The facility manager survey showed about 64 percent of respondents complet-ed restorative and deep cleaning carpet tasks using staff while approximately 30 percent outsourced the responsibility. Over 76 percent of facility managers who replied are responsible for buying carpet care equipment and chemicals, and car-peting came in as the second most prob-lematic area or surface for facility managers who responded. These responses all underline the massive importance of regular, effective carpet care in both sections of the JanSan market. Facility mangers and BSCs need a care system and equipment that can successfully address three of the main carpet care con-cerns: ● Reducing costs ● Increasing carpet life ● Maintaining an appearance level. One four-step carpet care system may benefit both facility managers and con-tractors when it comes to addressing these common challenges. Step 1: Preventative Care There is little doubt that the first step, pre-vention, is key. If dirt and debris can be left outside a facil-ity or contained at building entrances, many higher-level carpet care issues can be less-ened or avoided. Here, two important steps for maintain-ing carpet appearance are proper matting selection and dry soil removal via vacu-uming. According to Scott Warrington, director of technical support for Interlink Supply/ Bridgepoint Systems, 80 percent of the soil in the typical office building has been tracked in from outside. Starting outside, cleaning workers should keep areas like sidewalks and parking lots clean to assist in prevention. Inside, having the proper length entrance matting can help stop dirt from getting into carpet to begin with, Warrington says. Many facilities call on a 3-foot by 5-foot mat, but with this length, most people only take one step before they are off the mat. Warrington states that this is not enough to remove soil from shoes. Instead, 15 or 20 feet of matting forces visitors or occupants to take several steps on a mat. Even if a person does not stop to wipe off his or her feet — which most people do not — a lot of the tracked-in soil can still be caught by proper matting. Another important consideration in the prevention area is regular dry soil removal via vacuuming. Soil abrasion dulls carpet fibers, so the frequent removal of dry soil is a key factor in keeping a carpet looking new. Dry soil removal is more effective today due to updated vacuuming technology. URINE HAS TO GO. Urine is one of the toughest stains to clean and odors to remove, especially on porous grout. When uric acid crystals are left behind, moisture will reactivate them and the smell will return. Clorox® Urine Remover elimi-nates odor-causing uric acid crystals and stains. You can breathe easier. Image courtesy of travellinglight/iStock/Thinkstock Find more restroom solutions at Cloroxprofessional.com SMART and TOUGH © 2013 Clorox Professional Products Company. NI-20377 Spot removal can be a general responsibility of cleaning staff, or it can be a specialized task assigned to one individual. FREE INFO: Reader Service 206 or CMMOnline.com/freeinfo www.CMMOnline.com 19
CMM – Archives June 2014: 19
