Wisconsin weather and heavy foot traffic wreak havoc on commercial floors. Without regular professional floor cleaning and maintenance, commercial floors become unsafe and worn.
Worn and dirty floors are more than just an eye sore. Facility floors with built-up grime can become a safety hazard and cause workplace injuries. Clean floors play a significant role in maintaining the value of a facility and making a positive impression on visitors and employees.
Unfortunately, irregular floor cleaning and improper floor cleaning protocols can damage floors. A regular schedule of professional floor cleanings and proper cleaning protocols is a vital part of facility maintenance.
Place rugs by all doors.
Wisconsin’s weather comes with a variety of elements that are detrimental to floors. Spring and summer rains bring mud that is continually tracked into businesses. Employees and visitors drag in snow, ice, and gravel during the coldest months of the year.
To keep those damaging elements off floors, maintenance personnel should place rugs by all external doors and in areas where personnel frequent after entering. These rugs are an integral part of protecting floors. All rugs should be commercial grade and cleaned frequently.
Regularly sweep and mop.
As the saying says, “the best offense is a good defense.” A regular sweep and vacuum is essential for good floor maintenance. The frequency of sweeping and vacuuming varies among facilities; some companies should allocate personnel for cleaning floors multiple times each day while others can add the task to their list once a day. The right floor cleaning schedule depends on the amount of foot traffic and amount of use a space receives. A regular cleaning schedule should be drafted to ensure that all tasks are completed by employees or a commercial cleaning service promptly.
Spaces with heavy foot traffic should be maintained more often, especially lobbies and employee entrances. If personnel are not available for company floor cleaning, companies should contact local commercial cleaning services about cleaning services (with this list of commercial cleaning company questions).
Schedule floor cleanings during weekends and slow times.
Regular mopping disrupts employee productivity for an extended period of time. Floor stripping and waxing can disrupt company operations. To maintain optimal productivity, companies should schedule commercial floor cleaning services during weekend or during slow periods. For companies with in-house cleaning crews, employees should be scheduled before the doors open in the morning, late in the evening, or overnight.
Make floor cleaning a priority.
Floor cleaning is just one task on a long facility cleaning and maintenance checklist, but it shouldn’t consistently fall to the bottom. Over time, the constant build-up of dirt and grime (especially in an industrial setting) can turn an easy floor cleaning into an intense cleaning that requires extra effort and costs more. A thick layer of grime can also make building floors slippery, causing employee injuries and costing companies a significant amount in workers compensation.
Select floor cleaning products carefully.
Floor cleaning products are not all created equal. Abrasive cleaning supplies and chemicals can injure cleaning personnel, trigger allergy symptoms in employees, and damage company floors. Companies should thoroughly research floor cleaning products for personal protective equipment requirements and directions for use. The last step is to implement safety procedures for cleaning personnel or contact a commercial floor cleaning service that has safe floor cleaners and cleaning protocols.
