Thought Leaders: Winter Floor Care Tips
Cold weather usually means people spend more time indoors than ever, so it’s important that your facility remain clean and well maintained to keep the conditions healthy and safe for your employees.
Flooring is one of the most important and expensive assets of a building, and it is important for businesses to protect their investment in floors, which can ultimately impact the perception of a business. When ice melt is applied outside of your facility, the melted residue will be tracked into your building and begin to attack floors, causing excessive wear and damage.
With the first day of winter right around the corner, it is time for facilities to ready their floors for the snow, ice, salt, and sand commonly tracked throughout buildings during cold-weather months.
Protection is more cost effective than restoration, so it’s only smart to take steps to preserve your expensive floors from the hazards of this impending winter. To help facilities protect floors during the harsh winter months, here are some essential tips:
Put extra matting at all entryways: John Engel from Cintas Corp. states that without adequate floor mats, 42% of a floor’s finish can be removed within the first six feet of an entrance after only 1,500 people have entered a facility. Implement a dual-mat system that includes scraper mats outside and carpet mats inside. This will help keep ice melt compounds and moisture from being tracked into other parts of your building.
Wet vacuum your matting on harsh winter days: This will avoid the tracking in salt and moisture. It will also help reduce slips and falls and eliminate foul odors from moisture building up below the matting.
Clean floors frequently & conduct periodic deep cleaning: Increasing the frequency of your mopping and scrubbing on harsh days and regularly moping entryways and other floor surfaces will remove salt lines from ice melt and reduce water accumulation from snow and freezing rain.
Work with an experienced cleaning service provider: Hiring a professional cleaning company will guarantee all the proper steps are taken to help protect a business’s investment in its floor. Total Facility Care will ensure all the above tips- and more- will be put into practice. Our team will ensure the proper precautions will be taken and we will tailor the cleaning specifications to coincide with the changing seasons. By hiring professionals, you will appreciate the cleanliness and safety of your workspace even more.
Floors experience the most wear and tear within a building and are the first asset visitors notice when they walk in. Be diligent about preventing damage from salt, sand, and water. By implementing a comprehensive cleaning program, your floors will come out of winter with less damage, saving you money and hassle in spring remediation.
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