Although
the following article was written on using mops in a commercial
environment, I found it a huge justification for not using a regular
mop. If you own a mop, read this and weep.
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The Low-Down on Mops
by Stan Halpern, Environmental Cleaning Consultant.
A. Once any mop touches any dirty floor, it is immediately
contaminated and filled with odor-producing bacteria.
B. Mops should NOT be used in a general way, but designated
mops should have specific cleaning functions. For your information,
most commercial mop companies have color-coded systems. So..."blue"
colored mops should be used on hallway floors ONLY. "Green" mops
should be used in bathrooms only, etc. If this system is impractical
and only white mops are ordered, mop handles can be spray painted
with different colors of paint to delineate job functions. This
approach eliminates spreading odor-producing washroom bacteria into
other areas of the building.
C. After the job function, mops should be allowed to sit
in a bucket of sanitizing solution for 15-20 minutes before rinsing
with clean water. In the past, bleach was the least expensive way
to sanitize. However, unless absolutely necessary, I frown on this
practice due to the impact chlorine gas, its oxidizing by-product
and sanitizing, has on indoor air quality. Other E.P.A. registered
sanitizers and disinfectants can be used, but my choice is the most
revolutionary, innovative, E.P.A. registered, "ENVIRONMENTALLY PREFERABLE"
cleaning system which utilizes JUST ONE user/surface friendly chemical
concentrate. This concentrate energizes the natural powers of citrus
oil (4.5% by volume in concentrate), HYDROGEN PEROXIDE (4% by volume
in concentrate.) The most important aspect of this product is the
STABILIZED Hydrogen Peroxide. Like chlorine bleach, stabilized hydrogen
peroxide is also an oxidizing agent. Its chemical formulation is
H2O2. Once the excess oxygen leaves the product (which occurs during
the oxidizing, sanitizing, and bleaching phase,) air quality is
enhanced with the release of additional oxygen into the air and
only water (H20) remains on the surface.
D. Once mop heads are left in a sanitizing agent for 15-20
minutes to kill the bacteria, they should be rinsed thoroughly with
water and wrung out.
E. A mop head on a mop stick should be stored head-up so
that excess water can easily run down it. It should NOT be stored
either in dirty mop water, or any "wet" condition; or should the
mop head be placed face-down on the floor where moisture can be
trapped.
F. In the event that moisture is trapped in the mop, the
perfect conditions for the growth of mold and mildew on a moist
surface in a dark, moist custodial closet are being created. Mold
and mildew is a vegetative growth, and NOT a type of dirt to be
cleaned. It is produced by a tiny plant of the fungus family, and
can sprout on most surfaces, especially if a food source is present
for the mini fungus to thrive on, such as paper, cotton, and wood.
Additionally, mildew grows on the dirt and soil, especially in dampness.
Mold spores (seeds,) exist everywhere, and grow in the right conditions.
The optimal conditions for growth are 77-88 degree Fahrenheit; moisture
spawns in 70-98% relative humidity, and in dark and poorly ventilated
environments. Much of the musty mop smells are the biological functions
of mold and mildew growth.
G. Changing the existing area in the environment will impact
the potency of the smell. You may find success in controlling the
odor by decreasing humidity and increasing air circulation with
air conditioners or de-humidifiers, as well as light; leave lights
on day and night in the area. Eliminate as many of the causes of
mildew (as mentioned above) in the desired area, and the detrimental
odors should be reduced. Many custodians store their used mops after
sanitizing and rinsing then in their boiler rooms, which are heated
to quickly dry mops, and lit 24 hours a day.
H. Finally, mops, if well-maintained, should NOT have to
be replaced until the last strand falls out. However, this statement
exists only in an ideal world. Poor mop maintenance procedures sometimes
demand that they should be discarded daily, weekly, or monthly.
The best indicator is human common sense and the human "sniffer."
If there is any indication of contamination or "foul" odor, it is
time for a change.
First Published: April, 2000
Updated: April 2007
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