Dust Control

The Need for Dust Control Products
There are many reasons why dust control products are needed. It is estimated that each year 43 billion tons of dust settle over the United States. Dust, dirt, and moisture are tracked in from outside as well as created from internal sources such as clothing, carpeting, bacteria and food.

Control Illness By Controlling Dust
Just can carry pollens, and molds, and other microbiological material such as viruses. Indoor air quality has become a national concern. By using dust control products, you can improve the quality of air in homes and office buildings.

Why Use a Textile Rental Company?
The dust control market is very competitive, and customers should be aware that dust control products are most effective when they are professionally cleaned by a textile rental company. A contract with a textile rental company guarantees customers clean dust control products on a regular basis.

There are four types of dust control products:

• Floor Mats
• Dust Mops
• Shop Towels
• Wet Mops

Each product helps reduce dust and other indoor pollutants.

History of Textile Rental Services

Dust Control and The Textile Rental Industry
Dust Control is one of four market segments of the textile rental industry. The textile rental industry began in the late 1800s when the growth of cities led to the increased demand for clean laundry. Companies bought textiles, solicited customers, and arranged for commercial laundries to clean the rental items.

Textile Rental Industry
Textile rental items were originally delivered on foot and then horse-drawn carriage. Eventually, textile rental companies began buying their own laundries. Today the textile rental industry generates more than $8.9 billion in sales in the U.S., and is growing at six times the rate of the Gross Domestic Product.

Dust Control Growing Even Faster
Dust control is the fastest growing segment of the textile rental industry. The need for dust control is 1,000% greater than is presently being served. According to TRSA's 1998 Strategic Analysis of the industry, the dust control segment grew by 10.5% in 1996.

History of Dust Control
Dust control products were created out of the need of several industries. AT&T requested products that would reduce dust, which was interfering with the electromechanical systems used to run switchboards. In response, textile manufacturers created floor mats and dust mops, which textile rental companies then serviced.

Led by the growth of manufacturing and the use of petroleum, especially in the automobile industry, there became a need for clean wiping materials. Shop towels filled the need. Today, environmental concerns have made shop towels the preferred wiper choice

Floor Mats

Floor Mats
Approximately 70% of dust inside a building is brought in from the outdoors. The most effective way of trapping this dust is by using a floor mat. Floor mats stop dust before it enters an area. By doing this, the floor mat enhances appearance, and safety. They are often called the silent janitor.

Floor Mat Uses
Floor mats protect high-traffic areas and carpets from wear-and-tear. Floor mats also absorb water, mud, and internally-generated soil. By doing this, floor mats reduce slippery conditions, and as a result reduce the opportunity for slip-and-falls.

Where to Use Floor Mats
Floor mats can be used effectively in many areas:

• Front and Rear Entrance and Exit Doors
• Check-Out Counters
• Vending Machines
• Time Clocks
• Water Fountains
• Grocery Store Delis
• Restrooms
• Kitchens

Floor Mat Facts
Here are some facts about floor mats:

• Professionally cleaned floor mats can capture 70% of the dust and dirt tracked into a building.
• One-square yard of commercial carpeting can accumulate one pound of dirt each week; two pounds in wet weather.
• Only 10% of dirt is removed from floor mat with a vacuum cleaner.
• Clean floor mats pick up" dust and dirt better than a dirty mat.
• Having a textile rental service clean your floor mats assures mats are clean and attractive.

Mats Prevent Slip-and-Falls
Floor mats have proven themselves beneficial in minimizing slip-and-falls. Many hard surface floors are not slip resistant, especially when contaminated with dirt, sand, and moisture. Floor mats collect these contaminants and provide a slip-resistant surface for traffic areas.

Advantages of Floor Mats
Rental floor mats have many advantages over other types of floor coverings, such as scatter rugs, carpet remnants, or cheap mats with border-less backing, vinyl backing or no backing. For one, these items may not comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Dust Mops

Dust Mops
While a rental floor mat is the best way to prevent dust from coming inside a building, some dust does make it inside and mixes with dust created from internal sources. Specially-treated dust mops catch dust in one operation, and are designed to collect and hold dust from walls, non-carpeted floors, and other sources.

Benefits of Dust Mops 
Some of the benefits to customers are:

• Improved safety
• Improved appearance
• Reduced labor time and cost
• Protection of equipment from dust damage
• Reduced air conditioner filter replacement
• Improved indoor air quality

Where Dust Mops Can Be Used
Dust mops can be used on many surfaces:

• Concrete Floors
• Hardwood Floors
• Tile Floors
• Ceilings
• Walls
• Light Fixtures
• Ceiling Fans

Air quality in any building can be improved by using a dust mop.

Dust Mops
Rental dust mops are treated to help them attract dust and dirt, so when they are sweeping they are grabbing dust and dirt. Rental dust mop strands are strong enough to withstand pushing, pulling, and twisting, and provide maximum soil and dirt absorbency.

Advantages of Dust Mops
Rental dust mops are of superior quality to alternatives such as disposable mops, purchased launderable mops, and brooms. Disposable mops are poorly constructed and are meant to be thrown away. Purchased, launderable mops cannot withstand commercial laundering, and home laundering cannot remove all of the dirt.

Purchased mops also are not professionally treated, and a treatment must be applied. If the dust mop isn't treated properly, the mop can be ineffective, and can damage floors. Brooms push dust around, and do not collect dust high on their fibers. Brooms also can dull or scratch certain surfaces.

Shop Towels

Shop Towels
Shop towels are a clean and absorbent product that has many applications:

• Wiping heavy grease in manufacturing.
• Wiping inks with solvents in printing operations.
• Cleaning up food processing.
• Light dusting in offices.

Where to Use Shop Towels
Shop towels can be used wherever machinery, furniture and equipment has to be wiped down. Shop towels also can be used to wipe hands.

Rental Shop Towels Reduce Waste
Rising concerns over hazardous waste and the availability of landfills is causing society to reuse and recycle. With rental shop towels, there is no disposal and no disposal cost. The fact that a company is reusing its shop towels, significantly reduces its long-term liability risk.

Reasons for Renting Shop Towels
A service agreement with a textile rental company provides a continuous supply of towels. Purchasing time and expenses are thereby reduced. There also is no need for a large storage area when renting towels. Also, customers can be assured they will not run out of clean towels.

Shop Towels vs. Paper Towels
Shop towels are more absorbent than paper towels, sometimes 5-to-10 paper towels are needed to do the job of one shop towel. Shop towels are softer than paper towels, making them easier on finished surfaces. Disposable paper towels are not as durable and are wasteful when compared to shop towels.

Shop Towels vs. Rags
Shop towels also have advantages over rags. Buying rags can be a gamble. Rags may be made of polyester, which is not absorbent. Zippers may also be present, which can damage equipment and surfaces. Five 18 x 18 shop towels cost less and do the same job as a pound of rags.

Add-On Services
Shop towels can be printed with your company's logo or slogan. Shop towels also can be dyed to show their end use, such as:

• White for food processing.
• Red or orange for machine shops or mechanics.
• Blue or gray for printers.
• Yellow for wiping surfaces.

Wet Mops

Wet Mops
Wet mops are used for many types of cleaning procedures on any type of hard flooring. A loop-end, rental mop is superior to a cut-end style and will absorb five to six times its own weight. Purchased, cut-end mops are not treated with an anti-microbial formula, and will present a serious odor and discoloration problem.

Long-End vs. Cut-End Wet Mops
Rental loop-end wet mops are made of a blend of yarns, providing the right mix for product life and absorption. On the other hand, cut-end mops leave long strands of yarn in the work area, requiring additional time and labor to remove the strands. Loop-end mops will not leave strands because of their one-piece construction.