Carpet Care Auckland – Commercial facilities often install carpet to create a comfortable, visually pleasing environment for visitors and occupants. You can choose from numerous types, including plush, bold carpet perfect for an at-home feel in an upscale hotel or modern carpet tiles that make for easy installation and maintenance in large airports. Although carpet can be a more cost-efficient solution compared to hard flooring options, it is a significant investment for most organizations and requires regular maintenance to keep it in great shape.
Carpet in high-traffic facilities can face unique challenges over time. To maintain appearance and avoid costly issues, it’s essential to implement a carpet care program that incorporates the best tools and methods.
Avoid common mistakes
With so many types of carpet care equipment, chemicals, and tools on the market today, it can be overwhelming to understand the benefits and drawbacks of each. Additionally, frequent staff turnover can complicate training, resulting in standard operating procedure lapses that can negatively impact the look and lifespan of carpet.
Consider the following don’ts of carpet care:
Don’t—Perform carpet care infrequently. In some facilities, carpet cleaning is considered an afterthought. It isn’t until a large spot or stain appears that employees take action. However, caring for carpet goes beyond reacting to spills and other problems—it requires daily maintenance and care.
Don’t—Fail to install a proper matting system. Matting is crucial to keeping carpet clean, especially considering that 85% of the soil that enters a facility comes from visitors’ shoes. A comprehensive matting program can help to absorb liquids, such as muddy water and snow slush, and capture the first 5 to 6 footfalls of soil before shoes meet carpet. Many facilities only utilize indoor or outdoor matting, but not both, which can significantly impact floor cleanliness. Additionally, failing to regularly clean or replace matting can make matters worse.
Don’t—Use the wrong vacuum. Routine vacuuming removes 90% of all dry soil. Not all vacuums are suited for the same carpet type and construction, so it’s important to select and regularly use the right vacuum. Using the wrong vacuum could leave large amounts of dirt and other debris in carpet fibers, leading to soiling and difficult-to-remove stains.
Don’t—Frequently use large volumes of water. Some hot water extraction methods require hundreds of gallons of water. If that water isn’t properly removed and quickly dried, it can lead to disastrous results. A study found that traditional hot water extraction can cause a 150% increase in the growth of microbial content, impacting the cleanliness and health of a facility. In addition to causing mildew and dry rot, over-saturating carpet with water during cleaning can also degrade the backing system and unravel seams.
Don’t—Fail to match the type of chemistry to the stain or spot. From wine and coffee to paint and oil, spills happen. Your cleaning approach and chemistry should depend on the type of stain. For example, removing an organic stain caused by urine or vomit requires a chemistry that is specifically formulated to eliminate odour-causing contaminants, whereas oil and grease stains require a formula that is water-based and nonflammable.
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