The cost of removing dirt: how much money do you lose with filthy floors?

Where would you spend $600? Rent? A laptop? Well, $600 is the estimated cost for removing a single pound of dirt trekked into a building, which amounts to over $30,000 in annual cleaning costs. Excessive dirt can permanently damage floors, greatly increase risk of slip and fall accidents, and contribute to poor indoor air quality.

The following illustrates the gritty truth behind removing dirt accumulation:

• In one week, one square yard of carpet can accumulate one pound of dirt (in bad weather, the amount is doubled).
• It takes 150 people entering a facility in a five-day work week to track in 1 lb of dirt.
• U.S. Green Building Institute recommends 10-15 feet of entrance mats to catch as much as 85% to 95% of contaminants.

One way to combat grime and keep it clean is to adopt a multi-pronged approach to floor management.

It’s a blizzard and your winter boots are caked with snow, dirt, and slush. Tracking in snow leaves dirty and slippery floors, inconveniences those around you, and creates maintenance issues for staff members. Try out an outdoor scraper mat for removing dirt.

SuperScrape Impressions Logo Mat

Scraper mats have a rough scraping surface to entrap mud and large dirt particles from being tracked inside buildings. These mats provide aggressive scraping action and encase dirt and debris in the recessed areas until the mats are cleaned. Scraper mats can be used outside or inside and should be used in conjunction with a scraper/wiper mat and a wiper mat.

Waterhog Eco Elite Scraper-Wiper Mat

For a 2-in-1 dirt combo, the scraper/wiper mats will eliminate dirt from every angle. This is the most important mat of the system. The mats are made from extra tough fabrics that absorb moisture in the open face. They channel and retain dirt in the recessed grooves while capturing dirt and moisture.  These mats are primarily used inside but can also be used outside as well.

Enviro Plus

Lastly, there are the wiper entrance mats designed to stop remaining dust and moisture left after using the scraper mat and scraper/wiper mat. These mats are made with carpet facing to complement most interiors, and are made for indoor use.

There is no need to consider spending exorbitant amounts on dirt removal services. Expertly designed mats will ensure that your home or building always has a clean slate.

*Disclaimer: Facts and statistics were derived from the Andersen Company's video channel.