We continue to install more commercial coatings that will have a lot of traffic on them. Some will see mostly foot traffic, while others are subjected daily to automobile, forklift, and lift jacks. These coatings differ in their construct, but regardless of whether it’s a showroom or a warehouse floor, cleaning and maintenance is a must.
10 Cleaning Tips for Commercial Epoxy Floors
Unlike a residential garage floor, where it requires minimal cleaning aside from sweeping, commercial floor coatings may require a cleaning regimen that has different daily, weekly, and monthly activities. Below, we've compiled a list of 10 tips to help extend the life of your commercial epoxy flooring:
- Clean up those spills. For acids and strong chemicals, clean these immediately, as only some certain top coats can withstand long term exposure or immersion. Leaving spills can cause the floor to discolor. Some chemicals may even cause the coatings to soften.
- Ensure wheels on equipment are maintained. This is especially critical on fork trucks and any equipment with steel wheels, as imperfections in the wheel often will scratch and mark the coatings.
- When needed, polish the floor using a polymer floor wax to restore gloss and fill in minor scratches. This is more important for high traffic and high abuse floor coatings.
- For coatings receiving high traffic, clean the floor regularly using the proper cleaning solution (see recommendations below). Always spot test any new cleaners prior to use on the entire floor. Rinse the floor completely after cleaning to ensure no soap film/residue remains.
- For heavily soiled areas of the floor coatings, consider using mechanical cleaning equipment.
- Avoid the use of stiff bristle brushes as they can dull the coatings.
- Sweep the coatings daily to remove stones, dirt, leaves, and other materials that can scratch or mark the floor (this is very important if wheeled traffic traverses the coatings).
- Take precautions to avoid dropping or dragging heavy and/or sharp objects on the floor coatings (including pallets). Carry or use a hand truck when transporting boxes, pallets, and other heavy objects.
- Place pads beneath the legs of chairs, tables, and other furniture to prevent scuff marks and scratches on the epoxy coatings.
- Do not use any cleaners or paint strippers that contain methylene chloride. This chemical is designed to remove
Does STRONGHOLD FLOORS perform cleaning services?
We don't. We stick to coatings. But, our experience is that any good janitorial company or floor cleaning company will have the proper equipment and knowledge to assist with a daily, weekly, monthly, or quarterly deep cleaning of commercial floor coatings. Typically, it doesn't matter if the commercial coatings are epoxy, urethane, or polyaspartic in regards to cleaning.
In Central PA, we recommend a company called Advanced Cleaning & Restoration. They have assisted several of our commercial customers and have pre-cleaned (degreased) concrete for us on several commercial projects prior to our beginning preparation & coating activities.
