| Carpet Cleaning
Most carpet care products are relatively safe to use, and have only a small impact on the environment. However, some of these products do contain toxic chemicals that are harmful both to the janitor who uses them and to people who occupy the building. It is best to select the mildest products you can find that work effectively.
Also, carpets that are cleaned less often require more and stronger chemicals that do carpets that are regularly maintained. It is a good strategy to set up a maintenance program that takes care of carpet needs throughout their useful life. Using the wrong products or excess amounts of chemicals can easily damage carpets.
Therefore, a successful maintenance program will feature the products suited to the work, and will thoroughly train janitors in proper cleaning methods. Use mild productsfor regular daily cleaning. Use stronger products only for weekly deep cleaning. Avoid ingredients that are poisonous or that harm the environment. Wear protective gloves and goggles when or using any cleaning products. A successful carpet care program begins before installation, and then continues with routine vacuuming, maintenance cleaning, and periodic restoration efforts.
Carpet Design & Installation
Carpets are both functional and visually appealing. However, the wrong kind of carpet, or one that is poorly installed will require extra maintenance. Generally you should match the carpet type, texture, and underlayment to its working environment. It is also important to keep carpets away from situations where water, chemicals, or other hard-to-clean materials are used. For example, locker rooms, kitchens, and copy centers are not good places to install carpet. In addition, it s essential to consider how nearby, non-carpeted floors or walls will be cleaned. Chemicals used for that kind of maintenance can easily spill over and damage carpets.
Dust Prevention Preventing soil from entering a building in the first place means carpet cleaning can be less frequent, thereby reducing the amounts of chemicals used. Large, frequently cleaned walk-on mats should be placed at each high-traffic building entrance. These mats should be large enough to capture several footsteps. Experiment with different sizes and textures to see what works best at each doorway. Every few days these mats will become full of soil. Therefore, it s important to vacuum all doorway mats frequently so that they will continue to capture soil before it is carried into the building. Some modern buildings are totally enclosed. If possible, the heating, ventilating, and air conditioning system in such a building should be operated so that the air pressure just inside each doorway is higher than that of the natural air outdoors. Doing so will push airborne dust back outside. |