Scrubbing Marble Floors

A reader asks: “I read one of your articles on marble and have a question as how best to clean it up once all the construction is over.”

We were discussing tools, chemicals and processes in the last article. As you flood, scrub and pick up the floor realize that you will need a quantity of old fashioned cotton mops for pick up, especially if you do not have an autoscrub unit. Be careful not to splash the walls or allow run off slurry to go under doors or soak into carpeted areas. Such mistakes could cost you any profit on this job since you will have to restore those areas upon final inspection. Please remember to change water often since a lot of the sheet rock dust and other grit may not turn the pick up solution dirty.

The mistake that many of us make is to assume the water is clean because it looks clean and that is not the case. If you are not careful you will simply be coating the next section with the grit and soil with the contaminated solution and mop. If you have purchased mops with a stitched bottom they can easily be laundered so don’t pinch a penny and waste a dollar by trying to get too much use from a mop or solution.

After you have scrubbed and picked up the entire area, rub your clean hand across different parts of the floor looking for any hint of residue. If your hand shows any sign of residue rinse again using more solution and of course, a clean mop. DO NOT under any circumstances use the traditional “neutralizer” products since they are often acidic and can damage/dull the surface.

We will finish our thoughts in the next article. Your comments and questions are important. I hope to hear from you soon. Until then, keep it clean…

Mickey Crowe has been involved in the industry for over 35 years. He is a trainer, speaker and consultant. You can reach Mickey at 678-314-2171 or CTCG50@comcast.net.