Prevent Soil Entry with Matting

I JUST cleaned that floor! How can it possibly be dirty already???

Undeniably, cleaning floors and carpet is one of the most constant and time-consuming maintenance jobs in a building. It’s natural — after all, our buildings are meant for people, and people bring outside dirt in with them.

According to the Cleanfax Online article “The Dirt on Carpet,” ISSA studies show that in a 20 day span, 1000 people can bring 24 pounds of soil into a building.

The article quotes Richard “Bo” Bodo, director of training for Windsor, who says, “A separate study says that it costs $700 per pound to locate, identify, contain, remove and properly dispose of soil once it is inside the facility.”

That may sound like a high estimate, but when you consider the cost of time, labor, and equipment — not to mention the wear on both hard floors and carpets, which need to be resurfaced or replaced — the costs really do add up.

Cleanfax recommends a simple two-mat system for reducing the amount of soils that come into your building.

• An exterior mat to prevent the bulk of soils from coming in the door
• An interior walk-off mat to capture remaining soils near the entry and prevent them from being spread to the rest of the building

The interior mat should be at least 12 – 18 feet long, though some experts recommend up to 30 feet. Once you’ve installed the mats, focus particular attention on keeping them clean so that they continue to serve their purpose.

Mats are inexpensive and a simple way to cut down on one of your biggest cleaning headaches!

[cta]What is your biggest cleaning or maintenance challenge? Let the experts at BRAVO! provide you with a free cost analysis and help you get the most out of your facility’s cleaning and maintenance budget. Contact the experts at BRAVO! Group Services on our website, by email at news@bravobuildingservices.com, or by phone:

Corporate Office (Green Brook, NJ): 732-465-0707
Control Temp HVAC & Mechanical: (Green Brook, NJ): 732-442-5001
Regional Office (Virginia/Washington, D.C.): 703-534-0211
Regional Office (Delaware): 302-322-5959
Regional Office (Arkansas): 405-589-7038
Toll Free: 866-OH-BRAVO[/cta]