A Guide to Floor Maintenance

Floors need maintaining, especially polished floors. There are 2 things that need to be done to maintaining polished floors:

• Spray Cleaning
• Full Strip and Polish

We will be looking at both tasks in this guide.

Think Health and Safety: Always wear the correct PPE (Personal Protective Equipment)

Spray Buffing

Spray buffing, is a quick and easy way to clean a polished floor. It takes minimal effort and can be done quite quickly.

For this you will need:

• A buffing machine with a buffing pad
• Vel Mop or Vacuum Cleaner
• Dustpan and Brush
• Wet Floor Sign
• Trigger Spray of Floor Maintainer

1. First, make sure all equipment is assembled.
2. Make sure to also put your wet floor sign out, with the side marked “Cleaning In Progress” outward.
3. Now you need to spray the floor, using small amounts on the area you want to clean and use the buffing machine to buff the floor, moving left to right.
4. Repeat this, working across the room, working from the furthest point towards the door.
5. Once complete, remove the wet floor sign.

Strip and Polish

This takes considerably longer, so I will break it down into steps.

For this you will need:

• A buffing machine with a buffing and scrubbing pads
• Vel Mop or Vacuum Cleaner
• Colour Coded Mop and Bucket
• Dustpan and Brush
• Wet Floor Sign
• Floor Cleaner
• Vinegar
• Polish Remover
• Non slip High Gloss Floor Polish

Step One: Sweep and Wash the Floor

1. Make sure to also put your wet floor sign out, with the side marked “Cleaning In Progress” outward.
2. Use your Vel Mop or the Vacuum Cleaner, to remove the dirt from the floor.
3. mop and bucket, to wash the floor, using your floor cleaner. Wait for the floor to dry.
4. Empty your bucket and wash

Step 2 – Strip The Polish

1. Pour floor stripper into the bucket, (neat) and then systematically mop from the furthest point to the door. You will need to use a scrubbing pad on your machine, to remove the polish.
2. Let the floor dry.

Step 3: Neutralise

We need to neutralise the floor or the polish will not work. To do this, dilute a cap full of vinegar into a bucket. Mop on, making sure to fully mop the solution into every part of the floor. Using the machine, work across the floor, moving left to right.

Wait for the floor to dry and empty and wash out your bucket.

Apply Polish

Types of Polish: Water-based polish is used for hardwood floors. Polyurethane is an oil-based polish can also be used on wood floors, as well as on lino flooring.

Now we need to apply the polish. To do this, fill your bucket with polish, only using enough for the room you are working on.

Mop using a systematic approach, rom the furthest point to the door.

Wait for the polish to dry and dry and empty and wash out your bucket.

Buff the Floor

Use the machine to buff the floor, working across the room, working from the furthest point towards the door.

Return all equipment and remove the wet floor sign.

And that’s how you maintain a wood and lino floor 🙂

Suggested Products for Floor Care