Torking dirty: lose your rag in the factory
April 1st 2006

How do you cope with wiping tasks in a particularly dirty environment? SCA Tissue Europe's Mark Riley looks at wipers that can tackle grease, grime and ingrained soiling in industrial workshops - and finds out what makes them fit for the purpose

There was a time when every factory was potentially a dirty environment. Machines needed regular oiling to keep them running smoothly, and substances such as grease, paint and ink were considered to be occupational hazards.

As a result it was common practice for every factory worker to keep a rag in the back pocket to wipe away the worst of the dirt from their hands.

But industry is changing all the time. Traditionally "dirty" environments such as print shops and pressrooms have become digital printing centres instead, which means that manual cleaning methods have generally been replaced by in-line cleaning. Meanwhile there has been a greater reliance on automation in other industries which has led to a growing need for clean room products and lint-free wipers that avoid scratching screens and delicate components.

However, there are many industrial environments in which dirt is still a necessary evil, and wipers are continually being developed to improve cleaning performance in these areas.

In industries where large amounts of oil and grease are involved - in garages and mechanical engineering workshops - the wipers used need to be able to work well with high-viscose substances.

Many textile rags are not designed to absorb oils: in fact some fibres used in their manufacture can actually repel oil.

SCA Tissue Europe has developed Tork Advanced 440 specifically for use with oil. This is a tough four-ply cellulose wiper that is particularly effective when cleaning away high viscose oils and lubricants.

Wherever particularly dirty surfaces are being cleaned, a solvent is usually required to dissolve the grease and soiling. Again, the choice of wiping material is important because not all wipers are suitable for use with solvents.

Here you will need a particularly strong and absorbent wiper that also has good liquid release properties. Paper disposables would not be suitable, since they will quickly break up in the solvent.

Disposable wipers such as Tork Premium 530 work well in this context. Tork Premium 530 has been designed to absorb solvent and release it again afterwards, which means that less solvent is retained in the cloth. The wiper is also bulky which means it provides some protection for the hands against harsh solvents.

Most textiles are strong enough for heavy-duty wiping and their bulkiness also offers the hands a degree of protection. However, rags have a tendency to absorb the solvent and then fail to release it again effectively on to the wiping surface.

These solvent-soaked rags are not cost-effective since any solvent that remains absorbed in rag is wasted. They can also constitute a safety hazard because solvents have been known to cause industrial dermatitis and breathing problems among staff. When left in the pockets of industrial overalls, too, such rags have also been linked to testicular cancer.

Sometimes dirt and grease needs to be cleaned away from fiddly parts and components in the workshop. Here again you need a tough, absorbent wiper but one that is also soft enough to be crumpled up and used in corners. For this purpose we offer Tork Premium 520, which is sufficiently soft to clean corners and inaccessible areas but will not break down when used with solvents.

Besides these specialist cleaning cloths, it is also helpful to have some general-purpose wipers at hand for use in a dirty environment.

Paper-based wipers such as Tork Advanced 420 and Tork Universal 320 are ideal because they are economical to use and are suitable for wiping dirty hands and mopping up wet spills.

Industrial wiper manufacturers are constantly developing their products to mirror changes in industry and a full range of low-linting, non-scratching and clean room-safe wipers are now available. But a dirty environment requires wipers that are large enough to cope with any task; sufficiently absorbent to soak up large quantities of grease and oil, and tough enough to be used with strong solvents and on rough machinery.

Wipers that fit the bill are on offer from your wiper manufacturer, and he or she will talk you through the different options and explain how they can tackle the dirt in your industry.

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