MATERIAL SOLUTIONS: READER QUERY achieve a log10 mopheads might require a log10


reduction of say 5, whereas reduction


to nearer 10. To get this degree of power needs careful thought and a properly designed mophead process. The simplest form of chemical decontamination is probably the use of a medium temperature (below 60C) bath containing 150 parts per million sodium hypochlorite (‘chlorine bleach’) for at least 3 minutes. This can safely be used on Kentucky style cotton mopheads, with only a slight reduction in cotton life but it cannot be used for microfibre mopheads. Chemical disinfectants are available which are suitable for microfibres, althoughbugs can become resistant (by mutation) to a particular chemical, but the checks will swiftly reveal this and allow a switch to an alternative. Only hypochlorite and ozone disinfection appear to be immune to mutations.


Of course, some bugs (such as Bacillus cereus and Clostridium difficile) are resistant to both thermal and chemical decontamination and for these, dilution becomes essential. This might call for additional rinse stages in a washer extractor or an increase in the flow to the rinse on a tunnel washer.


The way ahead


The typical Kentucky mop is used with a standard mop bucket and hot water charged with an appropriate detergent. The mop is rinsed in the bucket, squeezed to remove most of the water and then used to wipe the dirty floor. It is then rinsed again in the mop bucket and squeezed again for re-use. This means that the mop is being used with progressively dirtier water, so that even a clean floor area is going to become immediately contaminated.


The microfibre mop is seen as the future, because the standard method will involve a fresh and disinfected lightweight mop head being fixed to the crossbar and then dipped in the uncontaminated contents of the mop bucket and squeezed out. It is then used to clean one specific area of just a few square metres. It is not dipped into the mop bucket again but stripped off the crossbar and put into the dirty mophead receptacle for decontamination. A fresh decontaminated mophead is then selected to clean the next dedicated area, and so on.


Conclusion


We hope we have addressed this reader’s query, and if you have a laundering or cleaning problem, please do not hesitate to email the editor at Kathy.Bowry@ laundryandcleaningnews.com


If you have a problem that you think LTC Worldwide can help with, or that you feel would make a good subject for Material Solutions, please call T: +44 (0)1943 816 545 or E: enquiries@ltcworldwide.com or W:www.ltcworldwide.com


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