Commercial Floor Maintenance Tips

June 14, 2013

Are you interested in prolonging the life of your commercial flooring?

Are you worried about future costly repairs?

In this article, we will discuss some easy and simple ways to maintain the commercial flooring in your building.

Carpets

The most obvious maintenance that is required for carpets is regular vacuuming and periodic carpet extraction (cleaning). However, here are some tips to keep in mind during daily business activities and in-between carpet cleanings.

• Pick up spills and messes, ASAP
  Staining and damage is prevented by picking up spills or other messes immediately. In doing so, the accident will not penetrate the padding and/or create a permanent stain.
• Do not scrub, simply blot
  It is almost instinctive to put some ‘elbow grease’ when trying to remove a stain. However, scrubbing an accident only causes greater damage for two reasons: 1. The accident is now being pushed deeper into the carpet forcing the stain into the padding. 2. Scrubbing will ruin the nap of the carpet and can permanently damage the fibers. Blotting will cause the spill to travel upwards into the napkin/towel rather than downward.
• When picking up a spill/mess, do not use harsh chemicals- instead use a neutral product with no dyes AND do not mix chemicals
  Harsh chemicals will sometimes bleach the fibers of the carpet causing discoloration. And, mixing chemicals is not only hazardous to your health, but can cause a chemical reaction in the carpet which can lead to discoloration and a permanent stain.
• When cleaning an accident- start from the outer edges of the spot and work your way inward
  Cleaning a stain from outward-in will prevent bleeding when the stain is being agitated with a cleaner. Therefore, we recommend cleaning the outer edges of the stain while working towards the center.

VCT (Vinyl Composition Tile)

VCT flooring is very common in commercial buildings due to the easy maintenance, low-cost and professional appearance. Over time, however, VCT flooring loses its finish (shine and protector) causing scratches, scuffs and stains to set in. Following are some tips to better maintain the floor finish and prolong the life and shine.

• Place rubber or felt on the bottom of leg chairs to prevent scratching and scuffing
  Chairs and furniture are the biggest contributors in ruining VCT finishes due to the constant moving and applied force. Therefore, we recommend using rubber or felt on the bottom of chairs and furniture legs in order to prevent damage.
• Use a green or neutral cleaner for mopping
  Inform the building’s cleaning crew to use non-toxic or green products on VCT flooring in order to prevent the removal of the floor’s finish. Toxic cleaners will gradually remove floor finish, shortening its life (floor finishes should last anywhere from 6-12 months depending on the traffic).
• Pick up spills and messes, ASAP
  Even with a floor finish, VCT is susceptible to staining. When spills or accidents sit for too long, staining will occur, shortening the life of the finish.
• Special for medical facilities
  Rubbing alcohol and sanitizers that spill on the floor will quickly eat away at the floor finish, quickly pick up these spills to avoid dull spots.

Tile & Grout

Grout is very susceptible to dirt and grime. Therefore, we’ve complied a list of ways you can protect grout lines from discoloring and staining.

• Pick up spills and messes, ASAP
  It is very important to absorb any spills from tile and grout quickly due to the porous nature of grout and the unevenness of tiling flooring. Often times, tile flooring is not 100% level, causing spills to travel down grout lines while being absorbed- a small mess, quickly becomes a large mess.
• Regular machine scrubs to remove dirt and grime from grout lines
  Depending on the traffic that goes through a tiled area, regular machine scrubs are a great way to maintain and fresh and clean appearance. Remember that over time, grout lines start to discolor which can give the impression of uncleanliness.
• Consider using a sealant for grout lines
  Want to maintain the fresh look after a machine scrub? Using a sealant on grout lines will repel dirt and grime from settling in the grout and can lengthen the life of the machine scrub.
• Use green or neutral cleaners for mopping to avoid damage to grout
  Inform the building’s cleaning crew to use non-toxic or green products on tile and grout flooring in order to prevent the removal of the floor’s sealant. Harsh cleaners (such as phosphoric acid) will gradually remove the sealant, shortening its life and eat away at the grout causing the grout to crumble and become uneven.

What kind of flooring do you have? Did you find this article helpful?