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A Bathroom That Cleans Itself
FiReaNGeL writes "Researchers at the University of New South Wales are developing new coatings they hope will be used for self-cleaning surfaces in hospitals and the home. It's made of a special nanoparticle coating that absorbs ultraviolet light below a certain wavelength and gives the particles an oxidizing quality stronger than any commercial bleach. Say goodbye to tedious bathroom cleaning!"
As a janitor, I can tell you that this will not eliminate the need for cleaning staff. The most important thing we do is replace supplies. The next biggest thing we do is fix unusual problems before they get to be a serious problem (lady flushes sanitary product, someone shits all over sink, etc.). As far as sinks and counters go, we polish mirrors, and then get hair and soap off of sinks. The most important thing is to have the bathroom look good. This might help with getting black gunk and algae out of toilets or sanitizing fixtures, but the important things will still require janitors. People never seem to realize the amount of critical thinking required. You can't replace cleaning staff with untrained or stupid people or machines unless you want problems. We notice things that a machine wouldn't notice and clean or fix. Paying attention to small things can really save your ass sometimes. For instance, if the tone drops on the vacuum cleaner, you have a slipping belt. If you ignore it, you get melted rubber all over the floor. An untrained person doesn't notice this, and has to pay to replace burned carpet. A machine has similar problems. You can't simply automate cleanup crews.