Cleaning Your Lobby

July 17th, 2013 • BY

It might be hard to imagine, but years ago building lobbies were actually quite rare. It was not uncommon for many facilities—including hospitals, apartment buildings, and schools—to simply have an entryway connected to hallways.

 

However, today most public facilities have some type of lobby or “welcome area,” and usually they are considered the first—and often lasting— impression visitors have of a facility.

 

Because of their high visibility and because they typically receive the greatest amount of foot traffic in the facility, lobby floors deserve and require top-notch cleaning and maintenance.

 

That’s why the following Powr-Flite Floor Care Troubleshooter deals specifically with suggestions on the cleaning and maintenance of lobby floors. Established more than 40 years ago, Powr-Flite manufactures a full line of floor-care equipment and carpet extractors for the professional cleaning industry. Based in Fort Worth, TX, the company has over 20 patented designs and its products are recognized throughout the world for their innovation, durability, quality and performance. Their products are marketed directly to end-use customers as well as through distributors throughout the North America, Europe and the Far East.

“Lobby floors are actually transition points between streets and parking lots,” says Mike Englund, a custodial trainer and floor care expert at Powr-Flite, makers of professional floor care equipment.

“Because of this, keeping lobby floors clean prevents outdoor soils from being tracked into other areas of the building.”

To that end, the first thing Englund suggests is installing 10 feet to 15 feet of matting at the building entry.

He also suggests that outdoor areas such as sidewalks be swept and pressure washed on a regular basis. “The goal is to remove as much outside soil as possible so less has a chance to come inside.”

His other suggestions include the following:

• Vacuum entry matting throughout the day.

• Dust mop, damp mop, and/or vacuum lobby floors throughout the day.

• Vacuum entry matting throughout the day.

• Dust mop, damp mop, and/or vacuum lobby floors throughout the day.

• Perform heavy wet-cleaning—using a neutral detergent to protect the floor’s finish—after business hours each day.

• Using a restorer, buff or burnish lobby floors daily; this removes scuff marks and rejuvenates the floor’s finish.

• An automatic scrubber should also be brought in,” adds Englund. “How often will depend on foot traffic and the condition of the floor, but regular cleaning with an automatic scrubber can help reduce refinishing cycles, making it a major cost savings help reduce cleaning’s impact on the environment as well.”

For info: Powr-Flite, Gary Pelphrey, Marketing Director