Cleaning Maintenance Analysis

Our comprehensive analytical approach is described in a general manner in the following presentation material.

AllMighty Clean is dedicated to partnering with our clients to help them attain the best floor maintenance possible. We realize that all facilities are different and therefore our approach requires an initial analysis and individualized maintenance proposal. It is our opinion that proper floor maintenance promotes a professional atmosphere and equally important a healthy work environment.

A quick visit to the EPA’s web site (www.epa.gov/iaq/pubs/sbs.html) will begin an education into sick building syndrome (SBS). Proper floor maintenance is a major contributor to reducing SBS. It is commonly understood that healthy employees are productive and happy, a very good combination. Along with good ventilation, floor maintenance will help to remove dust, pollen and other allergens and toxins that build up inside of buildings creating indoor air pollution. Removing these offensive particles will greatly improve indoor air quality and decrease the risk of SBS.

Carpeting is a good choice in the work place for a variety of reasons, warmth, comfort, acoustic dampening and cushioning for our feet. It also helps to defer cleaning and maintenance costs. Unlike hard surfaces carpet will trap and hold a great amount of particulate. Studies have proven this trapping ability actually holds toxins and allergens thus keeping them from floating in air currents around your facilities and being breathed in by employees. Hard flooring does not possess this trapping quality and therefore requires cleaning much more often.

It is important to note that prior to the point of complete soil saturation carpet should be cleaned. When it reaches saturation it is no longer an effective trapping mechanism and will actually be more susceptible to irreversible damage. Various properties of trapped particulate can cause non-reversible abrasion if allowed to accumulate to carpet saturation. A prudent approach to maintenance balances employee health, flooring investment, budget, and facilities appearance as its major considerations.

It is a well known fact that people judge us by our appearance. Naturally our clients also judge us by the appearance of our facilities. Therefore, AllMighty Clean emphasizes a proper approach to maintenance using a seven step system. The following system allows us to customize our approach to your floor maintenance. Our seven step carpet maintenance system includes recommendations, products and services.

Our Cleaning Maintenance Analysis is the first step to creating our individualized floor care proposal. At AllMighty Clean we are carpet, tile and furniture cleaning specialists. Our deep cleaning services complement your in-house cleaning or contracted janitorial staff. Therefore, we hope to create an environment of cooperation among all of your dedicated cleaning staff. As a specialist we hope to provide education and advice to extend the life of your flooring. In addition as previously stated we want to help you maintain a professional appearance and healthy workplace.

AllMighty Cleans’ Seven Step Carpet Maintenance System

1. Dirt Containment
2. Dry Soil Removal
3. Spot Removal
4. Interim Maintenance
5. Deep Cleaning
6. In-house Staff Training
7. Scheduling/Periodic Review

Dirt Containment

Dirt containment requires effective barrier systems including exterior sweeping and walk-off matting as essential first lines of defense in an effective carpet maintenance system. Tracked-in soils present threats to both carpeting and health. Some are allergens. Some are tacky and attract more soils. And some are quite abrasive.

Debris that collects outside building entrances will find its way inside if allowed to build up. Keeping all entrance areas swept is a simple and easy way to reduce the soil load inside of buildings.

Oil on greasy parking lots adheres to shoe leather then transfers to carpet pile, especially in high-traffic and shoe-pivot areas. Once transferred, the gummy consistency collects additional soils. In addition, asphalt residues tracked onto carpet create a "yellowing/browning" condition that is difficult if not impossible to remove especially on olefin carpet. Walk-off mats reduce these threats and help keep carpet clean longer.

Grit a significant threat to carpet’s appearance over the long run coats all external surfaces in great abundance. The reason is this substance; a microscopic rock has many sharp, jagged, cutting edges. Tiny as it is, it scratches, gouges, and grinds carpet pile yarn, especially under body weight and shoe leather. Over time, when grit is tracked in, it abrades pile yarn’s polished finish, causing carpeting to appear dull and unattractive, and causing yarn damage that cleaning cannot repair. Exterior sweeping and properly maintained walk-off mats will greatly reduce the grit threat.

Dry Soil Removal

Dry soil removal is accomplished through vacuuming. Proper, frequent vacuuming is important for a variety of reasons: Particulate soils should be captured before they filter down below the carpet’s surface where they are much more difficult to remove. Particulate soils that accumulate at the carpet backing contribute to future surface-soiling problems because they tend to wick to the surface after interim maintenance cleaning. Careful vacuuming helps to control the accumulation of yarn-damaging grit.

A variety of safe and effective vacuuming tools are available. The most common problems with dry soil removal relate to inadequate vacuum maintenance. These problems include 1) vacuum heads not set to the proper level, 2) belts in need of replacement, and 3) vacuum bags that are nearly or completely filled and as a consequence the vacuum’s effectiveness is dramatically reduced.

In addition, facilities cleaning staff often haven’t been taught how to vacuum properly and are often expected to vacuum too much carpeting in too little time. The end result is that carpeting is not vacuumed properly and only visible debris is removed

Spot Removal

The most common complaints about spots on carpeting are “We remove the spot, but they keep coming back,” and “The spot won’t come out.” Why do spots reappear? Frequently the substance that causes the spot penetrates all the way to the carpet backing but only the surface is cleaned. Consequently, the substance below the surface wicks back after cleaning. The other reason is that the spotting chemical leaves behind a soil-attracting residue that is not rinsed away. Left in the carpet, it attracts soil and becomes a dirty spot.

Why don’t all spots come out? Some seemingly un-removable spots can be removed if the right chemical is used. Different spots require different spot-removal agents. Another reason is that spots are permitted to remain in carpeting too long and bond with the fiber. Spots should be removed as soon as possible after they occur. Finally, some beverages can dye some types of carpeting. Removal of these spots involves the use of special cleaning agents and should only be attempted by specially trained technicians. The solution to spotting problems require:
• a regular, scheduled spot removal program
• the use of proper spotting procedures and products
• a designated carpet spot removal specialist with special training to tackle tough-to-remove spots

Interim Maintenance

Carpet in high-traffic areas must be cleaned more frequently. Otherwise, the buildup of damaging soils will abrade the fibers and leave permanent, ugly traffic patterns. Proper traffic-area maintenance can increase carpet life by up to 50 percent. This, in turn, will greatly reduce carpet-replacement costs. Frequent cleaning of high-traffic areas, using a cleaning method that removes not just surface soil but also the grit that builds up beneath the surface and causes premature wear is an integral part of an effective carpet maintenance program.

Deep Cleaning

The objective of most carpet cleaning methods is merely to improve appearance. They clean one dimension, the surface. Because surface cleaning cannot deep clean and rinse, it leaves embedded soils and chemical residues behind. Over time these substances build up until the carpet is compacted with filth from surface to backing. The result is rapid re-soiling and a steady decline in appearance.

Periodic deep cleaning is needed to prolong carpet life. AllMighty Cleans’ High-Flow Extraction is designed to clean all three dimensions of the carpet: the surface, between the fibers, and all the way down to the backing. It removes both imbedded soils and chemical residues simply and easily.

A word about cleaning chemicals

All three steps examined in this analysis require effective cleaning chemicals. Most chemicals used in facilities carpet maintenance leave behind a soil-attracting residue. This "dirt magnet" results in rapid re-soiling. Moreover, extensive tests conducted by Shaw Industries have show that many of these chemicals don't even clean well. Sometimes not any better than plain water. Safe, effective, free-rinsing cleaning products are available that clean well and leave no harmful residue behind. High quality water is also a key to effective emulsification. Good chemistry is an integral part of any effective system.

In-House Staff Training

The effectiveness of every cleaning tool or process is dependent upon the skill and know-how of the operator. An effective system requires in-service training both at the time of implementation of CMA and periodically thereafter as new designated staff are brought onboard. Too often training is neglected by cleaning contractors and facilities managers alike. This is a mistake with potentially huge consequences in lost productivity. It is critical that sufficient time be set aside for in-service training.

An effective in-service training program will have at least five elements:

1. Explain the purpose of the tool or process, how it works, and how it fits into the overall carpet care system being implemented.

2. Demonstrate proper application of the tool or process.

3. All cleaning staff should have an opportunity for hands-on use of the tool or application of the process with an instructor present.

4. Equipment cleanup and maintenance. This is a very important but often neglected part of the training process. It should be a stand-alone part of the training.

5. “Bull” session at the end. Designated staff often will be reluctant to speak up or ask questions at first for fear of appearing “stupid.” By waiting until the end for a semiformal “bull” session, the instructor will have the opportunity to establish rapport with the staff and to observe the skills and limitations of the participants. Questions and input are more likely and answers more effective when time is set aside at the end of the training.

Scheduling/ Periodic Review

Dirt does not accumulate in carpet evenly. Certain identifiable areas such as entryways, food service areas, and areas adjacent to hard-surface floors will accumulate more soil more quickly. These areas typically constitute only about 20 percent of the overall carpet floor area, yet they account for up to 80 percent or more of the overall soil load.

Development of a maintenance schedule that strategically allocates resources to those areas that get dirty first and most will result in cleaner, more healthful facilities. In addition, it will enable budget conscious facility managers to increase productivity by maximizing the effectiveness of their staff’s cleaning efforts.

In addition a periodic review between facility managers designated In-House staff and cleaning contractors will help to streamline and customize efforts. Occasionally it will become clear that certain areas will require more resource allocation than expected and vice versa. Therefore, good lines of communications and a partnership approach between all involved entities should be encouraged.

Action Items

The AllMighty Clean seven step carpet maintenance system outlined above is a beginning point. Please contact our office if you would like a free no obligation analysis. One of our cleaning professionals will meet with you and create a customized analysis.