The entrance to your building and subsequent doorways need to operate at maximum efficiency at all times.
Now, this might seem obvious to say, but a poorly functioning or unappealing door is quite literally a barrier. All-day long, staff members, customers, and stakeholders rely on them to smoothly navigate your building, and if they aren’t working perfectly, there can be negative repercussions.
Office doors can be a long-term investment – if you treat them as such. Like with all mechanical maintenance, if you look after your doors, they will last longer.
In this blog, we’ll explore some door maintenance methods and services should you wish to outsource the aftercare of your all-important entryways.
Why is it important to clean and maintain them?
Firstly, doors are the most frequently touched surfaces in buildings but are somehow the most neglected in cleaning routines.
This makes them the perfect breeding ground for bacteria, and viruses can easily spread from user to user. We’ve become particularly conscious of the surface-spread of illnesses throughout the pandemic but, really, it’s an important consideration regardless of Covid-19.
The flu or a cold can wipe out an office and be a huge detriment to productivity in the winter months.
Not only that, but a grimy door can lead to a pretty poor first impression. Dirty, squeaky, or stiff doors are less than ideal for user experience and can be demotivating and unappealing for both staff members and visitors alike.
If your doors aren’t working as they should or - worse still - they grind to a halt entirely, you can completely lose the energy efficiency advantages that you might have benefited from.
Lastly - and here’s the kicker - proper maintenance of your building’s entryways is vital for compliance with European safety standards. We’ll dig into that a little more later!
How to clean your office doors
When cleaning your office doors, as with any surface, it’s important to consider the material.
Improper vs proper cleaning equipment can mean the difference between a damaged surface and a beautifully-maintained one!
Cleaning wood doors
When cleaning wooden office doors, you should be sure to first use a soft cloth around the frame. Make sure all of the dust is removed before spraying the cloth with a wood-safe cleaner.
Then, take your cloth and wipe in the direction of the grain. Once you’re satisfied that the door is clean, buff it with a dry cloth to remove any excess cleaning fluid.
Don’t forget to use cleaner on door handles and hinges, ensuring you use metal cleaner where appropriate.
Cleaning glass doors
A glass door has many different elements, including the glass itself, the tracks, and the hinges.
Start by hoovering any dust from the slider tracks - this is something you should do regularly to avoid build-up.
For the door frame, you’ll likely want to use a multipurpose cleaner, but be sure to check the exact material. You can use alcohol-based cleaner on stainless steel, for example.
With glass doors that face the outside, the exterior of the door can get rather dirty. In this case, use a soft cloth to get off any loose dirt before you introduce a cleaner.
Next, use a window cleaner to remove the grime and work your way from the top down - twice, if you need to. Dry with an absorbent cloth.
Cleaning revolving doors and speed gates
Revolving doors and speed gates often have different finishes to more standard glass or wooden doors. It’s even more pertinent, then, to choose the right cleaning agent for each different element.
Luckily, we have a range of products and cleaning agents that we recommend. See our blog on cleaning your revolving doors for more information.
In summary, for powder-coated materials and stainless steel, use alcohol-based cleaners (nothing acid-based); for polycarbonate, use mild soap and lukewarm water; for painted surfaces, use hot, soapy water or isopropyl alcohol.
Otherwise, follow the cleaning methodology already outlined. In all cases, be sure not to rub loose dirt into the surfaces as it can potentially damage them.
How often do you need to clean them?
While it depends on the regularity of use, cleaning once a week is generally recommended. However, during flu season and a pandemic, wiping surfaces every day helps keep users safe.
Stay on top of maintenance
Maintaining your office building is evidently crucial — if a door stops working, the flow of people is significantly disrupted.
The last thing your business wants is to lose that all-important good first impression and to risk a workplace accident.
Now that we’ve got cleaning in the bag, it’s important to keep in mind that maintenance spans beyond a cleaning routine alone. Wear and tear is inevitable on such frequently-used fittings, so staying on top of upkeep is necessary for longevity and office productivity. Damaged doors and handles are a no-no for your valued staff members!
Maintenance agreements
One of the best ways to stay ahead of maintenance is with a servicing agreement.
Here at Boon Edam, all of our products qualify for a Service and Maintenance Agreement - spanning from a Basic Care package for preventative maintenance to the Ultimate Care package, a wholly comprehensive agreement.
Under the European Safety Standard, EN 16005, the building occupier has the responsibility to ensure that equipment or machinery is regularly maintained in line with the manufacturer’s recommendations. In essence, protecting the safety of employees and the public is in the occupier’s hands — and a Maintenance Agreement is a great reassurance in this sense.
We know that no two businesses are the same. That’s why, alongside our packages, we can offer custom aftercare solutions that meet your exact needs. It’s our priority to keep your doors and entryways functioning as best they should so that your building works for you.
For quality revolving doors and aftercare solutions, you can rely on Boon Edam; find out more about our maintenance services here or get in touch.
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