When it snows, it salts. While salt trucks go about their business keeping the roads a little bit safer for all of us, it’s our floors that wind up in danger. As people come and go in a facility they stomp, shake and dump snow, slush and salt on floors everywhere. This can wreak havoc on both carpet and hard surface floors.

A snowy, slushy mess doesn’t end after it dries as unmelted rock salt and stains can be left behind. The stains appear as white as snow across all types of floor surfaces. There is good news; these stains are actually preventable and your floors are savable. Salt stains are not harmful if attended to quickly.

For an effective floor care solution to fight salt and other floor stains, use the FiberCAP 20 Carpet Machine with FiberCAP MP. FiberCAP MP is a low-moisture multi-purpose encapsulation cleaner system. Specifically designed to trap debris and lift it from the carpet fiber, the FiberCAP system is ideal for getting rid of stubborn salt stains in carpet.

Another great solution to this winter weather woe is to use a reliable matting system. A matting system acts as a first line of defense against tracked-in contaminants on your floors. Over 80% of dirt and residues are brought in by people entering the facility; a good entrance matting system can trap 90% of this dirt and debris that is brought in!

A successful matting system includes:

• A high thread count mat with a rubber back to avoid slipping
• Keeping outside entries  clear by shoveling  snow and ice up to 25 feet away from the building
• Scraper mats in your entries, which contain rough threads that will trap more dirt and grime from shoes
• Wider mats allow more time for shoes to dry before entering the facility

Regular maintenance cleaning can help regulate the amount of contaminants brought in—vacuuming floor mats daily can eliminate excess ice melt and dirt from entering the building

It is important to keep in mind that hardwood floors are vulnerable during the winter. There is danger afoot due to a combination of increased moisture and salt that can potentially harm your hardwood floors and finish. A white film forming on the surface of the floor boards will appear from salt residue. The stain not only looks bad but if it remains too long it will begin to diminish the floor finish and shine. It is extremely important to use a matting system on high traffic entrances with wood floors. Keeping these entrances clean and free of debris, melted snow and slush is the most proactive step to protect your hardwood floor investment.

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