Managing Liquid Contaminants

Abstract

An apparatus includes a cleaning pad including a sanitary material; a head coupled to the cleaning pad, the head movable together with the cleaning pad; and a handle coupled to the head on a front end of the handle, a back end of the handle being separated away from the head with a distance substantially identical to a length of the handle.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An apparatus, comprising:
 a cleaning pad comprising a sanitary material;   a head coupled to the cleaning pad, the head movable together with the cleaning pad; and   a handle coupled to the head on a front end of the handle, a back end of the handle being separated away from the head with a distance substantially identical to a length of the handle.   
     
     
         2 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the cleaning pad comprises an upper surface and a lower surface, wherein the cleaning pad is coupled to the head on the upper surface and the lower surface is configured to be applied in contact with a liquid contaminant on a surface. 
     
     
         3 . The apparatus of  claim 2 , wherein the cleaning pad comprises a back sheet for the upper surface and a facing sheet for the lower surface joined in face-to-face relationship with the sanitary material therebetween, and the facing sheet is permeable for the liquid contaminant to flow through. 
     
     
         4 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the cleaning pad is configured to absorb a particular volume of a liquid contaminant and hold the liquid contaminant without leaching. 
     
     
         5 . The apparatus of  claim 4 , wherein the particular volume is approximately 3.5 liquid ounces. 
     
     
         6 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the sanitary material comprises a number of cells, each of the cells being configured to draw a liquid contaminant inside the sanitary material and hold the liquid contaminant without leaching. 
     
     
         7 . The apparatus of  claim 6 , wherein the number is at least one million, and wherein each of the cells has a diameter within a range from 0 to 1000 micrometers. 
     
     
         8 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the sanitary material comprises wooden fiber and cotton. 
     
     
         9 . The apparatus of  claim 8 , wherein the ratio of the wooden fiber and the cotton is about 70% to 30% in weight, respectively. 
     
     
         10 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the cleaning pad has an approximate size of 4″×5.75″×0.25″. 
     
     
         11 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the cleaning pad is configured to be impregnated with a disinfectant solution for sanitizing contaminated areas. 
     
     
         12 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the cleaning pad, together with the head and the handle, is disposable. 
     
     
         13 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the head comprises a cardboard box for containing the cleaning pad, so that the cleaning pad is movable together with the head. 
     
     
         14 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the cleaning pad and the handle are coupled to opposite sides of the head. 
     
     
         15 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the head comprises a joint configured to connect the head to the handle and enable the handle to be rotatable to the head. 
     
     
         16 . The apparatus of  claim 15 , wherein the joint is a hinge, the hinge being formed by cutting out two flaps of the head on one side of the head, folding the two flaps up and putting a hole through the two flaps. 
     
     
         17 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , further comprises a handle cap on a top of the handle so that a user operates the apparatus comfortably. 
     
     
         18 . The apparatus of  claim 1 , wherein the length of the handle is configured to be long enough to keep a user of the apparatus in a safe distance during cleaning a liquid contaminant from a surface. 
     
     
         19 . The apparatus of  claim 18 , wherein the handle comprises a plurality of handle portions, wherein each of the handle portions are coupled to one another in sequence so that a total length of the handle portions are substantially identical to the length of the handle, and wherein a first handle portion of the plurality of handle portions is coupled to the head on the front end of the handle. 
     
     
         20 . The apparatus of  claim 19 , wherein the first handle portion is disposable and the other handle portions are reusable. 
     
     
         21 . A method for managing a liquid contaminant on a surface, comprising:
 operating a cleaning apparatus to remove the liquid contaminant from the surface, wherein the cleaning apparatus comprises:
 a first cleaning pad comprising a first sanitary material, the first cleaning pad being configured to absorb a particular volume of the liquid contaminant; 
 a first head coupled to the first cleaning pad, the first head movable together with the first cleaning pad; and 
 a first handle coupled to the first head on a first front end of the first handle, a first back end of the first handle being separated away from the first head by a first distance substantially identical to a length of the first handle; and 
   after removing the liquid contaminant from the surface, operating a sanitizing apparatus to sanitize contaminated areas of the surface, wherein the sanitizing apparatus comprises:
 a second cleaning pad comprising a second sanitary material; 
 a second head coupled to the second cleaning pad, the second head movable together with the second cleaning pad; and 
 a second handle coupled to the second head on a second front end of the second handle, a second back end of the second handle being separated away from the second head by a second distance substantially identical to a length of the second handle. 
   
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein operating a cleaning apparatus to remove the liquid contaminant from the surface comprises applying the cleaning apparatus against the surface so that the first cleaning pad is in contact with the liquid contaminant to absorb the liquid contaminant and hold the liquid contaminant in the first cleaning pad without leaching. 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein operating a sanitizing apparatus to sanitize contaminated areas of the surface comprises:
 spraying a disinfectant solution on the contaminated areas;   keeping the disinfectant solution on the contaminated areas for a specific time; and   applying the sanitizing apparatus against the surface so that the second cleaning pad is in contact with the disinfectant solution to absorb the disinfectant solution and hold the disinfectant solution in the second cleaning pad.   
     
     
         24 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the second cleaning pad is impregnated with a disinfectant solution, and wherein operating a sanitizing apparatus to sanitize contaminated areas of the surface comprises moving the sanitizing apparatus against the surface back and forth so that the second cleaning pad is able to sanitize the contaminated areas. 
     
     
         25 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising:
 after removing the liquid contaminant from the surface, disposing the first handle, together with the first head and the first cleaning pad, in a first labeled waste bag; and   after sanitizing the contaminated areas of the surface, disposing the second handle, together with the second head and the second cleaning pad, in a second labeled waste bag.   
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising: before operating a cleaning apparatus to remove the liquid contaminant from the surface, putting on protective equipment. 
     
     
         27 . The method of  claim 26 , wherein the protective equipment includes one or more of gloves, face shield, mask, eye cover, apron and shoe covers. 
     
     
         28 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein, after operating a sanitizing apparatus to sanitize contaminated areas of the surface, washing the surface with detergent and fresh water. 
     
     
         29 . The method of  claim 21 , wherein the second sanitary material has substantially identical properties to those of the first sanitary material. 
     
     
         30 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising:
 after operating the cleaning apparatus to remove the liquid contaminant from the surface, determining that there is liquid contaminant residue on the surface;   operating a second cleaning apparatus to remove the liquid contaminant residue from the surface, wherein the second cleaning apparatus comprises:
 a third cleaning pad comprising a third sanitary material, the third sanitary material having substantially identical properties to those of the first sanitary material; 
 a third head coupled to the third cleaning pad, the third head movable together with the third cleaning pad; and 
 a third handle coupled to the third head on a third front end of the third handle, a third back end of the third handle being separated away from the third head by a third distance substantially identical to a length of the third handle. 
   
     
     
         31 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising: before operating a cleaning apparatus to remove the liquid contaminant from the surface, assembling the cleaning apparatus comprising:
 coupling the first cleaning pad to the first head so that the first cleaning pad is movable together with the first head; and   connecting the first handle to the first head so that the first handle is able to operate the first head.   
     
     
         32 . The method of  claim 21 , further comprising: before operating a sanitizing apparatus to sanitize contaminated areas of the surface, assembling the sanitizing apparatus comprising:
 coupling the second cleaning pad to the second head so that the second cleaning pad is movable together with the second head; and   connecting the second handle to the second head so that the second handle is able to operate the second head.