The quick answer is yes! The real question is how long do they stay effective? Let’s take a look…
To be questioning the validity of the claims made by anti-slip products, it’s most likely you’ve been let down by one in the past.
So to answer the question ‘Do Anti-Slip Shower Trays Work?’, we need to talk about why some don’t!
The biggest reason for the failure of an anti-slip solution is the cleanliness of the anti-slip, simple as that.
“Try and imagine decking around a house or paving slabs on a path. When they are dry they aren’t slippery – when they are wet they aren’t necessarily slippery either, however, bring yourself to the start of spring when you can get a green growth on the surface and then imagine a shower of rain – now it is slippery.
Christopher Hackett, discussing anti-slip during an anti-slip training course.
It is the contaminant on the surface that makes it slippery. The same for a shower tray – if the anti-slip shower tray gets dirty or you can’t keep it clean then it will become slippery.”
Shower trays deal with a lot of dirt, this could be body fats, slippery body washes, sweat or grime. Naturally, the base of the shower tray will accumulate dirt as it channels the water down the drain and needs to be kept clean.
The issue is how well can you keep the anti-slip texture clean and will the cleaning break down the anti-slip coating.
Applied coatings are the most common form of anti-slip, we’ve covered them in detail in this blog (click here). Basically, an applied coating is something you add to the tray after the manufacturing process, stickers, texture paint ect.
Firstly, these are difficult to clean, due to their grit-like texture. This is great for your feet to grip but the same applies to the grime. Quite quickly you’ll either see one of two things:
Or
Since an applied coating is the most popular anti-slip, these two reasons are likely to be why you’re questioning the use of anti-slip in showers.
The main difference with integrated design is that the anti-slip components are manufactured into the tray making it permanent and non-degradable, unlike an applied coating. This makes the anti-slip components last the lifetime of the tray and means each tray is the same creating confidence in consistency.
Look at the size and shapes created in the anti-slip and assess how easy getting into all those small gaps for cleaning is. For most, the gaps are far larger and more uniform than those of an applied coating therefore they are easier to keep clean. The permeant nature of the anti-slip also allows the user to clean with stronger chemicals without worrying about the anti-slip breaking down.
“When designing SENSTEC we had 3 design pillars that were all essential to creating what we set out to design, the best anti-slip shower tray in the world.
Stephen Hackett
This meant the tray needed to be just as effective after 10 years of use as it was on the first day and that every shower tray had an identical level of grip. This allows the owner to trust every tray equally regardless of age, shape or colour if it’s a SENSTEC, it works.”
Those design pillars are:
After 42 prototypes and years of research, we finally settled on the perfect size, shape and distribution of our dimples (the protrusions) which surpassed our expectations in all 3 categories. In fact, our research was so unique we were able to secure the patent for our anti-slip.
SENSTEC dimples break the foot’s contact with the flat, slippery bottom of the tray elevating parts of the foot away from the slippery surfaces creating grip. These dimples are designed to have no straight edges so dirt can simply flow past them, leaving the dimples clean and the dirt washed away.
For many years SENSTEC Anti-Slip Shower Trays have been a pride of place in some of the UK and Ireland’s most illustrious hotels including the 5-star Irish castle hotel Dromoland Castle. Here is what their team had to say…
“The SENSTEC shower tray has proved to be a revelation – it has a unique anti-slip feature which is invaluable from a health & safety perspective. Our housekeeping team has found them very easy to maintain using our eco-friendly cleaning products.”
Dromoland Castle
We also have Peter Butts thoughts on anti-slip after staying in a hotel with less than desirable looking anti-slip…
Well, here’s the reason, from a recent trip to a certain purple-branded hotel chain that uses steel trays with ‘anti-slip’ disks (stuck on or sprayed on, I don’t know as I didn’t want to get any closer than standing on it!).
Peter Butt – Business Manager, The Adroit Services Partnership
These are clearly difficult for the housekeeping team to keep clean.
With Senstec, you can barely see the dimples from a distance and, when showering, muck is being washed away- not getting ingrained into an applied coating.
Senstec is now our go-to first choice to recommend to clients as part of their projects where anti-slip surfaces are requested.
Most anti-slip on the market work for a time.
Just like the sole of a good pair of walking boots, the more you use them the less grip you have and if you are walking around with the tread clogged up with mud, they’re as good as a pair of skis. So like everything maintenance is the key:
If regular maintenance and a constantly changing level of grip is acceptable there are plenty of options for you with paints, stickers and matts.
If you are looking for something more reliable, sustainable and of a higher grip level in the first place, a SENSTEC Anti-Slip Shower Tray will work for you, not just today but every time you shower.
Most people’s Christmases involve mass gatherings of families or friends which inevitably ends up in the overnight guest (or 5). Some guests will fit into one’s home life and routine without concern, but others will need a little extra thinking about. Here’s why upgrading your bathroom with a SENSTEC Anti-Slip Shower Tray will not only ensure safe showering for the permanent residents of the home but also allow you to host all year round.
The number one goal when considering shower safety should be to empower people to shower both safely and independently for as long as possible. Most handrails in shower cubicles are to give the occupant something to hold onto while negotiating a slippery surface. This could be to catch themselves if they slip or to take away some of the weight going through the legs and instead hold one’s body weight in their arms. In both examples, the rail is trying to make you safe while in a situation that has been agreed to be unsafe.
A SENSTEC Anti-Slip Shower Tray has a different approach, make the surface you stand on consistently stable and grippy making the occupant safe and confident. A SENSTEC Anti-Slip Shower Tray works by breaking the foot’s contact with the slippery, flat bottom of the shower tray thus creating grip. When undergoing independent testing a wet and very soapy SENSTEC Tray was able to be tilted past 30 degrees without causing the user (walking up and down the tray) to slip or lose their footing.
Read more about how we put SENSTEC to the test.
The best and most helpful technological advancements will integrate into life effortlessly and as discreetly as possible.
SENSTEC Anti-Slip Shower Trays are all made to the highest manufacturing standards, their sleek, elegant design comes in a huge range of shapes and sizes and can be made in any colour (including colour matching service). This allows your bathrooms to compromise on neither style nor safety.
Find out more about SENSTEC’s endless colour options.
Anyone who’s ever tried to use an anti-slip paint or sticker will know how dirty they can get within weeks of installation, not to mention their diminishing effect when they become dirty traps. Now imagine trying to keep these gleaming with a house full over the already busy Christmas period. Not fun.
SENSTEC’s Anti-Slip Shower Tray was designed to be easy to clean, as confirmed by the housekeeping division in one of Ireland’s premier hotels. If they love them, we know you will when your family expect hotel service in your home. Simply put, SENSTEC has no special cleaning requirement or will it take any longer than a normal tray.
See the Dromoland Castle Case Study.
A SENSTEC Anti-Slip Shower Tray is an investment in safety and style for the lifetime of the tray. With no degradation to the qualities of the shower tray, there is no downsides to being prepared for what the future holds and getting your SENSTEC installed during your next bathroom.
SENSTEC will blend seamlessly into any bathroom keeping all who use it extra safe while in the shower especially those at a higher risk of slips and falls. This extra peace of mind can be achieved without compromise in design.