5 Floor Care Considerations for Airports
2.2 million passengers fly every day out of just over 19,000 U.S. airports, according to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). This extraordinary amount of foot traffic makes airport floors the primary center of impact. Caring for airport floors is no easy job. Here are five considerations to keep in mind when developing a floor care strategy.
1. Cleanliness
A pristine space can elevate an airport to a destination itself. Beyond daily essential cleanings, there are two concerns that dictate regular deep cleans: pathogens and spills. Passengers come and go from various places, tracking in any number of pathogens that are difficult to remove without a deep clean. And, due to the sheer volume of foot traffic, it’s only natural that airports will see a high number of spills that could result in stains on carpets. Since cleanliness is a top concern for airports, scheduling consistent deep cleans from professionals is a must.
2. Entryways
Most of the soil coming into airports comes from outside and then spreads throughout the facility. It makes sense to target dirt at its origin: entryways. With the right approach, like MilliCare ’s Zone Entry System, it’s possible to trap most of the dirt before it disperses. Taking special consideration for entryways helps preserve cleanliness throughout the rest of the facility and is an essential part of a comprehensive floor care strategy.
3. Safety
It’s important for airport flooring to prevent slips and falls, as passenger injuries may result in lawsuits. Keeping carpet in good condition — avoiding fraying or ripping — is crucial. Hard floors need to be slip resistant. Even flooring that is designed to be slip resistant wears out with time and use. Find a professional that provides performance coatings specifically designed for slip resistance in high-traffic areas. Not only will these coatings prevent slips and falls, but they’ll also extend the life of your flooring.
4. Air quality
With plane exhausts and other air pollution, air quality is another main concern at airports. It may be a surprise to hear that flooring is a key factor in the quality of the air. Airborne pathogens fall to the ground but are stirred up again as passengers walk across the floors. Carpet will trap these pathogens and can help maintain a cleaner air quality, but only if it is cleaned regularly. Consistent vacuuming and hiring a professional to deep clean airport carpets will actually go a long way in preserving healthy air quality. Hard surfaces are less effort to keep clean, as those pathogens are not being trapped and can be stirred up with traffic, but this is where MilliCare performance coatings are ideal. They keep day-to-day care simpler by promoting less bacterial growth thanks to their hermetically sealed joints and make it easier to keep airport air clean.
5. Sustainability
Keeping flooring clean and aesthetically pleasing is only a part of the equation. Airport flooring needs to last — not only because it’s costly to replace, but also because it’s a hassle to make renovations when airports need to be fully functioning. Sustainability is vital when considering which flooring to install and how to maintain it, not only for your wallet but also for the environment. Because it takes decades for carpet to break down in a landfill, one of your goals should be to keep it out as long as possible. Find a professional cleaning company whose methods will extend the life of your flooring, not shorten it.
Maintaining the most-used parts of an airport can be challenging. Learn more about MilliCare ’s airport floor care offerings.