By Healthcare Facilities Today

Fort Worth, TX - Most of North America greeted 2014 with some unusually cold weather along with snow, ice, and chilling winds. For cleaning professionals, this type of weather can cause an array of cleaning and safety related problems.

This month's Floor Care Troubleshooter from Powr-Flite , a leading manufacturer of professional floor care equipment, suggests ways cleaning pros can protect hard-surface floors in these conditions.

According to Debby Davis, product manager for Powr-Flite, "Winter presents several challenges for floor care professionals, including:"

Products used to melt ice are often tracked in by building users. "On hard surfaces, these products can eat away at a floor's finish and produce a slick coating, creating a slip-and-fall hazard. They can also cause damage and quicker soiling by embedding on carpet."

Abrasive sand and grit collect in ice and snow and make their way onto floors.

In adverse weather, building users often wear heavier shoes with treads that collect moisture and soils. "They can push salt, snow, dirt and sand into floors and spread [it] further around a facility than traditional dress shoes."

People flock inside during the winter months, and "more people and foot traffic usually means floors need additional cleaning time and attention."

To protect floors during the winter months, Davis recommends cleaning professionals start with an effective matting system in place. Beyond this, she offers these suggestions:

Spend extra time maintaining first-floor areas. "This helps prevent soils from making their way to other areas of the facility."

Vacuum floors often. "Vacuuming using a backpack vacuum is often much more effective and healthier for the indoor environment than dust mopping."

Damp mop hard floors frequently. "However, in larger floor areas, it is much faster and usually more effective to use an automatic scrubber."

Regularly burnish hard floors to restore shine.

Continue regular interim cleanings to keep debris from embedding deeper into carpet.

"Cold winter months are typically not a good time for restorative floorcare," adds Davis. "Instead, daily maintenance is critical and the single most effective way to keep floors safe and clean."

The Powr-Flite Troubleshooter addresses some of the most common floor care problems cleaning professionals encounter ... and, most importantly, how to tackle them.

About Powr-Flite 

Established more than 40 years ago, Powr-Flite manufactures a full line of floor-care equipment and carpet extractors for the professional cleaning industry. Based in Fort Worth, TX, the company has over 20 patented designs and its products are recognized throughout the world for their innovation, durability, quality and performance. Their products are marketed directly to end-use customers as well as through distributors throughout the North America, Europe and the Far East.