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How to Rid Your Floors of Sand

Did you know that 94% of soil in a facility came in with foot traffic and that it costs approximately $700.00 per pound to remove soil from your facility?

Soil is also known as sand, and thanks to the salt shortage this winter, most facilities used even more sand than normal. So it’s no surprise that parking lots and front entrances are full of the stuff.

But did you know it’s costing you money, beyond just removal?

Studies show that soil abrades the surfaces in a facility with the effect of 120 grit sand paper and that as few as 1500 people walking across a finished floor can remove 42% of the finish!

How do you stop the sand from coming in?

  • First step (no pun intended) is a proper matting program. A three foot mat will not do the trick here folks. A minimum of 12 feet is required just to remove 80% of the dirt that is walked in. If you opt for the three foot mat, you’ll only remove 20%. An effective program includes bi-level scrapper mats located outside your building and wiper/scraper mats located inside your building.

  • The next step is a proper sweeping program. By sweeping the walkways and entries of your facility on a daily basis and the parking lot within 50 feet of the front door twice per week I’ve seen a 66% reduction in the amount of soil that came in. That translates into huge savings. For small entrances, I recommend the traditional broom and lobby dustpan, but for all your sidewalks, use a battery operated walk behind sweeper. For the parking lots, invest in a ride on sweeper.

So remember, if you want to keep soil outside you can’t just lock your doors! Mats at the entrance and sweepers for your sidewalks will make a huge difference in the overall appearance of your facility and the bottom line of your cleaning budget.

For more cleaning and janitorial advice, follow me on Twitter, join the conversation on Facebook, or reach out to Glen Martin Ltd.

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