If you’re starting to plan out an upcoming renovation or new build, may we suggest a few things that will help your newly-refreshed space stay clean and fresh.
In our quest to make Alberta a cleaner place we are constantly researching cleaning techniques, materials, solutions, and other things that will help us achieve our goal. In this post we’re going to talk about some great materials that are antimicrobial, perfect for your upcoming reno!
Flooring
The dirtiest places in office spaces are always the floors. Carpets are among the dirtiest, as they will capture airborne pathogens and grime in their fibres, but other materials aren’t too far behind.
However, more important than whether or not a given material is antimicrobial, is how easy said material is to clean. It goes without saying that regular cleaning is far more effective at controlling bacteria than simply leaving the floors to their own devices… regardless of the antimicrobial properties of the materials they’re made with.
Great Flooring Materials for Keeping the Workplace Clean
- Epoxy – Unlike many materials, epoxy is extremely versatile in both its applications and composition. Not all epoxy will be antimicrobial, but epoxy flooring using certain additives – such as FloroSeptic – are the best option for applications where cleanliness is important. Easy to clean and care for, epoxy floors make it difficult for microbes to survive and thrive.
- Vinyl – While not all vinyl flooring will fit the bill, you can get many types of vinyl floors (in the form of tiles or planks) that are a boon for the neat freaks in all of us. Many manufacturers will blend antimicrobial compounds into into their formulation, helping the mitigate bacterial growth on their surfaces.
The Worst Material for Keeping Floors Clean
Carpets. While attractive to look at and comfortable to walk on, carpets are quite literally magnets that suck in dirt, bacterial, mold, and more. The fibres and spaces between them become littered with debris, dust mites, and a bunch of other things that you wouldn’t want to be spending any amount of time with.
Keeping carpets clean takes more work than hard surfaces. A daily vacuum for well-travelled areas is a must!
Countertops
Speaking to kitchens and bathrooms specifically, a hard non-porous surface is ideal. We recommend vinyl laminate countertops as, like vinyl flooring, this material offers many advantages.
First, compared to stone countertops, vinyl is affordable. This is always a win.
Second, vinyl countertops are easy to maintain and clean. They can be cleaned with nearly any compound without risk of damage or discoloration (though you should check the label for the specific cleaner that you’re considering prior to application).
Third, laminate countertops can often be repaired easily and inexpensively. A small dent in the countertop? No problem! It’s fairly straightforward to fill in the dent and recover the area. The same cannot be said of stone, which can be quite expensive to fix.
There’s No Replacement for Displacement…
… with a solid cleaning, that is. Don’t forget: we’re Alberta’s cleaner cleaners. If you have a business in Calgary or Edmonton and want a reliable partner to take on your cleaning, give us a call! We’re always looking great great clients like you.
