Cleanlink News 2/5/2013

Ten Terms Everyone Should Know About Mats

There are a variety of matting options that are designed for and used in plethora facilities. These options can cause confusion and, according to JoAnne Boston, business development head at Crown Mats and Matting, the various types can be misunderstood by cleaning professionals.

“A good example of this is the term high-performance mat,” says Boston. “While it sounds like it refers to how well a mat performs, it actually refers to how long it lasts. A high-performance mat is designed to withstand very heavy foot traffic and last between three and five years.”

Other mat-related terms that often need clarification are:

1. Wiper: Wiper mats are placed inside the doors of a facility to absorb any remaining moisture and soil on a walker’s shoes.

2. Scraper: Scraper mats are placed outside a facility and are intended to aggressively scrape soil and debris from shoe bottoms.

3. Wiper/Scraper: Wiper/scraper mats wipe and dry shoe bottoms and are placed following a scraper mat but before a wiper mat.

4. Ergonomic: Ergonomic mats offer a combination of softness (give) and support (resilience) to help reduce worker fatigue.

5. Anti-Fatigue: Anti-fatigue mats offer even greater comfort, bounce and support to help increase worker productivity and decrease pain, injuries, and soreness.

6. Anti-static: Anti-static mats are designed to help reduce static electricity.

7. Non-conductive: Non-conductive mats help insulate and protect workers from serious shocks that can be generated by high voltage.

8. Specialty: Something of a catch-all, this terms refers to a variety of different matting products; for instance, a mat placed under a chair to protect the floor below, a gym mat, even a meditation mat.

9. Bi-level: Bi-level mats store soil and water below shoe level for later removal. This prevents contaminants from being transferred onto floor surfaces.

“You’d be surprised how many people still think of mats as just being door mats,” adds Boston. “The entire matting industry has come a long way from just making door mats.”

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