What We Need To Know Cleaning And Maintaining Your Floors

When we talk about cleaning and maintaining your floors. We know that we have many types of processes that we can carry out. (First cleansing, recovery treatments, protection, pickling, crystallized, daily, periodic and thorough maintenance, and so forth) for each type of surface. 

On some surfaces, because of their characteristics, all these processes are unnecessary. Therefore, it is vital that we know how to distinguish them.

It is also essential that we know the precautions that we must take when we work on cleaning and maintaining floors, to ensure the protection of these, furniture, passers-by, and our own.

In this article, we are going to summarize cleaning and maintaining your floors, considering the different surfaces that we can find and their nature.

We, therefore, need to know how to distinguish the different surfaces according to their characteristics. Determine the proper technique and chemicals for each surface. Select the machinery and accessories, and know which products and tools can deteriorate each surface. 

In this way, we can establish the first classification of surfaces:

• Stony
• Plastic
• Textiles
• Wood
• Other

Stony surfaces

Depending on their origin, they can be natural or derived.—Each of them with certain characteristics in terms of resistance, porosity, and shine. Like granite, one of the most resistant stones. To clean a granite floor and remove adhering dirt on both polished and rough granite, a chemical action is needed, with a neutral detergent without residue on polishing and a specific one for dirt on the rough. Remember not to use abrasive products that remove the shine or acids that can yellow it.

Marble is very porous, so it is usually treated to make it smooth, shiny, and without pores. To clean a marble floor, you will need a neutral detergent with bio-alcohol that does not leave a haze and dries quickly. Avoid bleach, ammonia, and non-neutral detergents. 

We can compose a slate of different minerals, so it is advisable, to clean a slate floor, use neutral detergents without residue, and, in case an acid is needed, test in an inconspicuous place to rule out that it contains calcium carbonate. 

Stoneware and clay are derivatives that have many finishes, which will determine their porosity, roughness, and shine. Depending on these finishes, to clean a stoneware floor, we will use a neutral detergent without residue or a specific detergent for the dirt to be cleaned, such as a Floor cleaner. You should avoid abrasives and try acids first. Be very careful with cement joints that do not resist acids. 

Terrazzo is a pavement made from cement and pieces of marble. Its resistance will depend on the minerals that compose it. We recommend that to clean a terrazzo floor; we use only neutral detergents, avoiding abrasive and acid products that take away its shine or color.

Plastic surfaces

We use them more and more every day because of their convenience, lower cost, and that they can be bacteriostatic. I composed them of PVC, Linoleum, and Rubber.

PVC is a waterproof material whose first factory finish is not very porous. Cleaning a PVC floor is easily done with a neutral detergent. For more specific cleaning, select the right detergent and use it on the stain and not in a general way. 

The components of the linoleum determine its characteristics and the precautions that we must take. For example, linseed oil causes it to yellow with alkaline products. Wood and chipboard sawdust make it poorly resistant to moisture. To clean a linoleum floor, we used the same products and precautions as with PVC, except for alkaline products.

We obtain rubber from tree sap and the vulcanization process. That gives it some characteristics of flexibility and resistance that, otherwise, it would not have. The cleaning of a rubber floor and its maintenance are similar to PVC, trying to avoid alkaline with a PH greater than 10 and solvents derived from petroleum and oils.

Textile surfaces

We can divide them into natural and synthetic, according to their origin. Whether from animals, vegetables, or chemically made.

Knowing that each fiber, whether natural or artificial, has its characteristics and that they can fade. They resist weak acids and alkaline products. Therefore, after a good vacuuming, stains can be removed with the appropriate chemical product for each type of dirt. Helping us, if we see it necessary, with an injection and extraction machine. The greatest precaution, when choosing a cleaning product, is to avoid damaging the glue that fixes the carpet to the floor.

For cleaning carpets or textile floors that cannot get excessively wet, shampooing is a technique that, by applying foam to the mat, allows us to practically dry clean it. 

Wood or parquet surfaces

They are especially delicate; they are soft floors, which scratch easily and are very sensitive to wear and humidity. Once installed and the varnish applied, they have a shiny surface with a well-sealed pore. To keep the parquet clean, it is enough to dust it, either by vacuuming or mopping.

For parquet cleaning to be more effective, it is convenient to wet mop or gently scrub. It is very important to wring out the gauze or mop well. In this way, we will reduce the humidity in contact with the wood and prevent veils from appearing when it dries. 

The recommended product for cleaning the parquet will be a neutral detergent without residue and with rapid evaporation, such as a Floor cleaner agent. The products that you should never use to clean parquet are bleach, ammonia, or acid and alkaline detergents, as they damage the varnish and take away its shine.

 As we have seen, in order to professionally clean floors properly, which allows us to both clean and protect our floor, we need to know the type of material and its characteristics. That is why at SCS Group Cleaning Solution we take special care in formulating and designing our neutral floor cleaners, which will allow you to clean any surface.