Commercial Maintenance
Getting started on the right foot
A thoughtfully designed and implemented maintenance program performed by qualified personnel, properly equipped and trained, is essential for optimal long-term performance. Whenever possible, plan a carpet maintenance program before installing carpet so such features as budget, personnel and areas of special consideration can be taken into account. To help with this stage of planning, maintenance personnel are advised to:
- Obtain a detailed floor plan of facility.
- Identify areas of heavy soiling:
- Track-off Regions: Areas where carpet collects tracked-in soil from the outdoors or from hard-surface floors. Track off regions average 90 square feet (6 x 15) at building entrances, 10 square feet (2 x 5) at internal doorways, and 40 square feet (5 x 8) in corridors 6 feet wide.
- Congested Channels: A concentrated channel of foot traffic, such as a doorway, stairwell or drinking fountain area. A congested channel averages 3 feet around a doorway to 10 feet around elevators.
- Traffic Lanes: Areas with the largest amount of foot traffic.
Understanding carpet maintenance guidelines
A complete and effective program should include three maintenance categories: preventive, daily and periodic.
Preventive maintenance: Preemptive measures to reduce the effects of soil include:
- Color selections — Select a color appropriate to traffic areas and local soil conditions.
- Soil containment — Prevent dirt and soil from entering the building using mats at entrances and near elevators.
Daily maintenance: Interim measures include vacuuming and spot cleaning for all traffic areas.
- Vacuuming is the most important and most cost-effective element of an efficient maintenance program. Vacuuming can remove more than 80 percent of dry soil on a daily basis. Vacuuming should be scheduled according to the amount of potential soil buildup of a particular area, and Seal of Approval/ Green Label Plus certified vacuums should be specified for use.
- Daily removal of spots and spills helps maintain the carpet’s appearance. Immediate action against spots and spills also reduces the probability of a permanent stain. Seal of Approval certified carpet-cleaning solutions should be specified.
Restorative cleaning: Periodically scheduled deep extraction cleaning will remove accumulated soil not removed by regular vacuuming and spot removal.
- CRI suggests a monthly or as-needed cleaning of transition areas, track-off regions and congested channels.
» Download: CRI Carpet Maintenance Guidelines for Commercial Applications 
(PDF 2.56 MB)
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