Everything you need to know about a mat rental service
If you’re looking for ways to save yourself time, money, energy, and stress, then you need to explore what a mat rental service can do for your business! Lindström’s full-cycle mat rental service takes care of everything, from needs analysis to product selection, transport, maintenance, and even aftercare.
The following article outlines the 7 stages of the mat service cycle and the various benefits a company can access through a total mat rental service.
Stage 1. Analysis of customer needs
It’s critical to begin with a thorough analysis of a customer’s needs to understand their specific requirements. This includes consideration of the floor conditions of the premises, any safety concerns, as well as customer aspirations, for example. Below are the 5 categories the team focuses on in their needs analysis.
Stage 2. Product selection, ordering and delivery
There are four main types of mat to choose from: Entrance mats, Standard mats, Design mats, and Ergonomic mats.
Entrance mats are primarily functional, ensuring that dirt and grit remain outside the building while also improving safety by offering an anti-slip surface and scraping away excess water. Standard mats also keep facilities clean and clear by catching sand, dust, and dirt and trapping moisture. They also have a rubber base which prevents the mat from slipping and promotes safety. Design mats are custom mats that can include prints with your company logo or branded message. They offer the same properties as standard mats. Lastly, Ergonomic mats are a specialised solution for service desks or workspaces where people spend a lot of time standing or walking back and forth. In addition, Lindstöm also provides Industrial mats. They have a design that fits spaces particularly prone to heavy wear and suffer abrasion from footwear and sediment or contaminants.
Unsure on where to place mats in your facility? Check the examples from the illustration below!
Sustainable Materials
A priority for Lindström is the use of materials that are renewable and recyclable. Carefully sourcing materials for the mats in our service, we ensure they are high quality and adhere to all ethical and environmental standards. We aim for 100% of our mat product collections to be partially made from sustainable materials. We prioritise the use of recycled materials and reduce the demand for virgin sources.
Once the product choice has been made, we deliver the mats to the customer. During the analysis stage, our team will have discussed and presented proposals for the most effective layout. When the mats are first delivered, we take care to carefully install and position the mats according to the customer’s specifications, ensuring proper placement for maximum effectiveness and safe use.
Stage 3: Mats in use – benefits in numbers
Once mats are in their places, it’s time for the customer to enjoy their benefits. It’s worth remembering just how effective a mat is at keeping your premises clean. For example, 80% of dirt is walked or wheeled into the building, and the amount of dirt is doubled when it rains (or snows). This is why the effectiveness of entryway mats is so critical. In addition, the use of high-quality, well-maintained mats that are replaced with optimal time intervals are a valuable part of the image and brand of your company.
According to the European Textile Services Association (ETSA), use of effective matting decreases cleaning time by 44% and reduces the cleaning costs by almost 15%. The mat systems that Lindström introduces can be so effective that a person entering the building needs only step four times on the mat to ensure they clean most of the dirt from their shoes.
Stage 4: Pick-up and logistics
Logistical costs associated with cleaning mats are largely unappreciated. It’s one of the most important considerations when deciding whether to use a mat rental service or purchase mats outright. The fact is that most businesses are just not large enough or equipped to clean mats themselves. For many, the logistical hassle and distance of transporting to the nearest laundry facility are prohibitively expensive.
Thanks to our local service centres, our transport distances are short, with one kilogram of laundry travelling an average of only 260 meters. In addition, we have a great pickup and delivery network, ensuring that wherever you are located, our service can reach you.
Using our total mat rental service means that neither you nor any of your staff need worry about the regular cleaning and maintenance of the mats. Your own cleaning staff can allocate their time and efforts to other essential tasks. It’s worth remembering that under normal circumstances, 40% of an organisation’s cleaning budget goes toward keeping the floors clean and clear. The streamlined approach of the Lindström mat rental service improves operational efficiency, allowing for better utilisation of resources and staff efforts.
Stage 5: Washing and quality control
Once collecting mats from the customer premises for regular cleaning, wetake them through our quality control and washing processes. Research shows that only 1 square metre of mat can gather up to 2.3 litres of moisture and collect up to 2 kilograms of dirt. However, only about 10% of dirt can be vacuumed from the carpet. Using Lindström’s mat rental service ensures the mat is properly cleaned and its effectiveness, appearance and condition is maintained.
At Lindström, we value sustainability, which is applied in our operations. For example, we achieve water recycling and lower energy consumption in our laundries in several ways. We recover water from the final rinsing phases and reuse it for pre-washing the next load. To improve energy efficiency, we use lower washing temperatures and shorter process times.
We use responsible detergents and advanced equipment to thoroughly clean the mats. With strict quality control measures, we ensure that we return mats to the customer in excellent condition for continued use.
Stage 6: Storage and utilisation
If a customer’s mat needs change, such as with increased need for mats due to seasonal weather they simply contact our customer service. You don’t have to find a place to store them or figure out what to do with them. This can be helpful if you don’t have a lot of storage space at your business premises
We carefully track and monitor the availability of different mat types and sizes, regularly replenishing our stock to ensure prompt delivery and excellent service. With efficient inventory management, we are able to provide our customers with a seamless experience and ensure they always have access to the mats they require.
Stage 7: Maintenance, replacement and recycling
The final stage of the mat rental service is the maintenance, replacement and recycling of mats. As mentioned, floor mats require regular cleaning and maintenance. Whenever the mats can be repaired or reinvigorated with our processes, we strive to achieve this. However, our number one priority is to return the best possible product to our customers, and this will never be compromised. We maximise the lifespan of products by choosing durable and recycled materials and by repairing and reusing them. When mats reach their end of life, we have established a recycling program to ensure responsible disposal. We collaborate with recycling partners who specialise in mat recycling, ensuring that the materials are properly processed and diverted from landfills. By recycling our mats, we minimise waste.
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