HOW TO MAINTAIN HARD-SURFACE FLOORS

floor cleaning

HOW TO MAINTAIN HARD-SURFACE FLOORS

hard-surface floor care

Your floors are one of your largest and most expensive assets. They are also one of the first things people see when entering your establishment. Keeping your floors clean and well-maintained creates a great first impression and helps mitigate the costs of repair or replacement.

Whether your flooring is polished concrete, stained concrete, epoxy, vinyl, rubber, hardwood, stone, or laminate, here are some tips on how to keep hard surface commercial floors looking great for years to come:

USE WALK-OFF MATS

Walk-off mats placed near entryways help prevent dirt and moisture from being tracked inside. They also make cleaning and maintenance easier. You should have walk-off mats at every entrance, they should span the width of the doorway, and should be at least six feet long.

Strategically placed walk-off mats will go a long way toward protecting your floors from the elements and make maintaining them a great deal easier.

USE CASTORS AND PADS

Removing dirt and grime from your hard flooring is one thing, removing scratches is something else entirely. It is both more difficult and expensive. You can protect your floors against scratches by adding castors or felt padding to the feet of furniture and by using pads when moving heavy items across floors.

These cost-effective protective measures can help keep your office, lobby, and other flooring looking its best and help avoid costly repairs.

VACUUM AND MOP REGULARLY

Dust is a hard-surface floor’s worst enemy. Not only is it unattractive, but if left unattended dust can cause scratching and dulling of hard-surface flooring. Regular vacuuming with a high-quality vacuum and HEPA filter can remove most of the dust from your floors. Follow up your vacuuming with a micro-fiber dry mop to ensure the floors are dust-free. Then wet-mop the floors to remove any caked-on dirt or soil.

Pay particular attention to high-traffic areas as these will tend to accumulate more dirt and debris. If there are areas that receive a large amount of foot traffic you may want to vacuum them more often.

PROMPTLY CLEAN UP SPILLS

Hard-surface flooring is pretty good at withstanding moisture but spills and standing water should be addressed as quickly as possible. Not only do they represent a safety hazard but they have the potential to stain or damage your flooring.

Water can be absorbed with a mop or cloth. Other more difficult spills, especially those with the potential to stain your floors should be cleaned with an appropriate cleaning solution.

USE PROPER CHEMICALS

Hard-surface floors come in a variety of materials and not all cleaning chemicals are appropriate for any given floor type. Follow the manufacturer’s recommendations when selecting floor cleaning solutions and always test the solution on a small inconspicuous area before putting it to general use.

REGULAR DEEP CLEANING

In addition to daily vacuuming, your flooring should be deep cleaned with a scrubbing machine on a regular basis. Auto scrubbers can remove soil and stains from hard-surface flooring more quickly and hygienically than a traditional mop. Scrubbing regularly helps ensure that stains and soil that went unnoticed or were not properly cleaned will not have time to set in.

BUFFING | BURNISHING

Buffing is the process of using an abrasive to remove scratches and scuffs from hard-surface floors. Burnishing utilizes wax or polish to create a high-gloss finish. Regular buffing or burnishing will help to hide scratches and blemishes and will keep your floors looking their best. 

REFINISHING

Even if you are adamant about the care of your hard-surface floors, there will come a time when they will need to be restored. Stripping and polishing is a restorative process that can bring even old floors back to their former glory. Stripping removes the buildup of wax and polish from previous applications. A new layer of wax is then added and polished to a high shine.

GROUT CLEANING

Often overlooked, grout is a porous material used to fill the gaps between floor tiles. Because of its porous nature, grout can easily absorb dirt and grime causing it to become discolored. Regular cleaning of the grout lines can help your floors to always look pristine.

NEED HELP WITH YOUR HARD-SURFACE FLOOR MAINTENANCE?

Complete Care Maintenance can customize a floor care regimen specific to your business. We take into consideration the type of flooring, age of the flooring, amount of traffic, and current condition to provide you with a floor care program that meets your needs.