Safe-Home.com

Question about the MicroMax Microfiber Wet Mop Cover, 24 In., BLUE

Q: "I bought a 24 inch BonaKemi microfiber mop last year. I need more covers. I understand the mop was discontinued. Will the MicroMax covers fit? How are they different? They are much less expensive. Thanks. Mary."

Answer: The MicroMax covers are made by Medline, one of the nation's leading manufacturer's and resellers of medical products. Medline MicroMax are super absorbent microfiber mop covers that fit all 24 inch long commercial mops that are 24 inches long by 4 inches wide. The actual size is a rectangle 25.5 inches by 5.5 inches. These are double layered covers.

Superior to standard commercial mop covers for microfiber mop bases, these wet mop pads are double layered. The outer layer is 100 percent twisted microfiber and is made from 100 percent polyester and 80 percent polyester/20 percent polyamide fibers. The inner layer is made of high-density foam for increased absorption. Wash these micromop pads in detergent and hot water up to 140 degrees F. Lasts through 250-300 washes. They are available in quantities with discounted prices. For example, a box of 12 coverscan save you a lot of money.

Thanks for your question.

Sincerely,

Barbara

Question about the effectiveness of Bac Zap Urine Neutralizer Deodorizer, a Bio-Active Urine Neutralizer with Enzymes .

Q: "My two cats fought a year ago and sprayed urine on my carpet. I have tried everything I can find but when the AC and heat are off, the odor rises from the carpet and almost gags me. How does BacZap work? Will it work any faster than the other urine neutralizers I've tried? Will it kill the odor better?" Thanks Lorrie, Your Warehouse Manager

Answer:  This product is made by Brulin, who specialize in products for nursing homes, hospitals, veterinarians, kennels, etc. More detailed information on use is arriving in a day or two as this is a new product for Safe Home Products and is not yet on site in Iowa.  This is what information we have received and was also gleaned from the manufacturer's website:

"Tthis ready-to-use liquid formula attacks uric acid odors immediately with a powerful enzyme digestion process. It is bio-active. Use as is or add it to carpet shampoos and cleaners. This is a popular nursing home and hospital product. Attacks Uric Acid Odors Immediately by a Powerful Enzyme/Digestion Process with Zero Environmental Impact .Specially bred enzyme/bacteria cultures attack and break down the uric acid molecules like nothing else before. It does the job by digesting the source, just the way nature does it...but does it in minutes rather than days or weeks, with zero environmental impact. Destroys malodors by eliminating the source. Vanilla herb fragrance."

I, too, have some issues with dog urine odors from my carpet when the humidity rises. I will update this page after I get the additional information.

Thanks for your question, Lorrie.

Sincerely, Barbara

Question about killing influenza virus on hard surfaces in day care centers, schools and hospitals.

Q: "I am in charge of maintenance for a school district. We are looking for cleaners that will kill flu virus on hard surfaces.This year the numbers of flu cases are projected to be quite high. What can we used to clean? Will these products also kill Swine Flu?" Thanks. John

Answer: Swine Flu is caused by an influenza A (H1N1) virus. All influenza A viruses ares essentially the same, whether they are swine, avian, or human.  Two of the Brulin products we sell Maxima, and BruClean TbC have label claims against at least one form of influenza A virus. The EPA makes the following comments on identifying products that are registered by EPA to disinfect hard, non-porous surfaces that may be contaminated with the swine flu. " EPA believes, based on available scientific information, that the currently registered influenza A virus products will be effective against the 2009-H1N1 flu strain and other influenza A virus strains on hard, non-porous surfaces."

1. Maxima is a Soft Acid Disinfectant Cleaner that can be used as a disinfectant cleaner, a glass cleaner, a toilet bowl cleaner, for cleaning chrome and for lime and soap scum control. It is effective against HBV and is Staphyloccidal, Pseudomonacidal, Viruscidal, Fungicidal and Mildewicidal.
2. Brulin Bru-Clean TBC comes in a 540 tablet bottle. These are effervescent tablets that clean and disinfect. Effective Against a Wide-Range of Micro-Organisms Including TB,C.Diff, and Canine Parvo. Meets the OSHA Bloodborne Pathogens Standard. Use in place of corrosive bleach or harsh phenolic disinfectants. Bru-Clean TbC is effective, yet safer – its active ingredient, sodium dichloroisocyanurate (NaDCC), is used worldwide to purify drinking water. Less Corrosive than Harsh Bleach & Phenolics.Safer Active Ingredient. Use in animal care, day care, isolation wards, medical research, etc. facilities.

Maxima is available in several strengths and sizes. Bru-Clean is currently available only in the large bottle.

Thank you for your question.

Sincerely, Barbara

Question about the product Product Code: BK1001, BonaKemi Hardwood Floor Polish

Q: "Does the Polish leave a high gloss on the floor after it dries like the Refresher does? I noticed the Refresher product has a note on the label that it will leave a higher gloss on the floor than before its use and I would like to understand if that same note applies to the Polish product? Thank you for your response!"- Jennifer

Answer: Thanks for this question. I contacted BonaKemi to make sure my answer was correct. As you can see below, the important questions to ask yourself are whether you plan to have the wood floors refinished completely or not: Bona Wood Floor Polish cannot be re-coated (see below.) If you need technical support, phone this BonaKemi number: 800-872-5515.

BonaKemi Responded: "Bona Floor Polish is for newer floors including prefinished flooring: it is a blend of polyurethane and acrylic. You can buff the polish to get a better shine: the polish gives more of a sheen and blends better into the existing flooring than BonaKemi Hard Wood Floor Refresher. View the polish as a maintenance product like a wax. The acrylic component is why polished floors cannot be re-coated without being stripped. There are acrylic stripping agents available but the risk is that the polish will remain in the cracks unless sanded out.

The Bona Refresher is for older floors, gives more gloss and can be re-coated with polyurethane finish. The most important isse is to measure the area to be covered and not to skimp on the product. For both the refresher and the polish, the coverage is 500 square feet maximum. That is an area that is 10 feet by 50 feet or 15 feet x 33 feet, etc. If you spread the polish or refresher too thin, then you can get streaks. The refresher is not as durable as the polish but again this is meant for older flooring."

Applying Bona Hard Wood Floor Polish.

1. Vacuum, Sweep or Dust Mop then thoroughly clean with Bona Hardwood Floor Cleaner and the blue Microfiber Cleaning Pad on your Bona Microplus Mop. Repeat if necessary. Allow floor to dry.
2. Gently rock container back and forth to mix. Slightly dampen (with water) a Bona Applicator Pad, Bona Cleaning Pad or paint pad and attach to mop. Squirt Hardwood Floor Polish onto floor. Working in sections small enough to keep the applicator wet, apply product to the floor and spread evenly. Smooth with the grain. Continue working in sections until the floor is completely coated. Rinse the applicator pad with water.
3. Allow the floor to dry at least 2 hours before allowing foot traffic. Allow to dry overnight before heavy foot traffic.For Best Results: Always test a small inconspicuous section of the floor before use. Do not apply the product too thin. Coverage should be 500 square feet per bottle. Streaking will occur if the product is applied too thin. Coat the entire floor to ensure an even appearance.
4. Application Frequency: Use as needed every 1-2 months.
5. Note: Bona Hardwood Floor Polish is not re-coatable with finish. Hardwood Floor Polish must be completely removed by sanding to bare wood before recoating to ensure proper adhesion.

Thank you again for your question.
Sincerely, Barbara

Question about the Product BonaKemi Hard Surface 24 Inch Commercial Floor Mop Kit.

Q: "We have a computer store in a strip mall in a Pittsburgh suburb.Despite floor mats at the door, dirt gets tracked in by our customers. We have a cleaning company come once a week but the floor often needs cleaned every day. Do you think this mop kit would be a good choice for a fast floor cleaning? We don't want to deal with taking mop covers home to launder them." Thanks. Lynn.

Answer: I recommend this commercial floor mop kit for quick cleaning of larger areas. With a 24 inch mop head and disposable covers, this mop cleans quickly and no one has to launder grimy covers. In this mop kit, you also get 25 disposable covers, a sturdy telescoping handle and a 32 ounce spray bottle of commercial hard surface floor cleaner, also from BonaKemi. Additional packages of disposable covers are available in packages of 50 or cases of 300. For those of you who have laundry facilities available, I recommend the Dust Mop Covers and the Microfiber Wet Mop Covers that can be washed and dried hundreds of times.

We also sell concentrated commercial hard wood cleaner and concentrated commercial hard surface cleaner in gallons. That dilutes 8 parts water to 1 part cleaner so you can easily refill the spray bottle and reuse about 36 times. If you have hardwood, select the commercial mop kit with hardwood cleaner instead of the hard surface cleaner.

Thanks for your question.
Sincerely, Barbara

Question about the product: SoyClean Graffiti Remover 22 oz.

Q: "Can this product be used on automobiles without harming the car finish?"- Geraldine

Answer: Soy Clean does not recommend use of this product on a car as damage may occur to the finish. If your car was spray painted, we suggest you take the car to an auto body/paint shop for their evaluation.

SoyClean's Graffiti Remover was formulated to remove graffiti, inks, magic marker and paint from hard surfaces. It works well to remove silver paint, black paint and enamel paints. SoyClean is a 100% natural, soy-based, non-toxic product that rinses away with water. Most other graffiti removers on the market are harsh and even dangerous to users and the environment. SoyClean contains no hazardous ingredients.

Good luck.

Sincerely, Barbara

Q: Re: Starfiber 12 x 12 inch aqua microfiber cloths "Where are these cloths actually made? I am looking for some made in Germany that a friend told me about. Thank you. Pam"

Answer: These cloths are made in China. At this time, we sell only microfiber products made in Asia.  We used to sell a line made in Germany. However, the costs are not competitive and there is little difference between the cloths. The aqua 12 x 12 cloth differs from our terry type microfiber cloths in that it has a distinct texture on its "scrub" side. We've had countless sales and repeat sales on the starfiber microfiber cloths and no complaints about the cleaning effectiveness of any microfiber cloths or microfiber mops that we've sold.

Sincerely, Barbara

Q: Is the Bona Kemi STARFIBER Hardwood Floor Refresher Kit & products suitable to refresh, clean & protect parquet wood floors? Thanks!

Answer: Yes, if the parquet is hardwood , sealed with polyurethane and you have not used an oil-based or wax on the floors. If grit is ground into the parquet, get estimates on professional refinishing versus replacement. Remember that oil based cleaners or waxes get into the scratches on the floor and make refinishing, especially of parquet, difficult at best.

If your floors are merely in need of restoration of gloss in traffic areas, using the refresher after cleaning with the MicroPlus mop and Bona hardwood floor cleaner will save you money.

Parquet floors in older homes generally have a lacquer, varnish, or shellac finish. On-Line Tips.org suggests checking the finish using a cotton ball dipped in acetone fingernail polish remover. Choose an out of the way place. Then touch the floor with the cotton ball. If the floor feels tacky and the cotton is stained, the finish is varnish, lacquer or shellac. If the cotton ball is clean, it's polyurethane.

A friend chose having her parquet kitchen floor refinished two years ago. She was quite unhappy with the results. Parquet is lovely but the surface is thin. In the process, some squares were broken and some did not refinish well. When she asked for some re-work, the refinishers told her that her parquet was too thin to be refinished more than once. .

I hope this helps you make your decision.

Sincerely, Barbara

Question about the 4 Oz. Bottle Bona Kemi Professional Hardwood Floor Cleaner Concentrate.

Q: "Hello is this recommended for a Mullican engineered wood flooring? thanks -dwright."

Answer: Yes, Bona Kemi hardwood floor cleaner is approved for use on Mullican engineered wood flooring. In the June 2009 Good Housekeeping Magazine, the Bona Ultimate Hardwood Floor Care System is named a “Cool Tool for a Spotless Home” by Good Housekeeping!  The System is recommended for quickly and effectively treating your polyurethane-finished floors. The newest mop from BonaKemi, the Bona MicroPlus Hardwood Floor Spray Mop with Cartridge uses replaceable mop covers and has the cartridge right on the mop itself.

Before cleaning your floors, please vacuum, sweep or use a Bona Kemi microfiber dust mop or Sh-Duster to get sand and grit off before mopping. Wipe up spills with a microfiber cloth dampened in water or diluted Bona floor cleaner. Never use oil soaps or wax on your polyurethane finished floors.

At least once a month, clean your floors preferably with either a Bona microplus mop with microfiber covers, or a a Sh-Mop with 100% soft cotton terry covers or microfiber covers. Spray on a small amount of Bona Kemi hard wood floor cleaner. Never use a soaking wet mop on your flooring.

The advantages of the Bona and Shmops is that the covers machine wash and dry. This means you never risk scratching floors with dirt or grit embedded in fibers. And you save money over disposable covers.

We also sell premixed wood floor and laminate floor cleaners, extra dusting and mopping covers, and microfiber cleaning cloths.

Thanks for your question. Enjoy your new floors.

Sincerely,
Barbara

Q: "Hi, I have laminated wood flooring (2 yrs old) & the shine is gone...the floors are dull & streaking What can I do? Thanks, Julie"

Answer: Using oil-based cleaners or floor cleaning detergents can cause dull, streaked floors. Without knowing what products you have used, I don't know if the floors are coated with cleaners or damaged by cleaners.

This is what I suggest you purchase:

1. A Bona Kemi MicroPlus Floor Mop with two microfiber mop covers
2. Bona Kemi Laminate Floor Cleaner
3. Microplus Mop Dusting Cover.
4. Optional: Bona Kemi Hard Surface Refresher and a Microplus Mop Refresher Application Pad.

This is a terrific mop for all hard surfaced and wood floors. Two mop covers might be enough: depends upon the area to be cleaned. Extra ones let you always have clean ones to use. Bona's laminate/hard surface floor cleaner won't streak if you use it with the mop. This cleaner should remove any oil or detergent. Use the microfiber dusting cover in between moppings. All the covers are machine washable.

If the floor remains dull or you have some worn areas, then apply the Bona Hard Surface refresher to restore gloss. You'll need the applicator for best results.

Sincerely, Barbara