The Greeks used the word ygeia (hygieinē) to refer to “health” but also as synonymous with “medicine”. Centuries later, the same medical professionals adapted this term to refer euphemistically to “cleanliness”. Currently, both concepts—“health” and “cleanliness”— continue to be two sides of the same coin. Hygiene is considered a basic element in people’s quality of life and as such a vital aspect of disease prevention.
Current uses of the kitchen and bathroom
The social, economic and cultural changes experienced in recent decades have affected current family patterns, lifestyles and habits in the home. The two rooms that have undergone the most radical change both in terms of design and everyday uses have been the kitchen and bathroom.
People’s fast-paced living and shortage of space have forced many activities into the kitchen, which has become one of the main living spaces and the new centre of the home: in the kitchen we eat, work, do homework, read, watch TV, etc. And the bathroom has become a space that merges health, beauty and relaxation, the epitome of personal care in the widest sense—physical and mental.
New category of hygiene
The new uses given to the kitchen and bathroom force us to pay more attention to hygiene. Both rooms are where water is used most in the home and therefore concentrate a larger number of bacteria and require more specific care.
Aware of this need, Silestone Institute is committed to establishing a new category of hygiene which includes all elements related to people’s welfare and creating a healthy environment.
In short, Silestone Institute addresses “hygiene” as a broad concept that goes from cleaning, disinfection and food safety to the choice of materials and furnishings, space distribution, habits and uses in the kitchen and bathroom, family relationships and technology.
“Silestone Institute’s scope of action is international, serving as a forum for exchanging views and knowledge on the subject, adapted to all cultures and civilizations.”