Autumn has officially begun, which means we can expect to see a little bit more inclement weather coming our way… so now’s the time to think about how best to go about keeping your homes and offices clean and tidy in the face of increasing amounts of dirt and grime being trodden through living and working spaces.
Firstly, keeping your outside areas as clean as you can is wise, because it means that less debris will be brought inside on the bottoms of shoes or blown in when doors are opened. It will also make it safer for people to approach buildings, as driveways and paved areas won’t be slippery and treacherous.
Investing in a good quality doormat is a good idea, as it means that people have the opportunity to wipe their feet before they go inside, leaving any muck and mud outside where it belongs – which will, again, make it easier for you to clean interior spaces.
As for the cleaning itself, it will depend on what sort of floor coverings you have as to which hygiene strategy would be the most effective one to follow.
For carpeted areas, consider washing these every three months or so using a carpet shampoo machine – but always check that the detergent you use is compatible with the material, or you could cause more problems than you solve.
If you have hardwood flooring, always go around with a vacuum cleaner before you mop, so you can pick up any dirt and debris that may have been tracked through on people’s shoes.
This will also help prevent any grit from scratching the wood, which can be difficult to sort out. Also consider using a steam mop for a really deep clean if the floors start to look a little bit on the lacklustre side.
You don’t always have to use a wet mop and you can really create hygienic living and working environments with dry mopping in between deeper cleans. These are reusable, so eco-friendly at the same time and it can be quicker to get the job done, as mop heads are often bigger than wet mops.
Prevention can be better than cure and if you are really worried about how your flooring will weather the storm of autumn and winter, you could consider investing in something like a floor protection product. You can buy these for both carpet and wood flooring, so you can protect all parts of the office or home.
The film is very quick and easy to lay down and provides up to 45 days of protection, so ideal for this time of year. All you need to do is peel it up afterwards, once the bad weather has passed us by. No residue is left behind so your flooring will always look good, no matter what happens.