Road sweeping services are maintained by local departments of transportation, but if you have a private parking lot or roadway for your business, you’re responsible for its maintenance and cleaning. Many business owners may balk at the idea of bringing in parking lot sweeping services, but studies show that keeping your parking lot clear can actually save money in the long run. Here are the top three reasons to consider having a private street sweeping services brought in.

Pollutants from the roadway collect on the surface of your parking lot every day. This includes larger pollutants, such as trash, as well as microscopic pollutants, including viruses, bacteria, pesticides, heavy metals, and gasoline, and more. Businesses located off of busy roadways or on thoroughfares that host a lot of events are even more at risk. Allowing these chemicals to build up outside your business puts your employees at risk of illness, which equates to higher medical bills and more sick days taken out of the office.

Parking lot sweeping also ensures that debris is cleared from your gutters. When debris is allowed to pile up over time, it can cause gutters to become clogged and can eventually cause flooding. The resulting flood damage can cost thousands annually in repairs. By contrast, studies show that cities are able to reduce damages from storm water runoff by regularly using sweeper trucks and street sweeping services.

Parking lot cleaners don’t just prevent businesses from having a financial emergency: they can increase traffic to your business as well. Clients and customers enjoy visiting businesses that are clean and well-maintained. In fact, nearly all customers choose to enter a business based on its exterior or because they’ve seen it from the road. Your storefront is a larger form of your business card: what do you want it to say about you?

Damage resulting from roadside pollution results in nearly $20 billion annually, from health and environmental impacts to infrastructure destruction. Budgeting for a parking lot sweeping at the beginning of the quarter takes some of the guesswork out of your yearly projections and ensures greater traffic and less damage to your storefront.