The Importance of Appearance Management

Protect Your Investment – You have made a sizeable investment in your carpeting. Like any other asset or major purchase, your carpet will require regular maintenance to perform to its potential. Neglect your carpet and it will lead to premature wear, a sub-standard appearance level, and the waste of a valuable asset. 

Enhance Your Image – Your carpet provides a major part of the overall appearance and comfort level of your facility. Keeping your carpet in the best possible condition will maintain the positive image you have worked so hard to create. Soiled, unsightly, or damaged carpet can tarnish an otherwise sterling image. 

Proper Appearance Management can:

• Affect office morale.
• Present a positive image to clients.
• Increase the life of carpet/fabric.
• Reduce replacement costs.
• Shows concern for working environment

Proper Textile Maintenance & Management is the Key

It begins the day after installation. Carpeting is designed to hide soil, especially commercial textiles. Some commercial carpet can hide as much as a pound of soil in one square foot, before it becomes noticeable. So by the time your carpet looks dirty your carpets fibers can already be permanently damaged due to a condition known as abrasion. About 80% of all soil is insoluble, meaning it does not dissolve in water. It’s like rubbing sand paper on the fibers every time it’s walked on. A systematic program that includes a strict vacuuming regiment, walk off mats, spot cleaning and cleanings schedule at specific intervals will protect your textiles asset and extend their life cycle significantly. 

The most common mistake made when it come to carpet cleaning is cleaning based on appearance. Once the carpet appearance reaches an unacceptable level a cleaning is scheduled, usually from the lowest bidder. The appearance temporarily improves, but, due to fiber damage, improper cleaning methods not back to "like new".

It is because of the above approach, combined with untrained cleaning crews, which only lead to short periods of high appearance and greatly shorten the life of the carpet or fabric.  

The Secret to a Successful Program

Proper Textile & Carpet Management Programs are literally a "secret". Only a company that invests in professional training and certification can acquire the knowledge required to make accurate professional recommendations. You must be able to understand the effects of different soils on materials before you can recommend a program that will lead to long term success.

Experienced facility managers and maintenance supervisors understand there is a big difference between cleaning carpet and appearance management. Cleaning is the removal of apparent soil. Management, on the other hand, is a planned ongoing- systematic process of soil removal designed to retain the carpet appearance at the highest level possible for as long as possible.  

A little effort in the beginning means consistently great looking carpet and maximum return on your carpeting investment!  

Your floor covering represents a very substantial investment! A Professionally designed and implemented Appearance Management program will- Save you a Bundle! 

A 5 year old carpet that has been cleaned on a regular basis will maintain a 92% appearance rating. Whereas a 5 year old carpet that has been neglected will only hold a 50% appearance rating (according to Allied Fibers).