Maintenance Matters – Keeping Your Floors Clean
Clean floors aren’t just about a good appearance. Keeping any kind of flooring product maintained is an essential part of safety, functionality, and prolonging the life of a floor. Depending on the type of floor covering material, there are several reasons to have a maintenance plan and schedule in place. Some floor material is designed to resist wear, but even the most durable products can wear down quickly without proper maintenance.
Plenty of dirt and debris get tracked onto floors every time people or objects move across them. Over time, even small amounts of dirt and debris can scratch or damage surfaces. It is important to know the manufacturer’s recommendation for how to clean the exact product on the floor and to use the correct types of cleaner. Routine flooring care can:
- Save money. A regular maintenance plan will extend the lifespan of the floor and go a long way in protecting your flooring investment.
- Prevent accidents. Any floor that has slippery or sticky substances can collect over time and may lead to slips or falls.
- Maintain appearance. Clean floors reflect the professionalism of your facility and programs.
- Keep spaces sanitary. Thorough cleaning minimizes germs and bacteria, which is crucial in healthcare, gyms, sport facilities, and school settings.
Daily Flooring Maintenance
Based on the specific type of flooring and accessibility, it will be helpful to:
- Sweep or dust mop hard surface flooring like hardwood, tile, and LVT.
- Sweep or vacuum rubber tile or sheet rubber flooring.
- Vacuum carpet or carpet tile in high-traffic areas.
- Spot-clean spills on any surface as quickly as possible.
Weekly maintenance should include damp mopping hard surface flooring and monthly maintenance should include more deep cleaning methods. Each quarter, consider deep cleaning grout using a tile floor scrubber, and have any type of carpets professionally cleaned using a machine. For more details, Continental has put together a comprehensive Flooring Maintenance Guide for the products listed below.
- Carpet (broadloom & tile)
- Luxury Vinyl Tile & Plank
- Vinyl Composition Tile
- Ceramic & Porcelain Tile
- Rubber Sheet & Tile
Please reference and print this guide for detailed maintenance instructions and recommendations.
Consider Entrance Mats
Dry soil is the main culprit of dirty floors. This soil can range from large particles to powder-like dust, but an entrance mat can stop as much as 85-95% of dirt that is tracked inside. Keep in mind that a single square yard of carpet can gather as much as a pound of dust and dirt in a week, and it’s worse in bad weather.
Between 70-80% of all moisture, dirt and debris are brought into a facility on the bottom of shoes. Most of the dirt and debris are deposited within the first 15-18 feet from the door. Having an entrance mat or a mat system in place for the initial span of foot traffic can reduce the need for cleaning and save on maintenance costs of the floor. This key 15-18-foot distance allows each foot to contact the mat 3 times in step, thus providing an adequate ability to scrape and trap dirt while reducing the moisture at the entrance. It has been recommended that a single 15-18-foot mat can adequately protect the floor, but a true high-performance “matting system” can more thoroughly protect the entrance.
Clean and maintained floors will have a long-term positive impact on any facility. Let Continental help you keep your floor covering at its very best. Though maintenance goes beyond cosmetic appearance, a beautiful floor will make a lasting impression.
Please feel free to contact us for product advice, free samples, assistance in specifications, or to place an order. We welcome contract purchases, formal bids, RFQs or Open Market requirements. One call will do it all!
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Continental Flooring has been servicing government agencies since 1979 and continues to be a top flooring and ceiling provider in the public sector.
