MICROFIBER CLEANING

1. MICROFIBER CLEANING

2. History Of Microfiber Microfiber was invented in Sweden in the early 80’s as durable fabric. After its development, Microfiber was found to have superior cleaning abilities. It was then marketed and sold in Europe in the 1990’s.

3. What Is Microfiber? A flexible microscopic plastic durable yarn. Measured at less than 1 Denier. A Denier is a yarn measurement – which translates to: “A length of yarn stretched 5.5 miles and not weighing more than .5 ounces”.

4. To Understand The Size… The diameter is 100 times smaller than a human hair. One Strand Of Human Hair Microfiber Strand

5. Types Of Microfiber Unprocessed (fibers not split) - No absorption, no magnetic attraction to soil - Microfiber, woven in a flat weave and very durable – but has very poor water absorption characteristics. It’s used to manufacture water resistant clothing & upholstery fabric. Processed (split or ripped) - High absorption, no attraction to soil, used in cheater mops - Processed by splitting (similar to split ends) threads are twisted and each fiber created cavities (capillaries) adding solution holding power to the thread. The thread by itself cannot absorb solution. Unprocessed (used for cleaning) - High absorption - Magnetic attraction to soil - Combines 2 basic fibers, Polyester & Polyamide creates a natural magnetism to soil - Blends range from 70-30 to 80-20

6. Positively Charged Microfiber (Positively Charged) attacking (Negatively Charged) dust and dirt for the life of the yarn. Cotton Mop Skims Surface +Charged Microfiber Attracts - Soil

7. Yarn Fibers Yarn fibers are like a microscopic plastic brush. Strong lint free fiber.

8. Hooks Hold Soil? Yarn is ripped from the machine creating jagged edges – over 100,000 per square inch to hold soil. These magnified photos show 3 stages of microfibers. The first is before using, the second shows tiny dust particles that stick to the fibers and the third shows dirt and bacteria caught in the network of fibers after light use.

9. Holds Solution Holds many times its weight in solution. These same hooks bind against each other creating voids, which hold solution. Remember, plastic cannot absorb solution – it holds solution.

10. Microfiber Mopping Microfiber mopping assists in infection control. Microfiber Mop System uses one mop per patient room.

11. Why Is It So Popular? Easier To Use - Substantially lighter, effortless cleaning - No heavy mop buckets to dump Faster To Use - Cleans 30% more surface - 60% faster than a string mop and bucket - Eliminates dust mopping Less Expensive To Use - Hardware is less expensive - Reduces chemical cost by up to 95% Effortless, Improved Clean, For Less Money!

12. Microfiber In Healthcare Building Services Management Magazine 9-4-08 “The University of California Davis Medical Center (UCDMC) in Sacramento, CA, had three motivations for changing the way its custodial staff maintained the floors in patient care areas: 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. Reduce custodial staff injuries and workers’ compensation claims —Conventional wet mopping practices can lead to custodial staff injuries through the repeated motions of mopping and wringing. Program Results: UCDMC first used the microfiber mops in a pilot test and within one year it completely replaced conventional loop mops with the microfiber alternative in all patient care areas. The program resulted in three measurable economic benefits: 60 percent lifetime cost savings for mops; 95 percent reduction in chemical costs associated with mopping tasks; and 20 percent labor savings per day.

13. History Of Microfiber • The initial cost to implement the program was significant, as a microfiber mop costs over three times more than conventional loop mop. However, the manufacturer: • guarantees the microfiber mop head for 500 washings, while a conventional mop typically withstands only 55 washings, giving the microfiber mop a comparatively low life time cost. • Although UCDMC uses quaternary ammonium chloride solution for other applications, switching to the microfiber mopping system reduced the amount of the chemical purchased by 46 percent. Also, because the microfiber mops are easier and faster to use, UCDMC saved 638 hours per year for each worker. Three other economic benefits are less easily quantified and will vary by location: • cost savings from decreased water use • reduced worker’s compensation claims • 3. potential construction savings from eliminated need for mop sinks in janitor’s closets. Because janitors no longer change cleaning solution every third room, UCDMC cut its water use for mopping by 95 percent. Another benefit that has become apparent is the cost savings from reduced workers’ compensation claims. • UCDMC management has determined that the microfiber mops are easy enough to use that janitors placed on “light duty” because of an injury are tasked with mopping floors. However, because of the variety of claims made and the inconsistent associated costs, UCDMC has been unable to quantify the cost savings from reduced claims.

14. Crunching The Numbers “If implemented properly, microfiber can help streamline cleaning tasks and improve cleaning times. This technology can also reduce chemical and water usage, minimize product replacement costs and save thousands of dollars in fines associated with building occupant health. In fact, those facilities that were on the forefront of the microfiber trend have already begun to see both financial benefits and cleaning efficiencies associated with its use. At Western Washington Universityin Bellingham, Washington, the goal for the custodial department has been to conform the cleaning techniques into green initiatives, all while increasing efficiencies and reducing budget dollars. According to Michael Smith, departmental supervisor and CMI master trainer in the Academic Custodial Services department, the cleaning crew at Western Washington University has been successful in achieving those goals for roughly 15 years, thanks to the implementation and use of microfiber technology. “We are extremely vested in microfiber,” says Smith. The fact that this product can help meet green goals, while reducing expenditures goes a long way to support its use. Microfiber is directly associated with green claims, in part, because it requires the use of minimal chemicals. In some cases, the products clean effectively without the use of any chemicals and instead can be used dry or by using only water. This feature of microfiber is also a cost savings perk. Utilizing a product that will reduce the chemical inventory throughout the facility is a win-win resulting in substantial budget savings. “