Study Trip to Finland, 12-13 August 2024

How is cleaning done in Finland? We explored this during our study trip to Helsinki University Central Hospital and the Vileda factory. Consortium members from Ida-Viru County Vocational Education Centre, Uma Puhastus OÜ, SOL Baltic OÜ, Arkaadia Puhastus OÜ, and Valga Hospital participated in job shadowing. The study trip was supported by Erasmus+ consortium learning mobility projects no. 2023-1-EE01-KA121-VET-000133792 and 2024-1-EE01-KA121-VET-000236654.

The learning mobility project and job shadowing were organised by the host organisation Freudenberg Home & Cleaning Solutions Oy – Aiki Hoffmann and Petteri Enne.

During the study visit, job shadowing was conducted at the Vileda factory in Finland, where various production stages were reviewed from start to finish, including material selection, sewing, environmental friendliness, and sustainability. Participants were also instructed on the correct use of Vileda tools to achieve optimal results through proper ergonomic techniques.

Interesting facts about Vileda production:

In the Vileda factory, only 0-1 kg of non-recyclable waste is generated per day.
Approximately 1,300,000 Swep mops are produced annually.
22% of the Vileda factory’s total electricity consumption comes from solar energy.
Vileda is testing a robot for mop production. Currently, an experienced seamstress can perform the same task with higher quality and speed than the robot.

Helsinki University Central Hospital (HUS)

Additionally, job shadowing was conducted at Helsinki University Central Hospital (HUS). This is a hospital opened two years ago where we were welcomed by the service manager. During the job shadowing, participants learned how cleaning staff work is organised in the hospital and what tools and methods are primarily used, taking into account environmentally friendly criteria. The best practices for organising cleaning work in a hospital environment from HUS’s perspective were identified. It was noted that a significant portion of the cleaning equipment is from the Vileda product range. The most innovative things we saw were the bed linen washing machine, mattress washing machine, mop pre-washing machine, and cleaning trolley washing machine.

In summary:

In the HUS environment, there are separate rooms for cleaning items (crutches, wheelchairs, beds, trolleys), with dedicated staff members responsible for this task.
Large integrated machines are available for cleaning and disinfecting beds and trolleys, which they fit into entirely to achieve a 100% clean result.
There is a separate clean room with all the necessary equipment for making beds.
Separate bins and even waste chutes are available for sorting waste.
There is a separate room for cleaning measuring cups, urine bottles, bedpans, and similar containers. In this and the aforementioned rooms, there are separate clean and dirty zones.
Author: Tiina Matsi, Tertu Hendrikson