Cleaning Tip of the Month

Floor Care Tips

In a recent interview with Maintenance Supplies Magazine, Jim Hlavin, head of Tornado’s product development team, was asked for suggestions on developing an effective and professional floor care program in a commercial facility. Below are some of the items he discussed:

Have a plan. Floor maintenance works best when the duties, frequency of tasks, and other services necessary to maintain the floor have already been outlined and written down. Everyone involved in floor maintenance should be aware of and be a part of the floor-maintenance plan.

Have a set cleaning procedure. The floor-maintenance plan should also outline exactly how the floors are to be maintained. For instance, it should spell out what kind of equipment is to be used, when floors are to be cleaned, how often they are to be refinished, and what chemicals and products are necessary to refinish them.

Establish expectations. The facility manager should determine how much will be invested in floor maintenance. In other words, what is the floor worth? This will help determine the equipment, labor, and amount of time necessary to maintain the floor.

Keep the area clean. Regular maintenance—including such things as placing mats at entries, vacuuming them regularly, and maintaining the outside entries by removing oily soils on sidewalks and parking lots—helps keep floors clean. In addition, all building lobbies and entries should be dust mopped, mopped, and cleaned daily.

Invest in high-efficiency equipment. More advanced floor care equipment such as scrubbers, burnishers, and cylindrical machines can significantly reduce the time needed to care for floors. In many situations, the cost savings on labor will pay for the machines in just a few months.

Work with your distributor. The jansan distributor’s job is to stay abreast of new products and technologies in the cleaning industry. Let your distributor be your guide and adviser in tackling floor care challenges.

Institute training. Ongoing training for all workers, supervisors, and managers is necessary. It eliminates bad habits that often develop that do not fit into the floor-maintenance plan. It also boosts professionalism and keeps the work mentally challenging.

James Hlavin is head of business development for Tornado Industries, a leading manufacturer of professional carpet, floor care, and industrial cleaning equipment.