Caring for cleaning tools and equipment

We put a lot of effort into making sure that our cleaning crews are well-versed in cleaning techniques. The processes, procedures, tools and equipment are all provided to them by us. Maintaining tools and machinery is a need, although it isn’t always prioritized.

When was the last time that you had a proper training session for your personnel on the correct maintenance of their work gear and equipment? A maintenance schedule is needed to keep tools and equipment in top condition and ready for use by a new team of cleaners.

Here is a checklist I developed for my employees to keep tools and equipment in top working condition:

Plastic Spray Bottles

• To avoid residue and buildup, wipe out bottles as needed.
• If any section of the label is smudged or unreadable, replace it.
• To prevent clogging, dismantle the trigger and clean it out on a regular basis.

Brute & Caddy

• Clean the interior and exterior as necessary.

Rags

• Do not leave them out in the open since they pose a health and safety risk. Microfiber cloths should not be mixed with soiled rags and should be stored separately.
• Don’t keep dirty rags around.

Microfiber cloths

• Launder filthy microfiber cloths together in a single pile or basket. Surfaces can be scratched and damaged by microfibers that have been heavily dirty.
• Microfiber cloths should not be laundered with other rags or fabrics, since they can actually draw dirt from other filthy materials.

Dust Pans

• As necessary, clean and disinfect the front edge.

Brushes

• Then shake off the excess water using a towel. Brushes should be cleaned with a lukewarm cleaning solution and then rinsing under running water to remove any dirt. Straighten the bristles and air-dry.
• Do not place the weight of the brush on the bristles when storing it.

Brooms

• Never use it if it’s wet, and never stand on the straws. You should never use a broom to scrub your floors or walls. Wear evenly by rotating them frequently.

Putty Knife

• Clean the putty knife after each use to remove any moisture or debris.
• Store in a dry, clean location.
• Keep the blade sharp by re-sharpening it as needed.

Measuring Cups

• Clean immediately after use by rinsing under running water and blotting dry.

Dust Mops

• Avoid using dry mops to remove liquids from the floor. When cleaning greasy floors, do not use a dust mop.
• When possible, use a vacuum cleaner to remove loose soil; if not, simply shake it into a large trash can.
• A mop should never be stored on the floor. Hang the mop up so that the air can flow.

Wet Mops

• Cotton mop fibers should be soaked for several minutes before they can be used.
• Once you’ve used it, wash it off.
• When using a wringer, never twist the mop. The fibers in the material can be broken if twisted or squeezed too hard.
• Straighten the strands using your fingers.
• Remove any stray or unkempt strands.
• Dry mops in a well-lit, well-ventilated area. Avoid putting it down on the floor or in the mop bucket.

Microfiber Mops

• Washing microfiber flat mops is recommended after each use.
• Before laundering microfiber dry mops, they should be shaken or vacuumed to remove loose dirt and dust.

Floor Finish Mops

• Clean water should be used to remove any remaining floor finish or wax after use.
• Shake strands to fluff them up after wringing out as much water as possible.
• The mop used to apply floor finish should never be used with detergent or soap on it.
• After using the mop, place it in a clean plastic bag and dispose of it.

Buckets & Wringers

• Use only the amount of hand pressure necessary to wring out the mop with a wringer lever.
• Untangle anything that gets caught in the wringer: loose mop head yarn, string, or any other foreign material.
• The bucket should be disinfected before use. Rinse and dry with a towel.
• Retighten and grease the wringer.
• When not in use, keep the wringer in the “release” position.
• After each usage, make sure to thoroughly wash the blade under running water.
• Clean and dry the blade before storing it.

Upright Vacuum

• Empty your bag frequently.
• After emptying the vacuum, wipe the vacuum’s outside.
• Make sure there aren’t any threads, carpet strands, or other materials tangled around the mixer’s beater bar.
• Take a look at your belt and replace it if necessary.
• Remove the magnet bar after each use.

Backpack Vacuum

• Empty your bag frequently.
• Micro-filters should be checked and cleaned as needed.
• Clean the dome filter when necessary.
• Ensure that the diffuser filter in the exhaust system is clean (this can be done weekly or as required).
• Vacuum the outside of the vacuum.

High-Speed Buffers

• After each day of use, wipe clean the entire surface. Wipe the cord as well.
• Replace the pad if necessary.
• Once every two weeks or so, give the engine a good blowout.
• Check the screws and nuts once a month to make sure they aren’t loose.

Slow Speed Machines

• After each day of use, wipe clean the entire surface. Wipe the cord as well.
• Refill tank with fresh water after every usage.
• Make that the drive unit is in good condition.

Synthetic Floor Pads

• Both sides of the floor pads can be used. The pad should be put away for cleaning or soaking once it has been used on both sides.
• Cleaning floor mats is as simple as rubbing one against another. You can also use a scratcher on your hand. Rinse with a strong stream of hot water, followed by a final rinse of cold water, to remove any remaining soap residue. If this doesn’t work, soak the pads in a synthetic detergent or stripping solution overnight. In order to get rid of any soap residue, boiling water should be used to rinse each pad. A final rinse with cold water followed by a shake and placing the pads on a non-rusting flat surface is recommended for drying. Until they are entirely dry, pads cannot be used again.
• Cut worn-out pads into small chunks or pieces for use as hand or foot scratch pads as a quick fix.

Wet/Dry Vacs

• The inside and outside should be cleaned after every use.
• Hoses and attachments should be cleaned and sanitized.

Carpet Machines

• The tank, filters, hoses and other accessories should be thoroughly cleaned.
• Outside, use a cloth to clean up any debris.

Pump-Up Sprayers

• Let go of the tension.
• Clean up after yourself in the open air.
• Rinse out the container and use a sprayer to avoid clogging it up again after emptying it.

Don’t forget to explain to your cleaning staff the significance of properly caring for and maintaining the company’s cleaning instruments and equipment. Production rates will rise, maintenance costs will drop, and your expenses will go down if everything is done correctly and according to plan. Everything works out for everyone.

Tips To Properly Sanitize Tools

Check, clean, and maintain your cleaning equipment as a routine. If you haven’t already, it’s time. The longer they last, the greater care you give them.

Proper cleaning equipment upkeep begins with you, the user. Sanitizing your tools and equipment is never a waste of time. After all, they keep your home clean and organized. Here’s how to keep your cleaning equipment in good working order.

Clean Brooms

• Remove residues by combing broom fibers. Every two months, do this. However, if you find that your broom is covered in particles, promptly clean it.
• Do a quick sweep of the area to remove any loose soil.
• If the broom handle is threaded, take it off.
• Thirty minutes in a gallon of powder detergent solution will do the trick.
• Consider using a cleaner safe for nylon or straw bristles.
• Rinse the bristles in hot water after soaking.
• The broom head can be stood upright to dry.
• Before applying it again, allow it to dry.

Cottom Mops

• After each usage, give cotton mops a thorough cleaning in hot water and white vinegar.
• Repeat this process until the water is clear.
• Do a hot water and detergent wash on your cotton mops once a month.
• Each cotton mop head should be wrapped in pantyhose if you want to wash many mops at the same time in the washing machine.
• Dry them out by hanging them up.
• Make sure that mop heads are completely dry before storing to avoid bacteria growth.
• Make sure that mop heads are completely dry before storing to avoid bacteria growth.

Scrub Brushes

• Before storing, make sure that the mop heads are totally dry to prevent the growth of bacteria.
• Remove debris from the bristles every month to keep them in good condition. Put on a pair of gloves.
• Soak fiber bristle scrub brushes for a few minutes in a pail of warm water and detergent.
• Oxygen bleach can be used to clean and freshen the brush.

Sponges

As long as a sponge is wet and not properly dried, it is a breeding ground for bacteria. Three methods are available for cleaning and disinfecting them:

First:

• Soak them in water with dish soap.
• Squeeze the extra water out until it disappears.
• Dry them out by hanging them up.

Second:

• Set the dishwasher on sanitize mode and put the sponge in there.

Third:

• Dish soap and water should be used to clean your sponge.
• Put the sponge in a bowl of water.
• Use a microwave to heat it up.
• Three minutes in the microwave.
• Tongs can be used to remove your sponge.

Don’t forget to wash your sponges every week. Each month, or as soon as the rough area begins to flatten, they need to be replaced.

Use, care and maintenance of cleaning tools during the pandemic and beyond

Choosing the right tool for the cleaning task

As the removal of soils from a surface can accelerate the spread of pollutants, tool selection is an important first step regardless of whether a site uses dry-cleaning, wet-cleaning, or both methods. Each of these cleaning procedures, as shown in the diagram on the following page, carries some level of risk.

For example, using a soft-bristled brush to clean stubborn grease from equipment parts would be ineffective. In order to avoid contaminant aerosolization, use a stiff- or medium-bristled scrubbing brush on the part submerged in detergent water bath.

There are a number of other variables to consider when purchasing cleaning equipment:

• When cleaning stainless steel surfaces, such as food preparation tables, avoid using brushes with stiff bristles. These can scrape the surfaces and make them less sanitary over time.
• To reach high walls and ceilings, for example, condensation squeegees with telescopic handles may be used; angled brooms with ergonomic handles may be used to remove debris from corners and low-lying junctions; detail-brushes may be used to clean narrow gaps, nooks, and crannies in an equipment piece, etc.
• In order to endure the harsh chemicals, heat, and mechanical action that may be required during extensive cleaning of uneven concrete surfaces, drain brushes should be constructed with a durable design.

Defining cleaning and storage protocols

Prior to use, we recommend thoroughly cleaning a new tool (but only after removing any stickers), and cleaning is also recommended after each use. The same holds true for cleaning tools as it does for other environmental surfaces like equipment and facilities. Before and after usage, food-contact surfaces such as trays and equipment must be thoroughly cleaned and sanitized using a brush or scraper. Cleaning equipment like squeegees and brooms that come into touch with non-food surfaces like floors and walls should be disinfected and thoroughly rinsed with clean water on a regular basis.

At a minimum, concerns for tool cleaning would include the following:

Soil removal requires an evaluation of the TACTER parameters, which are as follows: time required for chemicals to work on a tool surface; action by way of agitation or scrub; chemical concentration and pH; temperature of the cleaning solution; and resources like other cleaning tools and sanitation aids.

A risk-based cleaning plan, even for the cleaning instruments themselves, combined with providing crucial details on how to clean, frequency of cleaning, verification and monitoring and allocating the employee(s) responsible for the chores is necessary. (ii)

(iii) Making sure that personnel are aware of the cleaning procedures – Wet cleaning operations may include: disassembly of equipment and dry-cleaning to remove debris; pre-rinsing surfaces with potable water from top-to-bottom; applying detergent or foam from below to the top; post rinsing with potable water; QC inspection post-sanitization, assembly, and drying of equipment, and pre-operational inspection.

It is also important that the cleaned instruments are stored correctly on racks or shadow boards to avoid cross-contamination:

• In a position when one’s head is above the ground and away from the handles of other tools;
• Each tool is placed in a separate row to prevent drips from the tool above.
• In order to keep them clean and sanitary.

It is essential to inspect and replace broken tools on a regular basis. Broken or taped-up handles, badly chipped plastic blocks, and worn-out bristles are all signals that it’s time to get a new tool.

Evaluating the priorities during COVID-19

The continuous epidemic of COVID-19 has increased the importance of food plant hygiene and sanitation. Employees who come into contact with hand tools or other contact surfaces are at risk of contracting the SARS-CoV-2 virus. This coronavirus, on the other hand, does not cause foodborne sickness, unlike the norovirus. Some of the following precautions, however, must be taken in order to protect workers’ health and safety:

• Prior to and after each use of a tool, sterilize and sanitize it with soap and water. Use disinfectant certified by the EPA to combat the SARS-Cov-2 virus in accordance with the manufacturer’s recommendations.
• Deep-cleaning tools are necessary for the reopening of a production facility following an outage.
• Washing hands, maintaining necessary respiratory etiquette, observing social distancing norms, and quarantining if sick are all recommended by the WHO/CDC.

Manual cleaning tools still remain a necessity

CIP-incapable parts may not be able to be cleaned by automated methods. The CIP systems and components (such as spray balls) may also need to be dismantled, cleaned, and tested on a regular basis. Manual cleaning using hand tools may be the only realistic alternative in many cases. As a result, the importance of cleaning tools in food processing facilities cannot be overstated.

20 Essential House Cleaning Tools and Equipment With Price 12 min read

1) Broom and Dust Pan

Estimated Cost – 5 to 50 USD

A Cleaning Broom is one of the most basic tools and equipment for cleaning a house; it makes it easy to access all of the corners. As a companion to the Broom, the Dust-Pan makes it easy to collect all the dust in one spot, which can then be simply deposited in the Dustbin.

2) Waste Segregating Dustbin

With the advancing times of Technology and Development, we are resulting in the production of huge chunks of Waste. There should be color-coded dustbins in each room of the house in order to keep our home clean while also being environmentally friendly.

With the advancing times of Technology and Development, we are resulting in the production of huge chunks of Waste. There should be color-coded dustbins in each room of the house in order to keep our home clean while also being environmentally friendly.

Increasing technological advancements have resulted in the creation of enormous amounts of waste. As a way to keep our homes clean and environmentally-friendly, there should be color-coded dustbins for each room in the house.

It is possible to use Black Dustbins for better and more hygienic waste management by collecting items like Bandages, Expired Medicines as well as Sanitary Napkins, Cotton Swabs and Blades, as well as electronic waste like batteries, button cells and mobile phone batteries.

Additionally, we can have separate trash bins for paper and glass waste.

3) Vacuum Cleaner

Using a vacuum cleaner makes it easy to keep your home’s floors clean. It saves a lot of time and effort by reducing the amount of manual cleaning effort. It’s also lightweight and portable, and it’s available in a variety of sizes and features.

Estimated Cost – $90 to $2,000 USD.

4) Bucket and Mop

Using a Liquid Medium such as Water or a Disinfectant to clean the floor after removing the Dust and Particulate Matter makes the indoor environment cleaner. The Mop and the Bucket make cleaning the floor, cleaning the room, and mopping after a party very simple, effortless, and efficient. It makes it easier to soak, rinse, and move the mop, and it allows you to reach even the threshold areas of drawers, mattresses, and other furniture without leaning over.

From $5 to $50 USD is a reasonable price range.

5) Bathroom Cleaner Kit

Keeping the bathroom clean and dry is extremely important because bathrooms are extremely susceptible to microbial colonies and are always at risk for microbial diseases. When it comes to toilet cleaning, the usage of adjustable-shaft Toilet Scrubs and disposable scrubs makes the job a breeze.

It is also necessary to use Disinfectants and Bathroom Detergents to clean the sinks, showers, toilet seats, handles, and tanks to prevent microbial growth. Bacterial development is common in our bathroom because of the moist and humid conditions.

As a result, it is critical to have sufficient ventilation in the bathroom to ensure that the air circulates and aids exit after bathroom use and cleaning to prevent water from accumulating on the bathroom floors and surfaces. Bathroom Towels, Cleaning Soap, Antiseptic Disinfectants, Air Fragrance and Microfibre Cleaning Cloths and Wipers should be used to maintain the bathroom clean.

Estimated Cost – 5 to 100 USD

6) Leather and Wood Cleaning Products

When left uncleaned, wood and leather, which are common materials for household furnishings and other decorative items, serve as a breeding ground for microorganisms.

Cleaning Wood and Leather with regular household cleaners can harm them, so we need to use special cleaning solutions or sprays instead. By doing so, they will remain sanitary and attractive while also remaining clean and hygienic.

The typical cost is between $5 and $100.

7) Duster and Gloves

To reduce the amount of dust that settles on surfaces, such as furniture, walls, floors, ceilings, windows, and doors, it is recommended that these items be dusted on a regular basis. When it comes to cleaning your home, you can save time and effort by using microfibre gloves and dusters.

8) Disinfectants and Detergents

If you want to keep your home clean, you should always have a supply of laundry detergents, bathroom cleaners, disinfectants, and cleaning products on hand. Anti-Microbial Structured Chemicals triggered by Disinfectants and Cleaning Solutions make it safer to clean indoors, preventing the growth of microbes and their illnesses.

The typical cost is between $5 and $100.

9) Glass Cleane

Special Glass Cleaning Solutions or Sprays should be used to clean glass tables, windows, and other articles of glass because they won’t damage them and will get the job done.

The typical cost is between $5 and $100.

Cleaning Supplies and Equipment for the Home

10) Scrubs and Sponges

Whether you’re cleaning dishes, floors, kitchen platforms, or bath tubs, a Scrub and Sponge is a necessity. Soak and squeeze them in the Cleaning Solutions, and then get to work cleaning up your mess.

From $5 to $50 USD is a reasonable price range.

11) Grout Cleaner

Grout Cleaner is a simple tool that aids in the application of cleaning solutions and the cleaning of the grout lines between the tiles on the floor, ceiling, or kitchen wall.

The typical cost is between $5 and $100.

12) Rubber Gloves

Rubber Gloves are a must-have for Household Cleaning in order to protect your skin from any harm, infection, or irritation.

From $5 to $50 USD is a reasonable price range.

13) Squeegee

A Squeegee can be used to effectively wipe out the floor, windows, and kitchen platforms.

The typical cost is between $5 and $100.

14) Limescale Remover

It is necessary to use a Limescale removal solution to remove Limescale from your daily-use appliances such as kettles, taps, and boilers.

Estimated Cost – 5 to 100 USD

15) Plunger:

In addition to keeping your sinks, basins, and tubs free of clogs, a Plunger is an essential part of your bathroom setup.

The typical cost is between $5 and $100.

16) Surface Wipes

With the help of surface wipes, cleaning the surfaces of your home may be done more frequently and more conveniently.

The typical cost is between $5 and $100.

Cleaning Supplies and Equipment for the Home

17) Surgical Spirit

Surgical Spirit can be used to remove gummy stains or grease from glue and oils, keeping everything clean and sanitary.

The typical cost is between $5 and $100.

18) Bleach

With just a Clean Cloth, dipped in Bleach, you can Clean your Household Surfaces and appliances to avoid Microbial Infection.

You can keep your household surfaces and appliances free of Microbial Infection by simply dipping a clean cloth in a solution of bleach and water.

19) Sanitizers and Sprays

Sanitizers and disinfectant sprays are essential for keeping indoor spaces free of dangerous microbes, which can be spread by people moving between indoors and outside on a frequent basis.

20) Air and Water Purifiers and Vegetable Cleaner

Purifiers for Air and Water, as well as Cleaning Solutions for Food, are needed to regulate and purify the water and air that enters the inside, as well as the food, including vegetables and fruits. You can also use lukewarm water with salt to purify vegetables and fruits.

Conclusion

The dust, microorganisms, and debris that are gathered by cleaning instruments is considerable. As a result of this article, you now know how to properly maintain your cleaning equipment. Using unclean equipment to clean is a bad idea. That’s a slap in the face. With sanitary cleaning tools, cleaning your home is always safe and simple. Find out more about cleaning products by clicking here!