By: Vince Ramos

An international supplier of cleaning tools, has introduced a Desk & Table Cleaning Kit that purportedly cleans surfaces faster and more effectively than rag and spray bottle cleaners. The kit includes a flat mop and eight gallon duel compartment bucket to prevent cross contamination between rinse water and cleaner. The microfiber cleaning service is said to pick up dangerous substances, rather than pushing and sliding them around like other wipers do.
The kit was developed to help schools efficiently combat the spread of the H1N1 flu virus. In addition, the Center for Disease Control (CDC) has given guidance to K-12 school administrators advising staff to routinely clean areas that students and staff touch often. Students frequently touch desks and tables that become natural hazard areas for the spread of infectious and harmful organisms.

Because the cleaning kit is said to be four times faster than other cleaning methods, it increases the number of tables that can be cleaned in a given period of time. Therefore, it can also be justified as a way to improve efficiency and cut costs. The Desk and Table Cleaning Kit is easy to use as a mop and instructions for use is listed in five steps: 1) Fill Unger dual-compartment bucket with rinse water in one compartment and cleaning solution in the other, 2) prepare mop for cleaning by collapsing the head and dipping it in cleaner, 3) clean desk or table top, 4) rinse mop in second compartment, and 5) continue cleaning.

Some might question the wisdom of what is essentially a flat mop that is used to clean desks and tables. The primary selling points are the microfiber cleaning surface and dual compartment bucket to prevent cross contamination of harmful substances, as well as it being faster than traditional cleaning methods. However, does it do what it says it will do? The answer depends. First, the kit must be used properly, which requires some level of training and follow-up for cleaning staffs. The resemblance to a traditional flat mop might also be problematic. Unknown to other cleaning staff, an inexperienced person might use it as a floor mop potentially contaminating desks and tables when used at a later point. There are a number of such examples that would introduce cross contamination and increase health risks instead of improving them. The Unger Desk and Table Cleaning Kit can be way to increase efficiency and effectiveness of cleaning surfaces, but managers should take great care in deploying this new tool. Check out the video I found and you decide.