Seven Steps To Maintaining Hard Floors

Do you find a greater portion of your budget going to stripping/refinishing than you can afford?  Do you allow floors to get out of shape and then frantically overspend on labor to avoid deductions?  Remember that sand, salt and regular soils can kill floor appearance in a matter of hours if not dealt with promptly.  

Following are a few suggestions on improving the appearance of your hard floors while reducing labor costs:

• Insist on a comprehensive matting system that starts outside and allows plenty of “walk off” mats for the interior of each major entrance.  There are estimates that a quality walk off mat system can help greatly in keeping soil out of the building.

• Schedule regular dust mopping of floors using quality dust mops that are brushed/vacuumed daily and laundered regularly.

• Damp mop floors using a neutral mop soap that will not dull the shine.  Make sure the mop head is clean.  Rotate mopping with clean water every fifth day to reduce build-up of cleaning product.

• Use only quality seals and finishes to protect hard floors.  On a new floor, there should be a minimum of six coats (2 seal plus 4 finish) to allow adequate buffing/burnishing.  The type finish should vary based on floor (Vinyl? Terrazzo?) as well as the type floor machine being used.

• Educate the building manager on the fact that most new finishes can last much longer without dulling if maintained properly.

• Schedule regular buffing/burnishing using the correct pads and spray buff as well as shower scrubs and re-coats as needed.

• Schedule regular training with the chemical and equipment vendors to ensure the most efficient processes are being used for the best results.

If you follow these simple steps you should still take great pride in providing a professional appearance in your buildings.  

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.