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Filmop Microfiber System Wins School Green Accolades

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For two years in a row, Columbia School District in Columbia, Mo. has been nationally recognized for its green cleaning excellence in American School & University's 2011 Green Cleaning Award program.  Last year, the school district grabbed the organization's award for the Best New Green Cleaning Program. This year, it captured the top honor by earning the single Green Cleaning Grand Award for school districts K-12.  A constant in this award-winning green cleaning program, (which includes green cleaning products, paper, and equipment) has been Filmop USA's microfiber floor maintenance system.   

Filmop's microfiber floor maintenance program includes individual systems for dust mopping, damp mopping, flat surface cleaning and floor finish application.  After adopting various Filmop systems, Columbia Public Schools has not only saved thousands of dollars and earned national Green Cleaning award recognition, but has created a healthier environment for students and staff.

"We started transforming the floor maintenance program beginning with the district's dust mopping," notes Dave Thompson, who guided the district through various green cleaning options.  Thompson is the president of Green Clean Institute, which provides adult education for green custodial services throughout the world and is based in Rolla, Mo.  

For dust mopping, the district replaced cotton dust mops and mop oil with Filmop microfiber dust mops in sizes from the 24" flat mop to the super-sized, adjustable 72" V-sweep.  The time it takes to dust mop classrooms is significantly faster with Filmop’s microfiber, as high-quality fibers securely grab dust and debris.  Hallways are finished in a fraction of the time with the oversized 72-inch equipment, with just two passes down the wide corridors instead of three or four.

The district eliminated traditional string mops and single buckets for its damp mopping needs, and now uses Filmop's Fred double-bucket system and the unique Spin 'n Drop microfiber flat mop.  The Spin 'n Drop mop collapses from being a flat mop to a looped extension that is easily used with a bucket wringer.  Previously, the district spent $17,000 each year on traditional string mops, handles, wringers, and buckets.

Additionally, the Filmop system reduces the district's consumption of floor cleaning chemical by 35% as the double-bucket system uses less cleaning solution.

The district's new approach to cleaning tabletops, desks, walls, and whiteboards relies upon Filmop's 12" microfiber pads with a hand-grip trowel that quickly cleans these flat surfaces with minimal effort.

The Filmop floor finish system reduces the district's floor finish consumption by 20% by using Filmop's flat mops instead of traditional cotton string mops to apply the finish.  This eliminates the need to clean the wet mop buckets and wringers with water and stripper. It also eliminates the problem of how dispose of leftover floor finish and finish-saturated string mops.

"The Filmop system approach to floor and flat surface cleaning is changing the way facility managers go about their job," notes Christian Garzaro, general manager of Filmop USA.  "We eliminate heavy mops, decrease the number of trips to a water source, and provide substantial control of cleaning chemical usage. Our methodology, combined with the highest quality microfiber products in the industry, generate proven savings in time, money, and resources."