Glancing through several issues of the three janitorial industry trade journals to which we subscribe, I noticed a recurring theme. In illustrations of folks sanitizing surfaces - restroom counters, office and school desks, lunchroom tables, elevator control panels - the cleaner and/or disinfectant is always being applied with a cloth, bunched up in the hand. And, given the times, there were a lot of articles, and pictures, on disinfection.
Key in cleaning, and in disinfecting, such surfaces is in "wall-to-wall" coverage, and uniformity of solution application. You don't disinfect without ample dwell time (a minute or two with a decent disinfectant), and certainly not in any areas missed. In turn, the key in achieving even, wall-to-wall application is using some sort of rigid frame, with cloth or pad attached. A cloth in the hand does not suffice. Years back, we used both microfiber floor "flat-mops" and 16" window washing applicators for such tasks. Both were a bit tricky to handle, and a bit large, but much preferable to a waded up cloth, and time saving as well.
Close to the start of the pandemic, a consultant introduced us to Sphergo's tool. The pad is 11" long, quite convenient for office and restroom surfaces; the hand grip is an ergonomic tennis ball sized sphere (hence, I gather, the name); and, an extension pole can be affixed to the hand grip as needed. We got a bunch, and moved immediately from dry dust wiping of desks and other surfaces to damp wiping with the Sphergo tool and a hydrogen-peroxide based cleaner/sanitizer. In generally less time that it used to take us to detail dust, we could dust, clean and sanitize (and with ample dwell time, disinfect) not only the desk or file cabinet top, but the sides as well. We needed to ask a bit of client cooperation in limiting desk clutter, but with the threat of Covid, that turned out to be an easy sell. A great benefit for both us and our clients. The sort of innovation that ought to spread throughout the industry, immediately.
But, back to the trade journal pictures of hands and cloths. Perhaps they were just using old photos. Coincidentally, I had to order some more pads from my supplier (one of the major janitor supply outfits in the region). They had none on hand; they had to order a delivery from the factory. Turns out our supplier don't usually stock any; the last order they'd had was back in June. Of 2020.
Looks like few in the industry use them; it's not just the trade journals that have missed the innovation.
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