KBzine: the original kitchen and bathroom industry e-news - since 2002
14th May 2018
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 International News
Products
New mirror effect finish to sliding wardrobes from Trend
UrbanTop range extended with new finishes
A multitude of mounting options with Matrix R15 sink range
Bette products now on Virtual Worlds CAD system
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I received a press release last week telling me that research which explores new ways for laundry detergents to improve cleaning performance in lower wash temperatures has been honoured with the American Cleaning Institute Distinguished Paper Award. Those of us who do the laundry are well aware that removing vegetable-oil based stains from fabric is one of the toughest challenges when doing the laundry and that removing soils at lower-wash temperatures can be even more challenging. I've always tended to follow my mother's advice by dabbing neat washing up liquid onto the offending stain. It works for me but I know other people wash clothes at far higher temperatures than usual to remove these offending stains; wasting valuable energy and paying higher bills as a result. The researchers showed for the first time that novel formulations of laundry detergents in combination with naturally occurring water hardness can form oil-in-water microstructural emulsions, known as microemulsions, which are capable of providing enhanced cleaning performance of oily soils at 10 degrees C, under realistic surfactant concentrations found in commercial washing products. No doubt this research will one day impact on domestic laundry consumables too... "Energy conservation is of increasing importance in daily life, particularly energy consumption in households," say the researchers. "Reducing energy consumption in the laundry process is receiving increased attention. It has been reported that lowering the wash temperature below 30 degrees C (from 40 degrees C) can achieve 50% - 65% energy savings. "Through our research, we observed that the promising formulations of laundry detergents could accomplish high detergency efficiencies in natural water at cold temperature. This encouraging outcome will lead to further research of the detergency performance enhancement for energy-saving commercial household products." I can remember as a child, my parents unexpectedly receiving 24 boxes of washing powder because they'd recommended the washing machine they'd bought to a neighbour, who went on to buy the same machine and mentioned the recommendation. I can see great marketing opportunities for our industry if this research leads to the manufacture of laundry detergents which deal with stubborn stains in a 10 degrees C wash, rather than the 30 degree wash that we're currently being prompted to use... Yours,
 This Week's News
KBSA 40th Anniversary conference is a not to be missed event
"We are grateful to our headline sponsors BSH Group, Blum and Blanco for their support as without them we would not be able to deliver our ambitious plans for this conference and awards ceremony."
Küppersbusch is a leading German manufacturer of premium major domestic appliances. A pioneer of cooking technology since 1875, the brand is synonymous with timeless design, unrivalled performance, superior quality and the exclusive Okotherm clean air ovens. New quartz surfaces are the perfect match for Summer colours in the kitchen
From bright shades to bold tones, the Summer season is the perfect time to introduce a splash of colour into the kitchen and combined with CRL Quartz surfaces it is a look that has all-year-round style appeal. BMA launches new ageless design website
The new website has been designed to be easy to navigate and includes a host of useful information on products, design, installation and safety. USB charging ports are the new must-have, says HiB
For many people, their device is such an essential tool that being separated from it causes a feeling of unease - a phenomenon known as 'nomophobia'. New bedroom range from Trend Interiors
The 'Sofia' range offers the same high quality and versatility that characterise all Trend Interior bedroom ranges; with 10 different width options, timber drawers and soft close systems, battery operated internal lights for wardrobes and five door hinges rather than the traditional three or four. Rustique redefined: Two new models added to classic sink collection
The new Rustique one and a third (1.3) and a one and a half bowl (1.5) sinks inherit all the elegant design cues from the classic model - such as deep, generous bowls - while blending them with a configuration perfectly suited to the needs of modern homes. Furniture manufacturer fined for exposing employees to dust A furniture manufacturer has been fined after exposing its employees to significant quantities of hardwood dust, a hazardous substance known to cause occupational asthma and nasal cancer. Luton Magistrates' Court heard how employees in Andrena Furniture's workshop were exposed to hardwood dust on a daily basis. One of the reasons for such high levels of the hazardous substance was found to be the company's extraction system, which when tested during an HSE inspection in 2016, was found to be inefficient. British Ceramic Tile introduces a modern-day terrazzo design with Conglomerate
Available in a white and mid grey 25 x 50cm wall tile, Conglomerate features an added lustre to highlight the surface pattern bringing a gentle shimmer to walls. Fundraising is a piece of cake for Franke More in Store retailers across UK and Ireland
This year, Franke has teamed up with cookery writer, author and chef instructor, Judi Rose, to develop an exclusive 'Luscious Lemon Drizzle' cake for the fundraising initiative and is donating them to each of the Franke retailers signed up to host a tea party. Judi developed the recipe based on the original lemon pound cake introduced into the UK by her mother, the renowned Evelyn Rose. Pants down for equality: Bathstore launches Looathon to promote bathroom equality
The campaign is launched in partnership with Sarah Brisdion, who helped bring the issue to public attention in December 2017 through her #ChangingPlaces toilet selfies. The Looathon, which sees Sarah sit on a toilet from 10:00 until 16:00, Friday, May 11th, will take place in Bathstore's Baker Street showroom in full public view. British Ceramic Tile appoints new area sales manager
For the past six years, Debra has held positions at Tile Giant, primarily as branch manager, with a transition to group sales in the field over the last few years. Business development manager appointed for Utopia Contract Sales
The problem I foresee with this is with modern automatic washing machines, because when they wash at lower temperatures they also wash more quickly. It's been a very long time since I worked in the electrical industry but I do remember from my training that when one aspect of the cleaning process decreases another has to be increased to compensate for it. So, in this instance, we could increase either the amount of detergent or the amount of water used, or preferably the time it takes to do the laundry. The KBzine Archive Search We keep an extensive archive of news stories and product information that have featured in past issues of The KBzine. If you would like to run a search of the The KBzine web site using the search tool below please just go ahead by entering in the name of the person, product or company or any other key words that you are looking for. How to contact us at The KBzine:
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clicking the link above. Recent News
Kitchen & Bathroom Business Conference now open for registration
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New Housing Secretary must unleash potential of small builders, says FMB Commenting on the announcement that James Brokenshire MP has been appointed the new Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, Brian Berry, chief executive of the FMB, said: "Sajid Javid passes the housing baton to James Brokenshire at a crucial time for the sector. One Day Design Challenge returns to the Roca London Gallery
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Marketing
Take a virtual tour of Blanco's showroom
Literature
LDL introduces brochure library
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