Ever since C.S. Bishop invented and then patented the first street sweeping machine in 1849, street sweeping has been a popular service in urban areas with high traffic.

Apart from keeping the streets looking clean and free of debris, road sweeping services help remove metals, pollutants and petroleum products from the streets to keep people safer. Road sweeping services also remove green waste such as grass, leaves and branches, some of which can be high in nitrogen and phosphorus and can be harmful to the environment. Road sweeping services can also help prevent buildup after alglal blooms, which can contaminate drinking water by lowering oxygen levels.

Here are 12 facts you might not know about street sweeping services and road sweeping services:

• The road and highway maintenance industry currently generates an estimated $42 billion of revenue in the United States. The industry also employs more than 134,000 people. So it may not be a luxurious job, but it is an important one.
• There are an estimated 9,224 companies currently offering road maintenance services in the United States. These services keep your roads looking clean and free of debris.
• Mechanical broom type sweepers account for an estimated 90% of street sweeping machines used in the United States.
• Street sweepers allow for the collection and removal of paper, leaves and other visible debris that collect in the curb gutters.
• Effective street sweeping programs can remove several tons of debris a year from city streets, minimizing pollutants in stormwater runoff.
• Runoff pollution from roads and highways includes heavy metals and pesticides.
• Examples of pollutants generated in urban areas include oil, grease and toxic chemicals from automobiles; nutrients and pesticides from turf management and gardening; viruses and bacteria from failing septic systems, road salts and heavy metals.
• Street sweeping can collect debris which blocks stormwater facilities, causing flooding during heavy rains.
• The most recent National Water Quality inventory reports that runoff from urbanized areas is the leading source of water quality impairments to surveyed estuaries.
• Street sweeping is effective for removing both large and microscopic pollutants that collect on city streets.
• Parking space related pollution in the United States adds up to between $4-20 billion in health and environmental damage costs annually.
• Well maintained parking areas and sidewalks are key to attracting customers. Many people consider exterior cleanliness to be as important as interior cleanliness.

Having a clean parking lot does a lot to attract customers into a business and there are numerous benefits to using parking lot cleaners and road sweeping services to keep your lots clean:

• Less pollution: It’s been established that less trash on the ground keeps it from being swept up into stormwater runoff and eventually into a drinking water source.
• Less littering: Another benefit of using parking lot cleaners is that they help to discourage littering. Hopefully, if people see that a business has a clean parking lot, they’ll be less tempted to litter. They hopefully will also form a good impression of your business.
• Less erosion: Debris breaks down the pavement in a parking lot, which allows plants to grow through the cracks. Fixing cracks in your parking lots can be a more expensive venture than it is to use parking lot cleaners to keep your lots clean. The last thing you want is for your lot to be filled with cracks and rim-rattling potholes.
• Fewer rodents: With the elimination of litter, less accumulation of trash means there isn’t a spot for mice and rats to feed on trash. Rodents are unsanitary, potentially dangerous and are an absolute surefire way to deter customers from visiting your business.
• Fewer lawsuits: Debris can hinder customers’ ability to get into your store, especially if its large debris. It can also potentially damage tires or cars depending on the type of debris. By using parking lot cleaners, you get your lots clean and avoid any liability claims or lawsuits that could pop up if a customer gets injured by debris in your parking lot.

Trash cans and having street sweeper trucks do routine cleanings of your lots are good ways to keep your storefront clean. Parking lot cleaners can help remove and prevent littering, erosion, pollution and rodent problems to keep your lots clean and the customers coming into your store.