Use of Technology For Cleaning Floors in Hotels

Cutting Costs With Cleaning Technology

The cost of cleaning the interiors of guest houses and hotels is often underestimated. An effective way of reducing costs is to employ modern cleaning technology because it can save considerable personnel costs. Wages and ancillary wage costs account for about 85% of the money spent on cleaning a building. This applies particularly to floor cleaning in which the appropriate cleaning technology can save more than 50% of personnel costs in some areas. But even the choice of floor covering can greatly reduce subsequent costs.

Consider The Cleaning Aspect When Selecting a Floor Covering

Usually, it is factors such as price, appearance, thermal insulation, structure-borne noise suppression and durability which are examined and weighed up when a floor covering is selected. Less attention is paid to the fact that floors may have to be cleaned several times a week or even daily. The time and effort required to clean a floor is determined by its colour and the quality of the material. In the case of carpets in particular, the colour has the greatest influence on optical cleanliness. As a general rule it can be said that darker and patterned carpets are more robust in this respect than lighter and plain carpets. The visibility of dirt is greatest on a white floor and decreases progressively with darker colours, i.e. from yellow, grey, red, blue and green to brown – the least sensitive colour. 

Cleaning Different Types of Floor Coverings

Generally speaking, hard floors are easier to clean than carpeted floors because the removal of damp and greasy soiling is straightforward, stains are rare and basic cleaning is less of a problem. A distinction must be made between homogeneous floor coverings such as PVC, linoleum and tiles and porous floors such as wood, natural stone and clinker. Homogenous floor coverings have a closed surface, in which particles of dirt cannot become lodged, and can be cleaned with relatively little effort using wet or dry methods. Porous floors are much more susceptible to dirt and should be coated in order to provide them with the favourable properties that are a natural characteristic of homogenous floor coverings. 

Cleaning of Different Carpet Fibres

Carpets exhibit noticeable differences with respect to the intensity of cleaning they require. Man-made fibres, a synthetic backing fabric, a low and dense loop and a short plush carpet are simpler to treat than a carpet with natural fibres and a high, loose pile. Wet cleaning is generally the preferred method on hard floors because it suppresses dust which would otherwise settle on furniture and other objects (secondary soiling). Furthermore, the results are better. 

What Equipment Should You Use to Clean floors?

A mop or floor washer is used for maintenance cleaning, while larger open areas (hotel foyer, corridors, dining rooms) are cleaned with scrubbing machines, which can also be used for interim and basic cleaning operations. Single disc machines are used for spray buffing and polishing as well as basic cleaning. With this method it is necessary to use a wet vacuum afterwards to pick up the cleaning solution if it cannot be swept into a drain with a squeegee. 

The standard machine for maintenance cleaning carpeted floors is a dry vacuum cleaner. Tank-type vacuum cleaners offer the biggest capacity, while upright, beater brush vacuums achieve the best results since they retrieve dirt from the bottom of the pile and freshen up the carpet fibres at the same time. Moreover, they are highly manoeuvrable and easy to handle even in narrow spaces and awkward corners. The brush head, however, should be flat enough to reach under shelving and cupboards. It is also an advantage to have a height adjustable roller brush and an electronic sensor system that ensures the correct setting to suit the height of the carpet pile. Apart from all else, the use of high powered vacuums can also be worthwhile because they can extend the time intervals between basic cleaning operations, which can be quite cost-intensive. Spray extractors, which immediately recover the washing solution sprayed into the pile are suitable for interim and basic cleaning of carpets. The carpet can be walked on again after a short drying period. Wet shampooing carpets with a single disc machine is intended exclusively for basic cleaning. Subsequent vacuuming is necessary in this case, first with a spray extractor using clear water (2 – 3 passes) in order to remove the cleaning solution from the carpet pile. After drying, a brush-type vacuum cleaner is used to pick up any crystallized residue of the cleaning agent. This method is labour and cost-intensive. It is therefore advisable to invest in efficient maintenance cleaning equipment with which the time intervals between basic cleaning operations can be prolonged. 

Secure Tools supplies an extensive collection of Karcher cleaning machines which are ideal for floors in hotels and guest houses. View the range

To discuss your requirements for cleaning machines, please call the Secure Tools Team on 01274 308961.

This article has been supplied by Karcher (UK) Ltd.