Clarification on Recent TURI Report Using the Kaivac AutoVac System


System Made Only One...Not Three...Passes Over Floor

Hamilton, OH - On October 1, 2012, Kaivac released the results of a recent study conducted by the Toxics Use Reduction Institute (TURI) Surface Solutions Laboratory at the University of Massachusetts in Lowell.

Since then, some confusion regarding the methodology used in that study has come to light.

The study compared the cleaning effectiveness of Kaivac's new OmniFlex(TM) AutoVac system with more conventional floor cleaning methods such as a microfiber mop and a floor scrubber.

The study found that the AutoVac system and the floor scrubber were essentially tied in cleaning effectiveness. Both systems reduced overall ATP (adenosine triphosphate) readings on the test floors by approximately 98 percent. (When found on surfaces, ATP can be an indication that harmful contaminants are present).

Cleaning with the microfiber mop resulted in less favorable ATP readings. (See TURI Results Summary Below)

"The problem is that the initial report seemed to indicate the AutoVac system made three passes over the test floor area," says John Richter, Technical Director at Kaivac. "That is not correct. Just like the automatic scrubber and microfiber mop, it made only one cleaning pass [over the floor] to achieve these high results."

The confusion surfaced when a manufacturer of ATP-monitoring systems contacted Bob Robertson Sr., President and CEO of Kaivac, asking for clarification on how the TURI researchers conducted the tests.

"This was an important evaluation for us, and of course we are pleased with the results," says Richter. "[But] when we realized our initial reporting was not clear, we decided we had to clarify the report as quickly as possible, especially since it highlights the [cleaning] effectiveness of the system."

TURI Results Summary:

The overall results of the study showed that the OmniFlex AutoVac system performed as well as or better than the floor scrubber as measured with ATP and bacteria plates. The mop was shown to be an ineffective method for removing bacteria from a hard surface. Both the OmniFlex AutoVac and Floor Scrubber had significant reduction in ATP levels (≥99%) on the VCT floor. The mop method had minimal reduction (51.8%) as a combined average removal for all test areas.

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About Kaivac, Inc.

Headquartered in Hamilton, Ohio, Kaivac, Inc. delivers complete science-based cleaning systems designed to produce healthy results and outcomes while raising the value of cleaning operations and the professionalism of the worker. The originator of No-Touch Cleaning®, and the OmniFlex(TM) Crossover Cleaning System, Kaivac offers an integrated portfolio of environmentally friendly cleaning products designed to remove the maximum amount of soil and potentially harmful biopollutants in the most cost-effective manner possible. For more information, visit www.kaivac.com.

Company contact information:

Tom Morrison, vice president of marketing

Kaivac, Inc.

401 South Third Street

Hamilton, OH 45011

Phone: 513-868-4227

Email: info@kaivac.com

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