Two Tips For Cleaning Hallway Floors

Periodically I like to get back to the basics of cleaning since we all can benefit from reminders along the way for the steps necessary to clean a facility effectively and safely.

Hallway floors are very important to the customer as well as the BSC (Building Service Contractor). If you take into account my 80/20 Rule that postulates 80 percent of wear and tear is on 20 percent of the area; therefore 80 percent of the effort should be on that 20 percent once it is identified. As stated before, the first line of defense for entrance hallways is a clean (free of dirt and grit) entrance with a well maintained walk off mat system that captures most soils before the even get into the building. Since floors can be of different compositions, we can focus on common ones such as VCT (Vinyl Composite Tile), marble, terrazzo and other natural stone surfaces. We will discuss carpet in a separate article. Following are some key points to consider:

1. Door floor plates should be clean at all times. Too many people get their first impressions from a mottled, grimy track that is simply mopped but seldom cleaned. These tracks and the entrances to elevators should be inspected and cleaned regularly so that there is no accumulation of soil in the tracks and the metal has a consistent, clean look to it at all times. Some services use a steam cleaning unit whereas other have found a scrubby pad adequate for the job.

2. Edges and corners must be inspected and kept clean. Beware of failing to dust mop (and if necessary damp mop or autoscrub) the floor before buffing/burnishing. The fine silica sands and soils can rip off one or more layers of finish and even scar the floor itself in some case. After buffing/burnishing be sure to dust mop the entire area with special attention to the edges and corners which can accumulate a build up rather quickly and prove hard to remove.

Remember that first impressions count and entrances are at the top of the list. Your comments and questions are important. I hope to hear from you soon. Until then, keep it clean...

Mickey Crowe has been involved in the industry for over 35 years. He is a trainer, speaker and consultant. You can reach Mickey at 678-314-2171 or CTCG50@comcast.net.