4 Myths about killing COVID-19 on Floors and Countertops

One way to keep COVD-19 contamination off your floors is to understanding the limits of mopping. Whether you are personally mopping your floors or have elected to hire a housekeeping service in Scottsdale, Cave Creek, Fountain Hills, Paradise Valley, and the greater Phoenix area, the act of mopping will not kill COVID-19. You might wonder why? Most mopping solutions range from neutral to alkaline. Neutral pH 7 and alkaline 8-10 pH consumer grade mopping solutions are formulated with surface active agents. 

Surfactants is the shorten word for surface active agents. Surfactants are facilitators in creating wetting agents, emulsification agents, foaming agents, and dispensation of unwanted soil. Thus, neutral cleaner and alkaline based mopping solutions are unable to kill germs, bacteria and viruses. Surfactants have a unique orientation in aqueous solutions. Simply stated, surfactants assist in breaking down the chemical bond that traps unwanted substances on the surfaces of floors, showers and countertops. The sticky natural of a oily substance will lead to a soil attracting film on surfaces. The film or coating will become fermented overtime as it layers over the breed ground of germs, bacteria and viruses. The fermented soil or chemical bond becomes hydrophobic and very resistant to aqueous solutions and low pH consumer grade cleaners. The only way to breakthrough the lipophobic or oleophobic nature of the collected fermented soil is with a commercial grade Surfactant. Once the oily substance has begun to dissolve the Microbial mat layers is exposed.  What is the microbial mat? Microbial mat is a powerful Biofilm that consists of multi-layered coating of microorganisms. These multi-layered coating morphs a powerful glue that prevent the microbial mat or Biofilm reacting to surfactants in an aqueous solution. . 

Below is a picture that demonstrates fermented soil. The layering of sticky soil was extremely odious and required deep cleaning to breakthrough the chemical bond. 

Let's pick up the discussion here, surface active agents or surfactants serve as the major function of lowering the surface tension of water. The act of reducing surface tension makes water wetter and allows the cleaning agent to penetrate deep into a the crevices of floors, showers and countertops. This leads to the dissolving of persistent substances that are not easily accessible with mopping with vinegar and simple tap water.   

In most mopping solutions, shower and countertop cleaning cleaners, you will see 4 types of Surfactants. 

1. Non-anionic Surfactants 

2. Anionic Surfactants 

3. Cationic Surfactants 

4. Amphoteric surfactant

For more information on the differences, click here: What are the differences? 

When applying a water based cleaner on floors, countertops and showers, the surface active agents will breakthrough the persistence fermented soil and begin to dissolve the layers during the emulsification and suspension process. The soil molecules will form tiny micelles and turn an opaque color before removal. 

Stone Care of Arizona has shared the science behind the cleaning and how soil is broken down on the surface of countertops, showers and floors. You might wonder, does it matter, what type of surfactant you use? No, why? Because consumer grade mopping, countertop and shower cleaning solutions are weaker than commercial grade cleaning solutions. Sadly, chemical manufactures are under no legal requirement to specify which surfactant they are using. Many will simply use the term wetting agents on their labels. 

For tips on how to mop your floors click here: How to mop my floors in Scottsdale, Arizona.  If you floors are very soiled, we strongly recommend that you call Stone Care of Arizona at 480-625-0557. For  countertops, click here: How to kill COVID-19 on Countertops

What equipment should you use to mop your floors? In the next paragraph we share some valuable information. 

Since mopping techniques do vary from homeowner and housekeeping service. Choosing the right equipment will results in the best outcome. Stone Care of Arizona, the natural stone expert would like to unpack this for you and provide direction on mopping equipment. PLEASE NOTE: The provided link in the previous paragraph give you valuable links to the right equipment. 

Mopping your floor with a string mop and bucket is dated method. Why? String mops over-wet floors and tend to leave grout channels contaminated. String mops are unable to absorb trapped water that has settled in the crevices. The good news is that traditional mopheads made from Nylon will absorb (posted dyed mopheads) unwanted substances, better than polyester microfiber mopheads. Traditional Nylon and Cotton floor mopping reply on partially flooding the floor and wringing out the mop head and absorbing the water with a dry mop. The mopping method tends to messy and can result in slip and fall accidents. 

Microfiber mopping equipment is extremely popular. Homeowners and your preferred housekeeping services have chosen the microfiber mop for great reasons.

• The equipment is light weight 
• The design makes mopping ones floors a snap. 
• The mopping areas uses a smaller foot print while mopping 

Stone Care of Arizona, the natural stone care expert recommend that you choose a flat microfiber mop. We also recommend that you purchase three types of mop heads. 

2. Mopping Nylon rectangular head for routine cleaning of a medium to heavily soil floors. Once you clean an area you would go to the next mophead to dry the area.

3. Microfiber rectangular head made of polyester (finishing steps) Use this mophead to help remove oily substances off floors, countertops and showers.

For mopping technique, please click here: How to Mop My Floors?

The image below demonstrates how Nylon mops on the right below will absorbs substances due to its amorphous dyesites and how solution dyed polyester on the left is unable to absorb substances due to inability to absorb a substance. Nylon's amorphous dyesites means high absorption qualities and versus its popular counterpart Polyester where substances will adhere around the polyester fibers. Simply stated,  rectangular Nylon and Cotton will remarkably absorb more aqueous solutions.  

Stone Care of Arizona, the natural stone care expert recommends that you vacuum your floors verse sweep your floors, Why? Vacuuming will remove dry soil inside the nocks and crannies of natural stone and grouted areas. Vacuuming a floor versus sweeping a floor will stop airborne contaminates. Vacuuming ensures that the contamination is sequestered in a self-contained holding tank. 

Stone Care of Arizona, the natural stone care expert recommends that manage the housekeeping service mopping solutions and mopping techniques deployed on their floors. We realize most housekeeping services may not like changing their mopping routine. However, as a homeowner it's very important that you supervise the cleaning inside your home.

Here are other things to consider:   

• Always own the equipment, mopping solution and mopping tools. Doing so will prevent cross contamination inside your home. 
• Always mop the floor in small section. 
• Once the floor has been mopped and dry
• Take a selected polyester microfiber mophead and spray deodorize on the floor in a small section.
• The trick is surface contact. Apply enough product and over wasting the product. It takes 30 to 45 seconds to instantly kill germs, viruses and COVID-19. 
• Once you applied the deodorizer and take a clean microfiber mop and dry off the area to remove possible streaks

Now, your floors are disinfected and ready to walk on with socks. 

Sodium Hypochlorite or common household bleach is ideal for washing clothing. It is not human friendly and should not be the homeowner first choice on floors, countertops and showers. To illustrate, In Spain the official chose to apply beach on a local beach. Doing so reaped a negative consequence. Check the article here: Spain Sprayed Bleach on a Beach. The application of bleach on surfaces is immediate. Not only did the bleach release toxic fumes into the air that lingered way too long, it destroyed various Eco-systems and the lasting damage is still unclear. So this begs the question, why are there so many homeowners using bleach? Most do not know any better alternative! 

How should you disinfect your showers, countertops and floors? The best approach to disinfect floors is to use botanical disinfectant. Disinfecting with a corrosive beach can damage some metals and lead to irreparable damage. 

Read the SDS sheet below and take note of the warning regarding human contact. 

Safety Data Sheet: Household Bleach 

Stone Care of Arizona, the natural stone care expert recommends using a water based botanical disinfectant on all of your showers, floors and countertops. Water based botanical disinfectant will never create any reactive issues overall. No matter the flooring type using an botanical disinfectant on any flooring, shower and countertops made of Granite, Slate, Flagstone, and tile & grout is the best course of action. 

The safest way to kill germs, bacteria, viruses, COVID-19 organisms is with steam. Most active organism can be kill at a sustain temperature of 212 degrees Fahrenheit. Lots of steam equipment will transform tap water into a heated vapor or gas. The heated vapor is ready to make contact with either a floor, shower and countertop. There are lots of benefits on using steam to clean the surfaces of your floors, showers and countertops. Tap water is a less costly and there is no cost of cleaning product. Lastly, steaming the surfaces allows for deep penetration through energized vapor molecules that kill harmful organisms trapped in the micro-pores of natural stone, tile surfaces and grout channels. Steaming is the ultimate chemical free disinfecting. 

The application of steam can create unexpected reactions. It's important to understand which surfaces such surfaces are ideal candidate for steaming. 

Let's brief unpack this for you:

• Never overuse steam on the surface of tile with grout. Doing so can dry out and weaken the grout over time. This will lead to pricey grout repairs. 
• Never become careless when using a steam mop. Making contact with your skin can cause skin damage, when making contact with your person. 
• Never use a steam mop on flagstone, Terra Cotta, Saltillio and Slate with a coating applied on it. Doing so will lead to spalling and erosion off the coating that has been applied. This will lead to a costly floor refinishing services. 

Stone Care of Arizona, the natural stone care expert pinned an informative article on steam mops. We provide tips on how to use a steam mop on various floors.

Click: How To Clean Your Floor with a Steam Mop. 

Stone Care of Arizona, the natural stone care expert pinned an informative article on steaming countertops. Search our articles page below.