Assessing Your Floor Care Needs
The first step to maintaining commercial floors is assessing your floor care needs. Every floor surface has different requirements, so be sure to consider this when planning. Also, consider the type and amount of foot traffic your business typically sees and any special cleaning requirements you may have (such as waxing). Knowing these factors will help you determine the type and frequency of a floor care regimen you should have in place.
Floor Cleaning Routine
After assessing your floor care needs, it’s time to develop a routine for keeping them clean. Depending on the type of floors you have and the level of cleanliness needed, this could include a daily dust mop, spot cleaning spills when they occur, and buffing or stripping periodically, though we will get into buffing, stripping, and waxing later. Depending on how heavy the traffic is, you will want to consider how often to mop.
Choosing the Right Cleaning Products
First, we always tell our clients only to use cold water when cleaning or mopping the floors. This is much better on your floor. Next, the right cleaning products are essential to maintaining your floors. Be sure you know the type of flooring you have and what products are safe to use on it. For example, if you have tile or vinyl floors, use a pH-neutral cleaner designed for those surfaces and avoid harsh chemicals that could damage them. And for hardwood floors, you must be only using hardwood floor cleaner. Doing something else could take years off your floor, costing you a lot of money. Additionally, be sure only to apply the cleaning solution as directed.
Preparing for a Deep Cleaning of Your Commercial Floor Care
When it comes to commercial floors, you will want to strip and wax them periodically. This key process involves removing the existing wax coat and applying a new one. Before taking this step, clean your floor thoroughly with a mop and cleaning product. You should also remove any furniture or other items that may have been left on the surface of the flooring to ensure that all areas are adequately cleaned.
Top Scrub with Wax
This is highly recommended to be done quarterly, especially on high-traffic floors. Once the floor is clean, you can use a top scrub with wax to buff and polish your floors. This will help restore the shine of your floors, as well as fill in any small scratches and scuffs.
Buffing
Another essential part of floor care is buffing. This involves using a buffing machine that is gentle to your floor but still removes dirt and dirt buildup. Buffing will help restore the shine of your floors and remove any minor scuffs or scratches. Using a spray buff solution is recommended, or at the least, a glass cleaner with a towel.
Stripping and Waxing to Protect and Enhance the Appearance of Your Floors
Please note that you should NEVER strip and wax Vinyl. And revarnishing hardwood floors is another topic entirely. With that being said, lets get into it.
Stripping and waxing your floors is the best way to protect them from dirt, water, and everyday wear and tear. When done correctly, this process can also enhance the shine of your floors. To strip and wax commercial floors, you should consider contacting a commercial cleaning company. If not, you will need to ensure you have the proper equipment and products.
Equipment you will need:
Picking the proper equipment for the environment is an absolute necessity. Floor care can be delicate, so be sure you are using the appropriate equipment and system. Here are the items you will need for this stage of your floor care journey.
- Floor machine (single disk works for some)
- Floor pads
- Wet vacuum
- Dust mop
- Mop
- Mop bucket
- Scrape
- Squeegee
- Floor stripper
- Neutralizer
- Wet floor signs
- Floor drying fan
Assess the Floor
Next, you want to check the floor for any scratches, dirt, or high-traffic areas that need extra attention. At this point, you also want to ensure the floor is clean of dust and dirt. Be sure to put out wet floor signs
Preparing the Stripping Solution
During the rest of this floor care project, it is important to note, the floors will be slippery, and you might fall! Assuming that the floor is adequately clean, you will want to prepare the stripper adding it with room-temperature water). Then, using an old mophead, apply the stripper to the area you are stripping. Be sure you only do a small area at a time, as you should never let the stripper solution dry on the floor. You should re-apply the solution to any spot that is starting to dry.
Stripping The Floor
Next, you need to use the floor machine on the surface of the floor. Be sure to only use the proper setting on the machine. You may need to take multiple passes or even use your scraper to get to the underlying floor.
Remove the Solution
Now you will want to use a squeegee to keep the liquid away from the walls and other locations you don’t want it to go to. Once this is complete, it is time to get the wet vac to clean up the solution from the ground. There may be some wax spots that you will need to remove with a scraper.
Neutralize the Floor
Before we can recoat the floor, we must neutralize the solution on the floor. To do this, we must use the neutralizing solution. First, you will want to put the neutralizer together as per the specifications of the product. Next, you must use a clean mophead and put the new solution on the floor. Now you will want to use the floor machine with the proper head for the job. Finally, wringing out the mop, you will want to pick up any residue from the floor. Now we must give our floor time to dry.
Floor Finish
Now you want to add the floor finish to the bucket. It is vital to have a can liner or some way of preventing your finish from being contaminated.
Now use a floor finish mop, apply a wax coat, and let it dry. This stage can take about 30 minutes, depending on the humidity. You can use a floor-drying fan here to move the air but DO NOT point it at the floor. You will want to recoat a maximum of 4 – 5 times per day until you have the finish you are looking for. Once the room is dry, you may replace furniture as this project is now complete.
Maintaining Regular Floor Care with Dust Mopping, Mopping, and Spot Cleaning
Lastly, you must maintain the floor’s cleanliness and overall appearance. This isn’t just to keep that new floor shine, but it also assists with preventing floor scratches and other forms of wear. You should dust mop or vacuum daily to pick up dirt from foot traffic. Then, you will want to wet-mop with a cleaning solution at least once a week. Lastly, spot vacuuming or mopping any areas that are heavily soiled can also help the floors look better for more extended periods of time all while protecting your floors finish.
Troubleshooting Common Issues with Commercial Floor Care
One of the most common issues with floor care is improper cleaning techniques. Be sure you use the correct amount of cleaning agent and not just dump a bucket on the floor or overuse one area.
We also see a lot of issues with heavy moisture. Moisture can lead to long-term floor damage. Ensure you adequately dry your floors and do not leave puddles or standing water on them for too long.
Ensure you follow the manufacturer’s instructions for both the cleaning agents and machines you use on your floors. Doing this will help prevent any accidental damage from occurring due to improper product use.
Lastly, always use caution when using a daily floor machine (not to be mistaken with the floor machine for stripping); never run it in a circular motion or let it sit in one spot for too long as it can damage the floor.
Conclusion
Proper commercial floor care is vital for any business. Taking the time to properly maintain and clean your floors will ensure they last a long time and keep them looking great. Following the steps outlined in this guide should help you clean, protect, and maintain your floor better with ease. Always follow instructions when using cleaning agents or machines on your floors as improper use may lead to unexpected damage. With proper maintenance, you can have beautiful floors for years to come!
We completely understand that this is a large undertaking, which is why businesses like ours exist. If you need professional floor care, then do not hesitate to contact us. We look forward to hearing from you!
