Advice on commercial floor cleaning

Commercial floors, as with their domestic counterparts, come in a variety of forms including natural stone and slate, fabricated ceramic tiles, hard wood and even vinyl.  The choice of floor type will depend on the type of usage it will be exposed to more so than with a domestic floor which is often chosen for purely aesthetic reasons.

One of the main differences with flooring in a commercial location is the amount of traffic it will experience.  In a business there is often a lot of coming and going, in an office there can be many workers working a considerable part of the day and often employees won’t care for a floor the same way they would in their own house.  The choice on floor in such cases becomes all the more important.

One quality that all floor types share is the need for regular maintenance to keep it clean.  While it is true that some floors require less work than others, all floors will acquire a dull, stained and marker or unsatisfactory finish if left unattended for long enough.  Following some simple steps will allow you to look after the floor and keep it looking good.

The first stage in keeping a floor looking good is the application of a good quality commercial sealant.  Sealants offer an extra layer of protection and aid cleaning efforts and can be applied to any floor type.  It is however important to make sure that, firstly, the floor is properly cleaned before the floor is sealed (it is remarkable how often this does not happen) and, secondly, that the right sealant is chosen.  A highly durable vinyl floor with slip resistant qualities will be adversely affected by a sealant which reduces this slip resistant quality.  If you have any doubts as to which is the right sealant for your floor, you should consult a commercial floor cleaning consultant.

A sealant needs to be protected once it has been applied and this involves nothing more than keeping it scratch free through regular sweeping and vacuuming, followed by surface cleaning.  Depending on the floor type you may need to clean in different ways – for example avoid water on wooden floors, but in general you are advised to avoid cleaning products containing any acidic qualities (go for a neutral PH cleaner) or simply use water if in any doubts.

Sealants will need to be periodically re-applied as they will, over time, wear out due to general usage.  If you notice a stain you cannot shift, it is possible that the sealant has worn off exposing the surface of the floor itself, or that lack of cleaning has led to a build-up of grime or bacteria on the surface which has become a stain which is difficult to shift.  A commercial floor cleaning specialist will be able to advise you as to the best course of action to take.