Urinal Products Explained

As public washrooms see far more users than our home bathrooms, it’s no surprise that the products used to keep them clean is very different to our household products.
Many people use a washroom without considering the measures taken to keep it clean and hygienic, however when you’re responsible for a public washroom, it’s important that you understand the variety of products available to you, and what each product does. There may also be questions you had never considered previously, such as “what is the difference between a urinal screen and a urinal shield?” and “what is a urinal cake?”.
In this article, we will educate you on the ins and outs of urinal products, so you’re able to choose the right product for your washroom.

Urinal Cake – also known as a Urinal Cube, or a Urinal Block

You probably didn’t think you would ever hear the word “cake” associated with washroom products! Urinal cakes are placed in the bottom of a urinal and are designed to kill bacteria and reduce odour. They also neutralise urine odours as it passes down to the drain.
Some urinal cakes are multi-purpose and will also stop limescale deposit build-up in drains and pipework. Urinal cakes are available in a variety of fragrances, for example phs Direct’s urinal cubes have a fresh lemon scent.
Urinal cakes are also known as urinal cubes, urinal blocks, and even urinal cookies/biscuits (definitely not for consumption!). Whilst cleaning urinals and tackling odour, the Micrakleen Bio Blocks are also fully biodegradable and contain harmless micro-organisms. With a spearmint scent, they deodorise whilst also removing uric salts.

Urinal Screen

A urinal screen is a mat-type product which sits over the drain of a urinal. Urinal mats have lots of holes in them to enable fluid to pass through, and keeps the urinal and drains clean by preventing blockages and build-up of uric salts, whilst also deodorising and removing the urine odour. It does this by releasing a fragrance – and it’s important to choose a urinal screen product that will neutralise the odour and not just mask it with fragrance.
Urinal screens are flexible and are made from a gel-like material which moulds to the shape of the urinal. It’s important to review the properties of each urinal screen available to you as they are not all the same. For example, the gel urinal screens from phs Direct are designed to be anti-splash and are made using a biodegradable and anti-bacterial material, releasing enzymes to keep the urinal clean, and lasting for up to 30 days.
Meanwhile, the P-Screen lasts for up to 60 days, and has a deep bubble-type design for optimum splash-back protection, and is also fully recyclable.

Urinal Shield (also known as Urinal Sleeve)

A urinal shield/sleeve is similar to a urinal screen in that it is a mat which is placed over the drain of a urinal. Its purpose is to prevent any debris and rubbish going down the drain and causing blockages which would be very costly to resolve. Having drain blockages can also cause odour and inconvenience for the washroom users, which can be avoided by having a urinal shield in situ.

Many urinal shields are multi-purpose such as deodorising and antibacterial cleaning properties. The urinal screens from phs Direct have a four-ounce enzymatic deodorant block with surfactants and chelating agents to clean and deodorise. With a floral fragrance, it lasts for up to 2000 flushes, and has colouring agents which are released with each flush, so you know it’s functioning correctly.
Meanwhile, the phs ECOSHIELD is a low-maintenance urinal sleeve which connects to the urinal trap, reducing blockages and keeping pipework clear, whilst also being environmentally-friendly. With either a citrus or aquamarine fragrance. The ECOSHIELD has a Nurazyme bio-block, which breaks down any build-up of uric salts using natural enzymes and friendly bacteria, and therefore tackles odours. The ECOSHIELD has been carefully designed to work alongside the phs FLOWSAVER URINAL to reduce water usage by as much as 70%.

FLOWSAVER URINAL

The FLOWSAVER URINAL is a market-leading water management system from phs, which can reduce your organisation’s water usage by up to 70% - savings money on your water bills and conserving water to boost your environmental credentials. Most urinals have an automatic flush system, flushing every 15-30 minutes each day. However, by implementing the FLOWSAVER, you can reduce the water usage by using infra-red technology to detect motion, and only flushing the urinal when it is required. It’s also possible to schedule hygiene flushes as required. By implementing the FLOWSAVER URINAL you can save as much as £800 each year on a washroom’s water bill and more than 300,00 litres of water annually!

Urinal Cartridge

Urinal cartridges are designed specifically for waterless urinals – they help to eliminate any odours and prevent the build-up of uric salts.

Renovator

A renovator is a fast-acting heavy-duty cleaner for both toilet bowls and urinals, that removes limescale along with stains and any other residues.

For all your washroom consumable needs, phs Direct are here to help. Visit our website today to browse our product range!