms cleaner, more hygienic, and also comfortable. While the smart bathroom accessories will enhance the aesthetic appeal and add to our convenience, higher level of personal hygiene will assuredly be the dominant intent. Design & Innovation is the need of the hour to encourage minimal contact with the surfaces and to have a healthy living.-Ends