Winter weather is fast approaching, and one of the best defenses against the season’s challenges is the placement of mats. Mats help stop snow, salt, dirt, and debris from being tracked through your facility, keeping your floors cleaner and reducing the risk of slips and falls. However, to maximize their effectiveness, it’s essential to maintain your mats throughout the season.
Impact of Ice Melt on Finished Floors
Ice melt products, while helpful in preventing icy conditions, can be harmful to finished floors. The residue from ice melt can leave behind white, chalky stains, dulling finishes and sometimes even causing surface damage. This makes it essential to have high-quality mats in place, and to keep them clean, to catch as much ice melt residue as possible. Facilities should ensure they have enough matting at entrances, ideally 15-20 feet in length, to capture debris from multiple footfalls before individuals reach the main flooring area.
Combatting Ice Melt Stains and Scuffs
To reduce winter damage, facilities can adopt a floor care strategy that addresses both high-traffic areas and entryways.
Set a Regular Cleaning Schedule: Frequent sweeping and mopping are essential, particularly during and after major snow days. Regular upkeep prevents ice melt, dirt, and salt from embedding in floors.
Immediate Entryway Care on Snow Days: Remove mats temporarily from entryways if ice melt residue has built up under or around them. This allows for direct cleaning of the floor beneath, minimizing damage. Sweep away any debris, large ice chunks, or salt particles left by foot traffic.
Apply Buckeye Floor Cleaner: Select a cleaner from Buckeye's lineup that is designed for winter floor maintenance. For an eco-friendlier option, Buckeye offers two Eco Floor Cleaners. Buckeye Eco® Floor Cleaner Fragrance-Free E32 S32 and Buckeye Eco® Floor Cleaner E33 both provide a greener solution without compromising the effectiveness of the floor cleaner. Use the cleaner to restore shine, remove scuffs, and prevent buildup on finished floors.
Rinse Thoroughly: After mopping, clean the mop and empty the dirty water to prevent spreading residue on other areas. Rinse the floor with clean water, and mop thoroughly to eliminate any remaining product or salt residue.
Use an Auto Scrubber: For larger areas or where available, an auto scrubber can streamline this process by simultaneously cleaning and rinsing the floor, helping maintain a uniform appearance and removing deeper debris effectively.
Matt Maintenance Care
Outside Entrance Mats
To keep outside entrance mats effective, sweep the surrounding sidewalk and area daily to minimize tracked-in dirt. Spot-clean mats with a Buckeye carpet spot remover, like Gone H2O2 as needed. Apply the solution to the spot, allow it to dwell, and agitate the area with a brush or carpet bone from the outside toward the center. Blot dry with a clean, absorbent cloth to finish.
Inside Mats
Vacuum inside mats daily, ensuring to overlap each part of the mat by 2-3 inches for maximum soil removal. If needed, use a Buckeye carpet spot remover, like Gone H2O2 for stains. Saturate the spot, allow it to dwell, and then agitate with a brush or carpet bone, working from the edges inward. Blot dry to prevent moisture from soaking into the backing mat.
Interested in Learning More?
Buckeye’s Hard Floor Care Program offers customizable tools to help keep floors pristine, even during the harshest winter months. By combining matting and floor care solutions, Buckeye can help you keep your facility looking clean, safe, and inviting all season long. Reach out to your Buckeye representative to discover how our programs can support your winter maintenance efforts.