The Four Questions Hotel Managers Most Frequently Ask about Floor Mats

We asked our distributors around the country to tell us what questions they are asked most frequently by hotel managers and housekeepers. While there were many types of questions, we found the following four to be the most common:

What Exactly Do Entry Mats Do?

Entry mats are designed to capture and trap soil and moisture before it enters the hotel property. According to the American Institute of Architects, 5 feet of matting will capture about a third of walked-in debris; ten feet will capture 52 percent; fifteen feet will capture as much as 80 percent; and 20 to 25 feet of matting can capture 100 percent, ensuring it never enters the hotel property. Most cleaning experts suggest that most of the soil entering a hotel, is essentially walked-in on shoe bottoms. Crown Matting Technologies offers a variety of entry matting choices to suit your building.

Why Should Hotels Install Interior Mats?

Interior mats should be installed over busy walkways, in and outside elevators, as well as at transition points – where a hard surface floor meets a carpeted floor. These mats help prevent dust from becoming airborne, potentially harming the hotel's indoor air quality. Interior mats also help prevent spills and soil from one area being walked into another area. They should always be placed at drink and food service areas of the hotel, as well as in front of ice and vending machines. Crown Matting Technologies recommends using interior mats to help keep hard and soft surface floor coverings cleaner, reducing the amount of time and labor required to keep these floors clean.

What is the Life Expectancy of a Mat?

To answer this, we must realize there are two primary types of mats: rental mats and purchased mats. Rental mats have a very short life expectancy. They are not made of high-quality materials and after repeated cleanings, usually, only last about six months. High-performance mats, on the other hand, are higher quality mats which generally must be purchased, not rented. The lifespans can vary due to foot traffic and climatic conditions, but a high-performance mat installed in a hotel should last one or more years. If the mat is vacuumed frequently and cleaned (extracted) regularly, even longer. Click here to learn more about Crown's new Buy-vs-Rent program.

What do the Terms Scraper Mats, Wiper/Scraper Mats, and Wiper Mats Refer to?

This refers to the three types of mats that, working together, help keep soil and moisture from being walked into a hotel property. A scraper mat, such as Mat-a-Dor can be placed directly outside the hotel and is designed to remove larger debris on shoe bottoms. This is followed by the wiper/scraper mat like Oxford Elite with ThermoGrip™ backing, can be placed directly inside the property. It is designed to remove moisture and smaller soils. What is referred to as "the final line of defense" is the wiper mat placed in succession. Crown offers premium wiper mats such as Dust-Star, to remove any remaining soil and moisture from shoe bottoms and keep them from being tracked into the lobby.

The Crown Matting Technology 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).