Get a few Dirt and Dust Facts here.

Q: How can quality rental mats improve your organization’s appearance? 
A: Appearance matters and sets the tone, immediately when a shopper, visitor or prospect visits your establishment.

• “91% of shoppers select a store to shop in because of its appearance.” (Progressive Grocer)
• When asked, “What’s the first thing you look at when judging cleanliness?” the most popular first response of consumers was “Floors” (42%). (CDI Research, 1991)
• “A 10-year long study released in 1999 also underscores the importance of entranceways, finding that students, when visiting colleges, largely based their selections on the appearance of the campus – specifically entranceways, restrooms and the grounds.” (Cleaning & Maintenance Management)
• When customers choose a restaurant, cleanliness ranks at the top for fast-food destinations. (Restaurants & Institutions, 1994)

Q: Can you tell me how having quality rental mats can directly reduce my labor costs and impact the bottom line? In this tough economic time, expense control is paramount. 
A: If you are not renting high quality mats that are suited for the specific areas of your building, you are throwing money away. Mats reduce costs. Period.

• "It is estimated that 90% of building maintenance cost is labor.” (Cleaning Management)
• The estimated cost of removing a single pound of dirt from a modern building can exceed $600. (International Sanitary Supply Association)
• “A dollar spent keeping soil out of a building will save 10 dollars in removing the soil once it’s inside.” (Cleaning & Maintenance Management)
• 39% of all custodial time is devoted to floor care maintenance. (National Executive Housekeepers Association)
• Proper matting alone can save approximately 200 labor hours in the average home per year. (Mr. Don Aslett, America’s #1 Cleaning Expert)

Q: How effective can a rental mat program be? 
A: You will be amazed at the reduction of dirt and dust with just a simple entrance mat program. Consider these facts:

• 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.
• Without entrance matting, 1,500 people can remove 42% of the finish from the floor. (3M)
• 86 billion pounds of dust settle over the US each year. (“All the Real Dirt on Dust”, Discover Magazine, 1986)
• 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) It can be as high as 90% according to the Institute’s Custodial Technical Handbook.
  Up to 24 pounds of dirt can be tracked in by just 1,000 people coming through an entrance over a 20-day work period. (ISSA)
• A major source of indoor air pollutants is street dust, carried in on shoes and captured in carpeting. (“The indoor Clean Air Quality Challenge”, Spray Technology Magazine, 1993)
• 30% of the dirt tracked in is trapped in the first 3 feet of a typical mat, 85% of the dirt gets trapped within a 15-foot length of typical matting. (ISSA)