Ritec Checks in to Sanderson Hotel

Shower cubicles in the chic Sanderson Hotel in London’s West End have been restored to their original pristine condition by Ritec’s ClearShield System...

The refurbishment project at the lavish urban retreat involved renovating and protecting sandblasted glass shower cubicles in 150 rooms using Ritec’s award-winning technology.

An imaginatively-created hotel like Sanderson clearly seeks high standards, with the best service and surroundings for its customers, so the use of ClearShield to re-invigorate the bathrooms was a natural choice. Each of the large walk-in shower cubicles is a different size and shape in rooms which are set up according to the principles of Feng Shui.

Although an attractive and popular option, sandblasted glass is especially vulnerable to surface contamination such as finger marks, and as a result can soon lose its visual appeal. In addition, sandblasted glass in bathrooms like Sanderson’s is subject to a high level of dirt and greasy substances together with limescale, which bonds to glass and eventually etches the surface.

ClearShield has been developed by Ritec to give sandblasted glass an attractive satin finish and provide effective protection against staining. Treated surfaces are easier to clean without harsh chemicals and cleaning frequency is cut, on average, by 50%. The restoration process at Sanderson was carried out on site by Ritec-trained technicians. After renovating the surface with Ritec Pre-Cleaner and Glass Renovator, ClearShield was spray-applied to the sandblasted glass. Once cured, any residue polymer is simply wiped off.

The area of glass that needed to be treated meant Ritec technicians were able to complete about four rooms a day, and to try to minimise disruption to guests, Sanderson blocked off 10 rooms at a time. “It was a challenge to co-ordinate, but by liaising with the reservations staff and our technicians working as quickly as possible, we made sure that each room was out of action for as short a time as possible. And the investment should certainly prove worthwhile by reducing cleaning time and effort for Sanderson’s housekeeping team," explains Stephen Byers, Ritec’s Managing Director.

ClearShield is chemically non-reactive, so dirt builds up more slowly and won’t stick to the surface. “And when combined with Ritec’s recommended after-care programme, ClearShield glass can look and perform like new for years to come," adds Stephen.

An improved formulation of ClearShield – called ClearShield Sandblast Glass Protect – is now available since the original work was carried out at the Sanderson hotel. This formulation is even more effective on sandblasted glass than standard ClearShield. A new, more active catalyst has been added to improve performance so it is now better at resisting staining and expected to last even longer.