Making Airports Cleaner from Day One

One of the largest cleaning companies in the U.S., was one of several asked to bid on the cleaning needs of a U.S. international airport. As with most cleaning proposals, the company listed several tasks they would be performing at the airport seven days per week throughout the year.

This company’s proposal was similar to the other proposals provided by other cleaning companies competing for the airport account. Virtually all of the proposals discussed how they would use only "green" cleaning solutions, tools, and equipment, and implement sustainability programs to help reduce waste, energy, and water.

However, this large company's proposal stood out because they had a unique program called "Day One." As the name implies, Day One listed all the steps this company would take as soon as it took over the cleaning of the airport. And listed close to the top: installation of new floor matting systems throughout the facility.

Why would installing new floor mats be such a high priority?

This cleaning company knew that the installation of high-performance mats which refers to mats that are purchased, not rented will help keep the airport cleaner and healthier. This would help make their job easier, potentially reducing labor costs, and make the airport account more profitable.

They also knew these mats, specially designed for very heavy foot traffic, would help prevent slip and fall accidents and prevent soil from traveling from one section of the airport to another.

However, only specific types of mats would do. We already mentioned that rental mats won't make the grade. The main benefit of rental mats is that are replaced regularly. While this is a convenience, these mats typically are not very effective at capturing and trapping soil and moisture. Further, continued washing makes their poor performance worse.

Instead, they were looking for purchased mats that provided the following:

• Are made of industrial-strength carpeting to withstand very heavy foot traffic

• Could hold as much as two gallons of liquid per square yard; a key concern because spills are a very common problem in busy airports

• Had an advanced backing to help protect the floor below the mat

• Are made with what is called a "bi-level pattern." Soil and moisture drift below the surface keeping them from spreading throughout the airport.

• Have been NFSI Certified. Floor mats that have earned the "high traction" certification from the National Floor Safety Institute are proven to help reduce slip-and-fall accidents.

For more information on the value of floor mats, contact a Crown Matting Technologies specialist at 800-628-5463 or send us an email.