Foundations of Green Cleaning: Effective Entrance Matting

Do you know one grain of sand has 32 cutting edges? The abrasive soils people track indoors with their shoes grind away floor finishing, degrading it quickly and leaving floors looking permanently dirty and worn. An entrance matting system can greatly reduce floor damage by removing dirt from footwear, stopping it as it enters the building. A proper matting system, designed specifically for your building, is an essential part of a Green Cleaning program. Preventing grit from entering in the first place protects hard and soft surfaces and reduces the resources needed to make your floors gleam.

Fall and winter bring extra debris indoors, with falling leaves and salt on slushy sidewalks. A proper matting system will greatly reduce what gets tracked into your building. We have some guidelines for picking an efficient and effective entrance matting program:

• Start with an outside mat made from recycled rubber, known as a “Scraper Mat”.
• Next should be a “Scraper/Dryer” mat manufactured with P.E.T., i.e.: reclaimed plastic drink bottles. These must employ a permanent bi-level, multidirectional type construction.
• Finally, a finishing or drying mat is used to remove fine debris and moisture from shoes. This mat face fiber should also be made from P.E.T., if possible.

ENTRANCE MATTING MAINTENANCE

Once your matting is installed, some maintenance is required to ensure it works optimally.

• Exterior/Outdoor matting must be cleaned free of debris on a weekly basis.
• Vacuum matting daily with CRI certified vacuums, either upright or backpack.
• Maintain both the face and backing of the matting to ensure proper wear and performance.
• Inspect all matting for tears, cuts and or/any other damage to avoid any safety issues.
• Routinely remove soil and debris by using pile lifting units on a regular basis, via approved chemical methods and according to manufacturer’s recommendations.

A professional Green Cleaning program starts before an individual ever sets foot in a facility and continues effortlessly from a guest entering your building until they leave. FBG Service Corporation is committed to Green Cleaning, and we can help you start your program today. Call 1-800-777-8326 to get started.