Any Columbus, OH native knows that winter seems to hit the worst between January and February. While these past few weeks have graced us with sunshine and above-average temperatures, facility managers and building supervisors should start laying the groundwork to prepare storefronts and high traffic areas for the excess salt, snow, and mud that’s soon to come. Taking proactive steps now can preserve the integrity of both hard surfaces and carpeting through the cold months.
In this article, our commercial flooring professionals shed light on the best practices to keep your investment looking as good as new all year long.
Keep Salt At Bay
Ice melt can seem like a godsend for your facility’s sidewalks, parking lots, and outdoor areas as a whole. On the other hand, this essential winter resource can wreak havoc on your interior commercial flooring if left unchecked. While it’s inevitable that salt will make its way into your business, there are ways to protect your hardwood, tile, and carpet from winter’s necessary evil.
Winter Floor Maintenance Best Practices For Your Facility
It goes without saying: Ohio is prone to unpredictable winter weather. The good thing is, businesses like yours have many options to protect their commercial flooring from the otherwise damaging salt and water that employees and clients track in. The priority is keeping your floors free from these elements, so make sure to review these maintenance practices with your facility manager or person in charge of routine maintenance.
Consider Walk-Off Carpet Tiles
In our 23+ years of commercial flooring experience, we’ve seen major success when facilities have permanently installed walk-off carpet tiles at entry points. These tiles are made with “scrubber” yarns that help remove dirt and debris from the bottom of shoes and they trap moisture. Because they are permanently installed, they do not shift and buckle like floor mats so they are not a trip, fall hazard.
Here’s the thing, while placing removable mats around your entryways may seem like a seasonal solution, it could actually void your product warranty. Be sure to review your warranty and maintenance instructions before utilizing rubber floor mats. In addition to being a trip hazard, rubber mats may cause staining and fade to existing floors.
Clean Your Commercial Floors Routinely
It may seem obvious, but cleaning your commercial flooring regularly can help reduce the seasonal wear and tear that leaves your floors looking dirty.
Carpet Winter Maintenance Tips
Commercial carpet is ideal to help control temperature and noise levels throughout any building. Keep your investment looking as good as new with these winter tips:
- Vacuum regularly. High traffic areas like front desks, lobbies, hospitality environments, and hallways need extra love.
- Keep outdoor areas clean. Ice melt and salt can be difficult to clean out of carpet, so schedule your crew to hit entryways often to make sure excess salt isn’t piling up by doors, steps, parking lots, smoking areas, etc.
- Take advantage of specialized flooring maintenance services. Commercial flooring maintenance providers are expertly trained in a variety of methods and processes. There is not a one-size-fits-all solution when it comes to caring for your floors. It is crucial to work with an experienced, well-trained provider.
Hard Surface Flooring Winter Maintenance Tips
Maintaining hard surface floors (like vinyl and hardwood) requires special care in the winter months. Knowing what daily solutions to incorporate into your cleaning arsenal versus which to avoid will be a lifesaver as your crew buckles down.
The Best Commercial Cleaning Products For Hard Surface Floors:
Before starting any new cleaning regimen, be sure to check the flooring manufacturer’s maintenance guide for the products the manufacturer recommends. Using the wrong cleaning solution could damage your floors and void your warranty.
Once you have the cleaning products and/or solutions on hand, equip your facility with the right floor cleaning tools like surface-friendly brooms, mops, and so on. The carpet tips mentioned above, like vacuuming and keeping outdoor areas clean, also benefit your hard surface floors.
The idea here is to be proactive, not reactive. Commercial flooring is an investment and should be treated as such! Remain mindful of your winter maintenance protocol and stay ahead of weather alerts to prepare your business for whatever Mother Nature has in store.
When In Doubt, Look To Your Local Commercial Flooring Provider
No matter if your floors are bright and new or have seen their fair share of foot traffic over the years, our commercial flooring professionals are on standby to assist in getting you the quality maintenance services you deserve. Our customers enjoy a partnership that benefits their business long after the final walkthrough. We work hand and hand with several quality maintenance providers and can assist you in finding the right fit for your business.
Contact us today and share your facility’s unique setup and what problems you’re facing.
