Facilities Management: Floor & Rug Maintenance & Cleaning, HVAC Care

Are you a property manager who is responsible for the cleaning as well as the on-going maintenance of one or more commercial, residential or retail buildings? If so, you likely feel as if there is no end to the work that needs to be done to keep everything operating well and efficiently. Your job is multi-faceted, and includes on-going maintenance of facility systems, equipment and building repairs, as well as regular and speciality cleaning services.

Three services that are particularly important when it comes to both the health and comfort of residents, employees and tenants are the ongoing cleaning and maintenance of the following:

Floor cleaning and maintenance
Rug cleaning and maintenance
HVAC (heating and cooling systems, including ventilation)

Floor Maintenance Services from your Facility Maintenance Partner

Every type of hard-surface flooring requires specific care to maintain the original brightness and surface texture. Whether floors are vinyl, ceramic, marble, quarry, tile or other materials, there are products and techniques that not only clean properly, but prolong the life and vitality of such surfaces.

In addition to regular cleaning, maintenance often means stripping wax build up, or removing the build-up of oil on the floor of a factory in and around equipment. Other services include buffing floors back to their original state in order to create a more attractive working or retail environment.

Questions to ask your facility maintenance provider about floor maintenance: People often equate shininess with cleanliness — especially when it comes to floors. But maintaining a mirror-like finish can be a costly investment, as well as a liability for facility cleaning managers when these services are not done properly.

Floor cleaners, strippers, and various finishing products can mean the use harsh chemicals that lead to skin irritation, respiratory problems, or worse. Ask about the equipment and the products used, and insist on those that are “Green Seal Certified”.

Also, floor finishes that are shiny can be a slipping hazard. Enquire about finishing products that also meet the ASTM D-2047 requirement for slip resistance, which will increase safety for your employees, customers and guests.

Rug & Carpet Maintenance Services from your Facility Maintenance Partner

Similar to floor maintenance, there is nothing that says “well maintained” more than rugs and/or carpets in a facility that are clean and in good condition. But maintenance in buildings across North America can be particularly challenging, with our harsh winters that means tracking in water and “de-icing” salt. All year, but especially during winter, carpeted areas in your facilities require regular vacuuming in addition to deep carpet cleaning.

Most importantly, you want to ensure your cleaning uses the highest quality, environmentally friendly products and advanced cleaning methods that preserve the bright appearance, colour and lifespan of your carpet. Safe and non-toxic is key! There are, for example, LEED compliant vacuums, with a HEPA system or that have HEPA filters. Such industry-approved machines are also CRI certified, which means they have passed independent laboratory tests for soil removal, dust containment, and “surface appearance change”, meaning that use of the equipment won’t affect the texture of the pile with normal use.

Questions to ask your commercial cleaning company about rug maintenance and cleaning: Make sure the cleaning materials for carpet care are meeting sustainability criteria. Check that the products used are Green Seal Certified and ask about the equipment used, especially the filters. Also, product and equipment use are only as good (and safe) as the training staff receive. Find out how staff are trained, and what programs are in place for quality control.

Why is HVAC maintenance essential for healthy, comfortable “conditioned” air?

A building’s Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) system provides “conditioned” air to occupied spaces within each of your facilities. Conditioned air means that the air has had its temperature, humidity and purity altered (in a positive way) to meet specific environmental requirements for the comfort, health and safety of occupants. Common to occupational health and safety legislation in Canada and the United States is a clause that states that an employer must provide a safe and healthy workplace. Thus, making sure the air is of good quality is the employer’s duty. The Government of Canada has prepared a number of publications on air quality.

The above means that as a property manager, you don’t want any part of your HVAC system to operate at less than optimal performance. When HVAC systems aren’t working well, they can become a breeding ground for dust, pollen, bacteria, and a host of other pollutants. The duct-work alone, if left unchecked, can spew filthy air and contaminants into rooms, which can even cause respiratory issues.

Many issues (like dirty ducts) cannot be easily seen except through regular inspection services. For example, let’s say your HVAC unit is slowly leaking water. Before long, mold, mildew, and fungi start to form. Mold in any commercial property should always be taken seriously. Even minimal exposure to spores can create serious health problems for visitors, clients and employees.

A properly maintained system by a trusted other hand, not only enhances air quality. Regular cleaning means overall increased efficiency, that is, more consistent performance, lower operating costs, and overall extension of the overall lifespan of the HVAC system. HVAC maintenance services in general should include:

Inspecting, cleaning and/or replacing filters
In addition to filters, removal of dust and debris from areas, i.e., on blowers, condensing units, and in other areas inside the unit.
Visual inspection, such as looking for issues such as water leaks (mentioned above) as well as looking for electrical issues such as frayed and damaged wires.
Checking various parts such as the condensate drain in the air condition and heat pump (to make sure it’s free of clogs and debris), the fuel lines and connections, exhaust outlets, temperature controls, and refrigerant levels.

Question to ask your commercial cleaning about HVAC maintenance: Make sure the company is using HEPA filtration systems, which stand for High-Efficiency Particle Air filtration. Such systems are designed to capture at least 99.97 percent of fine airborne particles larger than at least 0.3 micrometre (0.00001 inch; 1 micrometre = 10⁻⁶ metre)—that is, a very tiny size at a very efficient rate.

Additional cleaning and maintenance services are available

In addition to the above 3 services, complete Custodial Care/Facilities Maintenance at a commercial cleaning company such as Kleenway includes a variety of what are sometimes referred to as sub services. These are just 3 of the many to ask about when selecting a commercial cleaning and facilities maintenance partner. Others include: