ARAMARK Expands "Blue Cleaning" Program with Addition of New ECOLAB HYDRIS™ Technology

PHILADELPHIA, PA, December 19, 2012 – ARAMARK, a world leader in providing professional facilities management services, is expanding its “Blue Cleaning” program using Ecolab’s new Hydris™ technology. Tested in several ARAMARK customer locations across the country, this innovative and sustainable program uses electrically activated water (EAW) to clean, sanitize and disinfect most surface areas.

“We are excited to partner with Ecolab to deliver the next generation in sustainable cleaning,” said Ron Mesaros, Vice President of Facility Services for ARAMARK.  “With the addition of Ecolab technology, our ‘Blue Cleaning’ program can now be used to effectively sanitize and disinfect most surface areas, while reducing the overall impact on the environment.”

In 2011, ARAMARK introduced its innovative “Blue Cleaning” program for cleaning floors, carpets and hard surface areas.  With the addition of Ecolab technology to sanitize and disinfect, the “Blue Cleaning” program can now be used for general purpose cleaning, sanitizing and or disinfecting on a variety of surfaces, including glass and mirrors, finished floors, wood laminate furniture, painted walls, stone, metals, kohler metals, plastics, and melamine surfaces. 

The Ecolab on-site production system electrically activates a water and mineral solution to create cleaning products that replace the need for all-purpose cleaners, glass cleaners, non-food contact disinfectants and sanitizers, floor cleaners and carpet extraction cleaners.

“Over 84% of the custodial operators who participated in our on-site testing reported that the Hydris solution performed as well or better than the existing cleaning protocol on countertops, desks, floors, glass, mirrors and metal surfaces,” said Matt Judge, ARAMARK’s Senior Director of Facilities Innovation. “We also found that operator safety increased with this new method of cleaning.”

In addition, the Hydris solution allows the “Blue Cleaning” program to be used to sanitize and disinfect venues of all sizes, including universities, schools and convention centers.

ARAMARK provides comprehensive operator training and customer support as part of the “Blue Cleaning” program to ensure the ongoing safety and effectiveness of the program across all custodial applications. For more information about ARAMARK’s “Blue Cleaning” program, please visit www.aramarkhighered.com.

About Ecolab
With 2011 pro forma sales of $11 billion and more than 40,000 employees, Ecolab Inc. (NYSE: ECL) is the global leader in water, hygiene and energy technologies and services that provide and protect clean water, safe food, abundant energy and healthy environments. Ecolab delivers comprehensive programs and services to the food, energy, healthcare, industrial and hospitality markets in more than 160 countries. For more Ecolab news and information, visit www.ecolab.com.

About ARAMARK
ARAMARK is a leader in professional services, providing award-winning food services, facilities management, and uniform and career apparel to health care institutions, universities and school districts, stadiums and arenas, and businesses around the world. The company is recognized as one of the “World’s Most Ethical Companies” by the Ethisphere Institute, one of the “World’s Most Admired Companies” by FORTUNE magazine and one of America’s Largest Private Companies by both FORTUNE and Forbes magazines. ARAMARK seeks to responsibly address issues that matter to its clients, customers, employees and communities by focusing on employee advocacy, environmental stewardship, health and wellness, and community involvement. Headquartered in Philadelphia, ARAMARK has approximately 250,000 employees serving clients in 22 countries. Learn more at www.twitter.com/aramark.