The slugish economy has resulted in many facilities cutting back on carpet care services. Monthly programs have been reduced to quarterly, or even on an as-needed basis. As expected, the shift has had serious impacts on the life of carpeting.

With less cleaning, a carpet with a 10-year lifespan may now only last six or seven years. And worse, carpet manufacturers will not replace warrantied carpeting when it wears prematurely if it hasn’t been properly maintained.

If carpet care budgets need to be reduced, scale back the number of deep cleans, but increase vacuuming. Most carpet soil can be removed dry. Frequently capture the dirt so it doesn’t escalate into a larger problem.

Cleaning staffs should also look at the building's traffic flow patterns and concentrate on high-traffic areas, lobbies and 24-hour spaces that receive the most dirt. Keeping these areas clean will cause less dirt and debris from entering further into the building. The spaces in the back of the building, such as cubicles and offices, receive less traffic and don’t need to be cleaned as often.


posted on 12/16/2011