Disposable cleaning towels were created to help workers do a better job and as a plus: They can also help you to streamline your operations. Most major suppliers offer them at very low cost.

All-purpose cleaning towels were designed as replacements for cleaning rags. They are made for extended use with reinforced cloth-like material to provide the scrubbing strength of cloth. You can simply rinse and reuse them several times before discarding them.

 Advantages of Disposable Towels 

When using cleaning rags it's easy to contaminate them with incompatible cleaning compounds. For instance, cleaning agents often neutralize disinfectants so you don't want to mix them together but this sort of thing happens all the time with cleaning rags. Especially at the end of the day when your cleaning crew starts to run low on clean rags. Having fresh, disposable cleaning towels at all times eliminates this problem. Ordinary cleaning rags can also be a source of germs, disposable towels prevent this.

And, finally, cleaning rags have to be cleaned. Which means they have hidden overhead costs as well as their initial price. You can either pay a commercial service to pick them up, clean them, and return them -- which is expensive. Or you can do it in-house, meaning you have to have your people wash them, transport them, etc. And management time, probably your own, is used up making sure all this is done so your cleaning crews have enough clean rags at all times.

 Why not use regular paper towels? 

Paper towels are designed for casual use - like wiping up a quick spill on a kitchen counter top. They aren't built to do serious cleaning. Paper towels might be a little cheaper in the short term (or they might not) but they won't do as good a job cleaning; and a cleaning professional is always well advised to use the best possible tools for the job.

 Treated Disposable Cleaning Cloths 

Treated disposable wipes are actually a separate issue. The can be thought of as specialized cleaning tools. For instance, wood wipes clean, shine, and condition wood surfaces. And they do it using without harmful volatile organic compounds or filling the air with aerosol spray.

Specialty wipes not only speed the cleaning and care of building fixtures — they also eliminate custodial clutter — the ever growing number of cans or bottles of cleaning chemicals for cleaning different surfaces. They also reduce the likelihood of error and the build up of residue on surfaces due to overuse of cleaning chemicals in bottles or cans.

 Color Coding 

Color coding tools and cleaning processes by a consistent color scheme is an idea I wanted to touch on briefly. It's a good idea but I doubt that many of you will want to run right out and implement it since it requires seperate sets of cleaning tools for different areas to be cleaned. It is worth thinking about though and as a cleaning professional you should at least be aware of it.

The reason for color coding is to allow your people to use separate cleaing equipment and materials to prevent cross-infection and cross-contamination from different areas of the buildings you clean. It can be used in both commercial and residential cleaning.

 Rules for Color Coding 

First, keep the colors used consistent for their tasks, and the fewer colors, the better.

Just four or five colors are best, and although there’s no set rule, the color designations are usually as follows:

Red –– most often used in high-sanitary (high risk for the spread of infection) applications or in restroom cleaning, such as with toilets and urinals.

Yellow –– for sinks, counters, mirrors, and gym areas.

Blue ––in lower-risk areas of a building, such as desktops, ledges, window cleaning and high and low dusting. (general cleaning)

Green ––used in food-processing and food-serving areas, as well as bar areas. (food prep areas)

The cleaning items color-coded per task include:

Protective gloves
Buckets
Mops
Cleaning Cloths (or you can use disposable cleaning cloths)
Floor pads
Brushes

 How the System Works 

(1) Always clean starting from the cleanest, least contaminated areas to the worst.

(2) Always change any cleaning tool directly exposed to the surfaces to be cleaned. (Items like spray bottles can be used in different areas because they don't come into direct contact with the surfaces.)

(3) Monitor your system to make sure your people don't fall back into old habits and use the same equipment to clean all their assigned areas.

 The Benefits of Color Coding 

It prevents contamination and it is an easy system to learn. It encourages safer work habits among cleaners and builds the professionalism of your business.