When it comes to wiping surfaces - whether counters or machine parts - people think that multiple use of rags or towels is less wasteful than one-time wiping.
According to Kimberly Clark professionals, rags and towels made of cloth (and recyclable clothes) tend to complicate the manufacturing process rather than improve it ™ Report "industrial wipers: how they affect product quality, productivity, worker health and the environment."
Since rags and towels sometimes leave lint, dirt and debris, their use may affect the manufacturing process. These pollutants may enter the product being manufactured and lead to rework.
Kimberly-Clark Professional WypAll ® Ankur Gupta, wet towel category manager, said: "if there is any problem, rags and washed workshop towels will increase defects.". For example, rags used to wipe industrial equipment contain debris such as metal chips and needles.
In 2011, a study conducted by gradient, an environmental and risk science consulting company, found that a worker using up to 12 washed towels per day may be exposed to high levels of antimony, beryllium, cadmium, cobalt, copper, lead and molybdenum.
Rags
Inconsistent size, shape and material
It may contain pins, buttons and metal chips, which may cause surface scratches and other defects
In industrial warehouses, it takes up more storage space than disposable wipes
Washed shop towels
It can retain lead, a toxic heavy metal, which can cause serious health problems for workers, such as elevated blood lead levels and high blood pressure
Not applicable to specific applications
Help landfill waste
Disposable wipes are more effective than you think
Disposable wipes such as wypall wipes are absorbent and can quickly clean the equipment and reduce machine downtime.
"When selectors use the right tools, they will eventually find that they have a much greater impact on quality, delivery and cost than they think," Gupta said. "This is efficiency."