THE DIRTY FACTS
IMAGE, HOUSEKEEPING COSTS
- 80% of the dust, dirt and grime in public buildings are �tracked in� from the outside.
(Institute of Industrial Laundries)
- Studies show that one square yard of commercial grade carpeting can accumulate one
pound of dirt over one week�s period of time and up to twice as much in inclement weather. (International Sanitary Supply Association)
- The estimated cost of removing a single pound of dirt from an office building can
Exceed $500. (International Sanitary Supply Association)
- �We estimate that only about 10% of the dirt is removed from mats with a vacuum
Cleaner.� (Georgia State University Test)
- �91% of shoppers select a store because of its appearance�. (Progressive Shopper)
- Without entrance matting, 1500 people can remove 42% of the finish from the floor.
(3M Company)
- �It is estimated 90% of building maintenance cost is labor�. (Cleaning Management)
DEPRECIATION, MAINTENANCE
- Dirt and dust cause nine out of ten computer systems failures. (Louisiana
Cooperative Extension Service)
- A buildup of .042 inches of dust on a heating or cooling system can decrease
Efficiency by 21%. (Environmental Protection Agency)
CONTAMINATION, SANITATION AND DUST CONTROL
- 86 billion pounds of dust settle over the U.S. each year. (�All the Real Dirt on Dust�,
Discover Magazine, 1986)
- About 1out of 5 of Americans are allergic to some component of dust. (Dr. Robert
Pumphrey, Washington D.C.)
- The Library of Congress has 322 books on dust.
- The average six-room dwelling takes in 40 pounds of dust in a year. A private home may have between 800,00 and 1,600,000 tiny bits of dust and particulate matter in every cubic inch of air. (TRSA Report �Dust Where We Work�)
- The University of Wisconsin offers a course on the subject of Dust Control.
SAFETY
- Over 30% of worker injuries are slip-related. (Wausau Insurance Company)
- The average cost of slip-related injury exceeds $12,000. (Wausau Insurance Company)
