Building Entrance Door With Ice and Drifted Snow

As the days grow shorter during the winter and the air colder, people prepare to spend more time indoors. For businesses, this increase in foot traffic can elevate the risk of carpet stains, damage and wear. Whittaker, a company specializing in low-moisture carpet cleaning, has some tips on how companies can keep their carpet looking good throughout the winter.

“With an influx of people migrating home for the holidays and passing through places like airports, retail stores and hotels, businesses need to be ready to tackle a variety of carpet care challenges,” says Joe Bshero, product manager at Whittaker. “To maintain an image of cleanliness and ensure a positive customer experience, it’s important to have the right preventative measures, equipment and chemistry in place to both avoid and address common carpet stains and soils.” 

To maintain clean carpet during the winter season, consider the following winter carpet challenges and recommended solutions:  

Increased spills: Accidents can happen at any time of year, but the winter months can be more prone to hot chocolate and soup spills since people spend more time indoors. A low-moisture encapsulation carpet care system cleans carpet quickly and returns areas to use after 30 minutes. Not only is this system much quicker than hot water extraction, it extends the time between wet extractions to keep carpet cleaner longer.   

Stains from ice-melting products: Carpet can be plagued with unsightly white streaks in the winter when de-icing salt from streets and sidewalks is tracked inside. Salt and sand can also become lodged in carpet fibers and impact its appearance. To counteract these issues, vacuum the facility frequently using a CRI certified vacuum cleaner and use a pH balancing rinse to address salt stains immediately.  

Increased moisture: Wet snow and ice quickly melts inside and can lead to increased moisture levels in carpet. To prevent moisture from ruining carpet, add matting at the building’s entrance. Be sure to look for mats that will effectively scrape debris from shoes and trap moisture to keep puddles from forming and customers from slipping.  

Mud stains: When snow mixes with dirt, muddy shoes can cake carpets with unsightly stains and streaks. To remove, let the mud dry and vacuum up as much of the stain as possible. Then use a spotting agent to blot any remaining residue as needed.