You’ve likely walked into a busy coffee shop during the late autumn or winter season and kicked your wet boots off on a commercial floor mat. These mats cover crucial areas in the front and back-of-house, preventing the spread of outdoor debris and potential slips and falls.
However, did you know that commercial mats are a year-round necessity? Dirt, debris, and potential incidents don’t rest based on the season. To make sure your business is fully covered, you need to have commercial floor mats 12 months a year.
Swan Dust Control is the leading Canadian business providing mat and mop solutions to thousands of businesses. In this blog, we’ll dive into why commercial mats are a year-round necessity.
Let’s get straight into it.
Dirt & Debris: Commercial Mats Provide Reliable Protection
When you’re in your own home, you usually take off your shoes at the door. Regardless of the season or the weather, it’s unlikely you’ll wear your outdoor shoes and trudge through your kitchen, dining room, bathroom(s), bedroom(s), etc. Why?
Because every season has dirt and debris that you DON’T want to track into your personal space. It looks messy, filthy, and puts you at risk of injury or even illness, so the obvious choice is to leave your shoes at the door.
You don’t usually have that option for your business.
When it comes to making a business safe from both outdoor elements and environmental factors, having safeguards in place is your best bet. Having commercial-grade floor mats ensures that, regardless of the season, dirt and particles are captured and contained along with moisture. This keeps your business clean and prevents the potential for slips and falls.
Not only that, but you can protect your business’s floors from general wear and tear that naturally occurs with heavy foot traffic, maintaining the aesthetic appeal of your property.
Physical Fatigue: Floor Mats Provide Employees with Support
Commercial floor mats also include anti-fatigue mats, which are crucial to reducing foot, leg, and back pain in your employees. This not only boosts overall employee morale, but you can also avoid potential pitfalls and issues for your employees down the line. All of which can affect them and your business.
For one, fatigue has been reported to contribute to 13% of workplace injuries in Canada, as it slows down reaction times and impairs hazard response. This is largely contributed to mental and physical exhaustion, which can be exacerbated by pain due to standing on hard flooring.
Furthermore, almost 30% of Canadian workers have reported feeling fatigued nearly every workday. Prolonged standing on hard floors is reported to cause soreness in the feet, legs, knees, hips, and lower back, as well as stiffness and swelling. This significantly contributes to the problem.
By simply deciding to rent anti-fatigue mats year-round for your employees, you not only make them happy and keep them safe, but you also avoid potential headaches for your business. Here are some of the perks:
Reduce strain on feet, legs, and lower back.
Improve blood circulation.
Minimize joint pressure.
Lower risk of slips and falls.
Decrease employee fatigue.
Support longer periods of standing without discomfort.
Reduce absenteeism due to musculoskeletal issues.
Improve focus and productivity.
Extend employee stamina throughout shifts.
Help lower costs related to injury claims and downtime.
Make employees feel valued and cared for, improving morale and work ethic.
Establishing Style: Customized Commercial Mats Set Your Business Apart
Just because it’s stylish doesn’t mean it’s not functional. Why wouldn’t you invest in renting a customized commercial floor mat that features a slogan or logo for your business? You want to stand apart from the rest, and Swan Dust Control has the solution: custom floor mats. We can create mats with designs and colours that feature your business logo or even contain simple messages or slogans to suit your needs.
These are particularly useful to have at the entrance of your location, giving your patrons the impression that your brand is serious. Especially considering that, according to Forbes, 94% of first impressions are related to design. Meaning that having a rug with a stylish and well-designed image or message is likely to impact the initial thoughts and opinions of prospective customers.
Not only that, but you can even request a floor mat that features a safety message, product name, or even a customized welcome message. This shows your customers that you truly value them!
Here are some examples you can consider:
Safety Examples:
"Caution: Wet Area."
"Watch Your Step."
"Slow Down: High Traffic Zone."
"Please Wipe Your Feet."
"Slippery When Wet."
"Stay Alert, Stay Safe."
"Authorized Personnel Only."
"Mind Your Step."
Product Name Examples:
“Super-Charged Coffee Toffees.”
“Flaming Jalapeno Lolly Pops.”
“Electrified Guitar Glitter Stickers.”
“Martin & Smartin Looseleaf Tea.”
“Sweet & Sharp Maple Cheddar Bites.”
“Sour Shack Confectioneries.”
(Note: all product names are fictional and do not contain copyright material. They are used for contextual purposes only.)
Welcome or Friendly Messages
"Welcome."
"Come On In."
"Thank You for Visiting."
"Please Enter."
"Your Safety Starts Here."
"We Appreciate Your Business."
Trap Trouble: Prevent Slips and Falls with Scraper Mats
Many of Swan Dust Control’s mats provide anti-slip technology, but scraper mats have their unique functions that set them apart. These mats are designed to remove dirt and grime from shoes and trap them securely in molded recesses. These 100% rubber, multi-purpose mats ensure your business is safe. Their slip-resistant surface is particularly ideal for high-risk areas, including wet spots and high-traffic spaces prone to debris.
By trapping debris and grime, you don’t have to worry about foot traffic dragging it from place to place and creating a messy and potentially hazardous environment. Not only this, but Swan Dust Control also handles the required cleaning and replacement of all mats, ensuring you don’t have to stress the maintenance. You can even trust that our processes are environmentally conscious in both treatment and products.
This makes Swan Dust Control a leading Canadian, eco-friendly floor mat and mop rental service for more than 70 years.
About Swan Dust Control – 70+ Years of Clean Solutions
Cleanliness & Reputation: Keep it Pristine & Clear
Preventing fatigue, slips, and falls while providing a touch of style is great, but one of the real perks is simply keeping your business clean. Floor mats are designed to capture and absorb debris and moisture, making sure the surrounding floors are not only safe but also cleaner than the competition.
It can be too easy to overlook the cleanliness of certain areas or the storefront in favour of focusing on productivity, but just like your family home, being clean leaves a powerful impression. It indicates that you care about your business and how your customers feel about you. You want them to feel comfortable and unconcerned about the health and wellness of your environment.
While this is important for every business, a good example is restaurants and companies that handle food. Imagine a customer or health inspector walking into your business and seeing obvious foot traffic and grime tracked around the interior of your property. This lack of hygiene could read as an indicator that your business isn’t up to par, creating a poor reputation and potentially a costly headache.
This is why you need to have floor mats year-round. Reputation and cleanliness aren’t a “once-a-season” concern; it’s something you need to keep top of mind 12 months out of the year, no exceptions. Your business’s well-being is contingent on being regarded well and trusted by your customers as well as fellow industry counterparts. Failing to do so could put you behind your competition.
A Brand-New Look: Reducing the Signs of Heavy Foot Traffic and Floor Damage
We’ve mentioned that our mats can reduce obvious signs of foot traffic, but did you know a well-designed mat can also prevent other damage? This includes potential scratches and dents caused by heavy boots and dropping tools, making the floor beneath look deteriorated and damaged. Sure, you can’t always prevent all signs of use on your floors, but you certainly don’t have to allow them to become degraded.
Not convinced? Here are some additional ways our commercial-grade floor mats can reduce obvious signs of damage:
Chemical spills that corrode or stain the flooring.
Grease buildup in kitchens or manufacturing areas.
Heavy equipment impact.
Dropped tools or materials that may chip or crack floors.
Vibration-related stress on flooring in industrial settings.
Swan Dust Control: Leading Canadian Floor Mat & Mop Rental Experts
Swan Dust Control is a trusted mat and mop provider with over 70 years of experience and locations across Southern Ontario. We don’t just provide reliable rental services for mats and mops alike; we work with you and your business to offer unique solutions that fit your needs.
Regardless of the season or the industry, Swan Dust Control is here to ensure you have the mat and mop solutions that you need, year-round. Don’t hesitate to contact us today to find out how we can provide safety and elevation to your business.
