How to Keep Hard Surface Commercial Floors Looking Great

   How to Keep Hard Surface Commercial Floors Looking Great 

Floors are one of the first things people notice when entering a building so keeping them looking their best is important. When the sun shines in through the window, it’s easy to tell the difference between a scuffed, grimy floor and a clean, shiny one. Even though hard surface commercial flooring can handle heavy foot traffic, endure water and spills without easily staining, and be cleaned up quickly, the accumulation of dust, debris, and track marks can easily mar its appearance. The winter months can be especially brutal on hard flooring. It can get discolored, scratched, and damaged as occupants track dirt, sand, and other abrasive soils inside your building.

If not properly taken care of, and dirt gets ground into the flooring below the finish, you could be looking at expensive 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:

Implement walk-off mats 

Walk-off mats are essential for any business. They stop dirt and moisture from getting tracked inside, keeping your floors clean and professional-looking. They also make cleaning and maintenance much easier. Your building should have adequate walk-off mats at all entrances that are at least as wide as doorways, 10-14 feet long, depending on the amount of traffic and type of soil outside. Strategically placed walk-off mats will add years to the life of your hard surface commercial flooring.  

Use casters, protectors, and pads 

Removing dirt from hard flooring is one thing. Removing scratches is another, and much more difficult.  You can prevent floor scratching in offices, lobbies, and other areas by using casters and protectors on the bottom of furniture items and by using pads when moving furniture, equipment, or other large/ heavy items across the floor.  

Vacuum and mop regularly

Dust can be especially noticeable on hard surface floors, particularly on floors that get a lot of sunlight. A vacuum typically does a better job than a dust mop at reaching dust and dirt. With dust mop, corners and edges get missed (dirt piles up in the corners, day-by-day) and areas around and under furniture are bypassed entirely.

Collecting dust and soil with a vacuum also makes wet mopping easier because there is less dirt to remove. After vacuuming, use a micro-fiber dry mop to remove excess dust from the floor. Then use a wet mop with a neutral cleaner to remove any caked-on dirt and also give the floor some shine.

Give attention to heavy traffic areas 

Make sure the areas in your building that experience the heaviest traffic get extra cleaning attention, potentially even vacuuming and mopping them multiple times a day. Observe the traffic patterns and adjust your cleaning strategy accordingly.

Remove water or spills immediately   

Along with regular maintenance, you will probably run into spills from time to time. One of the benefits of hard surface flooring is its ability to withstand moisture, but to prevent stains or damage, you want to remove any standing liquid as soon as possible. To clean up a small spill of liquid on hard flooring, simply wipe it up with a paper towel or cloth.  If you have a sticky or staining liquid, try using a solution of 1 part vinegar to 3 parts water and keep a small spray bottle handy for quick clean-ups.

Use the proper cleaners

Not all cleaners and floor types are compatible. The wrong cleaners or using too much of it can actually damage your hard surface flooring. Always test a cleaning solution on a small, hidden area of your flooring beforehand. For greasy or oily areas, use an alkaline cleaner with a pH between 8 and 10; for areas with hard water or high mineral concentration, use an acidic cleaner with a pH between 4.5 and 6.5.

Never mix acidic and neutral or high pH cleaners together. A commercial cleaning company that knows which cleaners and how much to use will ensure that your hard floors are properly cleaned and not damaged during the process.

Buff or burnish 

Buffing or burnishing your hard surface flooring weekly can help hide wear and scratches and add gloss and shine. There is a difference between buffing and burnishing hard surface commercial flooring. Buffing is the process of using an abrasive material to remove scratches, scuffs, and other blemishes from the surface. Burnishing, on the other hand, is the process of using a polish or wax to create a high-gloss finish. Many professional cleaners prefer burnishing over buffing because it provides a more lustrous shine.  

Deep clean 

Along with regular cleaning (vacuuming and mopping), your hard flooring should receive a deeper cleaning with an auto floor scrubber.  Integrating an auto scrubber into your floor care program can remove soil and stains from hard floors, better, faster, and more hygienically than a traditional mop and bucket. Depending on how much foot traffic your hard flooring gets, you may need deep cleaning weekly or monthly, in conjunction with buffing or burnishing.

Strip and refinish 

Stripping and refinishing hard flooring is a restorative procedure. Even with proper daily and interim cleaning procedures, floors will eventually need to be restored to bring back their brilliance, protect them from irreversible damage, and prevent costly replacement procedures. Restorative floor care is used to revive your floor when the damage is greater than what can be fixed with less intensive floor care maintenance. Depending on your floor type, traffic, and cleaning effectiveness, this may need to happen one to three times a year. A good time for stripping and refinishing is after the winter season, which can be harsh on your floors. 

Clean floor tile grout 

Tile grout is porous and can easily absorb stains. When cleaning grout, it’s important to avoid using bleach and other harsh chemical cleaners that might break down grout sealants, causing it to become more porous and absorb stains faster. Dirt can become embedded in floor tile grout lines, making it look consistently dirty and unsightly.

Cleaning tile grout as soon as you see discoloration often can prevent the more difficult and costly task of replacing it. You should mop regularly to keep your grout from staining – either daily or weekly depending on your business’ foot traffic. And at least once per quarter, tile floors should be scrubbed with an auto scrubber to help maintain their appearance.   

Get the most from your hard surface flooring  

Hard surface commercial flooring can begin to lose its luster after months of traffic. Since flooring is a major investment, you want to do everything you can to get the most from that investment.  A professional floor cleaning and maintenance program will retain your floor’s finish and sustain your flooring longer, which will cut down on costs and keep your establishment looking great.

Have questions about cleaning your building’s hard surface flooring? Give the floor care experts at Cleanstart a call today. We have years of experience maintaining the integrity and appearance of all types of commercial flooring.  

Discover the difference with Cleanstart

Our expert floor care team is equipped with the latest equipment and technologies to safely and effectively clean  and maintain your floors. We will work with you to create a customized floor care plan to fit your needs, schedule, and budget. We offer daily, weekly, monthly, and after-hour cleaning services as well as emergency cleanings and quick response times. 

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For more information about our hard surface floor care and total-facility commercial cleaning services, please give us a call at (253) 921-2593 or request a free, no-obligation cleaning estimate now!

 

Cleanstart proudly services the greater Puget Sound region in the following areas: 

Auburn, Bellevue, Bellingham, Bonney Lake, Bremerton, Factoria, Fife, Gig Harbor, Kent, Lakewood, Olympia, Puyallup, Renton, Seattle, Tacoma, Tukwila, University Place, King County, Kitsap County, Pierce County, and Thurston County.

5013 Pacific Hwy E unit 16 Fife, WA 98424 • Phone: 253.921.2593 • Email: Caleb @ thecleanstart.com

 

Cleanstart – Commercial Cleaning Company – Puget Sound