If your job is to keep your education facilities clean, safe and attractive, then you will be well aware of the challenges you face. At this time of year in particular when dirty shoes and poor weather cause renewed problems each day, keeping floors clean can seem like an uphill struggle. Floors in busy school buildings can look good at 8am in the morning but after the ingress of several hundred pupils and staff, they often tell a very different story.
Considering the level of investment schools often put into new flooring, it's surprising just how often insufficient resources are allocated into maintaining floor coverings. Whether your school has new floor coverings or you are responsible for maintaining old, the good news is that it can be simple and cost effective to have the correct cleaning regime in place. Here are some straightforward ways to get the best from your cleaning regime
Wash it away
The most common problem is dirty swirls that remain visible on the floor after cleaning. Alkaline cleaners such as Altroclean 44 are really good at lifting grime from the surface of the material, but too often the cleaning chemicals are left to dry on the surface without being properly rinsed. This can, over a period of time, lead to surface staining. Usually these stains are of a similar colour to the neat cleaner that has been used.
Always remember to rinse properly with clean water once the cleaning solution has done its job. After all, when you shampoo your car you always wash it down to remove the residue.
The right tools
If the floor area is large enough, it is advisable to budget for the purchase of some equipment. A slow speed, high torque scrubbing machine is ideal for all surfaces and will last a lifetime. These machines can be used on all types of floors as different pads can easily be attached with velcro. On safety floors a green synthetic pad works best. This can be changed to nylon brushes for use with Altro Marine safety flooring or sports floors. Never go to black pads as these are the most abrasive.
A wet vacuum is also a must because of the time it will save when a floor needs to be rinsed and dried.
Don't let it in
Areas subjected to high traffic, such as a school corridor, would benefit from barrier matting at outdoor entrances as approximately 80% of all dust and dirt in a building is carried in on people's shoes.
Colourful choice
Of course, if your school is looking to invest in new flooring, the best solution is to use design to minimise ongoing cleaning requirements. Choice of colour is very important, and here common sense should prevail. We have all seen white flooring installed in a high traffic corridor - unless you have a fantastic cleaning regime, it's not a pretty sight. Choose a colour that will not show up the daily wear and tear.
Modern safety flooring combines all of the practical performance benefits such as slip resistance and ease of cleaning with a huge range of colours and finishes, so there's no need to compromise.
New Altro Mirica is an innovative range of safety flooring developed to retain its attractive appearance, even in high traffic areas. Its modern patterned look is designed to minimise the visibility of scuffing and soiling between daily cleaning. With slip resistance meeting HSE standards, Mirica is ideal for use in busy areas such as corridors within schools and colleges, and any other areas where a safe, durable surface is required. It will withstand daily wear and tear, providing excellent resistance to scuffing, staining and impact.
Easy to clean and designed with appearance retention in mind, we hope that Altro Mirica will help to keep floors in schools looking good for many years to come.
For every type of floor, Altro produces a cleaning card giving the step by step instructions required for the successful cleaning and maintenance needed, including the telephone numbers for suppliers of equipment. Follow these guidelines and use the correct equipment to keep your floors in tip top condition.
For further information on Mirica and Altro's full portfolio of interior surfaces, call 0800 018 2960 or visit http://www.altro.com/
