When cleaners are hired to clean buildings such as hospitals, they will be asked about their protocols. They will be expected to minimise any risk of cross contamination and the colour coded system is a perfect way of achieving this.

You want to ensure everything is still kept separate to avoid cross contamination. You should also follow all the washing instructions including the appropriate temperature to use. Some companies design their own colour coded system but most use the universally accepted one introduced by BICS. Most people in the cleaning industry follow the cleaning colour codes system which originated from BICS. Either is fine, as long as everyone understands and adheres to it at all times. The information should be visible at all times to all cleaners. When new employees start, they should be introduced to the colour code rules. Without any damage, you should be looking to replace mop heads after they have been washed for a certain amount of time. This can vary depending on the type of mops being used.

Exel Revolution Green Mop Head

The easiest way of ensuring all employees follow hygiene and COSHH practices is by having them all adhere to a colour coded cleaning system. Unwanted Food or Drink Products - Once supply conditions are broken, there are a number of factors outside of our control that can affect the quality of a product. Therefore perishable goods such as food and drink cannot be returned. You need to consider which colours you would like to use for each area that you clean. These can roughly be divided up into; bathrooms, kitchens, dining areas and public areas.

Firstly, they should be replaced as soon as you spot any signs of wear and tear. When there are any signs of damage, you risk harbouring all sorts of germs that washing doesn’t get rid of. A new mop is therefore required to avoid any spread of bacteria. COSHH guidance for cleaning emphasises and enforces the importance of cleaning safely and responsibly. This involves identifying and minimising risks involved with handling cleaning chemicals.Your next job is to buy all the equipment required and colour coordinate it according to your new system. As well as choosing colours and colour coordinating all the equipment, thought should also be given to how it will be stored and kept apart. Most businesses find it practical to us the already established colour codes designated by the BICS system.

Each area that needs cleaning is given a colour and then the equipment for that area is assigned the same colour. This makes it very simple for everyone to follow the rules while keeping all equipment safe from spreading bacteria. This can be the generic red, yellow, blue and green or you can come up with your own unique colour chart.

You may need to change these broad guidelines in some cases though. It depends on how frequently they get used and how hazardous the area is. You will almost definitely feel the need to replace the bathroom mops before the ones used for the hallways. This is handy because everyone working in the cleaning industry will be working from the same system. This is useful, for example, in the case of agency staff being required to cover the normal staff. It’s likely they also follow these colour procedures. Cleaners work with potentially harmful chemicals and also have to be extremely careful to prevent cross contamination. When dealing with the traditional cotton mop heads, you should replace them after 30 washes maximum. If you use the more modern microfiber heads then these last considerably longer. You can get up to 500 washes out of these before they need to buy replacements.

Red is a hazardous warning colour and as such, should be assigned to the area with the most bacteria. Never assume that mops are self cleaning due to being covered in cleaning chemicals. This isn’t the case because as soon as moisture hits them, bacteria build. Therefore, whatever your mop preference, they need cleaning after every use. You need to keep the cleaning equipment separate even after use. A proper cleaning storage system is important. You need to be sure you are using the appropriate detergent and, ideally, a high temperature for the cycle.Colour coded mops are mops given a specific colour to represent their intended use, or the area they should be used within. This means that everyone using them understands what they should be used for. This system is based around the designation of a colour to each area to be cleaned, and using colour coding on cleaning chemicals. For reasons of hygiene and safety, personal grooming products, cosmetics or items of intimate clothing cannot be returned. This includes any areas where food is stored, prepared and cooked. Most medical settings have a kitchen for preparing patients’ meals and other facilities too. These areas must be kept remarkably clean to stop cross contamination.