In this era of technology simplifying various work processes, a thorough knowledge of the right kind of cleaning tools would help get the best results apart from reduction in cost of consumables and time. Clean India Journal discusses how cleaning tools supplement and complement the professional cleaning processes.
No one enjoys the day by pulling into the driveway and notice black spots or streaks forming on his asphalt roof shingles. No one likes the scratches on his/her window glasses that appear because of the improper use of tools or improper tool’s use. Tools play an important role in the pre-cleaning process by removal of large and small debris and dust and also in the post-cleaning of minute and cornered spaces.
Traditional modes of cleaning with tools, available off the shelf entail hard labour and hence, the need for resting intermittently.
In India, cleaning tools have not been understood as essentials to invest in. Majority of the cleaning tools’ work is done through supplements available off the shelf in any supermarket. Every cleaning product comes with its specific advantages – some have excellent sanitary qualities, some have great scrubbing power and some are good at picking up fine dust.
Tools have to be given due importance and attention. This can be understood through an example: It is common to resort to a single bucket when it comes to mopping the floor. Just imagine the time consumed for replacing water, the amount of water being consumed, the amount of time taken to clean the area, the chemicals… and so on. Similarly, string mops once wet are difficult to lift and manoeuvre. This brings down the efficiency of the janitor and the quality of cleaning performance. Easy mops are available in the market and are cost effective in the long run.
Selecting a Tool
“Unlike Cleaning machines or equipment, tools and accessories are very much part of our lives. There are many companies providing various chemicals as per the application requirement, but in case of tools, the diversity is much more. Selecting tools as per the area is very important, which must be cost-effective as different spaces have different cleaning frequency. One can’t invest supposedly over a lakh of rupees in some tool without having enough application requirements. For example, why to buy flipper if you don’t have a big driveway? I do use toothbrushes for keeping corners clean, like groves, skirting, switch plates…. and other minute areas, as many other tools won’t even reach there.
“Similarly, how to use a tool is of equal importance. The right methodology must be conveyed to the cleaning staff as well. We at CBRE, provide weekly training to workers to keep them updated about these. The ideal cleaning standard is that if proper dusting (dry mopping) is done then wet moping would be very easy and effective. Cleaning tools and accessories are very important in a sense that ultimately they make way for secondary cleaning.”
– Disha Sawant, AFM, CBRE South Asia Pvt. Ltd, Asset Services – India
When it comes to clean surfaces, including roofs, walls, ceilings, and woodwork, the things you cannot afford to forget: HEPA vacuums, detergent, waterproof gloves, rags, sponges, mops HEPA vacuum attachments (crevice tools, beater bar for cleaning rugs), plastic bags, debris containers, waste water containers, shovels, rakes, water-misting sprayers and buckets. The importance can simply be understood by the fact that except one, rest falls in tools & accessories.
The far-reaching and time-consuming part of the whole cleaning process, be it for roof or window cleaning, is the clearing of corners and smaller points which is actually done by tools.
“We are finding difficulty in staircase cleaning as we are yet to find any suitable scrubber pad. Joint areas, corner points and vertical surfaces especially up to one feet and above the floor are difficult to clean. These are time consuming,” says Suryanarayana, EHK – Atria Hotel, Bangalore.
