Additional Cleaning Considerations

<< Click to Display Table of Contents >>

Navigation:  Developing a Maintenance Program > The Science of Cleaning >

Additional Cleaning Considerations

Hard Surfaces Adjoining Carpet Surfaces

 

Transition areas where carpet and hard floors meet can be a challenge. It is very important to keep hard surface flooring clean in order to prevent the tracking of hard surface residues onto carpet. Daily maintenance of hard surface floor coverings, such as resilient (LVT/VCT) tile, ceramic tile, wood, terrazzo, and polished concrete floors, presents a greater challenge to the average maintenance staff than carpeted surfaces.  

 

Hard surface flooring requires constant care because of its inability to hide soil.  

 

To reduce problems, observe a few common-sense rules:

 

During maintenance of hard surface floors, whether stripping, finishing, or restoring, keep solutions off the carpet. Many of the cleaning solutions used to maintain hard floors can cause damage to carpet and spills should be rinsed thoroughly with neutralizing agents.

 

After damp maintenance of hard surfaces, dry completely before allowing traffic onto carpet to help prevent tracking of any hard surface cleaning solutions onto carpet.

 

When using rotary equipment on hard surfaces next to carpet, do not allow pads or brushes to come into contact with the carpet as it may abrade the carpet pile.

 

Do not set buckets or equipment used for the maintenance on any surface without proper protection of that surface.  

 

NOTE: It is a misperception that carpet maintenance is more costly than hard surfaces. Visit www.carpet-rug.org for more information and research.