Long-term care facilities, which include assisted living facilities, nursing homes, and continuing care retirement communities, provide its inhabitants with comfortable settings that include dining halls, private rooms or apartments, music and art education centers, and more. Many of these institutions include carpet because it is cozy and warm, reduces noise, and is easier on the body in the event of a fall.
Because carpet can serve as a direct reflection of the entire building, it is imperative to keep it clean. Maintaining clean carpets helps long-term care facilities attract new residents who are seeking for a place to call home and makes the residents glad to live there.
The stain removal and longevity of your carpet can be significantly impacted by the carpet care brushes you use. Continue reading to find out more about the qualities to consider when purchasing brushes for carpet cleaning and the reasons why various brush types are required for various tasks.
Carpet Cleaning Brush Features
Prior to delving into the circumstances that necessitate particular brush kinds, it’s critical to grasp the general characteristics that should be considered when choosing carpet cleaning brushes. The efficiency of your machine and your chemistry are not nearly as crucial as the caliber of your brushes.
Examine carpet cleaning brushes carefully, taking into account the following factors:
- Composition Polypropylene, a thermoplastic polymer, is resistant to fats and almost all organic solvents at room temperature. Brushes with a polypropylene core will offer impressive stability, balance and strength.
- Wet strength Brushes are regularly exposed to moisture as they work chemistry into carpet fibers. It s important that the bristles do not soften when wet. Again, polypropylene offers advantages, as unlike nylon, brush bristles made from this material will withstand moisture. Polypropylene also has a lower abrasion resistance and melting point to prevent wear and tear on nylon carpet fibers.
- Wear indication Wear indicators make it easier than ever for machine operators to know when it is time to install new brushes. To check the wear, employees should remove the brushes from the machine when it is not in use. The wear indicator is a grouping of often bright colored bristles, such as red, and shows the minimum effective bristle length for cleaning. This allows users to compare the brush bristles to the indicator and replace brushes if there is a noticeable difference in bristle length.
- Color coding Color-coded brushes help employees differentiate between various types of brushes. Whether they feature bright colors like blue, green and yellow or monochromatic shades of white, gray and black, color-coded brushes offer easy identification to further simplify carpet care. Plus, having several brushes on hand with varying bristle stiffness allows you to address different types of carpet throughout the facility.
- Lifespan The lifespan is largely determined by the composition, but proper care is also important. Therefore, employees should regularly rotate brushes. Be sure to ask the manufacturer about the lifespan so you have a better idea of how often you ll need to purchase new brushes. Some brushes can last roughly 1 million square feet, offering exceptional ROI.
Choosing a Brush for Carpet Cleaning
The application will determine the brush you use. Fortunately, color coding greatly simplifies the process of understanding when and why to apply a particular brush. Make sure you have options for bristles in case of the following situations:
- Delicate/natural fibers such as wool, staple cut or extra deep pile. These require a bristle that is less stiff to preserve the fibers. Regular cleaning is recommended.
- Synthetic fiber cut pile or commercial wool loop pile carpets. This bristle is slightly stiffer and regular cleaning with these brushes helps to remove embedded soils and stains.
- Commercial grade carpet, including level loop or low-cut pile. This type of carpet can withstand a stiffer bristle and frequent cleaning.
- Commercial synthetic carpet with loop pile. Brushes for this application should only be used for annual restorative cleaning, not regular use.
- Matted commercial grade low loop pile carpet. In this case, it s important to discuss the process with the carpet manufacturer ahead of time and use the brush solely for one-time restorative cleaning.
Clean Carpet in Long-term Care Environments
In order to effectively maintain carpet over time, long-term care institutions should invest in high-quality brushes and use them appropriately. The facility’s emphasis on cleanliness from the ground up will be greatly appreciated by the residents as well as their visiting family and friends. Additionally, a clean carpet enhances the property’s aesthetic appeal during tours, which helps draw in new tenants.
You should extend the life of your brush bristles whether your carpet cleaning machine has two or three brushes. Recall to rotate the brushes on a frequent basis. When employees clean the carpet cleaning machines after each usage, they may accomplish this with ease. Maintaining your brushes properly will preserve your investment and help you get the cleanest-looking carpet possible.