Proactive and Reliable: How Nviro Resolved Washroom Challenges for Regent’s University London

Introduction

Regent’s University London, one of the UK’s most respected private universities, is home to a vibrant international community with students from over 140 countries. Known for its prestigious standing and high standards, Regent’s needed a solution to improve its washroom hygiene standards while aligning with its commitment to sustainability.

Understanding the Challenge

Regent’s University faced persistent bad odours in its washrooms caused by urinals, many of which were waterless. The smell would linger, impacting corridors and creating an unpleasant environment for students, staff and visitors. As a high-footfall area in a hard water region, the urinals experienced uric acid and limescale buildup that caused odours, blockages and reduced efficiency.

Traditional methods of dealing with the problem, such as using caustic chemicals, would only mask the issue or move it downstream, leading to a costly pipe replacement over time. Regent’s wanted a solution that was effective, long-lasting and aligned with its environmental values.

Nviro’s Proactive Response and Solution

At Nviro, we pride ourselves on understanding the unique challenges our clients face and being proactive. When Regent’s raised concerns about persistent odour issues in their washrooms, we immediately stepped in to address the problem. Leveraging our strong relationship with our supply partner, Bunzl, we worked collaboratively to identify the root cause and develop an effective solution tailored to Regent’s needs.

Together with Bunzl and a team of specialists in urinal maintenance solutions from ABS, we conducted a detailed inspection of the 22 urinals using advanced camera technology to pinpoint the buildup of uric acid and limescale in the pipes. This collaborative approach allowed us to create a clear plan to tackle the issue at its source rather than relying on short-term fixes or harmful chemicals.

Urizap is a highly effective powder-based treatment designed to eliminate urinal odours and blockages naturally. Unlike caustic chemicals, Urizap uses beneficial bacteria to digest uric acid and limescale buildup, preventing reoccurrence without harmful environmental effects. A 25g scoop containing billions of beneficial bacteria is applied weekly directly into the bowl, ensuring each urinal remains free of odours, blockages, and costly repairs.

To ensure the trial was implemented successfully, we arranged for the ABS team to provide hands-on training to specific members of our cleaning team. This gave them the skills and confidence to apply a weekly treatment consistently over the 6-week trial period. We closely monitored the progress, ensuring no steps were missed, and maintained clear communication with Regent’s facilities team throughout the process.

I think it’s a very good product that helps prevent blocked toilets. I’d like to consider this product in the accommodations as well because it saves us time in our work and reduces maintenance efforts.

– Teresa Rodriguez Daza, Cleaning Supervisor at Regent’s University London

Impact and Results

As a result of our team’s proactive approach and collaboration with our supply partner, Bunzl, we delivered significant and lasting improvements to Regent’s washroom facilities including:

Improved standards: Uric scale acid and limescale buildup across all 22 urinals was significantly reduced, resulting in odour-free washrooms and fewer blockages.

Sustainability gains: Our solution didn’t just improve cleanliness—it also helped Regent’s reduce its environmental impact. Through consistent treatment and the elimination of harsh chemical use, the university achieved:

• Up to 61,600 litres of water saved annually (traditional urinal systems often require frequent flushing to maintain cleanliness, resulting in high water usage. Urizap reduces the need for flushing by breaking down uric acid deposits at the source).
• Up to 246 litres of chemicals saved annually (Urizap reduces the need for harsh cleaners by naturally breaking down uric acid, cutting chemical use).
• Up to 0.3 tonnes of single-used plastics avoided annually (many urinal maintenance products contribute to plastic waste. By replacing these with Urizap, we can reduce plastic consumption).
• Up to 0.55 tonnes of carbon emissions reduced annually (saving water, chemicals, and plastics lowers carbon emissions by reducing the need to make, transport, and dispose of traditional maintenance products).

“We’ve been very happy with this. It has made a significant improvement in bathrooms, particularly in terms of odour and freshness. We especially appreciate the camera evidence, which clearly shows the pipes and the improvement after dosing—providing valuable visual confirmation of the results.”

– Sara-Jane Edwards, Soft Services Manager at Regent’s University London

Before dosing with Urizap

After just 6 weeks of dosing with Urizap

Conclusion

After the success of the 6-week trial, Regent’s University has adopted Urizap as an ongoing treatment for high limescale areas in urinals. This ensures a free-flowing pipe system while reducing blockages and the frequency of maintenance call-outs, leading to future cost savings.

The overall outcome has been extremely positive, and we are now collaborating with Regent’s to trial SludgeZap for toilets, as Urizap is specifically designed for urinals. This will help us explore a similar long-term solution for maintaining clear and efficient pipe systems across all washroom facilities.

Our clients can trust that Nviro is always ready to support them with proactive solutions to their cleaning and maintenance challenges. If your organisation is facing similar issues, contact Nviro today to discover how we can provide innovative solutions tailored to your needs.