Ice Melt Issues in Your Building and How to Prevent Them

Winter is upon us and so are the hazardous walking conditions that come with it. Thankfully, nowadays there are easier and more convenient ways of keeping your employees and clients safe from injury with tools such as ice melt.

Also known as rock salt, snow melt, deicer, and a few other nicknames, this salty looking substance can clear ice and snow from walks, drives and entries in just a few minutes. Almost all deicers on the market are made from one, or a blend of five materials; calcium chloride, sodium chloride, potassium chloride, magnesium chloride, and urea. In general, ice melts are very hygroscopic (meaning they draw moisture to them and hold on to it) and can influence the re-soiling process in carpets. Calcium chloride and magnesium chloride ice melts also tend to leave behind an oily residue that can damage urethane and acrylic finishes.

The best way to prevent ice melt damage to flooring is to prevent it from being tracked into your facility. Using a fertilizer sprinkler to evenly distribute ice melt can help reduce the amount brought inside by the bottoms of shoes. Also, using mats both outside and inside all entrances will help keep your wood floors, tile and carpet safe from damage. Entry mats are easy to clean and well worth the investment as they are reusable year after year. If, inevitably, the product does get tracked in and onto your flooring it should be cleaned in a timely manner.

Staying on top of icy winter conditions will keep your walkways safe, but it is equally important to properly clean carpeted and resilient flooring areas that are affected most by ice melt. In the wintertime, it may also be helpful to increase the frequency of cleanings.

Floor Cleaning Tips

For resilient flooring affected by ice melt, first sweep, dust mop, or vacuum the floor. Next you will want to mop your floors using the double bucket method, and may even need to add some cleaner for the more soiled areas. After thoroughly cleaning your flooring, rinse the entire floor with fresh clean water. Remove the rinse water and allow your flooring to dry completely.

For carpeted areas affected by ice melt, that are free of moisture, vacuum the area with a dual motor upright vacuum, pile lifter or counter rotating brush machine equipped with collection bins. If the area is still wet or soiled even after the dry removal, extract the ice melt using extraction equipment with a minimum of 200 psi water pressure and a minimum of 190” of lift on the vacuum. Add a rinse cleaner to neutralize the salts and will crystallize any remaining particulates in the carpet.

SOLID also cares for hard surfaces, including stone. For more information about winter weather prep for stone, please click here.

SOLID Surface Care, Inc., is a unified team of surface care experts who deliver the highest level of care for all hard and soft surfaces while providing a world-class client experience. With SOLID, your surfaces are protected, your spaces are kept clean and healthy, and your expectations are exceeded. From carpet to stone to metal and wood, we care for the most precious surfaces in the world – Yours.

Please contact SOLID for more information 844.227.6543 ext. 3 or visit solidcare.com.