Carpet Cleaning: Heavy and Severe Traffic Areas

Cleaning is paramount for keeping the carpet in your facility looking fresh and fulfilling its useful life. It can be confusing to know which cleaning needs to be done, and when, in your facility, but the Carpet and Rug Institute is here to help.

We have some tips for cleaning the severe and heavy traffic areas at your office or facility. Foot traffic wears on carpet and can grind in dirt, therefore higher traffic areas need more attention.

Here are our tips with some added info from CRI:

Vacuuming

All areas need to be vacuumed with a commercial grade vacuum cleaner on a daily basis. Consider using a pile lifter monthly.  

Vacuuming is the most important and simplest cleaning technique that needs to be done daily. CRI’s Seal of Approval program certifies vacuums on their ability to affectively remove soil that can damage carpet fibers.

Check out our list of SOA-certified vacuums.

Spot Cleaning

All areas need to be spot cleaned as needed by a trained professional using proper techniques to insure the use of proper chemicals, agitation, and rinsing. Standard procedures do not require pre-spotting, rather the carpet should be cleaned normally, then spots cleaned after, if residue remains. 

Removing spots immediately as they occur is the best way to keep the stain from recurring. Use a Seal of Approval-certified cleaning solution for best results.

Interim Maintenance Cleaning

Carpet needs to be cleaned on a weekly basis using a low-moisture encapsulation cleaning system. 

Interim maintenance is the cleaning in between vacuuming and deep cleaning. Its goal is to refresh the look of carpet by removing surface soil. Interim maintenance is pertinent in any cleaning strategy and will extend the life of carpet in your facility.

Deep Cleaning

This should be performed on a monthly basis for severe traffic areas and quarterly basis for heavy traffic areas to remove any residues, to remove deeply embedded soil, refresh the texture of the carpet and for overall indoor air quality.

Deep cleaning needs to be regularly performed to remove dirt that is deeply embedded in your facility’s carpet. Deep cleaning will also refresh the look of carpet to make it look new.

Following these tips will keep the carpet in your facility or office looking clean and fresh while also making it fulfill its useful life.