The condition of your floors can set the tone for the appearance of your entire facility. Well-maintained flooring can create a positive first impression for your visitors as well as provide a healthier environment for your occupants. On the other hand, dirty or worn flooring can create a negative impression while also exposing occupants and visitors to a variety of germs and allergens.
BSC's with experience in providing floor care services often report a common list of floor care mistakes made by internal cleaning operations. The most common mistakes include the following:
Cleaning Too Infrequently
If your floors are visibly dirty, then you have waited too long to clean them. One of the biggest floor care mistakes is not realizing that proper floor maintenance requires persistence and diligence. Depending on the specific circumstances of your facility (occupancy levels, foot traffic, flooring type, outside environment, etc.) your flooring may need to be cleaned on a daily basis. Frequent cleaning can make floor maintenance easier as you are removing dirt and debris before it can become embedded within your flooring surfaces.
Using the Wrong Products - a Common Floor Care Mistake
Too often, an otherwise robust floor maintenance program can be thwarted by not using the right products for the job. Carpet, tile, wood, and concrete all require specific types of cleaning agents. There is no magic chemical that is suitable for all flooring surfaces. Your choice of product will also depend on the type of cleaning you will be doing. Surface cleaning, deep cleaning, disinfection, and deodorizing all require different types of cleaning products.
Allowing Spills to Sit
Spills are unavoidable. Employees, students, and visitors will contribute to the daily abuse of your flooring. The majority of these spills will occur in-between your scheduled cleaning. Allowing those spills to sit---and harden--- not only makes the cleaning process more difficult but, depending on what was spilled, can create lasting damage to the flooring. Make sure to clean those spills as soon as they are detected. Keep your supply closet stocked with microfiber cloths and spot removers so that those spills can be quickly treated.
Poor Equipment Maintenance
Your floor maintenance will only be as good as the condition of your tools and equipment. Mopping a floor with a dirty and/or worn mop will not get the job done. A common floor care mistake is to pay too little attention to maintenance of vacuum cleaners. Vacuuming with a dirty or defective vacuum can do more harm than good. Keeping your vacuum cleaners in top form will also help improve the air quality inside your facility.
Insufficient Training
Don't overlook the importance of training. Make sure that your cleaning staff is properly trained and that you have a process in place for periodic review and corrective action. Stay abreast of new developments in floor care technology and implement those that are suitable for your operation.
Avoiding these common floor care mistakes will help ensure that your floors are consistently clean, attractive, and healthy.