In this article, industry manufacturers answer common questions asked by building service contractors.

Autoscrubbers are getting smaller. What are the advantages to mops and buckets over this compact equipment?

Smaller does not always mean easy to handle. Lightweight microfiber products can easily be moved from one location to the next.
— Paul J. Recko Jr., Sr. Vice President Sales & Marketing, Vermop USA Inc., Charlotte, N.C.

While there are advantages to cleaning with autoscrubbers in general, especially in open spaces, even the smallest versions aren’t best suited for cleaning confined and congested spaces. Examples would be in the tight areas around toilets and the congestion of classrooms and patient rooms.

In areas such as these where the user needs to be able to maneuver around fixtures and furniture, a wet mopping system is much better suited. In particular, flat microfiber mopping systems work best. Not only are they very maneuverable but they are very light weight and user friendly.

There are now flat wet mopping systems available that have reservoirs built into the handle so fresh, uncontaminated cleaning solution is always being applied to the floor. Microfiber also does an excellent job of capturing and removing debris and contaminants down to the micron level, which includes bacteria. There are even microfiber pads available that incorporate scrubbing strips, which are very effective where agitation is needed. By choosing the proper pad and replacing it at regular intervals as it becomes soiled will result in a very clean floor. Additionally, these tools can be used to effectively clean vertical as well as above floor level surfaces.

Wet mopping systems such as the one mentioned above as well as traditional plied yarn mops provide needed dwell time for certain disinfectants to properly kill their intended targets. When using autoscrubbers that completely remove the moisture from the floor this dwell time related disinfection is not being achieved.

When using wet mopping systems, no electricity is needed and maintenance is virtually nonexistent. Microfiber in particular is very effective at reducing the amount of chemical used and they are extensively washable providing a long life cycle as well. Combing these attributes along with the absence of electricity provides a cleaning system that is also very environmentally friendly.

Wet mopping systems have a much lower up front cost so when end users are working with limited budgets and need to realize a faster ROI these products are a better option.

Most wet mopping systems are also very simple to use and do not require extensive training. These methods are most often very intuitive and do not require as much technical understanding to effectively implement.
— Tim Hodges, Vice President- Sales & Marketing, The O’Dell Corp., Ware Shoals, S.C.

As cotton prices increase, what are affordable options to cotton mops?

If you look past the initial purchase price and the actual cost in use, long lasting microfiber mops are already the more affordable option.
— Paul J. Recko Jr., Sr. Vice President Sales & Marketing, Vermop USA Inc., Charlotte, N.C.

Reality is that while cotton mops have a very low cost on the front end, they are actually the most expensive mop to use because they are treated as a disposable product not being washed and reused. The most cost-effective mop is the one that can withstand the most wash cycles.

Understanding that all end users do not have laundry equipment and that budgets often prohibit purchasing products that provide long-term ROI, manufacturers will always offer a low initial cost product like cotton.

Today, the best option to traditional cotton mops is a rayon/synthetic nonwoven material. This material has almost twice the absorption of cotton, higher tensile strength, greater abrasion resistance, reduced lint and decreased wringer strain. It out performs cotton in every way at a considerably lower price. This material is also 100 percent post-industrial recycled waste.
— Tim Hodges, Vice President- Sales & Marketing, The O’Dell Corp., Ware Shoals, S.C.


next page of this article:
When To Empty Dirty Mop Water


POSTED ON: 9/14/2012