In much of the country, winter weather brings snow, sleet and ice. Instead of shutting operations down for three months, municipal road crews spread salt to open roads and keep traffic safely moving. Smithsonian Magazine estimates that more than 22 million tons of salt are scattered on U.S. roads annually—that’s about 137 pounds of salt for every American. Facility owners add to the pile by scattering de-icing salts in parking lots and on walkways.
The science of salt has two sides. It does a great job of clearing roads and sidewalks but it also wreaks havoc on the surrounding environment. A study reported in Smithsonian estimates that, because of salt runoff, 40% of the country’s urban streams have chloride levels that exceed safety guidelines for aquatic life. The material corrodes cars and trucks, kills plant life and burns the paw pads of dogs and cats. Just imagine what tracked-in road salts are doing to your floors.
Warming Trend
Most commercial deicers are made from one or a blend of five materials: calcium chloride, sodium chloride, potassium chloride, magnesium chloride and urea. Each chemical melts ice differently. Calcium chloride is an exothermic deicer meaning it releases its own heat to create an ice-melting brine. It works fast and is effective at temperatures as low as -25 degrees F. The others are endothermic deicers. They absorb heat from the sun to create the brine. These products work slower and are not effective in extremely low temperatures.
Dangerous Residue
Some deicing salts will end up tracked inside your facility and can cause serious damage. Most road salts have a high pH, just like a floor stripper, that breaks down the finish and leaves the floor underneath vulnerable. CleanLink reports that sodium chloride—aka rock salt—leaves a white powdery residue behind while calcium chloride and magnesium chloride leave an oily one. If left in place too long wood floors can dry out and splinter, tile and other hard surface flooring may discolor and carpet will just plain ugly out.
Do It Right
The right techniques and tools will protect floors from road salt damage. Start by applying the product correctly, often this means spreading salt before bad weather hits, and using the recommended amounts. Walk-off mats at entrances will help trap deicers at the door. Be sure they are at least 12 to 15 feet long for high traffic areas. When cleaning, neutralize the alkaline salt residue with an acidic pH neutralizer and remove the liquid completely with an autovac.
Click here for more tools to remove road salts.
Image source: freeimages.com
Amy Milshtein
Amy Milshtein covers design, facility management and business topics for a variety of trade publications and consumer magazines.
Her work has won several awards, most recently a regional silver Azbee Award of Excellence.
She lives in Portland, OR with her family and Clyde, a 15-lb tabby cat. Once an avid hiker, these days she finds herself on the less-challenging -but-still-exciting 'creaky knees' trails.
Other Articles by Amy Milshtein
True Cost of a Spill: How to Clean Spills, Keep your Customers Safe and Protect Your Bottom Line
Kaivac allows Wagging Tail Ranch owners to cut cleaning time and spend more time with the dogs
How to Clean an Office to Stay Healthy and Productive at Work
New Year’s Resolution: Stop the Mop for Really Clean, Really Safe Floors
Related Topics
Related Products
![OmniFlex™ AutoVac™ Add-on Kit]()
OmniFlex™ AutoVac™ Add-on KitThe AutoVac Add-on Kit quickly transforms your OmniFlex into an automated high performance floor machine that rivals the performance of an autoscrubber - at a fraction of the cost!A really fast, simple approach to clean, safe floors, this system is perfect for high speed cleaning of hard surface areas, such as hallways, cafeterias, lobbies, warehouses, fitness areas and more. It’s as fast and effective as an autoscrubber without the added cost or complexity, making it perfect for building service contractors and facility managers alike.Simply combine this kit with an OmniFlex Trolley-Bucket and an OmniFlex Wet Vacuum and start cleaning!
![OmniFlex™ AutoVac™]()
OmniFlex™ AutoVac™The OmniFlex AutoVac is an automated floor cleaning machine that's three-four times faster than mopping with one major difference: it actually removes the soils completely from the floor surface instead of spreading them around. Even more impressive, it rivals the performance of an auto scrubber - at a fraction of the cost!A really fast, simple approach to clean, safe floors, this system is perfect for high speed cleaning of hard surface areas, such as hallways, entranceways, cafeterias, lobbies, warehouses, fitness areas and more. It’s as fast and effective as an auto scrubber without the added cost or complexity, making it perfect for building service contractors and facility managers alike.Also available, our newest AutoVac powered by Lithium-Ion.
![OmniFlex™ AutoVac™ Battery]()
OmniFlex™ AutoVac™ BatteryThe OmniFlex AutoVac is an automated high performance floor cleaning machine that's three-four times faster than a mop, but instead of spreading soils, it actually removes them completely from the floor surface. Even more impressive, it cleans as well and as fast as a traditional walk-behind or ride-on auto scrubber at a fraction of the cost!A really simple approach to cleaner, safer floors, this system is perfect for high speed cleaning of hard surface areas, such as entranceways, hallways, cafeterias, lobbies, warehouses, fitness areas and more. It rivals the performance of an auto scrubber without the added cost or complexity, making it perfect for building service contractors and facility managers alike.
![OmniFlex™ SUV™]()
OmniFlex™ SUV™Say goodbye to the traditional janitor’s cart. The Lithium-ion powered OmniFlex™ SUV™ is the first practical whole building mop replacement ever developed. In fact, it’s a true all-in-one system that not only replaces mops and buckets, but also wet vacuums, dust mops, and in some cases, even autoscrubbers. Plus, it reduces trash volume by up to two-thirds with its integrated trash compactor.Most important, it gets floors and other surfaces really clean, really fast. The ultimate in Crossover Cleaning, it combines high speed push-behind cleaning for large areas with the precision and flexibility of a vacuum wand for smaller or congested areas, tight corners, or grouted floors. The result is a compact cart that‘s three-four times faster than mopping and 30-60 times better.
