The COVID-19 pandemic has introduced a new urgency to cleaning and disinfecting that simply wasn’t there before. Facility managers are studying guidelines from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, developing strict cleaning protocols, and partnering with their building service contractors (BSCs) to ensure their buildings are as safe and healthy as possible.

One thing they all have learned is that different surfaces have different cleaning requirements. Carpet can be particularly challenging to clean even in non-pandemic times: Muddy feet trample all over it, coffee gets spilled on it, and food crumbs settle into it. Worst of all, pathogens like bacteria and viruses get trapped in it.