INDUSTRIAL CLEANING


WHEN WILL INDUSTRY FINALLY LOSE ITS RAG?


Disposable products have replaced textiles in all walks of life. So why are rags sometimes still used in industry instead of purpose-designed disposables? Rachel Thompson from Tork manufacturer SCA investigates.


The disposables industry is booming. Most of us today would prefer to use a paper tissue than a handkerchief for blowing our noses, for example.


A roll of kitchen towel is considered to be an essential item in the majority of homes. And despite moves to bring back the terry towelling nappy, disposable options remain much more popular due to their convenience.


So it may come as a surprise that textiles are still widely used in industrial environments. It seems that many operatives would rather use an item of old clothing for cleaning components and mopping up spills than a purpose-designed wiper. So why is this the case?


It appears that tradition plays a large part in the choice of equipment for many industries. People use what they have always used – even if that happens to be an oily rag or a pair of old underpants. Another reason for the slow rate of change is that many industrial managers are simply unaware of the alternatives to rags and rental cloths.


This situation is gradually changing and the sector is waking up to the benefits of non-woven and paper wipers. And not before time, since there are several good arguments for using disposables.


For example, customers know what to expect from a pack of disposable wipers or cloths. Each cloth will be the same size and shape and made from the same material – one that has been purpose-designed for cleaning. Rags on the other hand come in all shapes, sizes and qualities and it is not uncommon to come across a rag with a zipper, button, hook or eye that could potentially scratch the wiping surface.


Meanwhile there has been an 40 | Tomorrow’s Cleaning August 2016


increasing focus on the ‘Japanese Five S’ methodology which has led to many industrial workplaces smartening up their act.


The Five S concept – which determines that there should be a place for everything in the production environment – has five fundamental elements: ‘Sorting’, or removing all but the most essential items from the workplace; ‘Setting in order’, or arranging equipment in a way to promote the most efficient workflow; ‘Shining’, or keeping the workplace clean and uncluttered; ‘Standardising’ all work practices to keep them consistent; and ‘Sustaining’ these procedures on a day-to-day basis.


Clean, ready-to-use wipes and cloths housed in smart dispensers help to support the ‘Five S’ ethos, whereas oily rags left lying around the workplace will not.


There are other compelling arguments for using disposables over rags. A typical rag weighs eight times as much as a non-woven cloth, for example – and since waste disposal services often charge by weight, substantial cost savings can be made by switching to disposables.


A good non-woven cloth can also reduce solvent usage by up to 40% because the material will have been designed to release the solvent effectively on to the working surface rather than retain it in the cloth. This reduces the cost of solvent while also being a safety benefit, since the company will be able to reduce the amount of solvent that needs to be stored in their premises.


Mixed rags tend to be delivered to a factory in a big bag or bundle. They then need to be sorted by hand so that any rags that are too small, non- absorbent, excessively stained or


that have fasteners or zippers can be discarded. Each operative will then have to walk to the ragbag to select the cloths they need – and both these operations involve a great deal of time that could be used more efficiently for production purposes.


“It appears that tradition plays a large part in the choice of


equipment for many industries. People use what they have always used – even if that


happens to be an oily rag or a pair of old underpants.”


Most disposables, on the other hand, come in compact dispensers that can be mounted in bays and cubicles close to where the operative is working. This greatly improves productivity.


It is hard to believe that despite all these benefits, many industries are still sticking to the rags they have always used. However, industry itself is changing – and as it does, work processes will follow.


For example, increasing levels of technology and automation have meant that industry has become much cleaner and there is less dirt to remove. In the print industry for instance, printing machines have become more or less self-cleaning whereas they used to have to be cleaned by hand.


Meanwhile the increasing number of clean rooms and screens has led to a greater demand for low-linting products and specialist wipers. Rags are by their very nature general- purpose products and there is every likelihood that they will shed fibres on to the wiping surface.


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