letters and views Letters To The Editor Insight from the JanSan industry. Quit Cleaning With Cotton Thanks for the digital version of CMM — I read it every month. Perhaps you were only intending to make your column a summary of the fact that mal-odors are a problem; I agree that they are. I would like to add to your suggestions for the proper cleaning of grout. While hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) is appro-priate for whitening grout lines and agitation — either physical scrubbing or water pres-sure — is also necessary for the removal of embedded soils, you mention nothing about the suitability of using microfi-ber flat mops as opposed to cotton mops to prevent the resoiling of grout lines. It may have been wise to also mention the continu-ing success of no-touch cleaning technology that is making the task of keeping grout clean a much easier one. Cotton mops are like straws; they hold water extremely well, but they just push the dirt and bac-teria along on the outside of the fibers. The grout lines then attract and absorb the dirt and bacteria, allowing it to settle on the grout and eventually into the pores if the lines are not sealed. This is where the odor comes from — along with a plentiful dose of urine added every day. Check out the floor tiles along the base-boards and you will see the original grout color. Then, as you look farther away from the wall, you will see the grout turning a dark, moldy black — a result of the cotton string mops that have swept across the tiles and grout lines over the years. I am a manufacturer’s representative for no-touch cleaning equipment and microfi-ber mops, so I may be a bit biased. But, the techniques I describe above have evolved during my 39 years in the JanSan industry and are proving helpful for many. — Randy Lane, sales representative with Bard Enterprises LLC. CM What’s On Your Mind? Each month, we welcome readers to opine on the noteworthy — or even the trivial — aspects of their lives as JanSan professionals. If there is something you’d like to communicate to our team, send Editorial Director Rich DiPaolo a letter at [email protected]. For those of you who would prefer to mail in your expe-riences, use the following address as the destination for your thoughts: Cleaning & Maintenance Management magazine c/o Rich DiPaolo 19 British American Boulevard West, Suite 5 Latham, NY 12110 www.cmmonline.com 7
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