Ever wonder why there are so many types of mops out there? It’s because there are so many different surfaces and applications out there where one mop may perform better than another. Here’s a general breakdown of what to look for:

CONSTRUCTION

LOOPED END:
Looped ends add longer life and better performance to wet mops. Looped ends allow for an open more absorbent twist that does not lint, fray or unravel. Ideal when a facility wants to launder their wet mops.

CUT END:
Popular because of their low initial cost. Functional and affordable, they are ideal for almost any application from general mopping to applying finishes.
HEADBANDS:
Available in 1 1/4″ and 5″ widths. Extra stitching holds mop strands securely. All headbands on looped end wet mops are color coded by size for quick identification of inventory and department use separation.

TAILBANDS:
Tailbands improve coverage control. They enable the mop to cover a wider path saving time and labor. Tailbands prevent tangling and permit laundering.

STA-FLAT:
This feature gives great maneuverability and performance. Helps mop lay flat on the floor to improve coverage. Detachable screw-on handle.

YARN TYPES
COTTON:
Cotton fibers are popular because of their low initial cost, limited shrinkage and great absorption. Cotton picks up 2 to 3 times its weight. We offer several piles of cotton each designed for particular tasks from everyday mopping to highly abrasive surfaces.
RAYON:
Rayon fibers have fast absorption. They are mildew resistant, lint less and dry fast. Rayon is designed to pick up 6 to 7 times its weight but it has no retention capabilities and, therefore, is an excellent finish mop.
BLENDS:
Blends combine all the advantages of several different fibers to provide the ideal balance of price, performance and appearance. Highly absorbent. Blends pick up and hold 6 to 7 times their weight. They require no break-in.

The Advolution 20 and 20 XP cord-electric burnishers from Advance are designed to maximize performance, productivity, and operator ease. Both models feature the unique Flex Floor Technology – based on a patented, pintle-mounted motor design – that enables the motor to pivot and hug the contours of the floor’s surface. The Advolution also utilizes a patented gas spring technology that precisely regulates the head pressure for a maximum shine on floor surfaces, regardless of the operator’s previous burnisher experience. This exclusive patent also enables the machine to be smaller, more maneuverable, and easier to train on.

Advance had uncompromised facility safety in mind when it added a 75 foot safety yellow, SuperFlex cord and a hospital-grade plug. The SuperfFlex cord is secured with a quick-release rotating cord hook, which allows the operator to release all 75 feet of the cord at once to save time and effort. Another key safety feature is the SafeStart function which requires the handle to be in operating position before the machine can be started. This helps to prevent unmanned use of the burnisher. Operating at less than 67 dB A, the volume of standard conversation, the Advolution 20 & 20XP burnishers are perfect for daytime burnishing.

The space-saving EZ Store handle minimizes the storage space necessary for the Advolution 20 & 20XP burnishers. While in the EZ Store space-saving position, the operator has easy access to check wear or replace the burnishing pad.

The Advolution 20 has a 20 inch burnishing surface which runs at 1,500 rpm. The Advolution 20Xp is a 20 inch dust control model that runs at 2,000 rpm. The powerful suction on the Advolution 20XP sends all of the burnishing dust into the unit’s dual-port dust bag and not in the air. This provides total dust control for improved indoor air quality, while operating at higher speeds, to protect the health of the operators and facility occupants. While using the Advolution 20XP, operator productivity is increased by eliminating the need for dust mopping after burnishing.

TYPICAL APPLICATIONS INCLUDE
- Healthcare Facilities
- Hotels / Hospitality
- Schools
- Religious Facilities
- Government Facilities

STANDARD FEATURES INCLUDE
- Flex Floor Technology
- 75 foot Safety Yellow Superflex Cord
- Rotating Cord Hook
- EZ Store Folding Handle
- 20XP has Passive Dust Control

For more information, please visit us at Janitor’s World or click on the picture of the Advolution at the top of this post.

By CP Editorial Staff; Via Cleanlink:

When it comes to floor maintenance, nothing is more important than daily cleaning and regular restorative care. The majority of problems in hard floor care are linked to lack of knowledge — of the facility manager, the janitorial worker, or both. Simple procedures can be performed incorrectly, costing time, money and reputation.

The main goal in the care of a hard floor is preserving its life and its appearance, starting with daily maintenance. Soil and traffic loads vary depending on the facility, so a grit control program needs to be in place. Entrance mats are a key element to grit control, but are only the first step. Daily cleaning comes next and involves a number of steps. Frequent dust mopping removes top layers of debris, and should be followed by damp mopping, paired with a neutral pH cleaner to fight discoloration, which will capture and remove much of the film from the floor. A floor finish can become imbedded with dirt if those practices are not kept up. Preserving a floor’s finish is vital, especially in the winter, when salt and ice melt are tracked into buildings — those chemical compounds can attack the finish.

Scheduled spray buffing with a standard or high-speed floor machine will help remove dirt and scuff marks, restore gloss and extend the life of the finish. To eliminate discoloration and bring back shine, spray buffing with a low concentrated acrylic cleaner can help. If a floor dulls after the spray or high-speed buffing, the floor finish may be thinning or soiled and may need a deep scrub and recoat. When recoating, it’s important to develop and recognize a base coat. Some building service contractors use a permanent marker to mark certain spots; when those spots start to wear, it’s an indication that the base coat has been reached and the floor can use a scrub and recoat. Using the proper pads is also essential to keeping floors in their ideal condition.

As a last resort — and an expensive one at that — stripping should be performed only when a deep scrub and recoat will not restore a finish to the desired appearance. Yellowing, imbedded dirt and irreparable damage are floor conditions that may require stripping. Manufacturers recommend using an alkaline with a pH higher than 11 on finished hard floors. After flooding floors with the stripper and allowing it to sit for generally 10 to 15 minutes, a wet vac should be used to vacuum up the slurry. The floor should be rinsed thoroughly with clean water and dried before sealer and a new finish is put down.

For more information, please visit us at Janitor’s World.

By Robert E. Allen, PhD, Vice President Business Development, via Pioneer Eclipse.

THE PIONEER ECLIPSE APPROACH TO “GREEN”

The status of “green” products in the Jan/San industry at this point can best be described with a single adjective – chaotic. Some manufacturers are designating products as “green” even if they have removed only a single undesirable component.

Some manufacturers have lines of “green” cleaners that differ only in the concentration of a naturally occurring degreaser. Some manufacturers maintain that if a component is naturally occurring it is by definition “green,” which is a dangerous assumption. Various certification organizations are vying to become “The Green Certification Authority.” Hence, it comes as no surprise that they do not agree on what is “green.” After all, they are in business to sell their own certifications.

We at Pioneer Eclipse decided to take a different approach to “green” products to bring order to the chaos. We started with a blank sheet of paper and began developing a line of floorcare and sanitation products that would be as “green” as the laws of chemistry would allow and simultaneously provide realistic efficacy that real-world cleaning and maintenance applications require. Our goal was to meet or exceed all currently known domestic and international criteria with respect to chemical components that actually present, or are perceived to present, hazards to human health or to the environment without sacrificing performance and without premium pricing.

GREEN FLOORCARE

The EnviroStar GreenTM Floorcare System was formulated in partnership with the US Environmental Protection Agency Design for the Environment (DfE) Program. Each EnviroStar Green floorcare product has met all DfE criteria as a result of the breakthrough, environmentally focused formulation that each represents. This marks the first and only time that a floor coating, a floor sealer, a floor stripper or a floor maintainer has been so recognized by the DfE or, for that matter, by any other organization.

Specifically, each EnviroStar Green floorcare product contains:

* NO zinc-based cross-linking agents
- Zinc is toxic to the bacteria that are responsible for biodegrading waste in waste treatment plants.
- The calcium-based cross-linking agent used in EnviroStar Green Floor Coating and Floor Sealer is actually beneficial to these bacteria.

* NO ethylene glycol-based coalescing solvents
- In laboratory animals, contact with ethylene glycol ethers (such as ethylene glycol methyl ether and ethylene glycol ethyl ether) through inhalation, skin contact, and oral exposure has caused injury to blood and blood forming tissues, kidneys, thymus glands, and reproductive tissues.
- Propylene glycol-based coalescing solvents used in EnviroStar Green Floor Coating and Floor Sealer do not cause the same types of toxic injury even at much higher exposure levels.

* NO bioaccumulative fluorocarbon surfactants
- Conventional fluorocarbon surfactants can be absorbed and accumulate in the fatty tissue of all animals.
- Polymeric fluorocarbon surfactant molecules used in EnviroStar Green Coating and Sealer are too large to be absorbed into the fatty tissue of animals and are therefore not bioaccumulative.

* NO VOC’s exceeding established regulatory limits
- VOC’s (hazardous or undesirable Volatile Organic Compounds) are a major source of indoor air pollution and are involved outdoors in the formation of smog. Some VOC’s are irritating, and potentially hazardous, to the eyes, mucous membranes, and the respiratory tract.
- Not all floorcare or sanitation products can be totally free of VOC’s, but all EnviroStar Green products have been engineered to have minimum VOC’s and to be well within established regulatory limits.

* NO environmentally toxic preservatives
- Typical high environmental toxicity preservatives are toxic to fish.
- The very low environmental toxicity preservative used in EnviroStar Green products is as much as 350 times less toxic to fish.

* NO alkyl phenol ethoxylate surfactants
- Alkyl phenol ethoxylate surfactants are not readily biodegradable, and the biodegradation products may be harmful to animal hormone function.
- The biodegradable alkyl phenol ethoxylate-free surfactants used in EnviroStar Green products do not have these environmental or health issues.

* NO 2-butoxyethanol
- In laboratory animals, contact with 2-butoxyethanol (commonly know as butyl) through inhalation, skin contact, and oral exposure has caused injury to blood and blood forming tissues, kidneys, thymus glands, and reproductive tissues.
- EnviroStar Green products have been formulated for effective cleaning without 2-butoxyethanol.

* NO phosphates
- Inorganic phosphates are major components in fertilizers and most detergents and can cause rapid and excessive growth of algae in lakes and streams when discharged into wastewater.
- EnviroStar Green products have been formulated for effective cleaning without inorganic phosphates.

* NO ethanolamine or ammonia
- Most conventional floor strippers contain ethanolamine and/or ammonia to remove zinc cross-linked coatings. Both compounds are strong smelling and corrosive to skin and eyes. Ethanolamine is also classified as a VOC.
- Non-corrosive EnviroStar Green Floor Stripper contains non-VOC potassium citrate that effectively removes calcium cross-linked EnviroStar Green Coating and Sealer.

* NO flammable solvents
- Many floorcare and sanitation products contain flammable solvents that require particular care in use to prevent fire hazards.
- EnviroStar Green products do not contain flammable solvents.

* NO added fragrances
- Fragrances are sometimes added to conventional products – usually to mask unpleasant VOC’s.
- EnviroStar Green products do not require masking of VOC’s and, therefore, have no added fragrances.

* NO non-recyclable packaging
- Conventional packaging that cannot be recycled or re-used eventually must be incinerated or buried in landfills, neither of which is as desirable as recycling.
- All EnviroStar Green packaging – jugs, sleeves, and boxes – can be recycled and pallets can be re-used.

GREEN SANITATION

Three additional EnviroStar Green products – All Purpose Cleaner, Glass & Surface Cleaner, Spray & Wipe Degreaser – each designed and formulated in partnership with the DfE with the same philosophy of maximum environmental compatibility – have also been introduced. Each of the characteristics detailed above for the floorcare products applies to the same degree to these sanitation products.

Encouraged by our technical success to date and our partnership with the DfE, we have several other EnviroStar Green products in development.

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY RECOGNITION

EnviroStar Green Floorcare and Sanitation products are listed on the Design for the Environment website under the heading Formulator Partners and Recognized Products, Industrial/Institutional Cleaners at the following address:

http://www.epa.gov/opptintr/dfe/projects/formulat/formpart.htm#iic

Mr. Clive Davis, Chief, Design for the Environment, EPA, states in a letter of recognition of Pioneer Eclipse efforts:

“The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency applauds Pioneer Eclipse Corporation (“Pioneer Eclipse”) for your environmental leadership in developing the EnviroStar Green line of floor care products. EPA’s Design for the Environment (“DfE”) program seeks to promote the use of institutional cleaners and maintenance products with improved environmental and human health characteristics. Your EnviroStar Green floor care products (Stripper, Coating, Sealer, and Maintainer) fully achieve that objective in the institutional cleaning/maintenance sector.

“The key purpose of the DfE-Pioneer Eclipse partnership is to recognize and encourage the environmentally preferable chemistry of your floor care line. DfE is very enthusiastic about your successful formulation of these products and about our partnership, the first in the floor care arena. By eliminating hazardous solvents, environmentally persistent surfactants, zinc cross-linking agents, and other harmful ingredients, you have demonstrated active environmental stewardship and dedication to continuous improvement.

“Institutional service and maintenance companies that use EnviroStar Green floor care products will be participants in this important national effort to protect the environment and safeguard human health. I commend Pioneer Eclipse for your
commitment to improving the environmental profile and performance of your products – and for leading change in the institutional cleaning/maintenance industry. Much success in your EnviroStar Green floor care products!”

Mr. Charles M. Auer, Director, EPA Office of Pollution Prevention and Toxics, states in the Memorandum of Understanding for the Pioneer Eclipse-DfE partnership:

“A key purpose of the Pioneer Eclipse-EPA Design for the Environment partnership is to recognize and encourage the environmentally preferable chemistry exemplified by four Pioneer Eclipse floor care products: EnviroStar Green Stripper, EnviroStar Green Floor Coating, EnviroStar Green Floor Sealer and EnviroStar Green Floor Maintainer.

“Pioneer Eclipse has met the challenge of safer formulation of floor care products with innovative and noteworthy results. For the industrial, institutional and consumer markets, the company has designed floor care products with distinctly more positive health and environmental profiles than conventional formulations and with comparable performance characteristics.
“Pioneer Eclipse has designed the partnership products to help avoid impacts and stresses to the environment, aquatic organisms, and other living things. The partnership products contain less toxic and more biodegradable raw materials than
conventional floor care products. Of note, the products contain surfactants that do not biodegrade to more aquatically toxic chemicals, preservatives that are much less toxic to fish, and no heavy metal cross-linking agents that might interfere with
wastewater treatment.

“Users of the partnership products benefit from more health-friendly ingredients, for example, the products contain no harmful solvents (no ethylene glycol ethers or chlorinated solvents) and no potentially sensitizing fragrances. They also have a mild pH and a high flash point.

“Pioneer Eclipse acts as a product steward by sponsoring customer training sessions with information on environmental and worker safety matters. Pioneer Eclipse also trains its sales force on the benefits of formulations with improved environmental and health characteristics.”

SUMMARY

Based on our research and development efforts and the recognition of those efforts by the EPA’s Design for the Environment Program, we at Pioneer Eclipse believe that we have broken new ground in making the Jan/San industry truly “greener” and therefore safer for both people and the environment.

For more information and other Pioneer Eclipse products, please visit Janitor’s World.