11 Floor Care Tips from the Kaivac Floor Care Expert
Floors. They are a school or university’s first impression. They gobble up costs during construction, maintenance, and replacement – representing a huge overall investment. It is in the best interest of every educational institution to protect and maximize their investment in their floors. Enter Leon Fields, Business Development Manager for Kaivac and the company’s in-house floor care expert. Leon has spent over 25 years learning the ins and outs of commercial floor care. He provided these 11 floor care tips to help custodial programs thrive.
1. Know Your Flooring
One of the biggest challenges facing janitors is recognizing what type of flooring it is. Many Luxury Vinyl Tiles (LVT) are designed to look like hardwood, ceramic or natural flooring. According to Leon, “If you don’t know what kind of flooring it is, you can do serious damage by using the wrong chemicals.”
2. If You’re Not Sure, Do a Test
Ceramic flooring can take a high pH solution, but LVT cannot. If you’re not sure what kind of flooring you’re dealing with, do a test in an inconspicuous area. Start with a low or neutral pH and work up until you find the right balance.
3. Stay Focused on Removing
Mops do a very poor job of removing soil and other unwanted matter, including potentially harmful contaminants. They push the soils and germs around the floor surface and into grout lines. Worse, they can cross contaminate from room to room. When excess moisture and chemical residue is left behind, it causes rapid re-soiling of the floors from foot traffic. The key to properly cleaned floors is to extract the dirt with a vacuum-aided system and remove it from the facility.
4. Use Matting to Your Advantage
Proper matting can pick up a significant amount of dirt and debris as people enter the building. Leon recommends matting for 12-15 feet from the door. However, it’s also important to clean entry mats as they get saturated and increase the frequency of cleaning during winter months.
5. Clean High-Traffic Areas Daily
High traffic areas need to be cleaned every day. While you may be able to get away with spot cleaning less frequented areas, high traffic areas are highly visible. Daily cleaning of these areas will improve facility image and help extend the life of the flooring.
6. Don’t Finish Grouted Tile Floors
A common mistake is putting finish on tile floors with grout. Since grouted flooring is not a uniformly flat surface, a finish will not adhere well. If left in its natural state, cleaners can get aggressive when cleaning grout to good results.
7. Admit That Your Grout Isn’t Black
Speaking of grouted tile floors, most people think grout is black. In reality, it’s often grey, tan, or even white, but you wouldn’t know it due to poor cleaning. This is especially true in food preparation areas. The grease buildup makes floors unsafe and grout lines unsightly. Mops often make it worse by spreading the grease around and depositing it into the grout. In restrooms, grout traps urine and fecal matter, causing unpleasant odors.
8. Aim for 5-Min Spill Cleanup
Traditional spill cleanup requires a lot of labor and can take 30-45 minutes before floors are dry. A staff member must be notified, fetch a mop, bucket, broom, and dustpan. Then they sweep up, mop the floor, and put out a wet floor sign, hoping it will dry in 10, 15, or even 30 minutes. For safe and efficient spill cleanup, Leon recommends the battery powered AutoVac Stretch. Spills can be quickly vacuumed up, leaving floors safe and dry in five minutes.
9. When Cleaning Carpets, Use Less Chemical
When it comes to carpet care, using less chemical is better. Cleaning chemicals are designed to grab dirt, and if excess chemical gets left in the carpet it will grab dirt from shoes, making the carpet re-soil quickly. In fact, many carpets can be cleaned with just hot water and extraction.
10. Increase Cleaning Frequency During Wet Weather
During wet weather, Leon stresses the importance of increasing cleaning frequency both for safety and floor preservation. Clean floors as often as possible, as water, mud, and salt will be constantly coming into the facility. If possible, add more walk-off matting, increasing to 15-20 feet during bad weather.
11. Apply Cleaning as a Philosophy
Above all else, Leon encourages custodial managers to approach their work as a philosophy. Cleaning pros who make an effort to stay current, try something different, and use science-based methods will excel. And that benefits everyone from custodians and faculty to students and their families at home.
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