Regular Floor Cleaning For Your Business – Why It Matters
What’s the first thing that clients see when they walk into your business premises? From the curb appeal to the front office desk, the state of the floor and surrounding surfaces – their condition will affect how they view your business. When there is dirt and grime all over, stains riddling the different surfaces, and worn-out flooring, it portrays the business in a negative light. Even having state-of-the-art electronics, new classy furniture in the reception and sparkling windows and indoor plants strategically positioned – yet the floor itself is in a sorry state, it waters down the efforts you will have made in sprucing up the environment. Having the floor cleaning done regularly is a key part of the day-to-day business operations. Here, we will go over why this is critical.
- The all-important “Image”
With 14% of consumers saying that they will no longer visit stores that aren’t clean, and 29% saying that they would only continue visiting these establishments if it was absolutely necessary – this is not a fate that you would want for your business. Clients being welcomed by soiled and streaked floors causes them to question the professionalism of the business, and be wary about enquiring about your products or services. For new clients, this is an instant turn-off, and you risk losing them entirely to your competition. As they say, you don’t get two chances at a first impression – so make it count. Having a thorough floor cleaning carried out, and also catering to the surrounding areas – from the walks to the desks and washrooms, will enable the clients coming over to be comfortable in the space, and gain more confidence in your business.
- Safety of the workplace
Dirty floors are a threat in multiple ways. From fall hazards caused by slippery grime on the surface, to allergic reactions when the fine particulate matter is kicked up into the air and inhaled – these affect the employees and customers on the premises. With a higher concentration of pollutants, and pathogens, the soiled floors create an unhealthy environment. More employees keep falling sick – which negatively hits your business. Did you know that sick days cost businesses over $225 billion annually? Maintaining a healthy workspace is key to reducing this, and part of this entails having a proper floor cleaning program in place.
- Employee morale
The state of the workplace has a direct impact on the employees’ productivity. This is two-fold, first due to the impact on their health, and second due to how they feel about the level of care that the management is placing in their work environment. Remember that, given all the hours that the employees stay at the business, it is like their second home. They want to feel comfortable and cared for, not neglected. With a routine floor cleaning program that ensures that the staff are surrounded by safe and sparkling workspaces, they will be more motivated to achieve their target, with some even going the extra mile.
Keeping Your Commercial Floors Clean
Different measures are required to keep the floors in your business premises clean. First definitely is the frequent vacuuming and mopping. The frequency here will depend on the level of traffic handled in the facility. Note that the kind of equipment and agents used here needs to be compatible with the particular kind of floor. This is to avoid cases of scratches, etching, or dulling of the finishes that have been applied on the surface. The methods used on ceramic tiles, concrete floors, linoleum, vinyl and hardwood installations – they all vary from one to the next.
While the frequent mopping is important, you also need an occasional deep clean. Here, tougher processes are used to deal with the stubborn grime that has built up over time, and the stains that defy conventional measures. For such tasks, it is recommended that you hire commercial floor cleaning processions, who have the equipment and experience needed to handle the different kinds of situations. What’s more, they have access to a wider range of agents that are not readily available over-the-counter. They also put in place the required safety measures to protect the employees and customers in the building while the floor cleaning is being carried out – from crowd control around the heavy duty equipment being handled, to setting up warning signs to avoid risks of slip and fall accidents. Moreover, drying systems that are incorporated in the process enable the bulk of the moisture to be removed from the surface, for the floor to dry faster and for normalcy to be restored in the premises much sooner.
The floor cleaning equipment also needs regular maintenance. After all, that heavy usage sees them pick up loads of grime in their component parts, hence these will need to be got rid of. From cases where you’re working with mops, to scrubber dryers and ride-on machines for the larger surface areas, proper maintenance is required for them to continue working in optimal condition.
One of the major protective measures you can make for your floor is setting up entrance mats. A bulk of the debris that winds up in the indoor space is due to the soiling that gets tracked in under people’s shoes. Having mats positioned and the different entry points into the building will reduce the amount of dirt that makes it to the rest of the floor space. In fact, you can go the extra step and set up walk-off mats that stretch for a considerable distance into the building, further trapping more of the dirt in their fibres. Note that the selection of the mat should be made in consideration to the type of floor. For instance, mats rubber backings are harmful to wood and vinyl floors, while they pose no risk to ceramic tile surfaces. On the other hand, breathable materials like wood rugs are suitable for hardwood floors. Remember to have the mats given a thorough wash, since they will become grime havens given all that gunk that they will be trapping in their material.
