CM/Spotlight: Floor Care The specialty tools are very effective for cleaning grouted or uneven floors such as concrete, ceramic or porcelain tile, and in locations where large amounts of water will cause damage or problems. Robotic autoscrubbers and vacuums are available that free up the operator for more demanding tasks and often require less than 30 minutes of human intervention per shift. The machines are best suited for areas that are eight to 26 feet wide with well-defined walls. In addition, a systems approach is required. An effective floor care program must include processes that deal with preven-tion, initial, daily or routine and periodic maintenance as well as restoration. Entry matting, along with regular mainte-nance of high-traffic, high-soil areas, are critical aspects of capturing and removing soil before it gets tracked throughout a facility where it can damage surfaces and become time-consuming and expensive to remove. Look for low maintenance. New flooring materials require regular dust and grit removal and scrubbing to remove topical soil, but stripping, burnishing and recoating are fast becoming processes from the past. Training And Certification Todayʼs cleaning standards and a competi-tive marketplace require that workers receive training in the latest and most effi-cient and effective techniques for floor care. The Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification (IICRC) has taken the lead in writing standards and providing industry-wide certification programs for cleaning professionals. For more information on Floor Care Technician (FCT), Stone Marble and Tile Technician (SMT) and other certification courses and standards, visit www.iicrc.org. Science is also coming into play. Itʼs no longer good enough to say you cleaned a surface. Testing processes and equipment from other industries is now being used to meas-ure and validate cleaning effectiveness. Particle counters, gloss and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) meters, film thickness gauges, resistance meters, microscopes and other testing, inspection and measure-ment equipment, protocols and standards are working their way into contracts and specifications for custodial departments and buildings around the world. For more information, visit Integrated Cleaning Measurement (ICM) at www.ieha.org. Industry Standards Becoming The Norm If you do cleaning work in any type of facil-ity, there is a written industry standard that deals with the work you do, and if there isnʼt one today, there will be one in the future. Green Seal, the International Sanitary Supply Association (ISSA), the Carpet and Circle Product Information no. 205 on page 34 22 CM/Cleaning & Maintenance Management ® • April 2009
CMM – Archives Apr 2009: 22
