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I was recently sitting in Denver airport waiting for my flight. A man dropped an entire large coke with ice cubes right in the middle of the terminal carpet. He stood there momentarily looking flustered and finally walked away, leaving a large mess.
About 15 minutes later a maintenance worker arrived with his yellow cart. He took out his broom and dustpan and swept the ice cubes into the pan. He then used his mop to absorb the remainder of the coke. He placed a wet floor sign and left. For the next 45 minutes at least 20 people walked, stood on the spot, rolled carts and generally tracked the coke residue up and down the terminal.
In the next week a large spot and increased soiling will show up near the Southwest gates. Someone surely will complain that carpet cannot be cleaned and it should be replaced with hard surfaces.
Just think if the drink had been spilled on tile it would have spread into a larger area and become a major slip and fall hazard.
Unfortunately the best attributes of carpet (absorbtion, sound deadening, comfort) also become problems when it is not properly maintained.[/private]
Right on point as usual Bill!
The installer and mill should train the airport’s janitors on basic carpet cleaning. Since that is not going to be done, the whole industry needs to step back and take a look at what is happening.
We have major carpet suppliers, cleaning equipment suppliers, soap salesman and national carpet cleaning companies that don’t educate anyone about carpeting.
National carpet cleaning companies still use the bait and switch. I felt ripped off when they tried to sell me so I can imagine what others think of them.
Carpet suppliers don’t follow up with cleaning tips. They install and get the heck out of there.
It all comes down to education and cost. Since carpet is a little more complicated to maintain, people are dumping it in favour of the see spill, wipe spill flooring. Anyone can wipe up a spill.
But carpet is a little different.
Kevin,
You are so right as the Atlanta Hartsfield proves. They removed all carpet except at the gates. As 100,000+ daily travelers move through spilling drinks on the hard surface I anticipate more slip and fall law suits.
Just one of those law suits could pay for a lot of carpet cleaning training.