Effective matting alone can save approximately 200 hours of labour per year according to (Mr Don Aslett, Americas #1 Cleaning Expert), however, if your floor mats are to do their job effectively every so often they will need to be cleaned. With the outbreak of COVID-19, entrance mats have become even more important to keep offices, healthcare facilities and schools clean, while they also allow you to share important messages about social distancing right at the front door.
So what’s the best and easiest way to keep your entrance mats sparkling?
The build-up of tough dirt, grit and debris trapped in your mats pile will need to be removed, so we’ve put together 6 helpful tips to do this and give your matting a step in the right direction!
Tips to Keep Your Entrance Mats Gleaming
1 – Washing Machine
For those mats that are washable, there are two options. The first is to machine wash in a domestic or commercial washing machine and the second is to hose and dry, the latter being the most practical, easiest and not to mention the cheapest option.
To find out if your entrance matting is washable we always recommend double-checking with your mat supplier or referring to the cleaning instructions, checking a – if the item is washable and b – the weight of the product.
2 – Wet And Dry Vacuum Cleaners
Following on from tip 1, again for this tip always check with your supplier if the product is washable. This option may be more geared towards commercial and industrial locations as this type of cleaner is not often readily available, but by all means, if you have one at home use it! Most have a powerful motor that will pick up and collect most of the hidden dirt and debris trapped, they then wet and dry the carpeted pile to leave it clean.
3 – Carpet Cleaner
Again this may be a product that most businesses may have on-site and even some households. The carpet cleaner provides a deep-down clean and extraction of dirt. Similar to the wet and dry vacuum in tip 2, the carpet cleaner provides a superb wet pick up and then dries out your matting, ideal for indoor entrance mats.
4 – Vacuum
A daily vacuum is ideal for the maintenance of your mats and may suffice long term for areas with low to medium foot traffic. However, for areas with heavy foot traffic eventually, you will need to carry out a deeper clean that tips 1, 2, and 3 discuss.
5 – Damp Cloth Wash Or Mop
This tip is most suitable for rubber mats, especially those placed in kitchens and bars. When daily cleaning is carried out simply mop over or damp wipe the mats at the same time. Again check with your supplier what chemicals can be used and that it won’t damage or break down the rubber. Alternatively, as tip 1 points out you can simply take the items outside and hose them down and hang them to dry which is similar to the damp cloth/ mop down.
6 – Shake Out the Mat
This tip is geared towards general daily maintenance and works well for areas with light foot traffic. It co in-sided well with tip 4, so once shaken a quick vacuum will give carpeted mats a refresh and leave the pile plusher and fuller. When shaking your mat out, take it well away from your entry area and shake well on grass or any area that won’t leave the trapped debris on the floor outside your building.
Those six tips should help you maintain your entrance mats and leave them in great condition so that you make a good impression on any of your visitors.
Cleaning Entrance Mats for Homes
Domestic entrance mats could be popped into your washing machine, however, if the weight is not checked properly and the mat is too heavy, it could damage your washer, especially if it’s a runner mat with exceptionally long dimensions!
A popular mat for homes that you can wash easily is dirt trapper mats. Made in sizes that fit most household doorways and washing machines, this practical item is 100% cotton and again has nitrile rubber as a backing so it’s a safe, easy product to maintain. It’s also 100% cotton so like a towel it improves the more you clean it. They are usually tumble dry safe so can easily be popped into your tumble dryer.
If you’d rather just avoid washing machine machines full stop, opting for hose and dry is safe and extremely easy. Pick a dry day and get hosing then simply hang your mat to dry.
Tidy Entrance Matting for Businesses
For commercial and industrial locations again if you choose the washing machine option with the sizes of the products generally being bigger than domestic, we would recommend a commercial laundry or dry cleaners, but again the easiest option is for cleaners/ maintenance to simply hose and dry which can usually be done in one day and the mats back down working for you immediately. This is also a really effective method of cleaning for kitchen mats, bar mats and rubber outdoor entrance mats that are more than often placed outdoors.
Mats with your logo on are available for commercial entrances so if you choose to purchase from Mats Nationwide, you will want to leave a great first impression by keeping it in immaculate condition!
If you are reading this post and have not yet ordered a mat a useful tip is that most nitrile rubber backed and bordered mats are washable as opposed to PVC, but again always check with your supplier as the carpet pile again could pose potential washing disasters if not machine friendly!
Contact us
If you have any questions for us about what entrance mats are going to suit your needs, get in touch and we will be happy to help!
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