People come and go to facilities and establishments every day and they pass through the entrance, making it one of the busiest spots in a building.
What many businesses and offices don’t realise is how important it is to pay attention to the state of their entrances. Everything from the doors to the floor mats has to be flawless.
Why is the Entrance Important?
The entrance of an establishment is the first thing that people see when they go to a store or a business. Remember what they say about first impressions? They last.
If customers see an untidy entrance to your venue, it reflects directly on your brand reputation – the brand you are so carefully trying to build up. You don’t want that, do you?That’s why your entrance has to be right in order to leave the perfect impression.
A nice entrance affects your employees, as well. It’s the first thing that they see at their workplace. If an entrance looks orderly and tidy, every employee using it feels comfortable to be at work, inspired to do good at work, and proud to be working at such a nice place.
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If an entrance looks messy and dirty, it can give a gloomy feel to people passing through. That can also affect how employees feel throughout the entire workday, as well as their attitude toward work.
Another reason why the entrance is an important area in a facility is – it is the first important point when it comes to keeping a building clean.
Having a proper welcome floor mat placed at the entrance can dramatically reduce the amount of dirt and dust coming into your building, which in turn helps reduce cleaning costs and increases level of hygiene and health.
Avoid Making These Entrance Mistakes
The most obvious place to start cleaning when you’re trying to improve your building or facility is the entrance.
You probably didn’t think anyone could do cleaning the wrong way. You’re already cleaning and organising things, what is there to go wrong?
Well, here are some of the most common mistakes people make when cleaning a facility entrance — mistakes that you might be making too, and therefore should start avoiding:
1. Forgetting to Clean Outside
Not keeping the immediate outside area clean enough is one of the most common entrance maintenance mistakes made by many establishments.
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Did you know that most of the dirt that ends up on the carpets comes from people’s shoes and they pick that up from just outside the building?
Exterior areas such as the pavement and the parking lot outside a building are the places where people can pick up dirt and dust. So it is absolutely crucial to keep the exteriors clean at all times.
2. Not Getting the Right Entrance Mats
Keeping the establishment’s exterior clean is a must, but that’s not enough. You need to make sure that all of the dirt and grime does not make it inside your office.
This is the tricky part because traffic can still carry some dirt and dust inside, making it impossible to keep the interior sterile after all.
That’s exactly what you need entrance maps for. You need to place entrance mats that would protect your floor and control the dust and dirt from getting inside due to high foot traffic.
Get a good entrance mat that’s at least 20 feet long so it can capture dust from the shoes of the people walking over it. The mat should also be specifically designed to trap moisture and dirt so it goes no further than the entrance.
3. Not Vacuuming on a Daily Basis
Not vacuuming on a regular basis defeats the purpose of your dirt-trapping entrance mats. No matter how many precautions you take in preventing dust from getting inside your establishment, it somehow, always does.
The smallest dust and dirt particles sneak their way through if you don’t vacuum your mats on a daily basis to remove all the dirt it has trapped throughout the day.
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This is why the need for daily vacuuming should never be taken for granted. Unfortunately, this is something many establishments forget to do often.
Failing to vacuum, not just the entrances but the whole interior as well, leads to the buildup of dirt and dust, making it even more difficult to clean.
See to it that your entrance area gets a daily dose of vacuuming. Make sure to focus on those areas that get a great deal of traffic. If you are a new business, make sure you plan your store layout carefully so you can keep it clean easily.
4. Not Using the Pile Lifting Vacuums
Unfortunately, daily vacuuming is still not going to be enough to get that entrance looking squeaky clean! Experts suggest that pile lifting vacuums should be used for entrance mats and rugs because regular vacuum cleaners are not adequate.
A pile lifting vacuum would be the best tool to use to remove the dry dirt that clings on to the fabric of a mat or a rug. The secret to a pile lifting vacuum is that the yarns are opened up, lifted and raised vertically, making it much easier for the dirt to be removed.
If your establishment deals with heavy traffic, not using pile lifting vacuum would be a huge mistake. A specialised vacuum cleaner that can perform pile lifting may cost more, but it is far more cost-effective in the long run.
5. Trying to Get Everything Cleaned
Sometimes, the more you try to clean at once, the less you actually end up cleaning. This is one of the reasons why some businesses fail to vacuum the entrances as often as they should.
They try to clean the entire building all at one go, which takes a great deal of effort especially in a building with multiple floors.
Photo Courtesy of Max Pixel Images by Panasonic DMC-Tz7
This is why it’s better to focus on the areas that get more traffic. The places that do not get as much traffic do not require the same amount of cleaning as the entrance.
Wall to wall cleaning is important too and should be performed occasionally, but it’s best to concentrate on the entrance for the daily vacuuming.
6. Overusing Worn Out Entrance Mats
Avoid using mats that are old and severely worn out as they won’t function properly anymore. Too much traffic can wear out a mat sooner than the manufacturers suggest and if you keep using a worn out mat that has lost its capability to trap dust and dirt, you’ll only be wasting a lot of time cleaning.
Over-extending the life of an entrance mat may cost more in the long run than if the mat were to be replaced right away.
7. Poor Maintenance of Cleaning Equipment
Every equipment used for cleaning should be regularly maintained and properly cleaned. A poorly maintained equipment, a vacuum, for example, is not going to be very efficient in cleaning.
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It would only take more time doing poor quality work and will even cost more when it malfunctions and needs a repair. And if a repair doesn’t work, improperly maintained equipment would also have to be replaced sooner.
8. Not Vacuuming the Lift Floors
Lifts may not be a part of the entrance, but it’s best to clean them too at least once a week. Not cleaning the lift floors may lead to spreading of dirt and dust to the upper floors.
Another great idea would be to have the lift floors carpeted, so that they can capture dust from the soles of people using it. This would top all that dirt being carried all over the building.
Now that you know most common entrance mistakes businesses keep making. It’s about time you stop making them and start cleaning your entrance right!
Alsco offers complete mat rental service tailored to your business. For a cleaner and safer workplace, trust only the professionals who know how it’s done. Call Alsco today!