Routine Cleaning

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Routine Cleaning

Routine carpet cleaning: performed daily, weekly, or more often: regular vacuuming and timely spot cleaning.

 

Routine cleaning includes processes intended to prevent soil from building up in carpet and to minimize its impact on the carpet’s appearance and maximize its useful life. Dry soils abrade and scratch the fibers creating appearance issues such as traffic lanes in corridors, which significantly shorten the useful life of the carpet. Therefore, vacuuming and spot cleaning activities should be performed daily to reduce the potential effects of dry soils on the carpet and the indoor environment. Different levels of traffic and soiling help determine vacuuming frequencies:

 

oEntry 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 a soil-prone area where vacuuming frequency should be increased;

 

oReception areas: the cleanliness of lobbies and reception areas has a direct impact on carpet life cycle and aesthetics. They should be maintained daily or even more frequently;

 

oCarpeted elevator cabs, lobbies, restroom entryways and areas adjacent to food service are high-traffic, frequent-pivot areas. They should be vacuumed and maintained daily or even more frequently;

 

oCorridors or common areas should be maintained daily during the week with regular vacuuming. Otherwise, accumulated soils can progressively spread to adjacent areas (e.g., offices and conference rooms) and become part of the soil burden in those locations.

 

oLess-frequently used areas: private offices, meeting rooms, and boardrooms can be vacuumed on a two or three-times-per-week schedule;

 

oPeriodically, maintenance personnel should focus on high-soil load areas, in corners, around wall perimeters and behind and under furnishings using appropriate vacuuming tools and equipment.

 

Carpet spotting: Routine spot or spill cleaning is normally performed by the building maintenance personnel. The longer that certain spots remain on carpet, the greater the potential for permanent staining. Also, the longer a spot residue remains on/in the carpet, the more soil it usually attracts.

 

It is recommended that facility service providers and management be informed of the importance of timely spotting, utilizing proper spotting products and procedures.

 

To lift pile, prevent matting and crushing and buildup of embedded soil, a counter-rotating brush cleaning system may be beneficial.