Commercial floor mats are important to have in the workplace. They protect your floors and prevent accidents that wet surfaces can cause. Anti-fatigue mats also help workers avoid back pain from standing for long periods.
Unfortunately, a lot of businesses neglect to clean their commercial floor mats. Ideally, you should deep clean your floor mats at least once every few weeks to prevent long-term buildup. Keep reading to learn why and how to deep clean your commercial floor mats.
Floor mats and carpet can harbor a lot of gross things, especially things not visible to the human eye. Read on to learn what kinds of crud are hiding in your floor mats—but we recommend finishing your lunch first.
Some experts estimate that carpet holds up to 200,000 bacteria per square inch, which is about 4000 times more than the bacteria in a toilet! While most businesses think to clean the toilets regularly, they rarely clean their carpets. Remember, just because you can’t see the mess doesn’t mean it isn’t dirty.
In most businesses, employees are expected to always wear their shoes. While essential to workplace safety and sanitation, it also means your employees are tracking in all kinds of debris every time they come to work. Your employees probably track in chemicals, animal feces, pollen, and other contaminants—all without noticing.
Ever wonder what the dust in your home or office actually is? A lot of it is probably your own dander. Dander and hair particles are just some of the many things you and everyone else leave behind everywhere you go. And at a busy office, your floor mats are collecting all these particles.
Depending on the environment you work in—including the temperature and humidity—mold could be growing in your floor mats. Both carpet-fiber and rubber floor mats are the perfect homes for mold since they offer lots of surface area to grow on or under. While some kinds of mold are harmless, others can trigger allergies and respiratory diseases.
Because of all the things that floor mats can trap, pests love them. Mats contain tiny food particles, smelly oils, and all other kinds of grime that people leave behind. If you don’t want to attract pests to your workplace, or if you’re struggling to get rid of pests, make sure to deep clean your floor mats.
To deep clean your commercial floor mat with carpet fibers, you’re going to need some utility brushes, a wet/dry vacuum, and a cleaning solution safe for upholstery. If you have lots of mats to clean, we recommend getting a brush attachment you can use with a wireless handheld power drill, as it will make the process go faster.
The first thing you need to do is remove all the loose dirt that you can from the floor mat. Start by shaking out the mat, then brush and vacuum up the dirt. Repeat this step as needed.
For this step, you’re going to need a clean brush—ideally, the drill brush—and some cleaner. You can use a diluted all-purpose cleaner or one that’s meant for carpet. Spray the cleaner on the mat and give it a moment to set. Then, go in with the brush and scrub the cleaner into the fibers. Pay extra attention to areas with stains.
If your mats are exceptionally dirty, you may need to rinse them off with a hose. However, if possible, you should avoid saturating the mats so that they don’t need as much time to dry. Instead, we recommend using the vacuum to remove the excess cleaner. Then, check the mat to see if you need to repeat the shampooing step.
Once you’ve finished cleaning the mat, let it dry. We recommend hanging it or standing it up for better air circulation and a faster drying time.
For rubber and other non-carpet floor mats, you’ll use a slightly different cleaning process. We recommend having a hose with a jet attachment, a cleaning solution, and brushes or sponges.
Like with carpet-fiber mats, you need to remove the loose dirt first, so you don’t end up scrubbing it back into the mat. Use a clean, damp cloth or a wet wipe to remove the initial layer of dirt and stains.
The second thing you’ll do is give the mat a thorough rinse with a jet-stream sprayer. The high water pressure will help knock off even more dirt.
Next, you’ll want to spray the mat with an all-purpose cleaner diluted in water. Scrub the cleaner onto the mat using a sponge or soft-bristled brush.
Rinse the mat under the sprayer to remove suds and excess cleaner. Inspect the mat and see if you need to repeat the cleaning process again. If not, let the mat air out and dry.
Many carpet-fiber mats have rubber backings to keep them from sliding on the floor. To deep clean these mats, you may need to clean the front and back using separate methods. While the top side catches a lot more debris than the underside, the underside can still harbor dangerous germs, bacteria, and even mold. So clean both sides carefully, using their respective cleaning methods.
If your mats are old and too stained to properly clean, it may be time to replace them and start over. You can find high-quality commercial entry doormats at the Personalized Doormat Company. We carry all kinds of rubber and carpet-fiber mats, including anti-fatigue and Waterhog.
Once you have your new mats, use the tips in this blog to clean them regularly. Proper floor mat care will keep you from needing to frequently replace your mats, which can help cut down on unnecessary costs. And of course, it ensures a healthy, sanitary work environment for everyone.
