Via Sanitairy Maintenance:

The number of cases of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections has increased by more than 90 percent during the last decade, according to research from Princeton University.

In 2006, there were 278,203 reported cases of MRSA-related infection, more than double the number in 1999, according to the study. The growing number of MRSA cases reflects the increasing resistance of Staphylococcus bacteria to antibiotics.

The study also shows that hospital-associated MRSA infections, occurring mostly in patients with weakened immune systems, have been more common than community-associated MRSA infections, occurring among those who pick up the bacteria in fitness centers, common restrooms, and other public places.

By Bill Swichtenberg
Editor, Maintenance Supplies
via Maintenance Supplies Magazine

While cotton string mops might have the cheapest initial cost, other factors need to be considered when choosing the right mop head.

Mops are some of the oldest and most trusted tools in the cleaning business. References to the mop date as far back as Roman times.

However, this does not mean that mop manufacturers are resting on their laurels. Even the standard string mop is now available with many options. Manufacturers are always looking for innovative methods of improving their products, especially in the efficiency and effectiveness. As new types of flooring are developed, manufacturers are adapting mops to them. Technical developments are also ongoing in the fabrics used as mop fibers.

Traditional cotton string mops are selected because they provide large floor coverage and cleaning control. They usually can easily fit into tight corners and cover large areas quickly. String mops pick up dirt and hold it in their loops until they are rinsed.

“Traditional cotton mops provide a cost-effective cleaning method when used in the right situations,” says Steve Lewis, president of Golden Star Inc. “They are best used in applications such as industrial plants or grocery stores where there is a medium to heavy soil load, extremely large areas to clean or if a fast spill cleanup is needed.”

MOP TYPES

There are three basic types of wet mops used. There are looped end mops, cut end mops and microfiber wet mops. Looped end mops give the mop more surface area and allow them to hold more liquid and cover more of the floor with one pass. The looped ends also prevent the mop from snagging on furniture.

Cut end mops are good for spill cleanup or as a disposable mop head. They are usually less expensive because the strands just attach on the end of the mop band. These mops will fray and unravel over time and are not recommended for the washing machine.

“A cut end mop may provide inconsistent floor coverage,” says Bill Bouras, director of sales at O-Cedar Commercial. “A loop end mop with a tail band secures the yarn and can clean 50 percent more floor per stroke.”

Microfiber mops consist of fibers that trap soil, reduce bacteria and absorb moisture for streak-free cleaning. These mops can reach into small pores to grab small particles and prevent them from spreading into other areas. Microfiber mop heads can be thrown into the washing machine after each use for cleanup.

“People should look at cost-in-use when buying a mop,” says Mark Hoyle, global business team leader — hard surface cleaning for Rubbermaid Commercial Products. “Sometimes it is better to pay a little more upfront for a better mop because the life-cycle cost in the long run is lower.”

However, the economic downturn has caused some buyers to pinch pennies and purchase the cheapest mop.

“In a recent trip to the Northeast, I saw many businesses cleaning with lesser quality mops,” says Todd Mauer, vice president of sales and marketing at O-Cedar Commercial. “I saw loop-end mops being used with no back tacking on the tailband which will cause the mop to fall apart faster. When looking at overall mop cost, you also need to consider time and labor associated with using the desired mop.”

MATERIAL CHOICES

Mops are commonly made of cotton, rayon and various blends of materials. Cotton mops are the cheapest but also have a short life expectancy. They also tend to leave more lint when compared to other mop materials.

Rayon is often used in finishing mops. They are utilized for light floor drying, stripping and waxing. Blended mops contain a variety of fibers and can be designed for specific types of mopping. Some blended mops can hold over eight times their weight in liquid. While initially more expensive, blended mops can last up to 10 times longer than rayon or cotton.

“Microfiber is absorbent. It can clean deeper into the pores of a surface and utilize existing mop equipment,” says Lewis.

Another key benefit to microfiber mops is that they are lighter than regular string mops and require less water, allowing the floor to dry faster. Many microfiber string mops come with large loops and a wide tail band to produce greater coverage and control. This type of design prevents the mop from tangling.

Nylon mops are also used for floor finishes. Since they are designed to release the finish instead of absorb it, they are ideal for building up coats on the floor.

According to Mauer, professionals need to determine some basic information when deciding the proper mop to use.

* What type of facility will the mop be used in (e.g., a hospital or foodservice location)?
* What type of floor needs to be cleaned (smooth vs. rough)?
* Why are you mopping the surface (e.g., cleaning or finishing)?

Lewis suggests looking at the absorbency, launderability and project life cycle when choosing the mop head. The goal is to reduce the overall costs. “Just because the mop is the cheapest doesn’t make it the most cost-effective. Other mops might last four times longer. You have to look at the task at hand,” says Lewis.

O-Cedar Commercial provides a wet mop selection and care guide right on the packaging of new mops. In addition, other mop manufacturers provide guides on their websites.

TRENDS

Hoyle at Rubbermaid sees facilities considering synthetic microfiber blend mop heads when replacing their cotton string mops.

“With the new blends, you can get 200 launderings from them. They have the ability to clean better and provide a longer life. For those facilities interested in Green cleaning, these mops won’t end up in the landfill right away,” says Hoyle.

However, some facilities are still going with the cheapest route to save money. “Some people are buying cheap products to hold down costs. A trend we are seeing is an influx of cheap products coming into the market. Unfortunately, they will not be the cheapest in the long run,” says Bouras.

With their emphasis on preventing infections, health care facilities are leading the way in the use of microfiber. “MRSA and other infections have made health care facilities more open to using microfiber. They are also more heavily regulated. These mops can be easily used, quickly changed and laundered to help prevent outbreaks,” says Mauer.

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The Scotch-Brite™ Diamond Floor Pad Plus stone system is designed for cleaning and conditioning (improve/maintain) marble and polished concrete stone floors. The products of this system are intended to be used with conventional rotary or autoscrubber floor equipment. The system uses two types of pads:

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1) The Scotch-Brite™ Sienna Diamond Floor Pad Plus is a premium quality floor maintenance pad, made of high quality synthetic diamonds, bonded with a durable resin to the non-woven pad. (Special Feature: The non-printed dark, bottom side of pad is the work surface.)
- Diamond coated floor pads for cleaning and conditioning worn and dull marble, terrazzo, slate, and polished concrete flooring.

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2) The Scotch-Brite™ Purple Diamond Floor Pad Plus is a premium quality floor maintenance pad, made of high quality synthetic fiber, with abrasive particles, including high quality synthetic diamonds, bonded with a durable resin to the non-woven pad. (Special Feature: The non-printed dark, bottom side of pad is the work surface.)
- Diamond coated floor pads for cleaning and polishing marble, terrazzo, slate, and polished concrete flooring.

Applications:
- Polished Concrete (having various surface finish grades e.g. #3,000, #1,800, etc. and or densifying products), Marble, Travertine (Limestone), Terrazzo (Portland or Resin matrix)
- The Scotch-Brite™ Diamond Floor Pad Plus System is for use on marble and polished concrete stone floors.

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By Nick Matkovich (Via Contracting Profits)

To the average person, slips, trips and falls might not seem to be a likely candidate for major injuries, but building service contractors know better. Falls have replaced automobile accidents as the leading reason people receive emergency room care and are the number one cause of death for people over the age of 75, according to the Itasca, Ill.-based National Safety Council (NSC).

The reasons for these types of accidents include lack of training, improper hazard warning and choice of footwear, according to the National Floor Safety Institute (NFSI), Southlake, Texas. However, the walking surfaces themselves — 55 percent of all accidents — are the predominant cause of slips, trips and falls. These are surfaces tended to by building service contractors.

However, BSCs can play a major role in reducing the number of accidents in their facilities. There are preventative measures such as proper placement of signage and clean matting that BSCs can use to significantly minimize the chance of a slip, trip or fall. Everything from cleaning schedules to cleaning practices and procedures figure into the equation. It’s up to BSCs to come up with a formula best suited for each facility.

Decreasing Incidents
Signage is a precautionary tool to prevent slips, trips and falls, but often, signs are poorly placed or left out for too long. When that happens, people become desensitized to the warnings.

Signs should only be up when the floor is wet and removed as soon as the floor dries, says JoAnn Dankert, a senior consultant for the NSC.

BSCs should also be particular about the type of signs they put up. Different dangers warrant different signage. For instance, when there is inclement weather and people are dragging snow and sleet into a facility, a hazard sign needs to go up. Hazard signs differ from standard wet floor signs by including the word “hazard” in large letters indicating a walking risk and that people need to watch their step.

However, hazard signs are not always enough warning. When a BSC is trying to avoid traffic from passing through a certain area — for instance, while applying a coat of finish or waxing the floors — BSCs should put up a barricade around the perimeter of the area, says Steve Spencer, facilities specialist, State Farm Insurance, Bloomington, Ill.

“The barrier prevents people from walking through an area,” he says. “A lot of times people will walk right past a wet floor sign.”

The NSC recommends that BSCs stagger barriers every 25 feet at most.

Even if BSCs are putting up the correct signage, the intended message of a sign is lost if the sign is placed in a poorly visible spot. The number of signs used and the type of area being cleaned are all factors to consider when placing the signs.

Wet floor signs should cover the entire perimeter of the area a BSC cleans, says David LaDay, the owner and national operations director for SPI Janitorial, Omaha, Neb. People walking by need adequate warning that they are approaching a potential hazard, he says.

Some facilities will even go so far as to post a preemptive message on their intranet. The message alerts employees that BSCs will be cleaning the floors in a certain part of the facility at a specific time.

Signage is the best tool BSCs use to warn people of the slip and trip hazards within a facility, but occupants need a way to eliminate shoe debris. Matting offers the best solution because it removes moisture or soils from footwear as people are coming indoors, says Russ Kendzior, executive director, NFSI.

To keep the mats in good condition and maintain strong slip resistance, BSCs should routinely vacuum and use a carpet extractor. In inclement weather the carpet should be cleaned and extracted at least once a quarter, says LaDay. This significantly lowers the moisture on the mats, creating a less slippery surface for people in the facility.

A facility’s permanent matting is made to withstand the rigors of year-round use, but BSCs should place additional temporary matting when the weather is poor. However, a complaint with temporary matting is that the inclement weather causes moisture and dirt to accumulate more quickly and BSCs do not change them out at a quick enough pace, says Dankert. The larger volume of moisture causes the mats to roll up, crack or fray at the edges, any of which create a trip hazard.

As a result, the temporary mats will need to be changed out more frequently in the winter months to prevent moisture from building up. Moisture that builds up beneath the mat can become a slip hazard as well.

To secure the mats to the floor, Spencer recommends using a pressure-sensitive, double-sided adhesive tape. The tape is water-based and does not leave the markings duct tape or other types of adhesives do.

Proper signage and good matting are a good start, but not enough to guarantee a low number of slips, trips or falls. BSCs have to be cognizant of the slip resistance of each cleaner, disinfectant, stripper and finish they are applying to the floors.

BSCs should purchase products based on the slip resistance they provide, says Kendzior. Some floor-care chemicals leave a slippery layer of film or soap scum on the floor so it is important to find out what, if any, residue the products leave.

BSCs should stick to a schedule when cleaning floors. This will offer consistency and familiarity for everyone else in the facility, says LaDay. If people are used to certain areas being cleaned at certain times, they will know to tread a little more carefully around those areas.

Testing the Surface
Correctly utilizing signage and strict cleaning schedules are beneficial ways to reduce slips, trips and falls, but BSCs should first conduct a slip-meter test shortly after winning a new account. The tests gauge the slipperiness, or coefficient of friction (COF), of the floors.

BSCs should consult their general liability carrier or workers’ compensation carrier to see if they recommend someone to conduct the testing, says Dankert. The third party carrier conducts the testing professionally and would give the facility an accurate reading of a floor’s COF.

The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) has certified the NFSI standard of slip-meter testing which sets in place three ranges — low, moderate and high — of the COF. A high COF means the floor is not very slippery and BSCs have little concern of an accident occurring. However, a low COF means BSCs should examine the chemicals they use on the floors, the cleaning methods they employ and the cleaning applications in order to improve the COF.

The amount of traffic in the facility should dictate the number of times BSCs conduct the testing, says Spencer. For example, a retail store with high amounts of traffic should be tested once per quarter to validate their cleaning program. Larger amounts of traffic increase the likelihood of someone slipping or tripping, so the COF should be tested more often.

Slip, trip and fall prevention begins by developing a competent cleaning program from the results of slip-meter testing. The program should correctly utilize assets such as wet floor signs and matting, while incorporating sound cleaning procedures and consistent cleaning times.

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