How to Keep Your Floor Mats Fresh

• January 14, 2020
• Mats
• specialtymat

Quality mats do a great job at protecting your business, employees, and customers from the elements. Unfortunately, as time goes on and the mats get used, they get worn down. After a certain point, a worn down mat becomes more dangerous than helpful; identifying that change is crucial. 

To keep your employees, clients, and business safe, here are some things to look out for with your old mats. Read on to learn the signs and how to prevent them from happening. 

Monitoring Rubber Backing

If you’ve gotten quality mats, they’ll have a rubber or other similar “sticky” backing. This backing generates a lot of traction against any surface the mat is put on. With time, extended exposure to dirt and the elements, and use, that backing starts to lose its grip. If enough grip is lost, the mat becomes increasingly unsafe and will start to slide under the right conditions. 

How to Check for Degraded Backing

Checking for degraded mat backing is easy. All it requires is some inspection and knowledge of the signs.  

1. Try to move the mat by sliding it with your foot
2. Look under the mat for:
   1. Caked dirt
   2. Powdery coating
   3. Diminished grip indentations
   4. Dusty silhouette on floor
3. Look for thinning in areas of the mat or cracking and splitting of its edges. 

If these qualities are present in the mats in your business, there’s a good chance those mats are an accident waiting to happen. 

Dirt Logging

Quality mats will do a great job of catching and holding dirt. After all, that is their main job. The only problem is that they aren’t bottomless. No matter the kind of mat, the amount of dirt it’s holding will eventually exceed its capacity. Once that happens, it’s effectiveness drops. Like a sponge that can’t hold any more water, the dirt that’s presented to it will just wash over it. 

And if it isn’t being held by the mat, that excess dirt will make its way onto your floors, causing all the problems that come with it. 

How to Check Dirt Logging

A dirt-logged mat will allow the surrounding floor to be dirty, but only if traffic is significant enough. Another way to check is if you lightly sweep the top of the mat with a broom. If dust is brushed off with just some light sweeping, it’s logged. 

Exposure

Though quality outdoor scraper mats are tough and made from the most durable material available, the elements are unrelenting. Between sun exposure, water, ice, salt and foot traffic, every mat’s days are numbered, regardless of its construction and materials. 

An over-exposed mat will get soft, it’s scraping edges will dull, and it will become prone to cracking and splitting. Once that happens, it’s very hard to bring back. 

How to Check For Exposure

If you lift a corner of your outdoor mat and can see cracks forming along the bend, it’s over exposed. Another sign of overexposure is lack of effectiveness. If you’ve noticed more dirt coming in than usual, chances are an old outdoor mat has something to do with it. 

How to Maintain Your Mat Easily and Cost-Effectively

Hire a professional to take care of your business’s mats. There’s only so much that you or an employee can do to maintain the mats in your business. Without the right chemicals, machines, and procedures, any cleaning is just a delay of the inevitable. 

With a professional mat management company in charge, you won’t have to worry about cleaning, maintaining, or replacing. A professional will also know the signs of mat aging and will do something about it before it’s a problem. Not only will they replace the mat when needed, but they’ll also keep it clean and present. 

Contact Specialty Mat for All of Your Mat Needs

If you’d like to start your tomorrow without a mat, towel, or facility service care in the world, give Speciality Mat a call at (800) 941-MATS. You can also visit our website, or ask about a free quote!