Five Steps to Keeping Floors Clean in Bad Weather

In an article by Cintas Corp, five simple steps are provided for cleaning and maintaining restaurant floors during the cold and inclement months.

A recent Harris Poll indicated that 68% of restaurant patrons would not return to a restaurant with dirty floors.

"From ice melt to gravel, patrons track several different types of soil into a restaurant," said Brian Garry, Senior Director of Foodservice, Cintas. "This can result in unsightly residue lines, scratches to floor finish and other issues that shorten the life of the floor. By taking steps to protect, maintain and deep clean floor surfaces, restaurants can limit permanent damage and keep floors looking good throughout the winter."

To protect floors from the assault of winter weather, Cintas suggests restaurants take the following steps:

1. Roll out the traffic mats. Stop dirt and debris from entering the building at the door. With a dual floor mat system in place, a rubber scraper mat outside your facility effectively removes soil from the shoe surface, while carpet mats in the entryway capture any residual dirt or soil.

During winter, a restaurant should also increase the number of traffic mats used. Place traffic mats in high traffic areas, such as in the walkway from the kitchen to front of house, throughout corridors leading to restrooms, and in front of the order counter or bar. This will help reduce wear patterns, limit the potential for slips and falls and prevent puddles of water from forming.

2. Dedicate a staff member to mop frequently. Dedicate one staff member each shift to the task of regularly wet mopping entryway areas and other floor surfaces throughout the restaurant. This can help reduce the accumulation of water and remove salt lines from ice melt. Determine cleaning frequency by traffic flow and weather severity. For example, heavy snow will likely result in increased water accumulation, so floors should be mopped more often during this period.

3. Regularly replace cleaning tools and cleaning solutions. As floors become dirtier, so will the cleaning tools. To keep floors looking their best during the winter, change out the solutions in mop buckets and rinse and launder mop heads more frequently.

The type of cleaning chemicals used will also have an impact on the soil removal and efficacy of the floor care program. Make sure chemicals will effectively remove salt residue while also cleaning the floor surface.

4. Schedule regular deep cleanings. In the winter it is very important to increase deep cleaning frequency to prevent harmful substances from corroding hard floor surfaces or discolored carpet surfaces. According to ISSA, one square yard of commercial carpeting captures one pound of dirt per week - twice as much in inclement weather. By effectively flushing out dirt and debris tracked into the facility, restaurants can substantially improve the appearance of floors with a regular deep cleaning program.

5. Ensure staff members are onboard. To keep staff aware of potential floor care issues, make sure each staff member is properly trained and understands the correct processes for cleaning floors. In addition to providing education on the proper technique, it is equally important to educate staff as to why keeping floors clean in the winter is important. If necessary, engage assistance with incentive programs. This increases the opportunity for full participation.