COST EFFECTIVE CARPET MAINTENANCE FOR AIRPORT TERMINALS

Airport terminal carpet necessitates a new, contemporary approach to large-scale carpet maintenance in order to sustain high appearance levels on a cost-effective basis. The new, wide VS-12 has been designed for terminal carpet where up to 80,000 square feet and more must be cleaned and maintained during the night cleaning shift. The one-person, one operation machine is capable of covering 10,000 square feet an hour. Because minimum moisture is utilized to generate dry-foam, dry-times are fast and the carpet is ready for the terminal opening and the first early morning flights. Necessary for thorough cieaning, the cylindrical brush provides mechanical agitation deep into the carpet pile to loosen and bring soil to the carpet surface for immediate soil extraction. The low-resoil detergent prohibits rapid resoil and extends frequencies between cleaning operations to further reduce time and cost factors.

Current airport expansions around the country are indicators of more air travel and the anticipated increase during the coming years. To handle the continued growth in passenger flow, the airport terminal parades through a never-ending metamorphosis. From the small 10-foot square passenger station during the early days of aviation, through the slick art deco, glitzy terminal of the 30s, to the present large open terminal structure with skylights, hi-tech lighting, moving walk-ways and people mover rail systems. Sculpture, art, graphics, trendy shops and gourmet restaurants are integral facets of terminal interiors as airport officials and airlines strive for better image and more passenger comfort.

Modern terminals contain some of the largest horizontal use-surfaces. Most are carpeted or soon will be. According to many in the airport terminal industry, "Carpet is in and hard-surface floors are out." Airport selection committees select carpet for its many advantages over hard surface and resilient floors. Carpet provides better airport image, more passenger comfort, acoustical control, ambiance and maintainability. Surveys to airports indicate that carpet is easier to care for and less expensive to maintain. Large international airports such as Miami, Las Vegas, Orlando, Salt Lake City and San Diego have a total of some 2.5 million square feet of carpet. That's a lot of carpet to clean and maintain.

Small, slow moving machines and multiple crews escalate time and labor casts. Some maintenance methods and detergents accelerate resoiling after cleaning and will require more cleaning frequencies in an attempt to keep the carpet clean, however, the more the carpet is cleaned, the dirtier it becomes. This phenomenon occurred at a large north eastern airport as well as several others. Choose the maintenance system selectively to reduce time and labor costs.

Because airport terminals continue to change and now contain some of the largest carpet installations in the nation, its important that carpet maintenance sustain appearance and be cost-effective. In addition to the wide MACH 12 for large-scale carpet care, the Von Schrader Company provides other equipment for terminal maintenance. All are efficient and easy to use. The smaller LMX is designed for cluttered areas and smaller carpet installations such as gate areas. Maintenance costs are reduced and frequent cleaning operations required with other systems are eliminated. The ESPRIT upholstery soil extractor makes short work of single seat office chairs or multiple seating in waiting areas. Down time is short, dry times fast, seating goes back into use almost immediately. The VS-3 airport terminal wall maintenance unit cleans up to 6,000 square feet of walls and ceilings for less than 50 cents a day. Cleans any surface: painted, marble, cinder block, cement, spanish and swirl plaster, rough painted brick. Eliminates costly repainting.