Is your office carpet looking a bit dingy or discolored? Has a strange smell developed in your office? Does it seem like allergy season never ends at your workplace? These are all signs that it is probably time to clean the carpets in your office.
The cleanliness and general appearance of your office reflect your business. Dirty carpets can tarnish your business’s reputation and negatively impact customer experiences.
On the other hand, a clean, welcoming, and well-maintained office can show customers and clients how much your business values attention to detail and cleanliness. This may seem like a small thing, but it can significantly impact your business and even the health of everyone in the office.
Most offices do a yearly cleaning but may not think about cleaning the office carpet between the annual event. That might be okay for some offices, but many businesses require more frequent carpet cleaning. Depending on the amount of traffic, the type of business, and the carpet style in your office, you may realize your office carpets need more frequent cleaning.
Here are four signs it’s time to have your office carpets professionally cleaned, along with some general recommendations for different types of businesses.
Stains
Stains happen. Whether food or beverages are spilled, or a person tracks muck into the office on their shoe, it is a fact that carpets will get dirty and possibly stain. In some cases, a quick spot clean when the stain appears can get rid of the problem. However, the longer a stain sits, the more likely it is to become difficult to remove and require professional attention.
A preventative maintenance regimen that includes regular vacuuming and spot cleaning can help keep your carpets looking great. Still, eventually, stains become so apparent that it is best for the aesthetic of your business to have the office carpet commercially cleaned.
Smell
Not all stains are obvious or readily visible, and many commercial carpets used in offices are designed to hide everyday dirt. While this can be a good thing, it also means that a carpet that appears clean can be the source of unpleasant odors if it is not kept clean.
Carpet is a textile product, and most textiles absorb odors. So if your office sees lots of foot traffic, it’s not just the dirt tracked inside but also the smells accompanying the many people walking around your office.
A musky or damp smell is often a sign of mold and mildew, which can lead to many serious issues for the safety and structure of your office and the health of those working and visiting the office. Odors can also be signs that harmful residues have been absorbed. Often, residue sinks into the layers underneath the carpet and can lead to more extensive and expensive damage.
As soon as a smell is noticeable, it is important to immediately call a professional cleaner to help resolve the problem.
Allergy Symptoms
Are multiple people in the office sniffling or experiencing allergy symptoms for an extended period? It may be hay fever, other common allergies, or a reaction to allergens that have accumulated on the office carpet.
In addition to improving the appearance of your office, clean carpets can also improve the air quality in the office. Vacuuming a couple of times a week can eliminate a lot of allergens, but some can be left behind and get caught in the carpet until a deeper clean is performed.
Having your office carpets cleaned multiple times a year can help prevent seasonal allergies from outstaying their welcome.
Salt from Snow and Ice
If you live in a place with lots of snow, you are probably familiar with how road salt seems to get everywhere during the winter. Using salt melts snow and ice on the road and sidewalks and makes it less likely to slip or slide on the ice, but it can cause quite a bit of damage when it is tracked inside.
Not only does road salt leave a white, flaky residue, but it also causes the carpet to break down or deteriorate faster than normal. And since it tends to get ground down deep into the carpet as people walk, it can be tricky to remove, even with a vacuum.
Spring cleaning is a great time to have your office carpets professionally cleaned to ensure that all of the road salt is removed from your carpet after the snow has stopped falling.
Type of Business
Some businesses must follow specific regulations when cleaning and maintaining the office, including carpet cleaning. This is a general rule, so there may be exceptions for your office and specific circumstances.
For example, many childcare or assisted living centers contract for professional carpet cleaning every month, while most restaurants have carpets professionally cleaned two to three times a year.
Regarding office buildings, there can be quite a disparity between how often you should clean your carpets. If the office is on the ground floor, it probably means you need more frequent cleaning than an office on a higher floor.
The type of traffic in your office can also affect cleaning schedules. An office that offers services to industrial workers or mechanics may see more dirt and oil tracked onto the carpets and need a deeper and more frequent cleaning than an office that operates as a call center.
Areas of Traffic
It may not be necessary to have the entire office professionally cleaned every single time you schedule a carpet cleaning. Some areas just naturally see more traffic and will become dirtier faster than others.
Any common areas (like waiting rooms and break rooms) or pathways that are frequently traveled (like the hallway to the restrooms) may need to be cleaned more regularly than smaller offices or cubicle spaces.
Commercial Carpet Cleaning With Town and Country Office Cleaning
Don’t wait for any of these signs to have your office carpet cleaned — call Town and Country Office Cleaning to schedule your professional cleaning from Utah’s premier office building services!
