Manual : Cleaning Equipments

MANUAL EQUIPMENTS

Manual Equipments are the ones which are used by one’s own hands rather than electricity, petrol or gas thereby the energy of the worker affects the standards of cleanliness required from the equipment as well as the knowledge of the worker.

The manual equipments further categorized as follows:

1. Brushes and Brooms
2. Mops and cleaning cloths
3. Containers
4. Miscellaneous Equipments

1. BRUSHES

Brushes are used for removing dust & dirt (dry or wet work) from a variety of surfaces. Brushes which have hair like structure, fixed to a base and the actual cleaning is carried out using these bristles.

PARTS OF A BRUSH – A brush constitutes of three parts:

1. STOCK – is the part of the brush on which the hair like structure is fixed. The stocks can be of wood, metal, plastic, etc. A good brush is one that has a sturdy stock.
2. BRISTLES – are the hair like structures fixed onto the stock. The bristles can be hard, semi hard or soft in nature. These may be of animal, vegetable or manmade origin. Horsehair, nylon and polypropylene are commonly used to make bristles for cleaning brushes. In general, the finer softer bristles are best for smooth and soft surfaces. Bristles if not maintained properly, have a tendency to bend, spray or fall out of the stock. Bristles should be closely set in tufts and the stock well covered with tufts. Bristles should be able to penetrate into and take out the soil from the surface so as to dislodge dirt from it. Bristles can be

• Hard – Metal, Nylon – used for heavy soil.
• Semi-hard – Coir, Nylon, jute – used for comparatively lighter soil.
• Soft – Nylon , Animal Hair ( e.g. Horse Hair) , feathers ) – used for light soil

3. HANDLE – is that part of the brush which is held by the worker while carrying out the cleaning processes. Handles can be wooden, plastic or metallic. Handles may be detachable or non detachable. Detachable handles must be fixed firmly in place, on the stock when the brush is in use

Types of Brushes:

1. TOILET BRUSHES

• Ring type – has semi-hard bristles placed along the ring and used for cleaning of W.C. bowls. This equipment has a disadvantage of not cleaning the inner edges, corners as well as the rim to the desired standards of cleaning as well as hygiene.
• Cluster type – is used for W.C. cleaning and has the same disadvantage as above.
• Hockey type – this type has an advantage over the above two and can clean the inner edges as well as the inner rims of the W.C. bowls to the desired standards. The disadvantage that this equipment has is that if not used appropriately, it might damage the w.c. equipment. Thereby with slight modulation the hockey type has few bristles faced towards the back as well.

2. ROOM BRUSHES
   1. Long Handled Scrubbing Brush – Also called a Deck Scrubber or T Scrubber. These are used for cleaning large areas. Primarily used for wet cleaning of large hard smooth surfaces. E.g. corridors, class rooms etc.
      • Specifications – Handle 5 feet long and Brush width 2 feet
   2. Cob web Brush – The cobweb brush is used for removal of cobweb from high ceiling. It has semi-hard bristles. Same brush can be used for cleaning of fans (Fan Brush) as it has a gap in between, so it helps to remove the dust on the blade.
      • Specifications – Handles 5 feet long and extendable up to 10 Feet.
   3. Wall Brush – This brush has semi-hard bristles used for dry cleaning of walls with finish like that of distemper, oil bound or other varieties
      • Specifications – Handle 5 feet long
   4. Hand Scrubbing Brush – A small brush used for wet cleaning of small areas. These brushes have short, coarse bristles designed for use on surfaces that have become stained or very dirty like skirting and comers of the flooring. It should be used to remove stubborn heavy soiling from small areas that are difficult to clean with long handled scrubbing brush as well as smaller areas. This equipment has hard bristles.
   5. Upholstery Brush – Has semi-hard bristles, used for fabric upholstery and dry cleaning is carried out using this equipment. Care has to be taken to use the brush only in one direction as otherwise it may cause bobbling.
   6. Carpet Brush – used for dry cleaning of carpeted surfaces. Bristles are semi-hard so that they can easily penetrate the piles for the removal of soil completely. If is always used in combination with the dust pan.
   7. Carpet Shampooing Brush – The carpet shampooing brush is used for wet cleaning of carpeted surface and bristles are semi – hard in nature.
   8. Shoe Brush – Equipment which has soft bristles and is used for polishing and buffing of leather shoes or leather upholstered items.
   9. Tooth Brush – Used for cleaning of deep inaccessible places like edges of the glass frame, corners and edges of the flooring, joints between the tiles, etc. It has soft bristles and is used for both dry as well as wet cleaning.
   10. Pipe brush – Bristles are semi-hard used for cleaning pipes
   11. Cloth Scrubbing Brush

CARE FOR BRUSHES

• Clean the bristles after every use
• When storing face the bristles upward. If they are kept facing down the weight causes the bristles to flatten and spread, spoiling the brush
• Use the right brush for the right surface.

SQUEEZEE

1. Rubber Squeeze ( Domestic) – Available in two versions one for the floor or bathroom and a smaller one for the kitchen top
2. Rubber Squeeze (Industrial) – Are more heavy duty than the domestic squeeze.
   • Specification – Handle 5 feet and squeeze pad width 18 inches to 24 inches( 1 ½ – 2 feet)
3. Glass Wiper/ Squeeze – A handy tool for cleaning glasses (window). These have a rubber squeeze on one side and a sponge on the other. Sometimes it has a mechanism for squeezing out excess solution from the sponge too.

BROOMS

Sweeping brooms consist of long bristles gathered together and inserted into a handle. The bristles may be made of grass, corn or coconut fibers. Types of brooms

1. Soft Broom – Used for hard smooth areas and for dry cleaning. The bristles are made of corn fiber or grass. A good quality soft broom will have few split ends or at least short splits
2. Hard Broom – Used on surfaces which are hard or soft, smooth or coarse. These can be used for dry as well as wet cleaning. These are made of coconut fiber
3. Yard Broom – :- It is same as hard broom, used for dry and wet cleaning on hard, smooth, soft or coarse surface. It is used for larger areas like compound, parking etc. Its sticks are very hard and it is heavy in weight also.
4. Feather Dusters: It is used for removal of dry soil or in other words dry cleaning of delicate surfaces like Decorative items, Blinds etc .This is also used in place of soft brooms when dry cleaning of small surface area is carried out. Bird’s innermost feathers are used to make dusters.
5. Static duster: it has nylon bristles, soft in nature, used for cleaning of delicate surfaces. It is used for removal of very light soil. Nylon bristles when used are given a small friction by which a static charge comes in it, i.e. they are statically charged, thus it will pick up lighter matter and all the lighter soil is entrapped in it.

CARE FOR BROOMS

• When storing face the broom head should not rest on the floor. If they are kept facing down the weight causes the broom to flatten and spread, spoiling the broom
• Use the right broom for dry and wet cleaning.

BOX SWEEPER

These are also called Carpet Sweeper and are used for sweeping up dust and litter from soft floor covering such as Rugs. It is consist of a friction brush that revolves when the equipment is pushed manually over the carpet or floor. The dust gets thrown up into built in dustpans, which are hinged at the bottom to facilitate emptying after use.

CARE FOR A BOX SWEEPER

Clean after use

2. MOPS

Dry Mops consist of a head of various Shapes and sizes made from soft twisted cotton Yarn or synthetic fibers attached to long handle. Wet Mops or sponge mops are used for cleaning lightly soiled floor in conjunction with a bucket, hot water and detergent.

Types of Mops:

1. Hand Mop: Used for damp cleaning, with very light moisture. It is coarse cotton loosely woven because it is highly absorbent, shine will only come on floor when the mop will be coarse. Its size varies from 2ft-4ft’ because it cover larger areas.
2. Long Handled Mops:- Hand mops when attached with long handles are called long handled mops
3. Impregnated Mops – This mop is used for dry cleaning of large, hard, smooth and highly polished floor coverings specially which are located in heavy traffic areas like that of lobby, shopping areas etc. The strands and fringes are fixed onto canvas backing which in turn can be put onto a plastic or metal frame having a handle length of approximately 5 ft.

These are available in two forms:

• Impregnated fringe Mop– These mops consist of dense cotton fringes, approximately 15 cm in length, inserted into a metal frame of 15-120 cm length. The mops are usually pre-impregnated or will require impregnation by soaking in or spraying with mineral oil or a synthetic impregnated fluid. The dust is held on the mops. It is softer for delicate areas.
• Impregnated Strand Mop:- The mops can be pre-impregnated or may require impregnation before each use. In this if oil mist is given, it will entrap dust. It is made up of cotton fibers. Following impregnation sufficient time must be allowed for the mineral oil to cure the fibers, else the mop will leave a film of oil on the clean surface due to improper curing. To be effective, an impregnated mop must be also maneuvered correctly. It should be worked in long, even strokes in a continual movement, keeping the mop head in contact with the surface all the time. This way, maximum dust collection and maximum dust dissipation is ensured. In this new latest version has also entered, which is a blue coloured mop, which is made up of synthetic fiber.
• Disposable Mops – Pads are thrown away after one use only. One pad cleans only one room. One mop is needed for dusting; another different mop is needed for “wet” cleaning (with chemicals).The disposable microfiber mop pads are a brand new product .The pads are made of non woven fabric that has a composition of 99.4% Polyester 0.6% Polyamide. They come in different sizes that will fit the 18 inch base, the 24 inch base and the 36 inch base. The mops are colour coded to avoid cross contamination. After use the mops are thrown away. No high investment in mops is required. They cost as much as the wash cost for a durable mop in an external laundry.
• Angle Mop – The Angle Mop is a brand new product that is excellent for cleaning corners or hard to reach areas. It is excellent for cleaning tubs, showers, glass enclosures, walls, windows, aquariums, and hard to reach corners. The Angle Mop comes with a white telescoping pole, a green triangular plastic base with a handle and a triangular microfiber pad.
• Static Mops – normally have acrylic fiber fringe on frame with sturdy but lightweight aluminum handle complete with hand grip and hanging hook. Acrylic fibers are electro statically charged to attract dust Great for commercial premises. Suitable for Tiles and all Hard Surfaces.
• Kentucky Mops – Mop used for wet cleaning of large, hard, smooth surfaces. These mops consist of cotton strands fixed to either wooden or canvas backing of a length of approximately 12 inches a length of cotton fabric which is in turn inserted into a flat metal stack. They are available in weights ranging from 330gms to 670gms. The strands may be stitched together or unstitched. The former are less likely to tangle, can be laundered more easily, and are likely to last longer than unstitched mops.

There was an older version in which fibers were attached to wooden block and of it gets damaged then whole mop is wasted so therefore canvas backing  was done- in which fibers were stitched to it and which can be attached to handle and can be washed separately. It has an aluminum handle which is five feet in height.

1. Sponge Mops
2. Smart Mop: – These are the mops which are made up of Microfilament. It is the best fiber.
3. Lamello Mop: – This is the highest quality mop which is made up of highest quality fiber and it is very high in price, mainly used for hotels. It is the highest category of mop. A fiber which is a microfiber, latest in technology is used. Thus it is made up of synthetic material.

Used for- Glass surfaces, dusting used nowadays in petrol pumps.

When used as dry clean it entraps the soil and when in wet form, it is used as scrubbing the area.

CARE FOR MOPS

Wet Mops – Washed, rinsed & dried after use
Dry Mops – Wash well after use
Impregnated Mops – Washed, rinsed, dried & re-impregnated, if required
Disposable Mops – Dispose and replace when dirty

CLOTHES 

These may be used for wet or dry work and controlling their use can be difficult. Different clothes are designed for specific purposes but generally speaking, the fewer available for staff to choose from the better. Hospitals use damp clothes only to avoid dust distribution. They also use a colour code system e.g. Green for toilets and flushes, pink for kitchens etc.  It is important that such a system is well supervised. Many cloths now a days are disposable, in which case care should be taken that they are disposed off immediately after use.

Types of cloths:

1. Dusters – They are meant for dusting and buffing and also for damp dusting when sprayed with cleaning solution.
2. Swabs – They are all purpose soft, absorbent material and used for  wet cleaning Specially for cleaning sanitary fittings such as bath tubs and wash basin.
3. Floor Cloths – They are used to wipe WC pedestals and remove spills from floor.
4. Glass Cloths – They are made up of linen tow yarns and do not leave behind lint. They can therefore be used for wiping mirrors and drinking glasses.
5. Rags – Rags are disposable cloths usually used for applying polish or strong cleaning agents and are disposed of when dirty.
6. Chamois leather – Chamois leather is made from the skin of the chamois goat but now various cheaper imitations are available. They can be used wet for cleaning mirrors and when dry for applying polishes for various metals. Expensive in nature and requires good amount of maintenance while in use as well as storage. Now it has become obsolete.
7. Scrim – Scrim is loosely woven cotton material, used for dry as well as wet cleaning of highly polished surfaces as it does not leave any lint (small fibers left out by a fabric 1mm-2mm). Also called glass cloth. It is used in place of chamois leather because of its high absorbency and lint free nature is often used for cleaning mirrors and windows.
8. Dust Sheets – They are made up of thin cotton material. These are condemned linen items which are used to cover furniture’s and fixtures during spring cleaning or renovations.
9. Drugget – : It is a continuous roll of canvas, rubber or plastic sheeting which is used to cover floors and floor coverings during bad weather or renovations
10. Hearth/ American cloth and bucket cloth – They are used to protect the carpet when a fireplace being cleaned or placed under bucket to prevent marks on the surface they are kept on.
11. Splash Mats:  They are made up of either Turkish material, rubber or pvc material and is used to be placed underneath the buckets to protect the flooring form getting marked by the buckets.
12. Newspapers: They are used for protecting the work areas as well as dry cleaning or buffing of the glass surfaces.
13. Micro Fibre Cloth: It is the one which has a combination of both cotton and synthetic fibers and is used for dry cleaning of different types of surfaces especially the highly polished ones.

3. CONTAINERS 

 Work becomes much easier and efficient if the staffs are given appropriate containers in which to carry transport, collect, and store supplies and other items.

Types of Containers:

• Buckets – Buckets are available in varying sizes in metal as well as plastic. They are used for carrying and transporting cleaning solution to the work areas. The plastic buckets are preferred because:

1. They are lighter in weight
2. They are available in varying colours which helps in colour coding
3. Corrosion and damage is minimal
4. Less noisy
5. Available in varying capacityMug is used for carrying smaller quantities of the cleaning agent’s solutions to the work areas.

• Dustpans – They are used in conjunction with a broom or brush for gathering dust and also to transport the soil from the work areas to the garbage bin. They are made up of plastic or metal. The edge of dustpan must be thin. sharp, and flat.
• Dustbin – Made up of either metal or plastic; available in varying capacities used to hold dry as well as wet soil. The ideal way of maintaining the dustbin is using plastic disposable bags which help in easier transportation of the garbage as well as to maintain hygiene
• Waste paper basket : A container used for dry soil like that of paper and is used for being placed in study room under the study table.
• Sanibin –These are metal or plastic bins with a lid which is foot peddle operated These are the containers placed in the toilets / cloak rooms and used for toilet trash.
• Spray Bottles/ cans – It is used for spraying cleaning solutions or the agents on to the work areas
• Hand Caddies – They consist of a box with a handle and a fitted tray. They are used by Room Attendants for carrying cleaning supplies from room to room for guestroom cleaning.
• Incinerators : There are electricity drivers sanibins which burn the trash the moment it is thrown into the bin. The slight amount of ash left behind can be collected at regular intervals. Thus, this helps in maintaining hygiene as well as under control.

TROLLEYS

 They are ideal for the efficient removal and carriage of Cleaning Agents, Linen, Rubbish and small pieces of Cleaning Equipments.

Types of Trolleys:

• Janitor’s Trolley – This is used for storing cleaning supplies. It includes a detachable trash bag and a place for storing Cleaning Agents and used during the cleaning of public area.
• Mop Wringer Trolley – This piece of equipment consist of a mop and one or twin bucket with an attached wringer, all mounted on a trolley with castor wheels for easy mobility. Available in varying capacities in plastic. (SMART MOP TROLLEY / TWIN BUCKET This container has dual purpose; used for the cleaning of public areas. It has two compartments, one used for the fresh cleaning solution and the other which has a wringer attached to it for the soil solution, as well as to wring out solution from the mops. This container is provided on castor wheels for easier transportation)
• Floor Caddy:- It is an equipment which is used for cleaning of public areas
• Linen Trolley – These are used for the transfer of claen linen from the laundry to the linen room or vice-versa. They may be made of aluminum or steel.
• Chamber maid’s Trolley – Chamber maid’s Trolley / Room Attendant’s Trolley / Maid’s Cart. This is an equipment used by the chamber maid / room attendant for servicing of the rooms on the floors. The provision of this trolley saves the attendant from the unnecessary trips being made to the floor pantry which also leads to wastage of manpower, time and energy.These may be available in metal, plastic or wooden form and used for stocking everything necessary to service a guestroom effectively. The cart should be spacious enough to carry all the supplies needed for a GRA to complete half a day’s assignments. Since the cart is heavily loaded and large, it must be easily movable with the help of castor wheels. This needs to be well organized so that the GRA do not have to waste time in searching for supplies and linen.

4. Sundry Equipments

This include miscellaneous pieces of equipment used in the housekeeping department.

 Types of Sundry equipments:

1. Protective equipment – These are the equipments which protect a worker while using various type of cleaning equipments, agents as well as while carrying out cleaning operations.
   • Caution boards come under protective equipments as they are protecting the people from any accident by providing or giving them warning.
   • HELMET: It is used to protect a worker form possible head injury while working at a height of 6 ft or above.
   • EYE GLASSES: To be used while working with agents this might be a possible hazard – for the naked eyes.
   • FACE MASK: used to protect the worker from pungent or poisonous gases.
   • HAND GLOVES: To be used while working with agents this might cause skin infections or might be harmful to the skin of the worker.
   • UNIFORM: The designing of the uniform is done keeping in mind the possible hazards of the job being carried out by the workers.
   • GUM BOOTS: To be worn by the worker in areas where there is a possible hazard of slipping. E.g. – during scrubbing of highly polished surfaces.

2. Ladders

• COMMON LADDER: It has two vertical stilts and has rungs attached to it at regular interval. When in use this is to be placed at angle between 45-75⁰ for a hazard free use.
• PLATFORM LADDER: It is a ladder having vertical stilts meeting at an apes and rungs attached to it from either side and the last rung is platform.
• STEP LADDER: It has vertical stilts meeting at an apex and is situated at the apex. (6-12 ft. in height.)
• SCAFFOLDING: Collapsible ladders which can be both mechanically and manually operated to reach high and insensible areas.
• Cradle- Used for glass cleaning in facades. Shape similar to a cradle

3.   Carpet beaters /rug beater or pillow fluffer, and formerly also as a carpet cleaner or rug cleaner) is a house cleaning tool that was in common use until the vacuum cleaner became affordable during the early 20th century. Carpets, rugs, clothes, cushions, and bedding were hung over a clothesline or railing and the dust and dirt was beaten out of them. Typically made of wood, cane, wicker, spring steel or coiled wire.

4. Abrasive pads 

5. Choke Removers

6. Airing Racks