Whether you need to clean a closet or a coliseum, the internet offers a wealth of information at your fingertips. Here are several good articles I found recently that help homeowners and facility managers find the best fit in entryway mats.

An article titled, “Choosing the Right Entry Mat” from the Floor Covering Installer magazine website says commercial facilities managers must first be sure they are choosing mats of adequate size: 12 to 15 feet for an office building, or up to 20 or 25 feet for a grocery store or hospital to ensure soil is trapped and floors are kept safe.

Along with the size, it is important to:

  • Evaluate the level of foot traffic entering your facility. Different mats are designed for different traffic loads.
  • Select mats that are facility specific. Matting for an industrial facility might not necessarily be appropriate for an office building.
  • Consider climate conditions. Different mats may need to be installed in order to deal with varying climate conditions.
  • Be aware that entry matting works best when used as a system. Scraper mats should be placed directly outside the building; wiper/scraper mats placed in the entry or vestibule area; and wiper mats inside the building to trap any remaining soils on shoe bottoms.

Finally, the article says facility managers need to monitor the wear patterns on entrance mats. Excessive wear in one area may indicate the mats are not large enough. In general, the article states that, when considering entryway mats, more is usually better

An article on CleanLink cleaning industry information resource titled, “Experts Answer Common Matting Questions” explains how to choose and maintain entrance mats and more. The article explains that mats serve more uses now than in years past. The article features industry expert JoAnne Boston, business development head at Crown Mats [also see Selecting Proper Entryway Matting.]

“Q. What are some of these new roles?

 One key role is to help minimize worker fatigue. Prolonged standing can cause fatigue, harm worker morale, decrease worker productivity, have health consequences and increase the chances for mistakes…even slips and falls. Antifatigue matting helps prevent these problems.

Q. What is a high-performance matting system?

 A high-performance mat is a higher-quality mat purchased (not rented) by a facility and will invariably have a much longer warranty than a rental mat. Rental mats may be warrantied for only a few months. High-performance mats, on the other hand, may be warrantied for one to several years, making them not only more effective but more cost effective as well.

Q. Do you have any tips on selecting matting?

 Higher-quality matting is typically purchased from a distributor. Because matting and green cleaning are so closely interconnected, a distributor knowledgeable about green cleaning will likely realize the value of matting and help managers select the matting that best meets their needs.”