But how often do we touch floors? We do not touch floors directly that often. It is how we indi- rectly touch floors that is the concern, especially now with COVID-19. As soon as custodial workers, for instance, touch the bottoms of their shoes, they could have the patho- gens on their hands. Then, if they touch additional surfaces, they can pass the virus that is on their hands from the floor to those surfaces. This is just one of several examples. Oth- ers include such innocent things as tying shoelaces that have dragged on the floor or picking up a purse placed on a floor, such as in a restroom.


Should we stop mopping floors and stop using mops? Not necessarily, but it will prove helpful if we do. Mops and mop buckets have their own unique cleaning needs (see side- bar). If they are kept clean and changed regularly — as often as after each room is mopped — they can probably be used, although an alternative cleaning method is recommended.


What are alternatives to floor mops?


There are, for instance, floor machines called auto scrub- bers. Many of these, however, are costly to purchase and to own. Plus, they are often designed for cleaning large floor areas. A classroom may be too small an area to use them. For schools specifically, I suggested the use of “auto vacs.” Like traditional floor machines, these are proven just as effective, if not more effective. Another benefit: They are inexpensive to purchase with a low cost of ownership. *


How does green cleaning fit into this mopping discussion?


We cannot get around the fact that COVID-19 requires us to use more disinfectants than ever before. While there are green-certified disinfectants in Canada, we are now using them in such large amounts that there is potential they are negatively impacting the environment and the user. One reason for this: When we mop floors, the disinfectant may not be used “efficiently.” This is an important word when it comes to the use of disinfectants. Custodial workers may be manually diluting the disinfectant with water, which invariably means too much disinfectant needs to be used. Plus, they change the mop bucket water frequently, requir- ing more and more disinfectant to be used. And, let us not


forget that mops need to be laundered repeatedly, after every use. Invariably, this also requires the use of even more disinfectants. With scrubbers or auto vacs mentioned earlier, dilution is more precise, making disinfectant use more efficient.


Should we continue to follow these steps even after COVID-19 is no longer an issue? Yes. In every crisis, good things can evolve. One of the good things evolving from the pandemic is that every aspect of cleaning is being re-evaluated, and this includes floorcare. The professional cleaning industry will never be the same after this pandemic… it will be better.


Drew Bunn is the Canadian Director of Sales for Kaivac Canada, manufacturers of professional cleaning tools and equipment engineered to help protect health and stop the spread of infection. He can be reached at dbunn@kaivac. com.


*“Cost to own” or “cost of ownership” usually refers to such things as purchasing necessary parts for a machine and maintenance costs once a machine is purchased. Tra- ditional floor machines tend to have many components that may need to be changed. Furthermore, these are complex and complicated machines, requiring repair and service over time.


Endnotes:


1. Guo, Z., Wang, Z., Zhang, S., Li, X., Li, L., Li, C....Chen, W. (2020). Aerosol and Surface Distribution of Severe Acute Respiratory Syn- drome Coronavirus 2 in Hospital Wards, Wuhan, China, 2020. Emerg- ing Infectious Diseases, 26(7), 1583-1591. https://dx.doi.org/10.3201/ eid2607.200885.


2. Barker, J., Vipond, I. B., & Bloomfield, S. F. (2004). Effects of cleaning and disinfection in reducing the spread of Norovirus contamination via environmental surfaces. The Journal of hospital infection, 58(1), 42–49. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhin.2004.04.021


3. Cogan, T. A., Bloomfield, S. F., & Humphrey, T. J. (1999). The effective- ness of hygiene procedures for prevention of cross-contamination from chicken carcases in the domestic kitchen. Letters in applied microbiol- ogy, 29(5), 354–358. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1472-765x.1999.00656.x


4. Exner, M., Vacata, V., Hornei, B., Dietlein, E., & Gebel, J. (2004). Household cleaning and surface disinfection: new insights and strate- gies. The Journal of hospital infection, 56 Suppl 2, S70–S75. https://doi. org/10.1016/j.jhin.2003.12.037


The cleaning needs of mops


• Mop heads should be changed frequently, as often as after each floor is mopped. This is the procedure adopted in many hospitals. Cleaning workers should carry several mop heads with them when working.


• Mop heads should be cleaned after each use. • “Spaghetti” mops are a welcome setting for pathogens to grow and thrive. To eliminate the pathogens, disinfectants are necessary. It is also essential to change disinfectants frequently. Varying disinfectants helps prevent pathogens from becoming immune to the disinfectant.


• Flat mops can be cleaned more quickly and are not as hospitable to pathogens. Flat mops should be used instead of spa- ghetti mops.


• Poles and buckets must be cleaned. These should be rinsed first, washed with an all-purpose cleaner, and then disin- fected — a three-step process. This should be done at the end of each cleaning shift.


Page 40 Green Teacher 126


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