Maintaining cleanliness in facility carpeting is crucial across a broad spectrum of industries. The healthcare, pharmaceutical, and food and beverage sectors, for example, all require highly sanitary conditions to protect patients and consumers, reduce allergens and bacterial growth, and meet strict industry and government regulations. Cleanliness is also important in the manufacturing, electronics, warehousing, and logistics sectors to keep as much performance-reducing dust and dirt out of products and equipment as possible.
To address diverse cleanliness needs, various professional carpet cleaning tools are available to aid in fast, effective wet and dry pick-up on all types of carpet. At Flexaust, we offer high-performance aluminum and ABS plastic carpet floor tools and replacement components for commercial and industrial carpet cleaning systems, wet/dry vacuums, and more.
Why Do Facilities Need Cleaning?
Cleanliness can be much more than a virtue. For industrial facilities, particularly those involved with consumable goods, it's actually the law. Industry regulations like OSHA's standard 1910.22 set requirements for a workplace's floors and their expected condition to avoid fines.
Industrial facilities have numerous people entering and leaving throughout the day, and each set of shoes can bring in dirt, debris, and bacteria from outside. Routine cleaning ensures that a facility is a safer place for both customers and workers. It also minimizes the risk of contaminating your product or harming your equipment, allowing for enhanced product quality and lessened unscheduled downtime. Adding industrial carpet cleaning tools to your facility's floor maintenance routines also improves the look of your carpets and helps them last longer.
Industrial Carpet Cleaning Best Practices
OSHA standard 1910.22(a)(1-3) for walking-working surfaces regulates the following for safe, clean flooring:
- Places of employment. OSHA's regulations are meant to encompass all walking-working surfaces in your facility. This means not only your main workspace but also any service or storerooms, hallways, entryways, etc.
- Upkeep. Your organization should maintain all its places of employment to keep your full facility in an organized and clean state. Also, you must ensure that your walking-working surfaces are free from spills, leaks, rain or snow puddles, ice, corrosive substances, sharp objects, and loose flooring. Any occurrences of these should be properly cleaned up.
- Dry and wet processes. Whenever possible, an operation's flooring should be in a dry state, free of moisture for safety reasons. However, if your operation involves wet processes, OSHA expects two best practices: 1) have proper drainage in your facility and 2) use mats or platforms to provide staff with dry locations to stand.
One of the best ways to prevent dust buildup in your facility and maintain your carpets is to schedule time for cleanings. This should include both standard cleanings for general carpet care as well as periodic deep cleans. Intensive cleaning sessions are more in-depth and clean to a higher degree with techniques like carpet extraction, a hot-water/vacuuming method that dislodges dirt.
To get optimal results from your carpet cleaning routine, however, it's vital to select the right equipment for your application.
Choosing the Best Industrial Carpet Cleaning Tools
The best carpet cleaning tool for a hospital may not be the best one for a warehouse; your ideal option depends on your individual application. Generally speaking, cast aluminum is an optimal material for floor cleaning tools. At Flexaust, we offer a TUEC line of aluminum and ABS plastic carpet cleaning tools and equipment for dry and wet pick-up applications.
Dry Pick-Up
Our dry pick-up carpet cleaning tools are of aluminum construction, with a smooth face and 14-inch width. They are well-suited to all types of carpets and are compatible with various extensions and wands. Options include:
- 646 Carpet Tool. This Type 1 carpet tool has a neck size of 1 9/16 inches.
- 6465 Carpet Tool. The Type 2 6465 tool has a 1.5-inch neck.
- 6467 Carpet Tool. Featuring cuff and hose fits of 1.5 inches, this Type 3 carpet tool has a pull-pin connector.
We also have alternatives to smooth-face tools. These ABS plastic components have the unique benefit of achieving a "just cleaned" appearance on your carpeting.
- 38548 Friction Fit Carpet Tool. With a neck size and type of 38 mm, this carpet tool has a paddle configuration.
- 5465 Carpet Tool. This Type 2 tool has a 1.5-inch neck size, and its unique feature is its scalloped face. In addition to general dry pick-up and carpet floor cleaning tasks, it's also ideal for restoration, remediation, sanitation, and janitorial applications.
- 60543 Carpet Tool. Allowing for effortless cleaning, the 60543 carpet tool with a 1 9/16-inch neck size is a Type 1 tool. While it isn't ideal for restoration and remediation like the 5465 model, this tool works well on wood floors as well as carpet.
Flexaust also offers industrial dry and wet vacuum cleaner hoses to accompany the above tools as well as other accessories. To learn more about our industrial vacuum hose and kit options, read our eBook "The Industrial Vacuum Hoses Buying Guide."
Wet Pick-Up
Specifically for low-pile carpeting, these tools are for wet pick-up applications but may also handle dry pick-up tasks. They feature smooth faces of gray ABS plastic with 14-inch widths.
- 338521 Friction Fit Carpet Tool. With a type and neck size of 38mm, the 38521 tool is designed for wet pick-up applications.
- 521 Carpet Tool. Type 1 tool with a 1 9/16-inch neck size is also meant for wet pick-up, but it has additional market applications in carpet floor cleaning, restoration, and remediation.
- 5215 Carpet Tool. This Type 2 tool with 1 9/16-inch neck size is also meant for wet pick-upo, but it has additional market applications in carpet floor cleaning, restoration, and remediation.
Industrial Carpet Cleaning Tools From Flexaust
Choosing the best carpet cleaning practices and tools for your flooring is essential for maintaining industrial carpeting and meeting safety standards. Flexaust provides the most comprehensive line of industrial and commercial cleaning tools in the industry for a highly effective, efficient carpet-cleaning routine. Contact us or request a quote today for more information on our floor cleaning hose and tool solutions.
