Hygiene is a fundamental and compulsory human right. This is the simple but powerful vision behind the Micro Soap Hygiene Station, an easy-to-use, effective and environmentally friendly hand washing system designed for hospitals, schools, restaurants, day-care centres and businesses in communities around the world.
Every year, millions of people become ill as a result of diseases that could easily have been prevented with access to adequate hygiene facilities or, even more frustratingly, with increased awareness of proper hand washing procedures. Despite the clear connection between poor hand hygiene and disease, many people wash their hands incorrectly or not at all. This results in a range of illnesses and related problems: loss of employment, loss of school days, costly medical interventions and, in the worst case, loss of life.
Soap hygiene micro-stations take the guesswork out of hand washing, ensuring that users get a clean and effective wash with every use, and thus avoid preventable diseases. What’s more, as part of our commitment to respecting the environment, we are reducing soap and water waste in the process, making a safer, healthier and greener planet, hand in hand.
With the emergence of the Coronavirus (COVID-19), the World Health Organization, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention and numerous other internationally recognized health organizations have stressed the importance of frequent and correct hand washing as the most reliable preventive measure against infection. By early March 2020, more than 125,000 people were infected with the Coronavirus, 11% of which were classified as "critical" or "severe".
But the simple act of washing hands with soap works against the Coronavirus on two fronts, breaking the lipid box that surrounds the virus (paralyzing its ability to infect), and making hands slippery so that the germs can be easily washed away. Micro-hygiene soap stations can help stop the spread of COVID-19 by ensuring that users receive easy and effective washing, with the right amount of soap, water and time, every time.
This startup provides the key steps to proper hand washing. The steps are as follows:
Wash your hands frequently
Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after you have been in a public place, or after you blow your nose, cough or sneeze.
If soap and water are not available, use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol. Cover all surfaces of your hands and rub them until they feel dry.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with your unwashed hands.
As the anguish, fears, and anxiety surrounding the coronavirus continue to grow and the number of people forced into quarantine at home increases, the Israeli startup Soapy Care Ltd. has a clear goal and is to stop the spread of this virus by doing its part to help people wash their hands more efficiently.
The smart hygiene startup Soapy Care, founded in 2018 and based in Rehovot, central Israel, develops smart sinks that incorporate computer vision analysis and Internet of Things (IoT) technologies, said Max Simonovsky, co-founder and CEO of the company in an interview with Calcalist.
Smart sinks are self-contained and replace traditional sinks, Simonovsky said. Soapy Care sinks can be programmed with different settings, including the amount of time the water runs or the precise amount of soap or disinfectant dispensed, according to the location of the smart sinks, whether in restaurants, hospitals, nursing homes, day care centers, or private homes, he added.
The toilets that this startup proposes have a series of advantages that can make us avoid the spread of the coronavirus and thus be able to stop the epidemic. They are the following:
COMPLIANCE: It adheres to the World Health Organization’s guidelines for hand hygiene
IOT POWERED: Get real-time hand washing quality reports for all users
WATER SAVINGS: Reduces water consumption by 95%
ECONOMICAL: Return on investment in 12 months thanks to savings in water, soap and electricity
VERIFIED: Supervises effective hand washing practice of each user
PLUG & PLAY" CONFIGURATION: Easy and fast installation
ACCESSIBLE: Hands-free activation system eliminates contamination at the point of use
While the company suggests using specific types of soaps for best results, their sinks can be used with any standard soap.
The idea for smart sinks came up a few years ago when Simonovsky’s son, who was two at the time, told him that he didn´t think handwashing is important because some of his daycare sinks don’t work properly.
Since the coronavirus outbreak, the company has lowered its prices for customers in the most affected areas, such as in China and South Korea, to help stop the spread of the virus. The outbreak has led to a massive increase in demand for Soapy Care’s smart sinks, Simonovsky said.
Soapy Care’s technology can be found in restaurants, factories and day-care centres in countries such as Israel, the United States, Angola and India. The company has raised more than $ 1 million to date and employs a team of 22 people.