Introduction
Winter brings snow, slush, and safety challenges to every facility. Applying ice melt is one of the most effective ways to prevent slips and falls on sidewalks, parking lots, and entryways. But once customers and employees walk inside, salt residue tracked in on shoes can leave residue that is difficult to clean up.
This post explains why using ice melt outdoors and Emerald 84 indoors is the best strategy to keep facilities safe and maintain floor appearance during winter.
1. Ice Melt Means Safety. Salt Residue Means Damage.
Ice melt is essential for preventing outdoor slip-and-fall incidents. The salt residue inside a facility is caused by the mineral salts commonly found in deicing products.
What actually causes indoor buildup?
- Chloride salts (sodium, calcium, magnesium) often leave a white powdery or oily film after meltwater evaporates.
- These mineral deposits can dull floor finishes, leave haze on VCT and LVT, form sticky spots, and attract additional dirt.
- High-traffic entryways often show accelerated floor wear in winter due to repeated exposure to tracked-in salts and moisture.
Key takeaway:
Ice Melt prevents slips outside. Salt Residue needs cleaned inside.
2. Why Facilities Need a Two-Part Winter Plan
Part 1: Keep outdoor surfaces ice-free
Applying ice melt helps maintain ADA-compliant walkways by keeping accessible routes clear and safe. Under-using ice melt can create dangerous conditions for visitors and employees.
Part 2: Protect indoor floors from salt residue
Because salt gets tracked indoors regardless of outdoor controls, facilities should include:
- Daily winter floor cleaning
- Effective matting systems
- Neutral cleaning chemicals formulated for salt removal
- Floor Scrubbers for high-traffic areas
3. Emerald 84: Designed for Salt Residue and Winter Floor Care
Emerald 84 Neutral Floor Cleaner is a neutral-pH, low-foam cleaner formulated for commercial floors and particularly effective at removing salt residue and hard-water films.
Key benefits
- Breaks down and removes rock salt, calcium chloride, and magnesium chloride residues.
- Neutral pH protects floor finishes and preserves gloss.
- Low-foam formula is ideal for automatic scrubbers and reduces rework.
- Leaves no streaks, haze, or sticky residue when used correctly.
4. Pairing Floor Scrubbers with Emerald 84
Floor Scrubbers are especially useful during heavy winter foot traffic:
- Walk-behind and ride-on scrubbers remove salt more effectively than manual mopping.
- Scrubbers apply consistent downward pressure, agitate the floor, and remove dirt.
- Effective cleaning reduces labor time and maximizes uptime.
5. Best Practices to Reduce Salt Damage Indoors
| Step | What to Do | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Use ice melt properly outdoors—apply enough to maintain safe footing. | Under-application increases slip risk; consistent application prevents dangerous buildup outside. |
| 2 | Install a three-zone matting system: scraper (outdoors), scraper/wiper (vestibule), wiper (interior). | Effectively reduces the amount of salt, slush, and debris tracked inside. |
| 3 | Sweep/vacuum high-traffic areas first to remove loose salt and grit before wet cleaning. | Prevents scratching and reduces abrasive wear on finishes. |
| 4 | Use a neutral cleaner (Emerald 84) for mopping or autoscrubbing to break down mineral residue. | Removes deposits without damaging finish or leaving haze. |
| 5 | Clean entry zones frequently during storms—consider 2–3 hour cycles for busy entrances. | Minimizes residue accumulation and slip hazards. |
| 6 | Rinse and maintain mop buckets and scrubber tanks to avoid re-depositing salt. | Prevents cross-contamination and protects cleaning equipment from corrosion. |
6. The Business Case
Combining ice melt with salt-removal cleaning reduces slip risk, protects floors, cuts down long-term refinishing or replacement costs, and keeps facilities looking professional. Using floor scrubbers also reduces labor and improves turnaround time during winter storms.
Conclusion
Ice melt is an essential safety tool for winter, and our ice melt helps keep walkways and parking areas safe. To protect interior floors from the salt residue that may be tracked inside, pair Emerald 84 with the right cleaning equipment.
Ready for a complete winter plan? Contact us today!