Micromops save time and money
December 1st 2007 Unger’s SmartColour microfibre flat mops are helping contract cleaners,Careclean UK, cut the time it takes to mop floors at Latymer Upper School in West London.
Latymer Upper School, a long-established school in Hammersmith,West London, is benefiting from the new Unger SmartColour Microfibre flatmops being used to clean the school by cleaning contractors Careclean UK, who have looked after Latymer for many years.
Like many old schools, Latymer is made up of a mix of old and new buildings ranging from the magnificent and traditional Great Hall to a state of the art theatre,Atrium and coffee shop and a new music building, to be opened in April 2008. The buildings are very well maintained, and in first-class condition at all times. A Health and Safety Committee, on which senior management is represented, meets regularly to review the management of facilities.
Knowing of Latymer’s high standards of hygiene and cleanliness, Careclean decided to put Unger’s SmartColour microfibre mopping system into action in the School.Careclean’s slogan is quality first - and the company proposed SmartColour after being thoroughly impressed by its innovative design.Careclean have used products by Unger, a well known and trusted manufacturer, for a number of years. 1100 children traipse across Latymer’s floors every day, often bringing mud and dirt in from the sports fields.Unger’s SmartColour Damp Mop has a 100% high-multi polyester microfibre design to provide outstanding cleaning with minimal drag, quick drying and streak-free results.“We found this ideal for reducing bacteria on floor surfaces,” explained John Williams, owner of Careclean UK.“These mops are particularly effective for cleaning grouting between floor tiles. In the past we would have had to clean such surfaces twice over to get close to the cleanliness this mop achieves in one go.”
Unger’s high-quality microfibre material translates to productivity benefits, with Careclean UK cleaning Latymer Upper School’s floors in a fraction of the time, and needing far less water to achieve a high standard of cleaning.Unger’s SmartColour zoning system also means that mops are colour coded for different areas, for example red for pupil washrooms and yellow for kitchens.This prevents cross-contamination from cleaning different areas, such as washroom to kitchen. “We considered other cleaning products but Unger’s microfibre mops stood head and shoulders above the rest,” explained Williams.
“Cleaning operatives can mop one side of a floor with a Kentucky mop then the other with a microfibre mop and see a quite astounding difference. Kentucky mops are imprecise, slopping water and debris up walls which can do serious damage to Latymer’s skirting boards and floors,warping the wood surfaces.This is especially risky with older buildings at the school such as the Great Hall, where Latymer takes great pains to preserve its heritage. Microfibre strands need less water and prevent such damage from occurring.The clean is neat and dries quickly, removing dirt effectively instead of sloshing it around.”
Williams also mentioned that a significant feature of SmartColour’s double chamber bucket over rival double chamber buckets is the ability to drop the mop through the wringer into the rinsing section to one of the chambers.“Unger’s double chamber system cleans mops more effectively, as the cleaner would usually be rinsing out water in the wringer with the mop still dirty and then dropping it into the second chamber dirtying that water too,”explains Williams.“This causes the mop to pick up dirty water previously left in this second chamber.With the Unger SmartColour, the mop can be rinsed and then dropped into water in the first chamber,with this mop cleaned further in the second chamber.”
Other Unger products being used at Latymer Upper School include MicroWipe cloths, which feature tiny fibres able to penetrate irregular surfaces like wooden tables scarred with indents, which can be a breeding ground for germs.The cloths also feature a colour coding system which can be designated to individual areas such as red for toilets and urinals and yellow for sinks.
Ergonomic benefits of using Unger cleaning products have been experienced by the Careclean team.The easily adjustable height of the SmartColour mop prevents back strain, which can often occur with large cleaning tasks like Latymer’s corridor, which is the second longest academic corridor in the UK.Additionally, the mop head clips on and off easily at the base when it needs replacing.This saves the dripping of dirty water over floors experienced by the old Kentucky mops during changes.Careclean was also impressed by the long lasting, durable and cost effective aspects of the mircofibre mops, with each mop withstanding up to 500 washes before needing replacement.
Williams’ team have made substantial productivity benefits at Latymer Upper School by using Unger products with rapid mopping and drying producing 60-70 per cent time savings.Cleanliness has increased at the school reducing bacteria as well as making the environment more pleasant for pupils and teachers.“This is an absolutely fantastic piece of kit – and everyone’s a winner,”says Williams.“Mopping takes a fraction of the time it used to, cleans more thoroughly and dries in half the time.This pleases the facilities manager, makes the job easier for the staff and crucially for us it frees up time for other jobs.This gives us more time for other business,meaning we are providing better results while expanding rapidly.” More articles from Unger UK Ltd: | 
