Sanitary Maintenance Names 2023 Distributor Choice Award Winners

The jan/san industry is always in flux — growing, evolving and improving as time goes on. Products and equipment are often at the forefront of that change. 

For example, new chemicals are being created to streamline cleaning/disinfecting processes and combat emerging viruses. Equipment is evolving and embracing new technologies to improve efficiencies. And finally, more product manufacturers are focusing on green and sustainable initiatives in an effort to reduce cleaning’s impact on the environment. 

It’s up to distributors to remain in-the-know on product and equipment evolution so they can continue to service their end user customers and make recommendations for best-use scenarios. To help do just that, Sanitary Maintenance sought out to help identify the top products in the industry.  

For the 10th consecutive year, Sanitary Maintenance reached out to jan/san distributors across the country for insight into their favorite products. Over a six-week period, those distributors voted through online ballot, whittling down the best products before winners of the 2023 Distributor Choice Award were finally identified.  

Again this year, products were divided into four main product categories: Chemicals; Cleaning Tools; Equipment and Accessories; and Restroom Dispensers, Fixtures and Consumables. Two additional categories — Health and Wellness, and Technology and Innovation — were also featured to identify products that promote healthy environments, and products that showcase the future of the industry. 

For each of the six categories, distributors ranked their choices for whatever reason they decided: bestselling, most preferred, most recommended, most innovative, etc. The three highest vote getters were deemed the winners in each category.  

Here are the winners of the 2023 Distributor Choice Award program.  

Chemicals 

Re-Nu! 1-2-3 by The InnuScience Group

Re-Nu 1-2-3 is a premium line of floor care products designed specifically for the maintenance of vinyl, linoleum and rubber floors. Re-Nu is a simple solution for removing embedded dirt, stains and scratches from these hard-to-clean floors. Its application method helps restore and revitalize these floors while ensuring their longevity. It is easy, effective and eco-friendly. 

Sani-Cloth Prime Wipes by PDI

Powered by a next generation proprietary blend of quaternary ammonium, isopropyl alcohol (IPA), and ethanol, Sani-Cloth Prime disinfectant is a 1-minute bactericidal, fungicidal, virucidal, and tuberculocidal surface disinfectant that kills over 50 microorganisms. Available in convenient formats, including canisters and individual packets. 

800-count Lysol Disinfecting Wipes by Lysol Pro Solutions

Introducing 800-count Lysol Disinfecting Wipes, a size that facility managers and cleaning teams will love from a trusted brand. With 10x more wipes per unit compared to Lysol Disinfecting Wipes 80-count canister, the 800-count size helps facilitate hygiene practices and create operational efficiencies. Each bucket can be refilled and reused 25 times. Made from 50 percent PCR materials, the bucket packaging helps reduce virgin plastic use and eases the impact on landfills. 

Restroom Dispensers, Fixtures and Consumables 

Compact Coreless Toilet Paper Systems by GP PRO

GP PRO’s Compact Coreless Toilet Paper Systems address the needs of facility managers by helping improve the user experience and custodian productivity. The high-capacity dispensers cover and protect unused toilet paper rolls to help improve hygiene while the coreless 1,000-sheet toilet paper rolls help reduce the risk of toilet paper outages and stub roll waste. 

Pod Petite Auto Sanitary Waste Disposal Unit by SaniPod (Pure Concepts Ltd)

Pod Petite Auto answers the sensitive question faced by women: how to dispose of sanitary waste, hygienically and easily? Pod Petite is a touch-free solution women deserve and choose to use – meaning no more toilet blockages or plumbing charges. Compact, safe and simple to use, it offers a unique liner for quick and easy servicing with no exposure to waste for custodial staff. 

ALLORGANIC USDA Certified Organic Hand Soap by Charlotte Products

ALLORGANIC USDA Certified Organic Hand Soap is proven safer for human health and the environment. ALLORGANIC hand soap is the highest quality hand soap, formulated in accordance with the USDA National Organic Program. Does not contain GMO's, synthetic fertilizers, insecticides, preservatives, herbicides, toxic chemicals and is manufactured with reduced carbon footprint. 

Equipment and Accessories 

Gorilla Floor Pad by ACS Industries Inc.

The ACS Gorilla Floor Pad first made its appearance in 1981 and was the first pad ever to blend the qualities of Synthetic and Natural Fibers. The blend gives the pad a unique quality of buffing and polishing in one pad alone. Gorilla's natural hair produces heat and moisture to create a mirror high-gloss shine like no other floor pad can. 

Flex Scrub by The Malish Corporation

Flex Scrub, the ultimate bristled floor pad, installs easy like a pad and cleans deep like a brush. Digs down to lift dirt from grout lines, highs-lows, and textures where traditional pads can’t reach. No flipping or rinsing; self-cleaning. Fits onto any pad driver and outlasts traditional floor pads up to 50 to 1. 

Diamond Devil by The Malish Corporation 

Less steps and using only water, achieve unparalleled shine on concrete and terrazzo with Diamond Devil restoration and polishing system by Malish. Never strip or wax again. A 3+1 system to achieve a satin finish in three steps. An optional +1 tool elevates the polish to an unmatched image gloss and clarity. Save time and money. Works on most standard floor machines. 

Cleaning Tools 

HydroPower Ultra by Unger Enterprise

HydroPower Ultra professional window cleaning equipment is the easiest and safest way to clean up to five stories of outdoor windows. HydroPower Ultra uses DI filter technology to clean outdoor glass surfaces, leaving a spot-free finish without using harsh chemicals, ladders, or lifts. Pure Water cleaning is efficient, cost-effective and environmentally safe. 

Tork Biobased Heavy-Duty Cleaning Cloth by Essity

Made from 99 percent plant-based fibers and sustainably sourced, the Tork Biobased Heavy-Duty Cleaning Cloth boosts sustainability without compromising on performance.  These cloths, which won two Amsterdam Innovation Awards 2022, are interfolded for easy access and one-at-a-time dispensing. Thus, customers only touch what they take, reducing waste and cross-contamination. 

3M Easy Trap Sweep & Dust Sheets by 3M Commercial Solutions Division 

3M Easy Trap Sweep & Dust Sheets trap up to 800 percent more dirt, dust, and sand than flat fringed cotton dust mops and the professional version of a common household sweeping dust cloth brand. They are made with at least 60 percent recycled content and are also Green Seal Certified so you don’t have to sacrifice sustainability goals for the convenience of disposability. 

Technology & Innovation 

KaiVac 1750 No-Touch Cleaning System by Kaivac, Inc.

The KaiVac 1750 combines an indoor pressure washer, chemical injection and wet vacuum into a single system. Workers spray solution on fixtures and floors, then flush the soils to the floor. Then they vacuum the floor dry for clean, safe restrooms and more. Studies show they clean 30 times better than mops in half the time while protecting workers from unsafe surfaces. 

Vaask by Vaask

The Vaask touchless hand sanitizing fixture features an online dashboard and app alerting maintenance staffs when it's time to refill, eliminating the chore of checking each dispenser and ensuring they always stay filled. Features include: no batteries (AC or POE); large capacity; refillable with any gel for up to 65 percent savings on sanitizer costs; and a 5-year warranty. 

Phantas by Gausium

Phantas is an “all-in-one” robotic floor cleaner that performs scrubbing, vacuuming, sweeping and dust mopping. With a small size for superior passability, Phantas fills the market void of floor cleaning robots for small and medium-sized commercial facilities. Driven by AI deep learning, it's able to detect waste in the surrounding area and perform auto spot cleaning. 

Health & Wellness 

NaceCare RBV 150NX Battery Vacuum Backpack with HEPA Option by NaceCare Solutions

Our RBV 150NX vacuum backpack with HEPA option is quiet, fits comfortably and is ideal for use in high-traffic areas on any floor surface. It cleans 15,000 sq ft/hr., runs for 90 minutes, and provides filtration of 0.3 microns at 99.97 percent efficiency. It features a 350W digital brushless motor, with a life of 2,250 hours and is powered by our NX300 36V battery. 

KaiVac 1750 No-Touch Cleaning System by Kaivac, Inc.

The KaiVac 1750 combines an indoor pressure washer, chemical injection and wet vacuum into a single system. Workers spray solution on fixtures and floors, then flush the soils to the floor. Then they vacuum the floor dry for clean, safe restrooms and more. Studies show they clean 30 times better than mops in half the time while protecting workers from unsafe surfaces. 

Black Diamond 3000 by Americo Manufacturing

Black Diamond 3000 Polishing and Daily Maintenance Pads are ideal for daily use to maintain a brilliant, high gloss appearance on natural stone, terrazzo, smooth concrete and more. Developed with proprietary Integrated Matrix Technology and a base web made from 100 percent recycled PET fiber, these diamond-powered pads clean and polish floors mechanically without harsh chemicals.