3rd Jan 2023
Are you prepared for winter weather?
It’s often overlooked how tough the winter weather can be on your floors! Snow, Ice, Mud, Salt, and Sand all get tracked inside on people's boots and shoes. The additional moisture can pose a risk of slip and fall accidents! Additionally, a proper floor care regimen can protect your floors while making routine cleaning easier and more efficient!
A system of Entrance Mats allows significant savings in cleaning and long-term maintenance costs! The Mats are effective at limiting the spread of dirt and moisture in high-traffic entryways. Without Entrance Mats, Floors become dirty, wet, and slippery increasing the risks of slip and fall accidents! A 3-mat system for entrance matting should cover 15-18 feet of the entryway, this will prevent 80-90% of dirt from coming into the facility.
The 3 Mat System is described below:
- 1)Scraper Mat: Scrapes heavy debris
Your first defense against mud, dirt, and snow. Choose matting with a non-absorbent scraping surface or open weave backing to allow moisture to drain naturally
Example: Jasper, Scraper Mat
- 2)Scraper/Wiper Mat: Cleans & absorbs moisture
The workhorse of the system. Designed to remove and contain soil, waste particles, and moisture at the entrance
Example: Oxford Elite, Scraper/Wiper Mat
- 3)Wiper Mat: Absorbs moisture & dries.
Removes remaining moisture, fine fragments, and dust from footwear upon entrance to the interior of the building.
Example: Dust-Star, Wiper Mat
Floor Protection/Cleaning:
Implementing a Plan for Winter Floor Maintenance can alleviate the guesswork from your team when cleaning the floors! Here are the best practices for Winter Floor Maintenance:
- Before Winter Begins: Clean and Re-finish all hard floors before Winter Begins! An early protective finish before winter will protect your floors from stains caused by moisture and salt.
- Increase Floor Cleaning: Moping and Vacuuming frequency should increase during winter! Regular Floor Cleaning will maintain a clean appearance of your facility and protect your floors from long-term damage!
- Tools: Winter increases the frequency of mopping, which means mops need to be replaced more frequently! It's beneficial to keep extra mop heads on hand during winter. Replace your floor cleaning solution frequently to clean your floors more efficiently. A Color-Coded Mop Bucket and Wringer System can help organize the floor maintenance plan.
- Equipment: Specialized Equipment can streamline your winter cleaning routine! We have a full line of battery-operated, wireless cleaning equipment. We recommend the Latitude Cordless Backpack Vacuums with attachments for cleaning both carpets and hard floors.
- Additionally, the 244NX Ultra Compact Automatic Scrubber is a faster more efficient alternative to traditional mopping! The lightweight and easy-to-use scrubber leave the floors clean, dry, and safe while reducing labor costs by 70% and water use by 80%!
Ice Melt tracked into the building can cause damage to floors. Rock Salt leaves white residues that will dull floors and can cause damage over time. The White Streaky Salt residue cannot be removed with your standard neutral floor cleaner. To remove ice melt from the floors, a special solution is required to neutralize the salt leaving streak-free floors!
Winter Rinse Neutralizer is specifically designed to remove winter salt and chemical stains from floors, carpets, and equipment.
