Caring for a facility starts from the ground up — beginning with flooring. Proper floor care decreases the risk of slips, trips, and falls. It prevents dirt and grime buildup that can wear down floors and make them look dull. And yet some property managers skip budgeting for floor care altogether. What are some reasons for this?
Brooks Morgan, application expert for Diversey Holdings, Ltd., believes it’s a result of not being aware of the cost associated with — or the cost of skipping — a good floor care program.
“An awareness of the cost comes from understanding not only the floor or substrate you are applying to, but also the finish and maintenance program you are working with,” Morgan says. “There are a lot of contributing factors to a good floor care program. Understanding the product, equipment, and labor is crucial.”
The Cost of Attention to Detail
The right approach to floor care can be misinterpreted, creating breaks in procedure. As a result, more managers skip the right approach to floor care, leading to long-term impacts on companies’ reputation and customer experience.
“We see this unfortunately too often — a contractor or cleaner comes in on a new account, does really well, and then everything changes,” Morgan says. “Floor care is usually the first to take the hit. Cost of product, labor, shortcuts, and ‘good enough’ mentalities lead to an overall drop in cleanliness.”
When this happens, customer complaints often focus on floors, especially in restrooms. This leaves a lasting, visible impression on a contract cleaner’s ability and services, one that can be difficult to recover from.
“A good floor care program does not cost more money, but it does cost more attention to detail,” Morgan says. “Having a standard operating procedure helps this from happening and will reinforce the process.”
Neglected floor care can also impact employee morale and productivity. When floors look bad, it can “seem like a drag” to work on them, Morgan says, sharing observations from employee training.
“Having a well-maintained floor helps keep morale up and the vision of keeping clean much easier,” he says. The adage “dress for success” applies well here. “Our floors are our ‘dress.’ When the floors look sharp, shiny, and clean, the whole building appears that way and so do the people cleaning them!” Morgan says.
How Floor Care Affects Sustainability
In recent years, Morgan’s employer, Diversey, has increased its focus on sustainability. So how does floor care factor into environmental impact? “Less stripping [and] finishing allows for less [volatile organic compounds, or VOCs] in the air, making for a safer environment for children and adults as well as workers,” Morgan says. “Using sustainable pads that remove the need for harsh chemicals and allow floors to last longer between recoating is another benefit.” Programs like Healthy Green Schools & Colleges ( HGSC) or Greenguard also provide contract cleaners with resources to confirm their work is in line with improving the environment and safety of others.
When the Risk Is Costlier Than the Care
The consequences of skipping floor care aren’t just theoretical. Morgan recalls working with a company that faced significant consequences when deterred by cost.
A company used traditional strippers that were neither OSHA compliant nor safe for disposal according to the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). As sought a better solution, the recommended option was too expensive and ultimately turned down. In the long run, however, the risk was more costly.
“Due to high pH levels, the location was fined and cost much more than switching to a safer and better product,” Morgan says. “This not only cost them more money to strip, but also cost them labor due to the product not working as suggested.”
Though sticker shock is real, Morgan emphasizes the importance of looking beyond price when choosing the best floor cleaning products. “So many times, products are picked solely on price. However, when everything breaks down, often the more expensive product works and ultimately becomes the less expensive product, time and all.”
How Robotics Can Support Floor Cleaning
Looking ahead, Morgan sees robots as one of the big innovations in floor care that companies should consider. “But you need to understand the robot. It is not just ‘turn on and let go,’” he says. “Understand the planning needed and the end result of cleaning robotics. Use the robot the right way and you can have a very sustainable floor care program and building. Robots are the future in floor care applications and busy work.”