Maintaining a clean floor in the workplace is important. Not only does it help to ensure that your business makes a good first impression on visitors, it also helps to prevent slips, trips, and falls – especially in bad weather. Different floors require different methods of care, and it’s important to recognise this in order to protect the floor as well as polish it.
A lot of dirt on floors can be prevented by simply instating floor mats at the entrance to the building in order to knock dirt and wetness from peoples’ shoes. Outside mats will get rid of moisture and dirt from outside, whereas porch or foyer mats will help to dry off shoes; inside mats provide a final barrier to ensure that dirt isn’t brought inside such as the Adhesive-backed New Pig Grippy® Mats.
Especially in large spaces that are used frequently, like foyers or auditoriums, cleaners or attendants should keep on top of cleaning dirt off the floor as it builds up in order to keep workers safe as they go about their day. Using dust mops as well as wet mops is a good idea, as the microfibre texture is designed to pick up small particles.
Every type of floor should be treated in a different way, as it’s important to protect it as well as clean it and different surfaces have different maintenance requirements. Even floors that have been sealed can be damaged by the wrong cleaning products, so be sure to choose the right ones.
Generally, the floor should be cleaned with the correct cleaning solution on a regular basis, and then thoroughly rinsed. Some floors, such as hardwood floors, would also benefit from being dried to prevent water damage.
Autoscrubbers do this in the most efficient way and are perfect for stone, vinyl, or concrete floors. They combine a cleaning solution with water and use cleaning pads to lift dirt, scrub the floor, and rinse it, all-in-one.
Below are some tips on how to maintain different types of floors:
Although ceramic tiles themselves are easy to clean, it will be the grout around them that shows dirt. Regularly removing debris by using a vacuum cleaner or dry mop will help – and then use a wet mop with Carefree Maintainer or Carefree Eternum to finish.
With concrete floors, regular sweeping, dust mopping and vacuuming is recommended to prevent staining. They can also be deep cleaned, but how you do this will depend on the way the concrete is finished. A mild all-purpose cleaner such as Carefree Maintainer and damp microfibre cloth is generally fine.
Hardwood floors require a lot of maintenance, as they are made from a much softer material. It’s important to wipe spills immediately, and use felt protector pads for furniture. Dust and dirt should be swept daily to prevent scratching. Clean the floor using a microfibre mop and use products such as Carefree Eternum, Carefree Mop & Shine and Carefree Maintainer.
Commercial buildings could have a range of different stone floors: marble, granite and travertine are just a few. Each type of stone should be maintained differently. Marble floor maintenance requires regular deep cleans every 6 months or so, as its porous surface is easily stained. Products such as Carefree Mop & Shine and Carefree Maintainer are ideal for marble or granite flooring.
Especially for smaller floors, wet mops are still the most popular method of floor cleaning. However, this method isn’t without its faults. Often, water isn’t changed as often as it should be, and dirt can be spread around the floor rather than being cleaned away. Dirty mop heads can lead to bad bacteria building up and causing odours or even illness.
Contrary to this, autoscrubbers are a great way to clean larger floor areas. Fast working and cost-effective, they will cover a larger area in a quicker amount of time – saving you money on staffing costs. It is also easy to replace the water or floor pads, and they can be bought in bulk for a good price.
We would always recommend that you seek expert advice for floor type/application before commencing any new work.