COVER STORY — CHRISTEYNS: moving ahead with Innovative Chemistry

15 February 2017

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Christeyns has earned the loyalty of laundry customers around the world by introducing efficient, low cost in-use solutions. Innovative chemistry forms the basis of these breakthrough washing processes in hospitality, healthcare and workwear.

Cool Chemistry: spectacular whiteness

Maintaining ultimate fabric whiteness during the entire lifecycle of bed linen and towels involves a twofold mechanism. A first step is excellent stain removal by a new mix of surfactants that reduce surface tension, to allow more intimate contact with the soil. In a next step, these surfactants in the Cool Care detergent ensure that the soil that was removed from the fabric remains suspended in the wash water. Surfactants are the engine of the detergent system and therefore getting this engine right has been the main focus.

The challenge is how to improve cleaning power at lower temperatures. Indeed, surfactants with a higher surface activity typically have a lower solubility, which is a disadvantage when washing at temperatures below 50°C. This was overcome by developing a surfactant system with an optimal molecular structure.

Both stain removal and soil suspension are facilitated by additional chemistry that works in synergy with the surfactant system. An important part of this innovative cocktail are enzymes. These are proteins that degrade natural soils such as food stains or blood in healthcare. Enzymes are unique in that they accomplish this at low temperature. To achieve maximal effect, Cool Care contains specific enzymes that remain stable in the presence of the surfactants.

The final cleaning touch comes from Cool Brite, a highly efficient, safer, low temperature bleaching system for hotel linen.

The Cool Chemistry Green product range for hospitality linen has even been awarded with an EU Ecolabel certificate.

For the disinfection of healthcare textiles, the Cool Chemistry approach relies on Cool Asepsis that delivers outstanding bactericidal, fungicidal and sporicidal results at low temperature.

Cool Chemistry for Workwear: superior stain removal

Cool Chemistry for Workwear can be used for all workwear classifications. Workwear from slaughterhouses, meat processing plants, dairy industry, catering is heavily soiled with stains that are penetrating deep into the fabric. This requires outstanding stain removal that is delivered by the surfactant system supported by a stain-specific cocktail of enzymes. Synergy with sequestrants ensures very powerful soil suspension resulting in outstanding cleanliness, in addition to fresh and vivid colours. This also prevents the formation of iron hydroxide, which can lead to fabric greying after deposition.

A well-designed synergy between surfactants and sequestrants is even more important when washing workwear garments from car, metal, construction or petrochemical industries. Removing mineral and synthetic oils and greases, as well as carbon black is challenging. Cool Chemistry can handle this at lower temperatures than traditional washing chemistry. A specially developed cocktail of surfactants forms a cluster of surfactant molecules or micelles around the oils and greases helping stain removal. An innovative mix of sequestrants and chelators removes mineral deposits and metals.

Cool Chemistry washes at an optimal pH and lower temperatures and dramatically increases the lifetime of hotel or hospital linen, workwear garments and high visibility and protective workwear.

By using Cool Chemistry washing processes you choose for a sustainable approach with a lower environmental impact. Christeyns continues to send a game-changing message to the world of laundering.

“Nothing great in the world has ever been accomplished without passion”, reads Christeyns’ website in quoting the words of the German philosopher Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel that speak volumes about the history and mission of the group, a world’s leader in products and services for laundries.Its huge success makes one wonder how a Belgian, family-run company has managed to survive for over 50 years surrounded by international chemical giants. The two key ingredients in the success story of Christeyns have been creativity and innovation, both driven by passion. Determination, ongoing commitment to investments in critical areas such as research and development, teamed with high-caliber staff, have made it possible for Christeyns to develop from a local company founded in 1946 to a modern European key player in the global market.Over the years, the company’s objective has remained that of offering added value to its clients.The objective was met as a result of the passion and focus on even the smallest details in all of the operations of a modern laundry, the quest for the most innovative solutions, an expert and attentive customer service and the capability to deliver flexible and customized services.