What to Look for in a Commercial Shoe Scraper Mat

We may find ourselves living on a dirty planet (after all – it’s made of dirt), but that doesn’t mean we must happily welcome grime into our buildings or facilities. Without proper matting, such as a shoe scraper mat, our buildings can go from pristine to dingy in a short time period.   

The Pitfalls of Dirty Entryways 

According to data from the International Sanitary Supply Association (ISSA):  

“Facilities with foot traffic of up to 1,000 people per day will have approximately 24 pounds of soil tracked in during a 20-day period. Matting can reduce that number drastically.” 

Not only will tracked-in dirt subtract from the beauty of your building, but a dingy entry area can also create a negative first impression for visitors. As business consultant Serenity Gibbons advises in a Forbes report, “Any sign of dirt or disorganization may turn customers away … even if everything else about your offer is strong. People assume that if the business owner doesn't care, why should they?” 

Safety First 

When combined with damp weather, tracked-in dirt can threaten the safety of anyone walking inside, leading to slips, trips and falls. The U.S. Department of Labor reports slips, trips and falls comprise the majority of general industry accidents and account for up to 15 percent of all accidental deaths per year – the second-leading cause behind motor vehicles. In addition, tracked-in dirt is a perfect carrier for a wide array of harmful bacteria.  

For buildings required to maintain industry standards, entry matting and scraper mats can help. The American Society of Testing Materials’ specifications for building design and construction states:  

“Building entrances shall be provided with mats or runners, or other means to help remove foreign particles and other contaminants from the bottom of pedestrian footwear. Mats should be provided to minimize foreign particles that may become dangerous to pedestrians particularly on hard smooth floors, from being tracked on floors.” 

Finally, small pebbles, sand or other gritty particles will damage floors, carpet and other matting over time, costing you more. 

The Solution: Scraper Mats 

Top-level scraper mats offer attractive design features  as well as a high rate of water absorption for all weather conditions resulting in maximum debris removal. Factors to consider include function (light, medium or heavy duty), thickness, environment (indoor or outdoor) and amount o f traffic and comfort.  

Outdoor shoe scraper mats provide the first line of defense for your building in the war on dirt. NoTrax® offers several options.  Slip Guard with Grit-Step scraper mats guard against soil with its high-low scraping design. This mat has silicon carbide grit surface for additional traction. Its low profile allows for easy door clearance as well as regular traffic, and a specially formulated rubber surface withstands harsh weather environments and heavy foot traffic. Although used primarily outdoors, Slip Guard can be used inside and hosed off for easy cleaning. 

Perfect for indoor use, the Waffle CTE is a crumb, rubber-backed entrance mat used in light to medium traffic areas. The raised, crushproof waffle pattern scrapes and cleans. The scraper mat’s carpet-to-edge (CTE) perimeter traps dirt and moisture while the crumb rubber underside grips the underlying surface, minimizing mat movement. 

As the name implies, the Guzzler CTE guzzles moisture off shoe surfaces. Intended for medium to heavy traffic, the Guzzler CTE also offers a classic, raised, crushproof waffle pattern that aggressively scrapes and cleans along with the CTE and molded rubber "cleats" on the underside. 

The ultimate weapon against boot-carried dirt, the Mud, Debris & Snow Ice Boot Scraper does it all. The scraper mat eradicates dirt and muck from the bottom and sides of shoes and boots. Durable yet flexible rubber fingers quickly remove debris before it can be tracked inside. The Boot Scraper is also designed to be bolted down in a permanent position, yet is lightweight enough to move around when needed.  

Dirty shoes and boots may be a daily fact of life, but your building doesn’t have to suffer an unpleasant look, unsafe conditions or worn-down flooring when you choose superior scraper mats. Contact NoTrax today to win the war on dirt.