Microfibre

Using Microfiber Mops in Hospitals

Using conventional loop mops for wet mopping of patient care areas has long been the standard in floor cleaning operations in hospitals. However, the health care industry has taken a recent interest in evaluating hard floor maintenance techniques in terms of employee, patient, and environmental health. Many floor cleaners used in hospitals contain harsh chemicals such as quaternary ammonium chlorides and butoxyethanol, which can be harmful to human health and the environment.

To reduce the risk of cross-contamination for patients, conventional mopping techniques require staff to change the cleaning solution after mopping every two or three rooms— meaning that cleaning solutions are constantly being disposed of and replenished.
Some facilities have begun using a new mopping technique involving microfiber materials to clean floors. Microfibers are densely constructed, polyester and polyamide (nylon) fibres that are approximately 1/16 the thickness of a human hair. The density of the material enables it to hold six times its weight in water, making it more absorbent than a conventional, cotton loop mop. Also, the positively charged microfibers attract dust (which has a negative charge), and the tiny fibers are able to penetrate the microscopic surface pores of most flooring materials.

The Secret of Microfibre Microfibre cleaning materials are a blend of microscopic polyster and polyamide fibres which are split in such a way as to create microscopic ‘hooks’ which act as claws that scrape up and hold dust, dirt, and grime. They are 1/16 the thickness of a human hair and can hold six times their weight in water.

These characteristics make microfiber an effective mopping material which allows for:

• Reduce chemical use and disposal.

• Conventional wet mopping practices require cleaning solution changes after every third room to reduce patient health risks from cross-contamination.

• Reduce cleaning times for patient rooms. Conventional wet mopping practices– including mopping the floor, preparing and changing the cleaning solution, and wringing the mop before and after jobs–take approximately 15 minutes for a typical patient room.

• Microfiber mops weigh approximately five pounds less than conventional wet loop mops, making them much easier to use. Second, the microfiber mop head is changed after every room is mopped, benefiting the staff in two ways:

• The effort of wringing a conventional mop is eliminated.

• As long as the used mop head is not put back in the cleaning solution, the staff do not have to change the solution between rooms.

Both characteristics can significantly reduce labour costs. Moreover, because the same mop water is not being shared between rooms, microfiber mopping virtually eliminates the cross-contamination risk that floor mopping can pose for patients.

To address concerns regarding the effectiveness of the microfiber mops, staff performed demonstrations in which an area would first be cleaned with a conventional mop and then re-cleaned with a microfiber mop. In each case, the microfiber mop would capture more dust and dirt.

However, when the same test was done in reverse order, the conventional mop was not able to capture more dust and dirt beyond the capabilities of the microfiber mop.

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