Keeping Office Carpeting Clean
The more dirt and contaminants you can keep outside and off of your carpeting, the less time you will spend getting rid of it. And stopping it from damaging the carpet it lands on. You'll also prevent it from spreading through your building. Have you ever wondered how ice melt pellets made it to the 3rd floor restroom?
Prevention & Strategy
Keeping dirt outside starts with keeping the area around your entryways as clean as possible
Even in the best of weather, dirt will find its way through your front door. The combination of dry leaves, lawn clippings, and even wind-blown trash can create a mess. It all gets much worse when it is wet. And much much worse when it is cold enough to require salt or ice melt chemicals.
Step one is keeping pathways and the areas leading to the entry as clean as possible. Sweeping or blowing them clean should be part of the building cleaning routine. If leaves and lawn trimmings are an issue, remove as necessary. As winter conditions approach, the effort will have to increase.
Invest in mats, both inside and outside the building. Removable mats are meant to do the hard work — catching large amounts of heavy debris, ice, snow, and salt before it gets to your door. But, you can’t expect them to be perfect. Additional mats inside the door are essential to keep control of the tracked in dirt. Choose mats that are as long as possible in context with your space. Remember that rolling up and changing a mat is more economical than having your good carpeting take the punishment of a high-traffic entryway.
Cleaning & Maintenance
Vacuuming – Set a schedule for vacuuming. Your focus should be at the point of entry and fan out from there. Vacuum more often than you think is necessary. Picking up dirt before it is ground in or tracked around makes the process go so much more easily. This is especially true when dealing with salt or ice melt. Use a commercial grade vacuum so that these harmful particles are pulled out of the carpet before they damage the fibers. This will also prevent foot traffic from stirring up this dirt and sending it back into the air.
Keep mats clean. Change ofter. Once your mat is covered with debris, the dirt will start to spread.
Include regularly scheduled spot cleaning in your cleaning and maintenance program. Candy, gum, and other food related items are big culprits. Salt and ice melt can leave stains as well.
Adjust your strategy to the needs of your building. Pay attention to how the traffic flows in your building. You may notice that the areas outside your elevators tend to gather dust and dirt. If you have uncarpeted stairways, you may find they need extra attention. These may seem like minor details, until you let them go for too long. We recommend staying vigilant, keeping notes, and making a list to share with your cleaning staff.
Professional Deep Cleaning
There comes a time in the life of every carpet when deep cleaning is required. This is usually time to call in a professional service. The equipment used by professionals is made to thoroughly clean large areas of carpeting. The added power of a professional machine is essential throughout the process. After a spray-on pre-treatment, hot water is used to penetrate deeply into the fibers of your carpeting. The liquid is then removed by strong suction, pulling out dirt and grit from the carpet. It is important to get as much water out as possible, ensuring the carpet will dry quickly. This gets you back on your carpet quickly and also prevents the formation of any mold or mildew. Professional services will usually employ floor fans to accelerate drying.
NLC Solutions has been caring for our clients’ carpeting since 1986, providing regular vacuuming and spot cleaning as part of our cleaning services and also using hot water extraction cleaning for deep cleaning. If you are ready to enjoy clean fresh carpeting every day, give us a call. We’d be happy to provide an estimate for full service cleaning or carpet/hard floor cleaning and restoration projects. (908) 753-3900