Clean and Healthy Hotels Start With High-Performance Floor Mats

Hotels are typically bustling areas. One of the best ways to keep these busy properties clean and healthy is by the proper installation and care of floor mats. The following guidelines below should help hotel managers as well as housekeepers know where to place mats.

Mat Installation

· Install mats on a clean, dry surface, and do not overlap them. They should have a backing that secures them to the floor to help prevent “surfboarding,” the term describing what happens when the mat moves with foot traffic. Surfboarding can cause slip-and-fall accidents.  Crown Matting Technologies now offers ThermoGrip vinyl-nitrile backing to prevent surface-boarding.

· Rental mats are often very light weight, causing them to fold or drift and lose their placement; a heavier mat, typically a purchased mat, will likely hold its position and remain flat, promoting safety and better performance.  

· Install mats directly next to each other; gaps between the mats can defeat the benefits they provide: to remove moisture and soils from shoe bottoms. Space between mats could also possibly lead to a slip-and-fall accident.

· Total mat length made up of scraper, wiper/scraper, and wiper mats should be 15 to 20 feet long.

· Always check mats for rippling, curling, or torn edges; if found, remove or replace the mat.

· Do not install mats in any area for which they are not intended—for instance, over carpeting, as this could cause surfboarding.

Cleaning and Care

· Mats should be vacuumed regularly, even throughout the day; frequency is determined by foot traffic in the hotel and weather conditions.

· Once installed, make sure the floor beneath the mat is kept clean and dry to protect the mat’s backing and prevent mold and mildew from developing.

· Purchased mats can be cleaned using carpet extractors; once the mats become excessively saturated with moisture or soil, they should be extracted especially if they have also been subjected to snow melt, ice, salt, etc.

· If mats need to be stored, do not roll or fold them; this can damage or weaken the backing of the mat and cause curling. Instead, store them flat, one on top of another until needed.

· Clean the bottom of the mat regularly. After vacuuming the top, take the mat to a clean area, preferably outside the facility, lay it flat, face down, and vacuum or sweep the backing; if soiled, use a clean, damp mop and a mild cleaning solution to clean the backing, allow to air dry and reinstall.

Installation Beyond the Entry

· Install mats in transitional areas, for instance from a lobby into a food service area; this prevents soil from one area being walked into another and promotes walker safety as well

· Install mats in elevators and before elevator (or escalator) entrances to also stop soil from spreading.

· Anti-static mats should be installed on floors in the office areas of the hotel around electronics such as copiers and computers.

· Place mats under or around water fountains, ice machines, and vending machines to absorb spills.

· Mats should be installed at entrance/exits from commercial kitchens to collect soil, grease, and debris.

The Crown Matting Technologies blog is where cleaning professionals and building managers find expert, practical advice on the many features and benefits of high-quality, purchased floor mats and how they can help keep your facility cleaner, safer, healthier, and looking its best. For more information, contact us at 800-MAT-LINE (628-5463).