Floor Mats / Walk-Off Mats / Entrance Mats - How to Clean

Floor mats, also called soil control mats and walk-off mats, are removable carpet pieces designed to trap soil and to be cleaned (or replaced) more often than the main carpeted areas.

As shown on the above chart from the Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI), 80% of the soil brought into a building can be trapped within the first 12 to 15 feet after stepping onto a carpeted surface. To be effective, soil control mats should allow room for at least six footsteps, about 18-20 feet of walking space, and should be placed at all entryways and major transition areas. Unfortunately, most entry floor mats are an inadequate 2-9 feet!

Walk-off mats should be cleaned frequently. Once a walk-off mat becomes filled with soil, the soil will then transfer to the soles of shoes and then is spread throughout the facility.

Walk-off mats are the first line of defense against soiling and damage to the flooring of a house or building. According to studies by ISSA, about 80% of all the contaminants affecting any facility comes from the shoes of people in the building.

Walk-off mats should be strategically positioned in entrances, corridors, parking garages and balconies in order to trap dirt, soil, moisture from wet shoes, grease and grit, and prevent them from entering the facility and causing abrasions on the floor.

First impressions count - what part of the facility’s floor does a visitor see? - the entrance mat. That is why so many are logo mats.

A good walk-off mat performs these tasks:

1. Removes soil from the shoe.
2. Absorbs large amounts of dirt, slowing the rate of transfer onto carpet surfaces.
3. Absorbs excess moisture from wet shoes, thereby reducing soiling on the interior carpet.
4. Provides guests with a place to wipe their shoes before entering the building.
5. Reduces slip and fall hazards in and around the building
6. Walk-off mats are essential to any facility, but they will only work properly if they are well maintained.

How to Clean and Maintain Walk-Off Mats:

1. Vacuum mats and carpet tiles daily using a powerful upright cleaner with a rotary brush head or beater bar. In a high traffic area, vacuum twice a day. Vacuuming prevents dirt from building up and keeps the floor mats maintained for everyday use.
2. Shaking a walk-off mat or rinsing it with a hose can help remove excess dirt.
3. Extremely soiled mats may have to be cleaned by power washing with a high pressure power washer!
4. Remove spots and gums immediately to keep them from being tracked in on the bottom of shoes.
5. Match the cleaning frequency of the mats to the building’s cleaning schedule. Mats should be cleaned every time we the floors.
6. In areas with snow, proper daily care is especially important. Regularly flush matting because of ice melt, especially if it contains calcium chloride, with Brown Out^®. As the ice melt dries, it solidifies and attaches itself to the walk-off fiber. If you do not get it off on a monthly basis, it builds up and you may not get it out.
7. Be sure to dry the mat thoroughly after cleaning.
8. Be sure to clean the floor under and around the mat too!