Do You Microfiber in Your House Cleaning Business?
Microfiber cleaning rags have been around for about ten years
now. When I first heard about them they were being sold through
distributors in an MLM business. Since I had a professional
house cleaning business, I couldn't see how they could benefit
me due to the high cost.
But I've been wondering more and more, could these really
benefit the professional cleaners? So I've been doing some
research and what I found should certainly be shared.
What is Microfiber? It is an ultrafine synthetic fiber that is
very strong and lint free. Each fiber is split during
manufacturing, providing specific benefits. The density of the
fibers make the product very absorbent with the ability to hold
up to six times its weight in water, and the microbifers have a
positive charge that attracts dirt and dust, which has a
negative charge. Not only do the micrifibers attract dust and
dirt, they hold it tightly so that it is not redistributed while
cleaning.
Does Microfiber Really Work? Absolutely! Not only are the
microfiber towels available, but now you can purchase microfiber
mops to replace both your dust and wet mops.
I purchased a mop that came with three removable mop head pads.
These pads are attached to the mop with velcro. The mop has a
swivel base that allows it to get under and around furniture. I
have wood and vinyl flooring in my house and found the
microfiber mop to work very well and it was easy to use.
While dry mopping, I was able to pickup not only dust but small
debris from the floor and it was not moved around; it actually
was held in the microfiber fibers. Due to the swivel mop head, I
was able to get into corners and along baseboards.
I prefer cotton string mops for cleaning floors, but I found an
immediate benefit to the microfiber. No bending over the water
bucket, no wringing out the mop head and no fibers getting
caught around table legs or split wood edges on cabinets. And I
could still use the figure eight back and forth motion that I
use with string mops. In fact, I found that I could mop standing
up straighter because the mop is lightweight and maneuverable.
Great benefit here to eliminate back pain, shoulder, elbow,
wrist and finger injuries.
The microfibers can hold a lot of water without dripping thus
leaving the floor cleaner with less standing water. The floor
dries much faster, reducing the chance of slipping and sliding.
In fact I used a very dry mop head when mopping the wood floor
and could see the water evaporating as I mopped.
These microfiber mop pads are very durable and are estimated to
last ten times the normal one to two week life span of string
mops used in professional cleaning.
So with all these benefits, are there any areas of concern?
There are a few: initial investment, cost versus quality, not
appropriate for mopping up spills or floods, cannot remove or
spread wax, cannot be washed with lint producing items, cannot
be laundered in industrial washers and some brands are not
recommended for the dryer.
If you're managing teams or a high number of employees in your
house cleaning business, the initial investment can be double or
even triple the cost of cotton loop and string mops.