Taking the right steps to maintain your commercial carpet can enhance a building’s appearance, extend the life of your carpet, improve customer experience and boost indoor air quality. At Claria, our customers often ask us what they can do to protect their commercial carpets and below, we’ve listed 5 of the most common mistakes we see when it comes to cleaning and maintaining commercial carpets.
- Not Vacuuming Enough – Heavy traffic areas should be vacuumed daily, while light to moderate traffic areas require vacuuming at least every 2 to 3 days. Vacuuming removes a large amount of dry soil, helping to maintain the carpet’s integrity and maintain its appearance.
- Failing to Use Indoor and Outdoor Mats – Many times, mats are either not used at all or they are not large enough or long enough to contain the soil coming in from outside. Outside mats should be made of coarse texture so that soil is brushed from shoes and inside mats should be water absorbent and extend 6 to 16 feet inside the entrance.
- Failing to Clean Mats Frequently – In addition to having mats, it’s critical that both outside and inside mats be cleaned regularly – typically more frequently than the interior carpets.
- Treating Spills and Stains Incorrectly – Spills and stains need to be treated immediately and correct treatment depends on the type of spill. Having a “Spot and Spill” chart close at hand can help building occupants know how to best treat any type of stain. It’s also important to be sure that any maintenance plan include a way to address ongoing spot and spill issues.
- Going Too Long Between Deep or Restorative Cleanings – Most commercial carpet needs to be cleaned every 3 to 6 months by a professional company using Carpet and Rug Institute approved equipment.