100 grams (1/4 pound) per day per 1000 people can be tracked into a commercial building during dry weather conditions. Twelve times as much dirt is tracked in during wet weather conditions based on field tests conducted by BST Laboratory over an 11-month period. 70-80% of the dust, dirt and grime in public buildings is tracked in from the outside and spread throughout the floors. (International Sanitary Supply Association).
Vacuuming removes the dirt that sits on top of a mat. However, because the carpet pile that a direct sale mat has when it is put down is quickly flattened by foot traffic, they are not an effective dirt trapping tool. A test conducted by Georgia State University found that vacuuming only removed 10% of dirt from a mat or carpet.
As part of our commercial floor mat rental service, we purchase all mats, deliver them and change the dirty ones for clean ones on a weekly, every 2 week or every 4 week cycle. We recommend increasing the service frequency during the winter months.