Seize the day with microfibre

As more and more companies begin to switch, or think about switching, to a daytime cleaning regime, one of the many challenges service contractors and cleaners face is how to minimize any disruption to the working day of employees or customers visiting business premises and to ensure that cleaning performance and productivity is maintained without compromising the safety and wellbeing of any occupants.

For most businesses the main task is to clean floors and other hard surfaces and, in busy environments such as retail outlets, healthcare centres, hospitals and restaurants, ensure that any spillages or dirt caused by heavily trafficked areas can be quickly and effectively cleared without having to close down sections of the building or business.

This is where the benefits of microfibre mopping systems and cloths really do come into their own. As one of the first companies to introduce microfibre products into the UK janitorial sector I have long been an admirer of microfibre’s capabilities and, over the past 10 years, have been encouraged by the increased use of these products to not only clean a wide range of hard surfaces and floors but also to help companies adhere to the demands of sustainability and environmental concerns associated with our industry.

Microfibre mops and cloths clean surfaces without the use of chemicals which means that cleaners can not only improve sustainability but also dramatically reduce costs and, in a daytime cleaning context, eliminate the need for chemicals and bucket loads of water having to be bought into busy working environments.

Rapid response

Day cleaning is not just night cleaning at a different time, it is a new approach to cleaning that minimises disruption to the working day while also creating a positive experience for your cleaning staff. It requires both a planned maintenance programme as well as a "plan of attack" for rapid response cleaning situations in heavily trafficked areas where speed and effectiveness in getting and keeping floors clean are of paramount importance.

By using microfibre mopping systems especially designed for rapid response cleaning businesses can ensure that flooring is dry and safe and that cleaners can quickly respond to any problems with the minimum amount of fuss and disruption. Microfibre is now being successfully used in a wide variety of businesses – supermarkets, hospitals, care homes, airports, hotels and offices  – providing contractors with lower costs, better quality and minimal disruption to businesses.

What qualities enable microfibre to achieve these results? Firstly, microfibre mops and cloths can be washed and re-used many times over. Mopping systems, such as the Speedy microfibre flat mop, are safer to use, lighter than traditional mops and 30% quicker to clean with. There is no need for chemical or even hot water and microfibre has been proven to remove over 99.9% of dirt and bacteria whilst traditional systems often only remove 60%. Microfibre also removes dust completely leaving no cleaning films behind and therefore ensuring surfaces stay cleaner longer. Finally, microfibre is quiet and unobtrusive to use, enabling daytime cleaning without the need for noisy machinery such as vacuums and polishers.

Businesses where any excess water could potentially be hazardous are one of the most important users of microfibre cleaning systems. Any hard surface cleaned with a damp microfibre mop pad dries in about two minutes, whereas a traditional cotton mop could take upwards of 10 minutes. The faster drying speed of microfibre helps to significantly reduce slip-hazard areas for staff and customers, and also significantly reduces the amount of time flooring needs to be out of use for cleaning.

Cleaning with chemicals and excessive amounts of water, either during the day or night, belongs to the past and today’s modern environmentally aware businesses will not tolerate cleaning regimes that do not stand up to scrutiny from either a sustainability or environmental stance. Microfibre provides the best possible option to not only clean quickly and effectively but in a manner fit for a sustainable future.