The winter months provide a challenge in keeping your office (specifically your floors) clean with snow, salt, slush, and dirt being tracked in by employees, customers, the mailman … you get the point.  This debris can degrade carpet fibers and ruin floors, not to mention create a slip and fall risk.

Office Environments of Hagerstown, MD offers some tips to keep your workplace safer (and cleaner) this winter.

• Snow removal.  Ensure that the sidewalks and entries to your office are free of snow and ice.  If you have a private parking lot, keep it clear well.  Whether you have a “snow removal team” of employees or hire a plow service, it is important to keep your employees and guests safe from accidents.  This will also help reduce the amount debris tracked into your office.
• Invest in mats.  Entrance mats are an inexpensive solution to help remove debris and moisture from shoes, which will help keep your floors cleaner and safer.  Posting “wet floor” signs will remind people to watch their step.
• Regular floor cleaning.  Vacuum floors and mats frequently to remove salt, dirt and dust (Note:  make sure floors/mats are dry before vacuuming!) This will not only help reduce damage to the floors, but also increase air quality.
• Speaking of air quality.  According to the EPA, indoor air can contain more than three to five times more pollutants than outdoor air.  Since your ventilation system recirculates the air several times per day, it’s easy to understand why workers get sick more frequently during the winter.  Make sure your HVAC systems are properly cleaned and maintained to reduce the dust, dirt, germs and other airborne bacteria.
• Professional cleaning never hurts.  Hire a professional to deep clean the floors and mats regularly, preventing more costly longer-term problems, like moisture or mold in the carpet.

A few simple precautions, like thorough snow removal and providing entrance mats, can help create a safer environment for your employees and customers, while lengthening the life of your flooring.  For professional floor and office cleaning solutions, contact the experts at Office Environments, serving the Hagerstown, MD and Chambersburg, PA region.