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When it comes to hospitality venues, commercial floor mats have got you covered – figuratively and literally. Nearly every location from the front-to-back of a restaurant or hotel facility can benefit from the protection of a commercial floor mat. Take a minute and think about all of the potential common areas in hotel or restaurant near your house – you’ve got entryways, kiosks, front desks, kitchens, etc. All of them can be improved and made safer with the introduction of floor mats.

Entryways

Let’s start with the outside of a building. Consider the number of patrons that enter a hotel or restaurant on a given day. Now, imagine they live in Chicagoland and it’s February. It’s likely that these patrons will be tracking in all kinds of mud, snow and salt with them as they enter the establishment. Not only is that unattractive for the hotel’s entryway and the cause of frequent floor cleanings, but it also poses a serious safety risk with regard to potential slips and injury. For these types of locations, we recommend a “Super Scrape” mat. They are durable and hold up under busy foot traffic, and they also have deep grooves where patrons can clean off their shoes before entering the building.

Front Desk

Jump ahead – now we’re in the building. Maybe there’s a lobby or a front desk area. Or if it’s a restaurant, maybe there’s a host stand. This is where a logo mat is a great way to go. Logo mats can be personalized with the company’s logo, and it’s a great opportunity to incorporate a little branding and color accent to the entryway. By using this space to introduce a company’s logo, it’s one more way to provide a cohesive, branded experience for a customer. Not to mention, logo mats come in a variety of styles from carpet to nylon or rubber to provide comfortable, durable solutions for foot traffic.

Kitchen/Back of House

Finally, follow the entryway back into the kitchen area. Here you’ll find the hardest working employees in the venue, working long shifts and standing on their feet for hours at a time. In this space, we recommend a rubber comfort mat. These anti-fatigue mats are cushioned and provide additional support for hospitality workers who stand for significant lengths of time. Not only are they comfortable, but they’re also made with nitrile rubber that is resistant to oil and grease, treated with an anti-microbial agent that guards against microorganisms, and textured to provide skid resistance. They’re everything a kitchen needs to ensure comfort and safety for their employees.

As you might imagine, commercial floor mats should be cleaned regularly to make sure the appearance of the venue remains at the highest possible level. What is your facility missing?

Think back to your last doctor visit. Were you provided a patient gown for the exam? If so, was the gown made of cloth or was it a disposable paper one?

Healthcare centers that provide disposable gowns can leave patients feeling dissatisfied with their experience. Paper gowns have a tendency to rip, and they often don’t fully cover a patient’s body, leaving them feeling exposed and uncomfortable. Here’s the top three reasons why we think cloth patient gowns are the way to go:

1.) Quality and image. Cloth gowns feel more expensive and therefore positively impact the healthcare practice’s image and their patients’ experience. Disposable products feel cheap and therefore appear to be lacking in quality. Patients might be thinking, “If they skimp on the gowns, what else are they skimping on?” It’s a “you get what you pay for” mentality, and it can negatively affect the experience the patient has at your facility.

2.) Environmentally-conscious. As you might expect, cloth patient gowns are more environmentally friendly than disposable paper ones. They create less waste – not only the gowns themselves, but also the packaging they come in. Also, the cleaning process used on cloth patient gowns is certified “Clean Green” by TRSA (Textile Rental Services Association). Switching to cloth is just one more way your facility can be making strides toward a greener practice.

3.) Inventory management. As you might imagine, it’s imperative to clean cloth gowns after every patient use. As such, linen rental services will provide inventory tracking to ensure that hospitals always have the right products on hand. Weekly inventory monitoring reports allow hospitals to get a snapshot of usages, which in turn make inventory management adjustments a breeze.

If that doesn’t convince you, take a look at some of these staggering statistics from a recent International Communications Research Study:

• 64% of patients across America prefer wearing a cloth patient gown to one made of disposable paper.
• 72% of patients say cloth patient gowns are more comfortable than paper gowns.

Cloth patient gowns can reduce waste, lower costs, and enhance the image of your medical practice. If you can have all that, and keep your patients feeling comfortable and secure, what’s not to like?

It is said that hospitals are no place for sick people. When you look at statistics for patients who receive infections during a hospital stay, you’ll understand why. Every year in the U.S., an estimated 1.7 million patients acquire infections while in the hospital, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The White Coat

Some of these deaths may be attributed to the very clothes doctors wear, specifically their white coats, or lab coats. Although it has long been a symbol of the profession, doctors themselves are calling for an end to the practice of wearing them because they can carry pathogens from patient to patient as they make their rounds. Adding to the problem is that the coats do not receive professional laundering on a regular basis, sometimes going months between cleanings. Bacteria such as MRSA and CRE, known as superbugs because of their resistance to medication, can survive up to 56 days on the average white coat.

The scope of the problem goes beyond hospitals, however. Transfer of bacteria is prevalent in all types of nursing facilities and health clinics. And it’s not just the doctors who are transferring pathogens. Because they have adopted the habit of wearing lab coats that don’t receive regular cleaning, nurses and many other health care workers are spreading bacteria and viruses between patients.

Status Symbol

Some doctors have decided to forego wearing a white coat as a means of containing the problem. For others, the jacket symbolizes a type of “rank” that they have worked long and hard to be able to wear. Some also feel that their coats are no more harmful than the street clothes they wear beneath the coats. Besides being a status symbol, the coat is a handy place to stash pens, eyeglasses and tools of the trade, such as a stethoscope.

Lab coats also provide the added benefit of putting a patient’s mind at ease. A recent study showed that patient satisfaction can increase if their physician is wearing a lab coat. Lab coats projects authority, expertise, and confidence, and many patients feel more comfortable with a doctor who is dressed the part.

Additionally, healthcare workers have many colors and patterns to choose from in today’s scrubs, the standard industry clothing. Some facilities have taken to having workers wear lab coats over their scrubs to display a more uniform and professional appearance. For facilities that prefer the coats, as well as those who wish to retain the status symbol or convenience of wearing them, professional laundering services offer a solution to help contain the spread of pathogens to patients.

Industry Standards

The Healthcare Laundry Accreditation Council (HLAC) is an organization that sets hygienic standards for laundry used in healthcare settings. To become accredited, members such as hospitals, clinics and doctors’ offices must meet standards that cover a range of processes, from handling and transportation to laundering and delivery of that laundry to the client. The layout of a laundry facility, employee training methods and even customer service are additional areas that come under accreditation standards, as well as compliance with OSHA requirements.

For more information on how professional laundering of lab coats can help you contain the risk of cross-infecting patients, contact Morgan Healthcare, who specialize in healthcare laundering. Ask about our Lab Coat Program and how you can benefit.

Chef coats have long been worn in commercial kitchens. Often made with double-thick material, a chef coat helps to protect chefs and line cooks from common dangers, like hot grease and steam. In high-end restaurants and those with open kitchens, the chef coat also helps to elevate the professional appearance of the kitchen staff.

But let’s face it – though necessary, chef coats make you hot.

According to OSHA, kitchen temperatures can get up to 110 degrees when chefs and line cooks are working in front of hot grills – any time of the year.  Cooks often find themselves taking frequent trips to the walk-in refrigerator for temporary relief from the heat.

So how do you maintain the professional appearance and safety benefits of a chef coat and keep cool? Morgan has the answer: mesh.

Mesh chef coats from Regent are designed for comfort without sacrificing the advantages of a traditional chef coat.

Download our brochure for more information about the Morgan Hospitality Mesh Coats.

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