WO1996014170A1

WO1996014170A1 - Abrasive mop head

Info

Publication number: WO1996014170A1
Application number: PCT/US1995/008249
Authority: WO
Inventors: Todd A. Williams; Richard A. Williams
Original assignee: ECOT, INC. doing business as ECONOMICS IN TECHNOLOGY
Priority date: 1994-11-04
Filing date: 1995-06-29
Publication date: 1996-05-17
Also published as: AU2954295A

Abstract

A mop head (10) comprising a plurality of absorbent strands (12) and an abrasive pad (20) located close to a first ends (24) of the strands (12) may be used in a conventional manner to perform abrasive point load mopping. The abrasive pad (20) mechanically breaks up surface contaminants that have accumulated on a kitchen floor without substrate surface deterioration. No special skills, special cleaning solutions or special equipment are required in order to effectively improve the floor's coefficient of friction and thereby reduce the risk of injuries from slips and falls.

Description

O 96/14170 PCIYUS95/08249

-1-

ABRASIVE MOP HEAD

Field of the Invention The present invention relates generally to the field of mop heads, and, in particular, to a mop head which mechanically breaks up grease and other residue such that an in- place floor achieves its full potential coefficient of friction, thereby reducing the likelihood of injuries from slips and falls.

Background of the Invention Floors, both at home and especially in food service or restaurant operations, are prime arenas for injuries resulting from slips and falls. Injuries are often sustained during the fall to the ground, such as hitting the head or arm on a counter on the way down. In addition, the act of slipping, and not necessarily falling completely to the ground, can have dangerous consequences, such as if a heavy tray was dropped on a foot or a hand was accidentally placed on a hot grill.

In a recent article it was reported that in a 12 month period approximately 12 million injuries occurred in falls which required at least one day of restricted activity or medical attention. The combination of home and public falls accounts for approximately 27% of all accidental injuries. The National Safety Council has reported that in one year nearly 1 1 ,000 deaths resulted from falls, second only to automobile accidents. Annually in the food service industry alone, an estimated $500 million is paid to claimants either in the form of awards or out of court settlements. Thus, there is a very large monetary incentive to reduce injuries from slips and falls, including insurance costs and claim settlements.

Four contributors to slips and falls have been noted: 1 ) the floor surface coefficient of friction (COF), 2) the footwear COF, 3) the presence of surface contaminants, and 4) the walking behavior of users. While all four factors are controllable to some degree, the floor surface COF and surface contaminants are most readily monitored and controlled.

In a restaurant, both .* employees and the guests are susceptible to potential harm if steps are not taken to ensure safety. While a soft, carpeted area would help in the event of a fall, most restaurant kitchens utilize hard tile floors. That is because tile is more economical in the long run and requires simpler maintenance. In fact, many restaurant kitchens utilize grouted quarry tile. The coefficient of friction is generally defined as the amount of force parallel to a surface that is required to move or make slip a force or weight that is normal to the surface, divided by the weight. Thus, floors having a higher COF, or rougher surface texture, are desirable in kitchens. Floors among the worst for COF values are terrazzo and marble floors, although some ceramic tile floors are as bad.

In order to increase safety, restaurants rely heavily on keeping the tile floors clean and non-slippery in order to reduce accidents and injuries. A new quarry tile floor typically has a non-smooth, shoe-gripping surface of peaks and valleys, and also has a surface pore structure designed to reduce the possibility of slips and falls. Other floors have patterned tiles to provide a non-slip surface. The fats and oils that fall on the floor, or are tracked by shoes over the course of time, accumulate on the floor and combine with the cleaning solutions to fill in valleys in the floor and the surface area pore structure. Thus, the COF of the floor is reduced over time and the floor becomes slippery and dangerous. The surface contaminants in the typical restaurant floor include the fats and oils, or grease, which polymerize to compounds which are hard and dense, and difficult to remove. The polymerized grease alone can account for a 50% reduction in the floor COF. Grout joint saponification also occurs, wherein the grout material becomes another slippery residue. The cleaning solutions which are used are usually detergents that are emulsifiers, and typically alkaline. Therefore the so-called soap scum that results can be additional residue contaminating the floor surface. Also, mineral deposits can form on the floor from both the use of hard water and the formulation of the detergent that is used. Some other detergents are not desirable because of their toxicity.

Thus, as far as eliminating surface contaminants, the choice of cleaning method is important. There are various cleaning methods, but most do not dislodge the grease or remove it. The most effective method is the use of an extractor, which is a combination of a sprayer and vacuum. While a single pass of the extractor is usually adequate, the system is relatively expensive and requires expertise to use. Another method is the use of a rotary scrubber and wet vac (vacuum), although this requires two passes to complete. Other methods include deck brushing with squeegeeing and rinsing, use of a pressure washer and hose rinse, and a simple hose down of the floor. However, except for the hose down, all of these methods require greater than average cleaning expertise and require equipment costing much more than a mop bucket. A hose down, meanwhile, may be undesirable for certain areas and is simply not effective in removing polymerized grease and other contaminants. Moreover, although deck brushing is recommended by many employers, employees in practice, simply do not take the extra time needed to completely deck brush the floor. In most instances, deck brushing occurs rarely, if at all.

Conventional mopping is popularly used in kitchens for cleaning. A mop, bucket and water with chemical cleaning solution are the only components required. A pivotal motion is generally used for the mop head over the floor surface, which can be performed by an employee after minimal, if any, training. The mop heads can be composed of a sponge or long strands of loose or looped material. The mop heads can addition^'*' include a scuff or scouring pad that is attached at the bail and shoe of the handle a... hment in order to facilitate scrubbing for spot removal of stains. In one prior art mop described in U.S. Patent No. 3,750,218 to Rosocha, a scuff pad is attached to an S-shaped plate that is clamped to the handle. In all of these prior art mop heads, the scuff pad is rigidly attached to the handle either directly or indirectly, so as to facilitate a scrubbing motion through application of a force on the mop handle.

Summary of the Invention One aspect of the present invention relates to a mop head that removes grease load and increases the coefficient of friction of a floor. The mop head has a plurality of elongated strands of absorbent material having a first plurality of free ends and a second plurality of free ends, a mop head attachment region located intermediate the first plurality of free ends and the second plurality of free ends and an abrasive pad attached to the elongated strands intermediate the first plurality of free ends and the mop head attachment region. The mop head attachment region is adapted to attach to a mop handle. In one embodiment the pad has a distal end closer to the first plurality of free ends and a proximal end closer to the mop head attachment region. In this embodiment, the distal end is positioned in the range from approximately one-tenth the distance between the first plurality of free ends and the mop head attachment region and two-thirds the distance between the first plurality of free ends and the mop head attachment region. The mop head can also include at least one band for fastening the plurality of elongated strands of absorbent material together. Preferably, there are at least three bands, as follows: a central band at the mop head attachment region, a first end band located between the mop head attachment region and the first plurality of free ends, and a second end band located between the mop head attachment region and the second plurality of free ends. The pad of the mop head can have a distal end closer to the first plurality of free ends and a proximal end closer to the mop head attachment region. The distal end of the pad can be attached to the plurality of elongated strands of absorbent material by the first end band. A third end band intermediate the first end band and the central band can also be included, wherein the proximal end of the abrasive pad is attached to the plurality of elongated strands of absorbent material by the third end band. The band can be formed of a strip of absorbent material stitched onto the plurality of elongated strands of absorbent material, and preferably the strips of absorbent material extend laterally across at least one side of the plurality of elongated strands of absorbent material. The abrasive pad is preferably comprised of a non-absorbent material, which can also be porous. Two or more abrasive pads can also be attached. In a preferred embodiment, the abrasive pad extends laterally across all of the plurality of strands. The abrasive pad can be of any shape, such as rectangular or square. A preferred dimension for the abrasive pad is approximately eight inches by eight inches (20 cm by 20 cm).

Another aspect of the invention relates to a mop head for abrasive point load mopping of a floor. In this aspect, the mop head includes a plurality of elongated strands of absorbent material having a plurality of free ends, a mop head attachment region on the strands, and an abrasive pad attached to the elongated strands intermediate the plurality of free ends and the mop head attachment region. The mop head attachment region is adapted to attach to a mop handle.

Yet another aspect of the present invention relates to a method of cleaning a floor having contaminants present thereon. The method includes the steps of: (a) wetting a mop head with cleaning solution, the mop head having a plurality of elongated strands of absorbent material and an abrasive pad, and (b) simultaneously applying the wetted elongated strands and the abrasive pad to the floor, thereby breaking up the contaminants present on the surface of the floor. The method can also include applying the elongated strands to the floor to wipe up the broken up contaminants and/or rinsing the mop head in cleaning solution and squeezing out the contaminants wiped up by the elongated strands. Step (b) can include applying the wetted elongated strands and the abrasive pad to break up the contaminants which include fats, oils and chemical cleaning solution residue or applying a first side of the mop having the abrasive pad is attached thereto. The step of applying the elongated strands to the floor to wipe up the broken up contaminants can be done by applying a second side of the mop. Step (b) can be done by wetting a mop head with cleaning solution wherein the cleaning solution comprises a detergent. The step of placing an end of a mop handle over the abrasive pad to increase pressure thereon and scrubbing a stain on the floor can also be performed. Step (a) can be done with the mop head having the abrasive pad attached closer to one of the free ends of the plurality of elongated strands than to the mop handle.

Further advantages and applications will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description and the drawings referenced herein.

Brief Description of the Drawings FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the preferred embodiment of the present invention, illustrating an abrasive pad attached close to the end of a top, outer-facing side of the mop head with a mop handle attachment shown in phantom. FIGURE 2 is a top plan view of the preferred embodiment, further illustrating the attachment of the abrasive pad.

FIGURE 3 is a side elevational view of the preferred embodiment and is a mirror image of the other side elevational view.

FIGURE 4 is a left end view of the preferred embodiment illustrated in FIGURES 2-3.

FIGURE 5 is a right end view of the preferred embodiment illustrated in FIGURES 2-3.

FIGURE 6 is a bottom plan view of the embodiment.

FIGURE 7 is a top view of the preferred embodiment prior to attachment to a handle.

FIGURE 8 is an end elevational view of the preferred embodiment prior to attachment to a handle and is a mirror image of the other end elevational view.

FIGURE 9 is a left elevational view of the preferred embodiment as illustrated in FIGURES 7-8. FIGURE 10 is a right elevational view of the preferred embodiment as illustrated in FIGURES 7-8.

FIGURE 1 1 is a bottom view of the preferred embodiment prior to attachment to a handle. Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiment Introduction

The mop strands alone of prior art mop heads are insufficient to break up most surface contaminants. Prior art mop heads which do not utilize a scuff pad are heavily dependent upon the cleaning solution to chemically decompose the contaminants. However, as noted above, cleaning solutions alone are largely ineffective. Scuff pads on mops are typically stiff members which are not readily applied in the normal mopping motion. Most scuff pads are small in size compared to typical mop heads with strands, and therefore a smaller area is coverable in each stroke. Thus, overall, present mop heads are not adequate to remove surface contaminants, as described hereinabove in the Background of the Invention.

The mop head of the present invention overcomes the aforenoted problems and disadvantages by mechanically breaking up the polymerized bonds of the grease through the use of an abrasive pad mounted near the free ends of the strands of absorbent material, thereby allowing traditional mopping motion to remove the broken up surface contaminants without substrate surface deterioration. Through "abrasive point load mopping" and the combination of the strands of material with the abrasive pad, the coefficient of friction for any given floor is increased. That is, the dirty, sealed- off, planar surface is returned to a rougher texture with increased peaks and valleys, and pore structure of the original clean floor.

We have surprisingly invented a mop head that can simultaneously break up surface contaminants and provide for their removal from the floor. Thus, the present invention advantageously combines the action of a mop and a deck brush, thereby eliminating the need for conducting both of these steps. In a preferred embodiment, the mop head of the present invention includes a rectangular pad of non-absorbent material which is attached to an outer side of the mop head. The other outer side resembles a conventional mop head. The abrasive pad is mounted to be closer to the free ends of the strands of material than the handle attachment. The size and placement of the pad is such as to allow conventional, pivotal mopping motion and rinsing in a bucket. Thus, no special skills or equipment are required by the user.

In a preferred use, the mop head is first wetted in a cleaning solution, then the side with the abrasive pad is applied to the dirty floor in a usual pivotal motion. Next, the other side of the mop head, without the abrasive pad, is applied to the floor to remove the broken up contaminants. The mop may then be rinsed in a traditional mop bucket, and is ready for another application. For stains or heavier soil loads, the mop handle may be placed over the abrasive pad when it is applied to the floor, so that the added pressure can scrub the stain for removal.

Thus, the mop head of the present invention allows any choice of cleaning solution to be used with a traditional mopping procedure without requiring special skills or equipment. The present invention provides aggresive surface agitation in its "specific use cleaning" of ceramic or cementitious hard surface tiles or concrete surfaces, such as walkways or patterned traffic areas. The surface contaminants are mechanically broken up for easy removal by the mop head, thereby exposing once more the peaks and valleys, as well as the pore structure, of the surface, and the coefficient of friction of the floor is substantially restored without harm to the floor material. Preferred Embodiment

A preferred embodiment of the mop head of the present invention is illustrated in FIGURE 1 , and generally referenced by the numeral 10. In this embodiment, the mop head 10 comprises a plurality of elongated strands 12 of absorbent material, such as a rayon and cotton blend. A bail and shoe arrangement 14 may be utilized for securing an end 15 of a handle 16 to the mop head 10, as illustrated in phantom, to complete a mop 18.

In the preferred embodiment shown, an abrasive pad 20 of porous, nonabsorbent material is attached on a top, outer-facing side 22 of the mop head 10, to provide the aggressively abrasive, specific use cleaning of the floor surface contaminants. The pad 20 need not be porous, as long as it provides a sufficient level of abrasion to remove surface contaminants without the application of excessive force. Of course, the pad 20 can be attached to any side of the mop head 10, which then becomes the outer-facing side 22. A pad 20 can also be attached to more than one side, or a large pad can extend around to cover more than one side. The placement of the abrasive pad 20 closer to first and second free ends 24 and 26, respectively, of the plurality of strands 12 than to the handle attachment 14 allows the pad 20 to freely move with the strands 12 in each circular mopping motion on the floor surface. The abrasive pad 20 is very effective in mechanically breaking up the contaminants that include fats, oils, and cieaning chemical residue. Thus, the COF of the floor is substantially improved as the peaks and valleys and more of the pore structure of the floor's original texture are again exposed to provide a more non-slip surface. Coefficients of Friction As shown below in TABLE 1 , new, clean, dry quarry tile has a COF within the range .70 to .85. However, various contaminants on the quarry tile significantly lower its COF. For example, in conventional restaurant operations polymerization occurs through mopping of the floor with conventional chemical cleaning solutions. Complete polymerization of a completely clean floor will occur within three to four weeks using conventional mopping. With water or grease, in addition to the polymeric coat, the COF is reduced still further. TABLE 1 provides examples of the COF values for quarry tile under various conditions.

TABLE 1. Examples of Floor Coefficients of Friction

FLOOR MATERIAL COF

New, clean, dry quarry tile .70-.85

Dry polymeric coated quarry tile .45-.55

Wet, polymeric coated quarry tile .30-.35

Greasy, polymeric coated quarry tile .15-.25

Wet, Greasy, Polymeric-Coated .05-.1 5 ₎ Quarry Tile

It can be seen that the worst case condition of a greasy, wet, polymeric-coated quarry tile leads to such a low COF of .05 to .15, that falling becomes highly likely. Thus, efforts to maintain the quarry tile free of surface contaminants are critical to ensure safety.

The hard grease film which forms after several weeks of conventional floor care is the primary cause of the slip and fall problem. This film can only be removed by vigorous mechanical scrubbing or through any of various harsh chemical processes. However, heretofore mechanical scrubbing has involved significant additional labor time. Moreover, the chemical processes are expensive and tend to be injurious themselves through skin contact or through breathing their fumes or vapors.

Several new detergents are being sold that claim to produce "slip-resistant" results on restaurant floor surfaces. However, in order to maintain the COF of a floor using such products, it is necessary to scrub the floor briskly with a deck brush and 160° F (67°C) water to break up hard film and remove contaminants with a wet vac or squeegee before thoroughly rinsing. Thus, even with these new detergents, the poymerized bond must be mechanically disturbed or broken. None of these detergents can produce successful results using ordinary mopping methods.

In contrast to prior art methods of breaking up the hard grease film which results in decreased COF, the present invention mechanically disrupts contaminants through "abrasive point load mopping." The result of the present invention is a clean floor without use of additional steps such as deck brushing or squeegeeing, and without use of cumbersome and expensive equipment, such as high pressure hoses or wet vacs. Preferred Construction

Referring once more to FIGURE 1 , it can be seen that the plurality of strands 12 of the preferred embodiment are held together near their free ends 24, 26 using strips of absorbent material forming end bands 28, 30 which are stitched laterally across the strands 12. A central band 32 is attached at the area of the handle attachment 14 and may be used to cinch the strands 12 such that they correspond in width to conventional bail and shoe arrangements. The central band 32 advantageously can serve as a handle attachment region. It is apparent that additional bands can also be used to further secure the plurality of strands together. Other methods of attaching the strands, such as staples or glue, can also be used. In an alternative embodiment (not shown), the strands are held together at a single point that serves as handle attachment region, resulting in a cluster of strands emanating from the handle attachment region.

As illustrated more clearly in FIGURE 2, the abrasive pad 20 is attached near the free ends 24 of the plurality of strands 12 (to the right). The abrasive pad 20 may be comprised of any of a variety of abrasive materials including those sold under the following trademarks: "Superstrip" (Microton Abrasives), "Doodlebug" (3M), "Scotchbrite" (3M), "Razor Pad" (Etc. of Henderson Inc.) or "Tough Duty" (Kellogg Brush Manufacturing). The pad 20 is of a generally rectangular shape having a distal end 34 located closer to the first free ends 24 and a proximal end 36 located closer to the central band 32 at the handle attachment area. Advantageously, the pad 20 is positioned on the strands 12 so as to provide contact with the surface of the floor during ordinary mopping. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the pad 20 has a square shape approximately 8 inch x 8 inch (20 cm x 20 cm), and extends substantially over the strands 12 on a first side 38 of the mop head 10. However, pads of various shapes can also be employed. The distal end 34 of the abrasive pad 20 is attached using the first end band 28 located at the first free ends 24. Although, a separate strip of material may alternately be used to attach the distal end 34 of the abrasive pad 20 to the strands 12. A fourth band 40 is preferably used to attach the proximal end 36 of the abrasive pad 20 to the strands 12. The band can also be attached through any of a variety of well known attachment techniques, including glue, staples, clips, etc. In the alternative embodiment, referred to above as having a cluster of strands emanating from the handle attachment region, the pad can be attached to any side of the strands.

As further illustrated in FIGURE 3, the abrasive pad 20 is generally located closer to the first free ends 24 of the top side 22 of the mop head 10 of the present invention. The distal end 34 of the abrasive pad 20 may be positioned from one-tenth to two- thirds the distance from the first free ends 24 to the central band 32. In alternate embodiments, one or more additional abrasive pads may be attached on a second side 42 close to the second free ends 26 (to the left in FIGURE 2), and/or close to either/both free ends 24, 26 on a bottom side 44 of the mop head 10 illustrated in FIGURE 6. Although, the attachment of more than two abrasive pads, if comprising a total area more than half the outer surface area of the mop head 10, may reduce the effectiveness of the combination of the plurality of strands 12 with the abrasive pad 20. FIGURES 4 and 5 illustrate the free ends 24, 26 of the plurality of strands 12, which are attached together to have a width much greater than its depth. The width, however, is easily received in conventional mop buckets and mop ringers.

FIGURE 6 illustrates the bottom side 44 of the mop head 10, where left and right portions 46 and 48, respectively, face each other when the handle 16 is attached and the mop 18 is positioned vertically with the plurality of strands 12 folded in two. The attachment of the end bands 28, 30 and central band 32 to the strands 12 is preferably accomplished using laterally extending stitches 50. The end bands 28, 30 surround at least the top side 22 of the mop head 10; although, it is obvious to have the end bands 28, 30 further extend laterally to across the bottom side 44 of the mop head 10, just as the central band 32 does.

FIGURE 7 illustrates a top view of the preferred embodiment of the mop head 10 of the present invention, and indicates the folded thickness of the mop head 10 with the abrasive pad 20 attached. The corresponding bottom view of the mop head 10 is illustrated in FIGURE 1 1. Because of the material used and the preferred attachment to the mop head 10, the size and weight added by the abrasive pad 20 are fairly inconsequential in actual mopping use, described further below. The side view of the mop head 10 in FIGURE 3 is illustrated in a folded state

In FIGURE 8, wherein the outer-facing strand side 42 is further illustrated in FIGURE

9 and the outer-facing abrasive pad side 38 is further illustrated in FIGURE 10. As previously noted, an additional abrasive pad may be attached to the second side 42 of FIGURE 9. Preferred Method of Mopping

The mop head 10 of the present invention allows a popular, economical cleaning method to be used with greatly increased efficiency in the removal of typical surface contaminants. The process of mechanically breaking up the polymerized bonds is easily accomplished using traditional, well known mopping action, eliminating any need for specialized training in the use of the mop head 10 of the present invention. And, any existing supply of cleaning solutions, including detergents, and buckets may be utilized, resulting in added economy.

The mopping operation comprises the simple steps of (a) wetting the mop head

10 in cleaning solution, (b) applying a first side 38 of the mop head 10 to the floor in a normal manner, (c) applying a second side 42 of the mop head 10 to the floor in a normal manner, (d) rinsing the mop head 10 in cleaning solution, and (e) squeezing out the contaminants which have been removed by the mop head 10. The process is repeated as needed to cover the entire floor area.

For the mop head 10 of the preferred embodiment, the first side 38 includes the abrasive pad 20, which provides the aggressively abrasive action to break up the contaminants. The second side 42 is the strand-only side, which serves to extract the broken up contaminants from the floor surface.

For the places where stains, or concentrations of contaminants, have formed on the floor, the abrasive pad 20 may be employed to provide added scrubbing action to break up the stain for removal. That is, for step (b) above, the abrasive pad 20 of the wetted mop head 10 may be placed over the stain and the end 15 of the mop handle

16 may be placed over the abrasive pad 20. Pressure is then applied to the handle 16 in strokes to scrub the stain. Removal of the broken up stain is then accomplished following steps (c)-(e).

Thus, the preferred embodiment of the mop head 10 of the present invention greatly improves upon traditional mopping techniques to mechanically break up surface contaminants which are then easily removed. The coefficient of friction of the floor is restored to a much safer level without harm to the floor material. And, economy is achieved by the use of available cleaning supplies and the fact that no special training is required in its use.

Other changes and modifications may be made from the embodiment presented herein by those skilled in the art without departure from the spirit and scope of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.

Claims

WHAT IS CLAIMED IS:

1. An abrasive mop head for cleaning a floor having contaminants thereon, said mop head comprising: a plurality of elongtated strands of absorbent material having a first plurality of free ends and a second plurality of free ends; a mop head attachment region located intermediate said first plurality of free ends and said second plurality of free ends; an abrasive pad attached to said strands, said pad having a distal end and a proximal end, said distal end being closer to said first plurality of free ends than said second plurality of free ends, said distal end extending at least one- third the distance from said mop head attachment region to said first plurality of free ends.

2. The mop head of Claim 1, wherein said pad extends into said mop head attachment region.

3. The mop head of Claim 1, wherein said mop head attachment region is located intermediate said first plurality of free ends and said second plurality of free ends, said mop head attachment region adapted to attach to a mop handle.

4. The mop head of Claim 1, wherein said pad has a distal end closer to said first plurality of free ends and a proximal end closer to said mop head attachment region, and wherein said distal end is positioned in the range from approximately one- tenth the distance between said first plurality of free ends and said mop head attachment region and two-thirds the distance between said first plurality of free ends and said mop head attachment region.

5. The mop head of Claim 1 , further comprising at least one band for fastening the plurality of elongated strands of absorbent material together.

6. The mop head of Claim 5, comprising at least three bands, as follows: a central band at the mop head attachment region, a first end band located between said mop head attachment region and said first plurality of free ends, and a second end band located between said mop head attachment region and said second plurality of free ends.

7. The mop head of claim 6, wherein said pad has a distal end closer to said first plurality of free ends and a proximal end closer to said mop head attachment region, and wherein the distal end of said pad is attached to the plurality of elongated strands of absorbent material by the first end band.

8. The mop head of Claim 7, additionally comprising a third end band intermediate said first end band and said central band, and wherein the proximal end of the abrasive pad is attached to the plurality of elongated strands of absorbent material by the third end band.

9. The mop head of Claim 1 , wherein the abrasive pad is comprised of a non-absorbent material.

10. The mop head of Claim 9, wherein the abrasive pad is porous.

1 1. The mop head of Claim 5, wherein the band is formed of a strip of absorbent material stitched onto the plurality of elongated strands of absorbent material.

12. The mop head of Claim 1 1 , wherein said strips of absorbent material extend laterally across at least one side of the plurality of elongated strands of absorbent material.

13. The mop head of Claim 1 , wherein two or more abrasive pads are attached.

14. The mop head of Claim 1 , wherein the abrasive pad extends laterally across all of the plurality of strands.

15. The mop head of Claim 1 , wherein the abrasive pad is rectangular.

16. The mop head of Claim 15, wherein the abrasive pad is square-shaped.

17. The mop head of Claim 16, wherein the abrasive pad measures approximately eight inches by eight inches (20 cm by 20 cm).

18. A method of cleaning a floor having contaminants present thereon, comprising the steps of: (a) wetting a mop head with cleaning solution, the mop head having a plurality of elongated strands of absorbent material and an abrasive pad; and

(b) simultaneously applying the wetted elongated strands and the abrasive pad to the floor, thereby breaking up the contaminants present on the surface of said floor.

19. The method of Claim 18, wherein said method further comprises:

(c) applying the elongated strands to the floor to wipe up the broken up contaminants.

20. The method of Claim 18, additionally comprising the step of rinsing the mop head in cleaning solution and squeezing out the contaminants wiped up by the elongated strands.

21. The method of Claim 18, wherein step (b) comprises applying the wetted elongated strands and the abrasive pad to break up the contaminants which include fats, oils and chemical cleaning solution residue.

22. The method of Claim 19, wherein step (b) comprises applying a first side of the mop having the abrasive pad is attached thereto, and wherein step (c) comprises applying a second side of the mop.

23. The method of Claim 18, wherein step (b) comprises wetting a mop head with cleaning solution wherein the cleaning solution comprises a detergent.

24. The method of Claim 18, wherein said method further comprising the step of placing an end of a mop handle over said abrasive pad to increase pressure thereon and scrubbing a stain on said floor.

25. The method of Claim 18, wherein step (a) comprises the mop head having the abrasive pad attached closer to one of the free ends of said plurality of elongated strands than to the mop handle.