Winter Carpet Care

During the winter, facility managers in colder climates often witness a sudden increase in foot traffic as guests try to escape harsh precipitation and brisk temperatures. While this growth is great for business, it doesn’t fare well for carpeting. To maintain buildings during winter months, many facility managers often approach carpet care reactively. However, this can lead to long-term damage that will negatively impact the image of businesses and create maintenance headaches year ’round. To keep carpeting in top condition, facility managers should approach carpet care proactively with a comprehensive carpet care program. A program that deep cleans, protects, and maintains carpeting, can delay high replacement costs, add years to flooring investments, and keep your customers’ supplier of choice for years to come!

Challenges & Opportunities

Before implementing a carpet maintenance program, carpet care professionals should first assess the specific traffic patterns, uses, and needs of the specific facility. By developing a complete understanding of existing challenges to floor maintenance, carpet care programs can efficiently and correctly address any preexisting or future issues. Factors for consideration include:

Traffic patterns. By identifying and assessing peak business times and high-traffic periods, facility managers can determine when to clean carpets to limit business interruption. High periods of foot traffic create an accumulation of dirt and debris in flooring, and will prompt more intensive cleaning methods during downtime to remove buildup. Additionally, by understanding traffic patterns, facility managers can correctly assess carpet equipment and chemical requirements for the program.

For noncarpeted high-traffic areas, consider using carpet matting or replacing hard-floor surfaces with carpet. Carpeted areas are 10 times less likely to host a slip and fall accident, according to the Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI), a point worth special consideration, especially given winter’s slippery conditions.

Occupant and visitor demographics. Carpet care programs are highly dependent on demographics of facility occupants and building uses. For example, educational facilities may require more intensive techniques to prevent students and other facility users from tracking debris into the building and to maintain carpeting.

Increasing deep cleaning frequency and strategic matting placement will minimize the damaging effects of debris children commonly track indoors. Similarly, a food service establishment will require increased matting placement to prevent the spread of oils and debris from the kitchen into carpeted dining areas.

In environments such as hospitals or nursing homes, safety and health should remain a top concern when developing carpet care protocols. Using extraction and steam-cleaning methods to remove bacteria and harmful contaminants from carpeting can keep carpets clean and improve indoor air quality.

Cleaning equipment and personnel. Prior to implementing maintenance programs, create a working inventory of existing supplies. When evaluating current inventory, take note of any established routines and equipment used to maintain carpeting. By understanding current procedures, future plans can accommodate for any shortcomings or deficiencies. Another way to improve on current programs is by speaking with personnel to learn what works well for the facility and what might not be working. Employees can provide opinions on equipment and supplies currently in use so inventory management for new protocols can be planned with precision.

After gaining an understanding of current challenges and opportunities, the next step is to develop a plan for execution.

The New Program

A comprehensive carpet care program can protect initial investments, increase cleanliness, and enhance facility appearance. To properly address all concerns, the following three steps are essential for any carpet program:

Deep Clean. The first step in revitalizing carpeting in any facility is to deep clean all carpeted surfaces in the building. Daily vacuuming reduces debris and particulates in carpeting, but fails to capture and remove all contaminants and stains especially in the hardest hit areas.

Restored carpeting will be free of unsightly stains and subsequent odors that can build up over time in a facility. The right cleaning temperature, agitation, chemicals, time, and extraction method removes all dry particulate soil and residue left behind by more conventional cleaning methods. Deep cleaning methods that use high-pressure steam can effectively minimize bacteria and sanitize carpeting. Restorative cleaning should also be combined with a stain repellant, to reduce the implications of future foot traffic and potential damage to carpet fibers.

Protect. Once carpeting is restored, matting provides a comprehensive way to reduce staining and increase cleanliness by capturing dirt and water before it enters the facility. Strategically place mats throughout the facility to quickly capture dirt and water. In addition to cleanliness, matting also works to prevent slip and fall accidents. Assess mat placement by identifying the floor zones where mats are most beneficial; entrance, productivity, high-traffic, areas as well as those with a high-risk for accidents.

After determining the proper zones, choose matting that is appropriate for each area. Entrance matting works as the first line of defense against the spread of water, dirt, and contaminants throughout the facility. Combining scraper and carpet matting will effectively remove initial debris from shoes and capture any residual moisture and contaminants prior to entrance. Interior matting provides a final line of defense by quickly capturing contaminants and liquids from employee and guest shoes. Additionally, place matting in productivity areas to prevent against spills that commonly occur in these areas. Matting also works to prevent against wear and tear of carpeting and other flooring surfaces in high traffic areas. Strategic placement of matting will prevent carpeting deterioration and provide added protection against slips and falls.

While matting placement and type is key to increasing cleanliness, do not forget mat maintenance. Ensure that matting is always properly laundered and replaced on a continual basis. Often, heavily soiled matting can transfer captured contaminants to shoes causing an inkpad effect, which spreads debris and water around the facility. Partner with a matting service provider to ensure matting stays effective in reducing contaminants and preserving achieved cleanliness.

Maintain. Daily carpet maintenance is vital to maintain cleanliness. Develop a daily maintenance schedule to ensure that floors are cleaned before and after peak business times to reduce risk of staining and discoloration. A spot-cleaning program can help address spills that occur through the day and limit residual impact on the floors. Boost cleaning efficacy by using “best in-class” equipment and cleaning tools. Industrial-strength vacuums work to quickly remove soil and debris from multiple carpeting types. To simplify daily protocols and boost efficiency, consider tools such as carpet sweepers. Since carpet sweepers are lightweight and cordless, they can be easily used throughout the facility to quickly remove debris and maintain carpeting in between deep cleanings. Keep in mind that daily vacuuming or sweeping by itself might not be enough to maintain carpeting in facilities with frequent traffic. Consider using more intensive techniques, such as agitation and steam methods, to boost effectiveness of daily protocols.

Education is key to keeping floors clean, so offer employees ongoing training so they know proper carpet cleaning techniques. Reinforce cleaning frequencies with checklists to streamline cleaning schedules. A comprehensive carpet care program will effectively protect flooring investments, boost image, and increase safety. Urge your customers to take a proactive approach to ease the burden of floor maintenance and allow themselves time to focus on other important needs of the facility.