Cleaning professionals are often unaware of the importance of developing a carpet vacuuming strategy. If a facility is 10,000 square feet or more, having a good strategy for vacuuming the rooms is very important. It may be that a facility has several rooms that do not need to be vacuumed as often as other rooms in the building. Time is very important, as is the health of the carpet.
Cleaning Times reports that it takes 17 minutes to vacuum 1 square foot of carpet per night using an 18-inch, two-motor vacuum cleaner. If a facility has 10,000 square feet of carpet, it will take about three hours to vacuum all of the rooms in the building every night. This can save time for cleaning crews because they can continue to do other cleaning tasks.
Cleaning professionals must remember that carpets hide dirt, particularly in dry areas. Carpets and upholstery may be unhealthy if they are vacuumed frequently just to look good. Because soil can cut into the fibers of your carpet, it will be more difficult for the carpet to be re-sealed and replaced.
Carpet cleaning strategies help determine how often each area of a facility should be vacuumed and, depending on the needs of the specific area, what type of vacuum cleaner is best suited for the job. It is often impossible to determine the amount of time needed to vacuum large areas of a facility, but having a strategy that covers all the areas of the facility can help you save time and protect the carpets in your facility.
The following table lists areas in your facility that do not require as much vacuuming as others, depending on the amount of foot traffic and use that each area gets. It is important to remember that these tips do not always apply to all facilities. So do your own analysis. It is important to think about the different types of vacuums that can be used to remove dust and dirt from carpets.
What Areas Should Not be Vacuumed as Frequently As Most Areas That Do Not Need to be Vacuumed as Many Times As Many Times As They Needed a Few Days ago:
Cleaning professionals pay extra attention to areas where executives work, just because it’s where they work. But these are the areas that need the least attention. These are the areas that require less frequent vacuuming. Vacuuming these areas twice per week should be sufficient.
Even though rooms are used frequently, some areas of a conference or meeting room are usually fairly clean. This area should be spot-checked and thoroughly vacuumed once a week.
Even though some facilities have a floor plan that allows for open space, many facilities still have individual offices that must be vacuumed once or twice per week. People regularly use their private offices. They should be vacuumed only once or twice per week.
What about the carpeting along the walls and around the edges of a facility? It looks brand new and fresh; so, it needs to be vacuumed more frequently than others. It is generally thought that areas in work areas and hallways should be vacuumed frequently.
Some areas of a facility need to be vacuumed more frequently.
Some areas in a facility are transitional, meaning that carpet and hard-surface floor materials meet. When a floor is dirty, dirt that is on the floor will get on the carpet. Some areas of your facility require frequent vacuuming, such as transition areas where hard-surface floors meet carpet.
Open areas need a lot of vacuuming, possibly during every cleaning visit. Because more people will be working in these areas, the more attention they will require.
Funnel areas are places where people may meet and go from one area to another, such as where an elevator meets with an office building. These areas will need to be cleaned regularly, and often need to be vacuumed regularly. Some areas of a facility are extremely difficult to vacuum; this includes places like the floors of the elevators if they are carpeted.
Carpeted paths are often used as a pathway through a facility or as a walkway through an office building. They need to be regularly vacuumed. Pathways need to be vacuumed often.
Carpets around water fountains quickly become dirty. They should be vacuumed two or three times per week. Some areas need to be vacated only one or two times per week.
Vacuum Cleaners, Product Selection, and Cleaning Products.
Vacuum cleaner selection is critical to the success of any carpet vacuuming strategy. Selection of vacuum cleaners must be made based on the type of vacuum cleaner that is used and the cleaning solution that it uses. Some people have asked us what vacuum cleaners are best for a particular area of their facility. We are going to show you what vacuum cleaners work best for which areas.
Wide-area vacuum cleaners are often overlooked when choosing a vacuum cleaner. It is extremely fast to clean large areas with a wide-area vacuum cleaner; it cleans up to 10,000 square feet in one hour. They work well in long hallways or in large open spaces.
Vacuuming offices that are moderately congested and where there is some space between desks, furniture, and other obstacles to access those areas. You should select the right-sized vacuum cleaner for the job. Typical cleaning distance for an upright vacuum is about 13 inches to 19 inches.
Backpack vacuums are becoming more comfortable and can be used in all types of carpeted areas, but they are useful in more congested areas and during transitions. Backpack vacuums are becoming more popular because they can be used to clean both carpets and hard surfaces.
Canister vacuums: Finally, do not forget about canister vacuums. Canister vacuum cleaners are becoming more popular because they can be used in many different ways. Canister vacuums are great for cleaning floors during the day because they are very quiet, and because of that, people can work and rest while they are vacuuming.
