Properly Launder Flat Mop Systems To Keep Clean

Velcro-backed flat mops were first introduced to the jan/san market in the early 1990s.

“At that time, there was an attempt to sell customers based on the ability to change Velcro mops out more quickly, which would save time and money,” says Julo. “Back then Velcro mops were a hard sell, because users did not want to invest in a new hardware system and the efficiency benefit of using these traditional fibers was not worth the investment.”

But as microfiber became more common in the industry in the late 1990s and early 2000s, Velcro-backed flat mops grabbed a strong hold on the market and have gained popularity since.

The Velcro flat mopping system is still quite effective at what it was intended to do: connect and hold the mop to the hardware system. In fact, the system itself is not typically the problem, according to manufacturers.

“Most contaminants picked up by the Velcro backing is obtained in the laundry process, not in the use of the product,” says Julo. “By adjusting your processing practices, you can enjoy the many great benefits of microfiber Velcro mops without the worry of what your Velcro may be holding post-laundry.”

For facilities that launder their own Velcro-backed mops on site, Julo offers the following five tips:

1. Sort products before laundering. Mops, cloths, dusters, etc., should be sorted before laundering so that users can determine the specific need of the cleaning product and launder it appropriately.

2. Launder microfiber products separate from traditional fiber products. Cotton/synthetic blend products experience fiber loss during processing, and microfiber Velcro mops are made to pick up and hold everything they contact.

3. Only use liquid detergents, and ensure that the rinse process is removing all residual detergents from the cleaned product.

4. Don’t overload wash loads, as this will reduce circulation and agitation in the wash process and products will not get clean.

5. Clean the lint traps after every load.

For facilities that are having mops laundered off-site, Julo says to proceed with caution.

“We have visited many industrial laundry facilities and found most of them to be profit-motivated rather than quality-motivated,” he says. “There are tendencies with many of these operations to mix loads with different products from all sorts of different environments and to overload machines to get the maximum units processed. These types or practices are giving Velcro mops a bad name, as they don’t get the product clean.”