Environmental managers must take careful considerations when deciding the flooring they will use for their premises. There is a vast selection of floors, each with advantages and disadvantages. Carpet remains among the top and most well-known options.
Carpeting is among the most cost-effective and affordable kinds of flooring that are available. It is less well-known than the numerous health benefits it offers. Carpets serve as an air purifier in the indoor environment that traps dust, allergens, and airborne pathogens within the fibers. It prevents the elements from moving through the air and extending into unintentional zones.
In reality, a sq ft of carpet could hold up to one pound of dirt and dust. While at the same time, medical staff and nurses are stepping across your floors every day, it’s essential to establish a consistent routine of cleaning and maintenance that combines regular vacuuming and periodic deep cleaning by a professional to ensure that your carpet can perform its function of assisting in the creation of healthy, cleaner air.
Here are some information and suggestions to help you select the most appropriate carpet for your space and the most effective methods to keep it clean and maintained:
The most secure and effective methods to clean carpets
In health facilities, it’s essential to ensure that the carpets are maintained as efficiently and safely as possible. Cleaning with extraction — the processes that lift upwards and physically remove from the premises what is sucked out of the carpets, typically with hoses and tanks — is suggested as the safest method to clean the fibers of dirt, allergens, and other cleaning products.
Beware of companies that employ detergents, soaps, or surfactants to perform their work since they aren’t as healthy and create a sticky and dirt-attracting residue that can make carpets dirtier more quickly. Instead, search for companies that use safe cleaning, sanitizers, or carpet-protecting products to ensure the highest level of safety and to keep carpets clean for longer.
Schedule the cleaning for the slowest time of the day to reduce disturbance and inconvenience to your daily tasks and routines. In addition, for security reasons, make sure you let the patients and residents know that the cleaning process is taking place by displaying signs for wet floors, especially in any areas of transition. Use hose ramps and guards to allow people who use crutches and wheelchairs to easily cross over any hoses or other equipment lying on the floor.
Make sure you choose the method that allows drying times of a couple of hours to minimize dangers to health and safety. Techniques like traditional steam cleaning, which uses excessive amounts of water, can take a long time to dry. It can not only increase the risk of slip-falls but could cause water to penetrate the carpet backing, creating an ideal environment for mold, mildew, and other microorganisms. Shorter dry times pose different dangers. The use of fans can reduce the drying time in any cleaning process.
Cleaning and maintaining carpets is essential to keep them healthy and clean.
It’s a good idea to clean and disinfect carpets every six months. A lot of facilities perform this annually or even regularly. Carpets should be maintained periodically, but heavy traffic areas (like hallways, entryways, etc) require more frequent maintenance. As a general rule, If you begin to notice soil accumulating in the traffic lane, it means you’ve waited for too long.
Extraction cleaning – procedures that pull up and physically eliminate from the area debris that has accumulated on carpets, usually with the help of hoses and tanks, are the best option for carpets as it’s most effective in eliminating dust, dirt, and fungi.
Utilize safe cleaners, sanitizers, as well as carpet-protecting products. Ensure that the cleaning is scheduled for the slowest time of the day to minimize any inconvenience. For security reasons, install the signs for wet floors, particularly in transition areas.
Use hose ramps and guards to allow people who use crutches or wheelchairs to easily cross over any equipment or hoses lying on the floor. Choose a method that provides dry times in just a few hours for safety and convenience.
Techniques such as traditional steam cleaning that require vast amounts of water typically require days to dry. It can not only cause slip-and-fall accidents but also cause water to leak through to the backing of the carpet and provide a perfect environment for bacteria, mold, and mildew.
How often should carpets in health centers be cleaned?
Benjamin Franklin’s famous quote, “One ounce of prevention worth a pound cure,” applies to cleaning and maintenance of carpets as well. It is easy for dust and other allergens to accumulate on carpets. However, they should be maintained regularly to avoid wear and tear and keep them clean to fulfill their vital role as air filters. In general, If you start to notice dirt accumulating in the traffic lane, then you’ve been waiting too long.
Following the proper methods to avoid damage to carpets is not just the best choice for patients and residents, but it’s also more affordable. Regular carpet cleaning is significantly less expensive than replacing carpet.
At a minimum, carpets must be professionally deep-sealed and disinfected every six months. Plenty of establishments do this every quarter or even every month. It is essential to maintain carpets regularly. In addition, areas that receive a lot of use, such as entranceways and hallways, must be maintained more often. Click here for more general information.
Reducing damage and prolonging carpet life
The most crucial maintenance procedure to prolong the life of your carpet is regular cleaning. It requires three steps:
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Regular and complete vacuuming
Choose a commercial-grade vacuum with an adjustable beater bar or brush and a filtration system. The best vacuums are worth the cost. Because of the traffic volume, it is recommended to vacuum often throughout the week, especially in areas prone to traffic. Most often, bag-style vacuums are best. Bags should be cleaned when they’re two-thirds full.
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Choose experts and professionals
For heavily trafficked areas, professional extraction cleaning is performed once every quarter; for other sites, it is performed at least every six months. Make sure you choose a business that utilizes safe, non-toxic cleaning products and provides sanitizers and carpet protection products, too. Drying times should be within a couple of hours, and the ideal time is between one and two hours to prevent mold and bacterial growth and to reduce the inconvenience for residents and patients.
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Spot cleaning or surface cleaning
Spills and spots are inevitable. The sooner you deal with the area, the simpler it will be to get rid of. If you notice spots, wash them quickly with appropriate spotting solutions. Many companies provide regular site cleaning as part of their ongoing maintenance plan.
Cleaning spots are tricky, so avoid spot-cleaning products with many surfactants or soaps, which can leave behind a dirt-attracting remnant. The most effective first step is to wipe up any new spot or spill using a white, clean cloth to remove any liquids and keep the stains from extending further into the carpet’s fibers.
The need to ensure that your medical facility has secure and well-maintained floors is vital in providing top customer service and a more healthy work and living environment. Through these strategies, not only will you make sure that your medical facility is as tidy as it can be, but you’ll also protect your flooring investment and provide the residents and patients with a more secure, healthier, and enjoyable experience.