Entrance matting starts to collect dirt from the moment it’s installed – that’s what it’s there for! But to keep your mat working to its fullest capacity, you need to start maintaining it from the very beginning. Vinyl and other Non-Textile Matting scrapes dirt and water from incoming foot traffic and traps it within the mat until it is removed by regular maintenance. Until you remove that dirt, it will start to build up and make your entrance mat less effective at stopping dirt at the door – so begin your maintenance program immediately!
We recommend the following guide as a basis for planning your matting maintenance program, but be sure to fine-tune it according to the specific needs of your facility:
It’s also important to make sure that maintaining other areas of your floor doesn’t adversely impact your matting! When waxing/polishing or otherwise using a floor machine on areas near your entrance mat, we recommend removing your entrance mat from the vicinity so that the entire area can be effectively cleaned. If your mat is so equipped, prevent contact between your mat’s vinyl edging and the moving parts of a rotary floor machine as contact will severely damage the mat’s edging over time and can even tear the edging right away from the mat’s backing!
Shaking/Beating/Vacuuming
Vinyl and Non-Textile Mats should be emptied of dirt and debris daily. We recommend the following steps:
- Flip the mat face-down on a hard surface and shake vigorously to remove loose dirt. For matting installed in a well, roll up the matting half-way and vacuum up dirt from within the well.
- For more stubborn dirt, run a vacuum beater bar across the backing to help loosen stuck debris.
- Flip the mat face-up and vacuum the surface to remove residual dirt.
- Ensure that the mat’s floor ‘footprint’ area is clean and free of dirt, dust, and debris to prevent the mat from ‘walking’. Allow the floor to fully dry after damp mopping to prevent the possible growth of mold and bacteria underneath the mat.
Spot Cleaning
Although Vinyl and Non-Textile Mats are more resistant to contaminants than textile matting, they’re not impervious – especially to chewing gum. We recommend spot cleaning as soon as possible to prevent permanent damage to your mat using the following steps:matting!
- Perform the daily maintenance recommended above under ‘Shaking/Beating/Vacuuming’.
- Apply a general purpose detergent or water-based degreaser to the spot to be cleaned and allow it to dwell for the recommended amount of time.
- Using a scrub brush, agitate the affected area until the contaminant is removed.
Rinse the mat well using clean warm water. Hang the mat vertically (avoiding sharp hooks) or drape over a rounded (not sharp-edged) surface and flush the mat until all the detergent has been rinsed away. Place the mat face-down and allow to dry fully before returning the mat to service.
Scrubbing & Pressure Washing
NEVER PRESSURE WASH MATS WITH INLAID LOGOS. DOING SO VOIDS YOUR WARRANTY.
Despite regular daily maintenance, over time dirt will accumulate down deep inside the matting that is very difficult to remove. On a monthly or quarterly basis (depending on your volume of foot traffic), we recommend deep cleaning your Vinyl and Non-Textile Mats using the following method:
- Perform the daily maintenance recommended above under ‘Shaking/Beating/Vacuuming’.
- Apply a general purpose detergent or water-based degreaser across the entire surface of the mat. Using a mop, spread the detergent to cover all areas of the mat and allow it to dwell for the recommended amount of time.
- Agitate the detergent using a bristle brush to scrub the surface of the mat thoroughly.
Rinse the mat well using a pressure washer and clean hot water. Hang the mat vertically (avoiding sharp hooks) or drape over a rounded (not sharp-edged) surface and flush the mat until all the detergent has been rinsed away. Place the mat face-down and allow to dry fully before returning the mat to service.
Don’t forget the floor underneath!
No mat is able to trap 100% of the dirt entering a building 100% of the time. This means that eventually some dirt will accumulate around the edges of the mat and usually end up being swept, brushed, or kicked underneath it. These dirt particles trapped between your hard floor and the mat backing can act like tiny ball bearings, allowing your mat to ‘walk’ in the same direction as foot traffic over time.
To prevent your mat from ‘walking’, lift and move the mat to vacuum and damp mop underneath it and to remove the dirt accumulation. This should be done as frequently as you maintain the rest of your hard flooring in this area. Removing this dirt will also help prevent damage to your hard flooring surface underneath. Ensure that you allow the floor to completely dry after damp mopping to prevent the potential growth of mold or bacteria.
Rolling & Storing Mats for Extended Periods
If you have to store your entrance mat for an extended period of time, please be sure to store it in the correct manner for your mat. The backing on entrance matting is stiffer and less flexible than other kinds of flooring, so special care must be taken to prevent damage during storage. Store your entrance mat loosely rolled up, and preferably with a heavy cardboard tube inside to help it retain its shape. Roll your mat with the traffic side facing out. Never stand your rolled mat upright on its end, as this can damage the vinyl edging and cause bubbling when the mat is re-laid; lay your rolled mat flat on its side, and ensure that no other objects are stacked on top of it. Logo mats should NOT be stored rolled up as rolling can break the bond between the logo and the backing and cause the logo to detach.
Logo Mats Need Special Care
You’ve made an investment in the appearance of your facility through the purchase of a logo mat, and these mats require a little special care to keep them looking their best.
Take special care in moving these mats for cleaning. Remember, the logo present in your mat is made up of individual pieces of matting that have been custom cut and hand-fit into your mat; your mat is not a single, homogenous piece of material. Never tightly roll up a logo mat to move it, and never store a logo mat in a rolled up state. To move your logo mat to clean the floor underneath it, loosely curl it into the largest roll practical and unroll it while you are cleaning the area. Roll your mat with the traffic side facing out. If you need to store your logo mat, store it lying flat – never leave it rolled up for extended periods of time. Never bonnet buff your logo mats – you could tear the logo right out!
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