There is a huge difference between cleaning carpet just when it looks soiled and regularly maintaining the carpet. Cleaning office carpets only “when needed” and when they look dirty is not an effective strategy. In order to prolong your commercial carpet life expectancy and performance, it is important to implement regular maintenance program. Maintenance, in contrast to cleaning, is a scheduled on-going process of soil removal designed to keep your carpet functioning at a high level over the long period of time.
There are three levels of cleaning which, if regularly applied can extend the life of your carpet and preserve its appearance:
- Routine cleaning – Routine cleaning includes vacuuming, pile lighting and spot cleaning. These processes should be performed daily to reduce the appearance of wear and tear and prevent soil and dirt from settling at the bottom of the carpet. Regular vacuuming and pile lifting are one of the most effective methods of removing dirt from carpets, whereas spot removal helps a carpet retain its original appearance and performance attributes over time. According to Carpet and Rug Institute, different levels of traffic and soiling help determine vacuuming and pile lifting frequencies:
- Entry foyers – Soils that are not contained by entry mats will eventually wind up in the carpet immediately inside entrances to buildings. Entry foyers are an example of soil-prone areas and should be vacuumed daily or even more frequently.
- Reception areas – These areas has a direct impact on carpet life cycle and aesthetics. They should be maintained daily or even more frequently.
- Elevator cabs and lobbies – Carpeted elevator cabs and lobbies are high-traffic areas. They should be vacuumed and pile lifted daily.
- Corridor and common areas – Confined traffic-low corridors should be maintained daily during the week with regular vacuuming and pile lifting. Otherwise, accumulated soils can progressively spread to other areas and become part of the soil burden in those locations. Periodic pile lifting is also beneficial in removing soil and preventing matting and crushing of the carpet.
- Less frequently used areas – Private offices, meeting rooms and board rooms should be vacuumed when needed or at least once a week.
- Interim maintenance system – Interim maintenance is a surface cleaning method that takes place between regular cleaning and deep cleaning. This cleaning system is used to refresh the carpet’s look by removing the soil and spots that are the most visible and cannot be removed by vacuuming. If you want to avoid the intensive cleaning process for as long as possible, the interim maintenance system is a very good temporary solution, because it is fast and quick cleaning process that does not require the level of work involved in deep cleaning but it is sufficiently efficient for a medium soiled carpets.
- Deep cleaning – Deep cleaning is a carpet cleaning process that can extract dirt, remove stains, eliminate odors, and restore color. Deep cleaning relies on powerful cleaning solutions and equipment designed to thoroughly remove embedded and accumulated soils and chemical residues, followed by a fiber rinse that removes leftover cleaning solution. Frequencies of deep cleaning depend on degree of carpet soiling, carpet age, environmental conditions, traffic intensity and the manufacturer’s requirements.
Summary
Article Name
The three levels of commercial carpet cleaning
Description
There are three levels of cleaning which, if regularly applied can extend the life of your carpet and preserve its appearance.
Author
Marleen Geyen
Publisher
Geyen Group south
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