Due the population density, the geographical size of Ontario, and the lack of widespread public transportation, many Ontario residents rely on their cars to commute to work and for leisure. According to a 2017 study by Statistics Canada, Ontario has close to 9 million registered vehicles. Although this certainly explains the traffic congestion across the province, it makes parking operations a necessary and profitable business. From public parking lots and garages in Ontario’s biggest cities (Toronto, Hamilton, Mississauga, Brampton, Niagara Falls, etc.) to parkades for condos, apartment buildings, commercial office buildings, and shopping malls, there is a long list of responsibilities to keep parkades maintained over time.
Parkades are subject to Ontario’s diverse weather conditions. Visitors track in mud, salt, and water, often leaving the parking lot floor, walls and stairwells dirty & stained. Some pesky customers will even use your parking garage as a garbage bin, leaving trash behind. Maintaining a safe and profitable parking operation goes beyond frequent garbage collections and sweeping. Regular deep cleans and maintenance are required to sustain operations over time. Below are the top reasons why a recurring power washing service should be part of your ongoing parkade maintenance plan.
Visitor & Staff Safety
Visitor and staff safety is every business owner’s top priority, and it is no different when managing a parking operation. Oil spills, water, mud and other slippery substances can create significant slipping hazards. In the winter, frozen puddles and wet car tracks can freeze, creating slip hazards for pedestrians and cars. Parkade managers should frequently monitor parking areas, side walks, and staircases to ensure slipping hazards are addressed in a timely manner to reduce the potential for injuries and accidents. Regular power washing will ensure slipping hazards are addressed and eliminated. Power washing with hot water is an effective way to melt frozen surfaces. Make sure you request a water removal service from your power washing provider to ensure puddles are not left behind!
Air quality is another concern especially for indoor and underground parking garages. Proper ventilation is essential to ensure carbon monoxide from running vehicles can escape safely. With vehicles and visitors coming from diverse places and spaces, allergens can also get trapped in indoor and underground parking garages, causing a health concern for customers. Regular power washing with hot water will sanitize and remove harmful allergens such as pollen, pet dander, animal droppings and other substances that can trigger allergic reactions and asthma attacks for visitors.
Pest Control
Parking garages are the perfect escape for birds, insects, and rodents that are looking for a warm, dry place to call home. Without proper upkeep, your parking garage can quickly become victim to infestations which can be costly to address and cause operations to halt. Pests can create a lot of damage from chewing critical components such as electrical wires, removing insulation & other materials that can be used to nest, and leaving behind toxic droppings. Regular power washing will sanitize any surfaces that pests have come in contact with and remove and prevent nests from forming.
Reduce Parkade Operating Costs
Dirt, salt, moisture and other substances will eat away at concrete, asphalt, and steel surfaces over time. Concrete and asphalt will crack if not maintained, allowing weeds, mold and algae to breed in the cracks, and creating costly repair bills. Paint will also chip and fade more quickly when left dirty or wet for extended periods of time. Regular power washing will provide a deep clean of your parking lot and parking garage floor, walls and stairwells, reducing operating costs in the long run. It is a lot cheaper to perform regular power washes than to repair or replace concrete and asphalt caused by neglect.
Customer Satisfaction
As is true with any business, customer satisfaction is critical to your success. In the parking industry, customer satisfaction comes from a clean, safe, well-maintained parking garage as well as other key factors such as fresh paint, ease of use, price, ample lighting and so on. When operating a public parking lot or parking garage, regular power washing may be the difference between patrons choosing to park with you over other competitors. For commercial building owners, a clean parking area contributes to employee satisfaction and safety. It also showcases your company’s culture and reputation to visitors and passerby’s. Residents and tenants occupying apartment and condo buildings expect a clean and safe parking garage as their rent and/or condo fees fund the services associated with maintaining it. Some buildings require residents to purchase or rent a parking space, putting even more pressure on parkade managers to keep parking areas in pristine condition. Failure to maintain parking areas may result in tenants deciding to leave, safety incidents and complaints, and more difficulty renting and selling units in the building.
Maintain Property Value
Based on history, real estate tends to increase in value over time, so owning a parking lot or parking garage is a great investment. As you would your home, protect your investment by keeping it maintained over time. This will not only support a successful operation, but will ensure your property and business holds its value should you decide to sell it in the future.
Power Washing Parking Lots, Parking Garages & Parkades
H2GO Mobile Wash is the most reliable and experienced power washing company in Ontario servicing parking lots, parking garages and parkades across the province. Our innovative power washing technology uses hot water and steam to penetrate deep into the surface to remove stubborn dirt, stains, salt, algae, mold and more, all while sanitizing surfaces. Our full service parkade cleaning packages offer a deep clean of your parking floor, walls, ceilings, and stairwells. We include garbage pick up, dirt & grime removal, and surface sanitization. We offer water collection surface to ensure all water is removed at the end of the service. This eliminates slipping hazards and ensures puddles are not left behind to spread dirty water throughout your freshly cleaned parking garage. We also offer line painting and catch basin cleaning for an all-inclusive, convenient parkade cleaning service. Although we typically use hot water and power to clean and sanitize, we have special chemicals and procedures available in case of oil spills or other stubborn stains.
Call us to today for a free estimate at 1-888-990-4246 or visit our parkades page for more information.