Commercial Microfiber Mop System Measures Up in School Restroom Cleaning
Small school restrooms get the attention they deserve and Michigan school district reaps time and cost rewards
As we know all too well from our daily interactions with schools and educational facilities nationwide, school restroom cleaning is no simple task. Whether talking with facility managers or observing onsite first-hand, we have a firm understanding of the daily challenges faced by cleaning staff, which is why we asked Gary Brezinski, the Director of Buildings and Grounds at West Ottawa Public Schools in Holland, Michigan to share his journey of overcoming many of these challenges.
Brezinski supervises the daily school cleaning of more than 200 restrooms in the 13-building school system. Each of 25 elementary classrooms across nine buildings contains its own three-foot by three-foot restroom. Brezinski says this classroom layout can be particularly challenging to clean with the traditional wet mop and bucket. “The dimensions of these small restrooms make them difficult to clean with a mop,” Brezinski said.
Overcoming the Challenges of Traditional Wet Mop Cleaning
“Since there are so many restrooms to look after, I’m always searching for better and easier ways to clean. Replacing our old 24- ounce, cotton blend wet mops was a priority because they are neither economic nor ergonomic. Carpal tunnel syndrome is prevalent in our industry, and I want to keep my team healthy and safe. A 98-pound woman swinging a five-pound mop can be very physically straining. Eighteen years of experience with Unger Enterprises’ ergonomic line of professional window cleaning tools led me to select the company’s commercial microfiber mop system for our schools. I knew this was the right choice because Unger’s floor cleaning systems are among the best in the industry.”
According to Brezinski, Unger’s microfiber Restroom Mop System has significantly improved restroom floor care at West Ottawa Public Schools. The commercial microfiber mop system replaced traditional mopping methods including using cotton blend mop heads for cleaning and rayon mop heads for waxing. “The Restroom Mop System reduces cleaning time by two to three minutes per restroom,” Brezinski added. “The new flat mop system also saves thousands of dollars in cleaning supplies. With traditional cleaning methods, we had to replace mops every other month. This process cost us nearly $4,000 per year on mops alone – $20 per mop, per employee, replaced every other month. With a staff of 36, the costs quickly added up.”
The Results of Implementing Unger’s Commercial Microfiber Mop System
The microfiber mop system Brezinki’s staff now uses is part of Unger’s proven restroom floor cleaning system. It includes an ergonomically designed 16-inch flat mop with 15 mm pile mop head for heavy duty floor care. The rectangular, swivel head allows for easy reach under toilets, behind urinals and in corners. The mop system also has an extendable Ergo TelePole that provides up to 90 inches of additional reach for out of the way areas. This feature prevents back strain by allowing workers to adjust the poles to comfortably fit their height.
Responsible for cleaning 1.3 million square feet of space, the West Ottawa Public Schools’ custodians consider the mop systems easier to use and a more practical solution for getting the job done. The system also helps with maintaining the staff’s usual practice of color coding, which prevents cross contamination to other areas of the school. “Unger’s mop system is lightweight, faster and does a better job in corners than any mop we’ve used,” Brezinski said. “It doesn’t slosh up dirt onto baseboards and we appreciate that it can be washed up to 500 times before it needs to be replaced. Also, the microfiber mop doesn’t retain the stale odor that other wet mops do.”
The system cleans floors with less water and chemicals than required by traditional wet mops, which makes it safer for workers and students. The microfiber cleaning technology in the system increases overall cleaning power and reduces bacteria by 96 percent compared to the use of traditional mops.
Prepared for Expanded School Cleaning Needs
West Ottawa Public Schools’ food service department uses several of Unger’s SmartColor Mop Systems throughout the unit while Brezinski’s staff has extended their use to locker rooms. “These commercial mops have changed the way we clean restrooms,” Brezinski said. “When we add 400,000 square feet of space with a new high school next year, I expect the rewards will be even greater.”
If we can help you evaluate your current campus cleaning practices and commercial restroom cleaning products, please contact us, or request a one-on-one consultation.