EPA Registered Cleaner/Disinfectant All-Purpose Detergent Cleaner Trigger Sprayer (Labeled), Pump-Up Sprayer, Pressurized Aerosol, Foam, etc. Wiping Material (Rags, Paper Towel, Sponge, etc.)
Recommended Method:
1.As in all cleaning procedures, the first step is to gather the recommended janitorial equipment together and bring to the area to be cleaned. 2.Start damp cleaning all horizontal surfaces in the room at the entrance doorway. 3.Work your way around the room in a clockwise or counter-clockwise pattern. 4.Spray the item to be damp wiped or spray the rag, paper towel, sponge, etc. with freshly diluted or ready-to-use solution. 5.Wipe the surface, paying particular attention to obvious soil spots. Don't overlook the edges of tables, chairs, shelves, etc. 6.Wipe all horizontal and vertical surfaces on an as-needed basis.
While this procedure may seem very basic, the damp wiping procedure is crucial to the daily control of soil and micro-organisms.
If you are damp wiping in a health care facility, it is recommended that you use the cleaner/disinfectant. By pre-mixing and placing in a properly-labeled spray bottle, you are ensured that the solution is clean and fresh each time you spray. If you are using a rag or sponge for wiping, you should also have a bucket of properly-mixed cleaner/disinfectant and rinse and wring your wiping material frequently as you work around the room.
If you are damp wiping in other facilities, an all-purpose cleaner is acceptable if you are not trying to control micro-organisms. As above, even if you are not trying to disinfect, a pail of properly-mixed all-purpose cleaner will ensure that the wiping material is clean as you go along. When the solution becomes dirty, the cleaner is no longer effective and it is time to prepare another pail.
An alternate method for either health care facilities or other facilities is the ?Pail and Wipe? method, eliminating the use of spray bottles and/or aerosols pump bottles, etc. As previously mentions, the pail should contain properly-mixed solution of either cleaner/disinfectant or all-purpose cleaner. Again, be sure to change the solution when it becomes visibly dirty.
The amount of time you spend damp wiping depends on the amount of soil and the frequency of cleaning the area. In health care facilities, it is recommended that all patient areas be damp-wiped daily. Less frequency is required in non-patient areas and in facilities other than health care.
Keep in mind that the more often you damp wipe, the easier it is each time.
Recommended Supplies and Janitorial Equipment:
EPA Registered Cleaner/Disinfectant All-Purpose Detergent Cleaner Dust Mop Frame and Handle Treated Dust Mop Head Dust Pan and Counter Brush Scraper/Putty Knife Wet Floor Sign(s) (2) Mop Buckets/Wringers Mop Head(s) Mat(s)
Recommended Method:
As in all cleaning procedures, the first step is to gather the recommended janitorial equipment together and bring to the area to be cleaned.
Remove all debris from the floor and place in trash container, then dust mop floor area with a treated dust mop.
Next, place a wet floor sign in the doorway.
It is best to place the mopping buckets in the hallway just outside of the room you are mopping. When you wring your mop in either bucket, wring it enough so it is not dripping. It needs to be wet enough for the cleaner-disinfectant to be effective, but dry enough so that it doesn't take a long time to dry.
Fill one bucket (solution bucket) with EPA Registered Cleaner-Disinfectant. Fill the other bucket (rinse bucket) with clear water.
Wring the mop out until it is damp, not heavy, in the solution bucket. Then mop the room using an S-Stroke pattern. When the mop dries out, return to the rinse bucket and then to the solution bucket. Start at the far corner of the room using a pattern that covers the entire room and ends at the doorway.
How often should you change the mopping solution? Common sense will tell you to change it when the solution bucket is dirty, or the rinse bucket is dirty. The best advice is change the solution when it is dirty. But, in any case, the solutions should be changed after every 3 rooms.
Allow the floor to dry y before removing the wet floor sign. Take a moment to admire your work, then clean the janitorial equipment thoroughly and return to storage area.
Lee Harris has sinced written about articles on various topics from Home Management, History and Home Improvement. Great janitorial tips and janitorial information by Lee Harris can be found at