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Controlling soil outside your home can help keep dirt out to reduce Spring Cleaning. Sweep or use a blower on driveways, walkways and entry areas to prevent dust and grit from accumulating, and wash these surfaces periodically to remove oils and other contaminants that could be tracked inside on shoes. [Note: Ad or content links featured on this page are not necessarily affiliated with IICRC (The cleantrust) and should not be considered a recommendation or endorsement by IICRC (The cleantrust)].
Most importantly, place the right type and length of walk-off matting outside and inside exterior doors to stop dust, dirt and moisture from entering.
Why Matting
Effective walk-off mats can stop soil and dust at the door, and help keep cleaning, maintenance and other costs down. Absorbent mats also remove moisture from shoes and reduce the potential for slips-and-falls.
Most of the soil (up to 94%) in a home is tracked in, including abrasive particles that build up within a few feet of entries to homes. Once inside, this soil damages carpet fibers and degrades the appearance and life of floors. Fine dust from shoes adds airborne and resettling particulate to homes, lowering indoor air and environmental quality.
Making the Right Choices
The type of mat needed differs from outside to inside. For outside exterior doors, select bi-level, scraper mats to remove and trap soil, and for inside, choose smooth carpet-like mats to dry and wipe shoes. Choose high-quality mats even if they cost more initially because low-quality mats often do not perform as well or last as long, and can be a poor investment. Make sure mats are long enough to allow visitors to take several steps on them before entering; each successive footstep removes more soil that would otherwise enter your home.
Maintaining Mats Makes a Difference
The care and cleaning of walk-off mats is critical to maintaining their effectiveness. Mats should be swept, vacuumed, cleaned and replaced regularly - much more often than the flooring they are designed to protect - to keep trapping soil or moisture, especially during inclement weather. If excess soil or moisture accumulates, matting becomes overloaded and unable to perform, and begins releasing contaminants, defeating its purpose.
Locate a cleantrust-Certified professional or firm for cleaning and restoration services by consulting the directory at www.certifiedcleaners.org.
Source: The IICRC Reference Guide for Professional Carpet Cleaning (IICRC S100)
