18 July 2021
Water does not dissolve fat,” Hilgerdenaar wrote in his blog. “Just look at the ground of a pumping station on a rainy day. The stones shimmer and water droplets pull together, but the grease remains.”
And a little later: “And in combination with a microfibre cloth, it is not a green solution at all. Indeed, it is polluting. Microfibres leave microplastics in the water. Via surface water, these enter our food and eventually our bodies.”
“Microfibre systems clean excellently”
Statements that were met with some pretty fierce reactions. From an email received by the editors of Service Management received: “What an unbalanced fairy tale. There is no logic in it at all. Comparing daily cleaning to pollution at a pumping station. Ridiculous!”
And in that same email: “If you make any claim at all about microplastics, put it fairly against the problems that chemicals have been causing in the environment for a very long time.”
“Many studies have been made by VSR in collaboration with TNO that prove otherwise. Microfibre systems, if applied properly (which applies to all systems, by the way), clean excellently.”
Wide differences in product composition and functionality
Meanwhile, the blog (which also appeared on other cleaning trade media) was shared on LinkedIn, accompanied by comments, “How some people give notice of their ignorance and hide it behind half-truths, just to continue marketing traditional, harmful and environmentally polluting chemicals. The targeted application of chemicals when unavoidable and where other solutions do not help is damage control and not wrong. But what percentage of surfaces require this approach?”
The response continues: “Delve into microfibre first. There are big differences in product composition and functionality, just as there are in chemistry. With surfaces regularly cleaned and kept clean, you won't get petrol station scenes.”
In response to the comments, Hilgerdenaar explains his comments on microfibre: “Microfibre wipes contain nylon and polyester, among other things. These are plastics. Every time you wash a cloth, it loses fibres. For example, weigh a microfibre cloth at the start and again after you wash it a hundred times. There will definitely be a few grams difference in that,” Hilgerdernaar says.
“This is because the microfibre cloth has given off microplastics and these then end up in the (waste) water. With dire consequences. Just read this article from Utrecht University on the seriousness of microplastics.”
Concluding, “Cleaning with microfibre and water is seen as a sustainable and green method. In my opinion, it is not, because because of the nylon and polyester, it contributes to the microplastic problem the whole world is facing.”
English (UK)