Winter Savings Pg. 1
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Winter Savings Pg. 2
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Hard Floor Care Guide
Hard Floor Cleaning
| Floor Matting | Dust Mopping | Damp Mopping |
| Routine High Speed Floor Care | Spill Cleaning | Interim Maintenance - Top Scrubbing |
| Restorative Maintenance - Floor Stripping | Floor Finish Application | Sealing |
Matting is an important part of your floor care program. A good matting system can collect up to 70% of the soil tracked in from outside. Mats will collect the hard, abrasive soil that can wear away at the finish and the wet, sloppy soils that can cause safety hazards. Your matting system works 24 hours a day, continuously collecting soil. By keeping this soil off the floors, the floor is cleaner and looks better, longer, and less work is required to keep the floor in tip, top shape.
Placement - Matting should be placed both inside and outside entrances.
Location Type of Matting
Outside Scraper
Inside Absorbent
Size - Matting should be large enough to cover the area.
Traffic Area Size
Heavy 3 Steps
Moderate / Light 2 Steps
Maintenance - Mats collect a significant amount of soil, so it is important to clean them routinely.
Procedure Frequency
Vacuum/ Spot Clean Daily
Extract or Wash Monthly, or as needed
If a service launders your dust mops, tell them not to use a dust mop treatment. Treat your dust mops and highdusters at the end of each day's use to prepare them for the next day's use.
Location Frequency
Heavy, Moderate, Daily
& Light Traffic Areas
Major Hallways Three times per day (once after students enter building,
once mid-day and once at the end-of-day)
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A.. Sweep the sidewalk and area just outside entrances. This will reduce the amount of dirt/debris tracked in. |
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B. Vacuum walk-off mats at entrances. |
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C. Use a putty knife to scrape up all adhesive, gum, etc. stuck to the floor. Use care not to gouge or scratch the floor. |
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D. Dust Mop |
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1. Open Areas (hallways / lobbies) - Angle dust mop away from the edges of the floor and walk down one side of the area. Pivot at the end of the area and walk back in the opposite direction using a 2-3 inch overlap. Continue until the entire area is covered. Avoid lifting or moving the mop backwards. Collect dust/debris in a central area for pickup.
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2. Confined Areas (classrooms, offices, elevators, stairwells, etc.) - Angle the mop away from the edges of the floor. Start at the entrance to the area and mop the edges. Return to the far side of the area and mop the remainder in an "S" pattern, with the mop angled towards the entrance. Move the dust mop under desks and chairs, being careful not to pick up the mop or to push debris into corners or areas where it can not be easily collected. Collect dust/debris near the entrance for pickup. |
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E. Pickup dust/debris with the dust pan and brush. |
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F. Use the dust pan and brush for hard to reach areas (corners, behind furniture, etc.) |
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G. Dispose of dust/debris in a lined trash container. |
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H. Change mop heads when they become visibly soiled. Place soiled mop heads in a bag for laundering |
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I. When finished, treat a clean dust mop for the next day's use. |
Using a trigger-spray bottle, treat your mops and dusters by lightly misting mop treatment over the entire mop or duster head. Never apply mop treatment immediately before using.
Spot mopping is the same as damp mopping, but only in areas that are visibly soiled or in confined areas where large area damp mopping is not possible. Spot mopping is most commonly used in daily classroom floor care and in cafeteria maintenance during meals.
Location Frequency
Heavy, Moderate Daily
Traffic Areas
Light Traffic Areas Weekly (or as needed)
Damp mopping goes hand-in-hand with dust mopping in your floor care program. Damp mopping picks up the dirt/debris that dust mopping doesn't. Dust/debris on the floor can wear away at the floor finish when people walk on it or when the floor is burnished, much like sand paper wearing away at wood. Daily damp mopping will extend the life of your finish and reduce the frequency of stripping.
pH Neutral Cleaner will be added to cold water for cleaning floors with and auto scrubber or using a mop & bucket technique. pH Neutral Cleaner effectively removes soils without damaging the floor finish.
Hard Floor Care
1. Preparation
a. Dust mop floor.
b. Post "Wet Floor" signs.
c. Using COLD WATER, fill mop bucket or automatic scrubber with pH neutral cleaner.
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2. Cleaning - Use either a damp mop or an automatic scrubber to clean the floor. Procedures for both follow. |
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a. Damp mop the entire floor. Place the mop in the pH neutral cleaner solution. Wring out the mop so it is damp (not dripping). Place the mop on the floor and outline the area you are mopping. (Divide large areas into sections and outline a section.) Mop inside the outlined areas using the Figure "8" technique to ensure complete coverage. |
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1. Remove Stubborn marks with a scrubbing pad. |
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2. Change mop water frequently to avoid re-depositing soil on the floor and to maintain a rinse-free cleaning solution. |
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3. Change mop heads when they become soiled. |
b. Automatic Scrubber
| 1. Scrub and recover the pH neutral solution on the same pass. Remember to use clean, non-aggressive pads. Rinsing is not necessary. Do not use excessive pad pressure, which may remove floor finish. | |
| 2. Change scrub pads when soiled. | |
| 3. Clean and return equipment to storage. |
Routine High Speed Floor Care: Burnishing, repairs damage caused by daily traffic and restores gloss. When burnishing the floor (battery / electric only), use an appropriate pad to really work off annoying sneaker marks and provide the strength necessary to work off scratches. Work in conjunction with spray buff.
Location Frequency
Heavy Traffic Areas - One time weekly
(Entrances, Lobbies, Hallways)
Moderate to Light Traffic Areas - One time monthly
(Teacher Lounge, Cafeterias, Offices,
Gymnasium, Conference Rooms, etc.)
Preparation - Burnishing
| Properly dust mop and damp mop the floor in accordance with the routine floor care cleaning procedures. |
Procedures - Burnishing
| In large areas, burnish the floor by walking the machine up
and down the area, overlapping passes by two inches. In small areas, burnish the floor by moving the machine forward and backward across the floor until the desired gloss is achieved. |
Burnishing Do's and Don'ts - Never burnish a dirty floor. Always dust and damp mop first. Change burnishing pads frequently. After applying finish, allow at least 24 hours before burnishing.
Spills occur frequently in every institution and a spill left on a floor can be a safety hazard. So, it is important to clean spills as quickly as possible. Personal protective equipment, especially eye protection and gloves, should be worn when cleaning any spills. Spills can vary from beverage spills to body fluid spills or unidentifiable spills. Don't take chances in these situations ... wear your protective gear.
Beverage Spills
Beverages, such as coffee, soda and water, are often spilled in cafeterias, around vending machines and in hallways. These areas tend to have moderate to heavy traffic, so you want to clean the spill as quickly as possible.
1. Small Spills
a. Blot the spill with a paper towel.
b. Rinse the area if necessary.
2. Large Spills
a. Put out "Wet Floor" signs.
b. Fill a mop bucket with pH neutral cleaner solution.
c. Saturate mop with the pH neutral cleaner solution and wring.
d. Pick up the spill with the mop.
e. Clean and return equipment to storage.
Body Fluid Spills or Spills of Unknown Origin
It is important to follow Standard Precautions when cleaning any body fluid spills or spills or unknown origin. You'll first clean the area, then decontaminate it.
1. Put on personal protective equipment: gloves and eye protection.
2. Contain the spill.
a. Spread absorbent material over the spill.
b. Wait a few minutes for the spill to be fully absorbed.
3. Pick up the spill.
a. With a disposable scoop, scoop the absorbent material and spill into a regulated waste bag.
4. Clean
a. If the spill is small -
1. Spray the area with disinfectant.
2. Wipe.
3. Dispose of towels in the waste bag.
b. If the spill is large -
1. Damp mop the area with disinfectant.
2. Launder mop head after use.
5. Decontaminate
a. Apply appropriate disinfectant evenly over entire area.
b. Allow to dwell for 10 minutes.
6. Pick Up Disinfectant.
a. Use a mop or paper towels to pick up the solution.
b. Dispose of towels in a regulated waste bag or launder the mop head.
Interim Maintenance - Top Scrubbing
The purpose of top scrubbing is to remove the top layer of finish where dirt has become embedded or the finish has deep scratches. Following a top scrub, two coats of floor finish are applied to replenish the protective layers removed by foot traffic and top scrubbing.
When top scrubbing a very large area (auditorium, lunch room, gym, etc.) without the aid of an auto scrubber, have three custodians work as a team. Two with mops flood the floor with pH neutral cleaner solution while one scrubs with a buffer. After scrubbing, two custodians with squeegees push the water towards one with a wet-vac. This procedure speeds up the solution pick up process.
Preparation - Top Scrubbing
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1. Properly dust mop and damp mop the floor in accordance with the routine floor care cleaning procedures. |
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2. With the putty knife, scrape up all adhesive, gum, etc. stuck to the floor. Use care not to gouge or scratch the floor. |
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3. Dust mop the entire floor area; pick up the debris with the dust pan and place it in a lined trash container. |
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4. Post "Wet Floor" signs. |
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5. Block doorways and other areas to prevent scrubbing solution from going outside the area to be scrubbed. |
Procedures - Top Scrubbing
You will use an automatic scrubber or a low speed floor machine to top scrub. Procedures for both follow.
A.1 - Automatic Scrubber
1. Fill the automatic scrubber with cleaner mixed with cold water.
| 2. | Use the double pass procedures. On the first pass, walk slowly behind your scrubber and scrub with the squeegee up and the vacuum off. On the second pass, scrub with the squeegee down and the vacuum on. Check with your superivsor for the correct scrubbing pad color. |
3. Proceed to Step "B"
A.2 - Low Speed Floor Machine
1. Fill mop bucket with cleaner mixed with cold water.
2. Submerge the mop in the solution. Lift the mop and flood the floor with cleaner solution.
| 3. | Use a low speed floor machine with a scrubbing pad to scrub the floor. Make two passes. Move the floor machine across the floor in overlapping strokes, carrying the solution along. Be sure to scrub first in one direction and then in the opposite direction. Pass two should be made perpendicular to pass one to ensure the entire floor has been covered. |
B. Pick up the dirty solution with the automatic scrubber, wet vac, or clean mop.
C. Flood rinse the floor with clean water and then pick up the water.
| D. | After the floor is dry, burnish it with a clean burnishing pad or buff with a clean, low speed buffing pad. (This procedure witll help smooth the roughed finish surface, allowing better adhesion and better gloss.) |
E. Dust mop.
| F. | Apply finish with a finish mop. (See "Apply Floor Finish" section for proper technique. Refer to charts for number of coats.. |
G. Allow at least 24 hours before burnishing or buffing.
H. Clean and return equipment to storage.
Restorative Maintenance - Floor Stripping
Over an extended period of time, dirt can be ground into the finish, finish can build up around edges, and traffic lane wear patterns can develop. When normal mopping and burnishing do not correct this, and top scrubbing and recoating do not produce the desired appearance, it is time to strip. Following a proper maintenance program will allow you to reduce your stripping frequency to every 24 months or longer.
When initiating your maintenance program, a full strip out is recommended to ensure maximum protection and appearance. Floor stripper mixed with water at the appropriate dilution will remove floor finishes and sealers.
On older or unusually worn floor areas (cafeterias) or on asbestos tile, apply two (2) coats of semi-permanent seal to help protect it. When you need to scrub and recoat or strip the floor, use only the strength of stripper to remove the finish, not seal.
When stripping, try using absorbent towels in entry ways that you are sealing off. You can use adhesive tape to keep the towels in place. This means the stripper cannot run off and go to a part of your facility you are not stripping. Avoid wearing black soled shoes while stripping a floor - they tend to break down and leave footprints on you unprotected floor.
Preparation - Floor Stripping
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1. Remove all furniture, equipment, etc. that is not fixed to the floor. Be sure to note the locations of objects so they can be properly replaced. |
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2. With the putty knife, scrape up all adhesive, gum, etc. stuck to the floor. Use caution not to gouge or scratch the floor. |
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3. Dust mop the entire floor. Pickup the debris with the dust pan and place it in a lined trash container. |
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4. Post "Wet Floor" signs. |
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5. Block doorways and other areas to prevent stripping solution from going outside the area to be stripped. |
Procedure - Floor Stripping
Dilute Stripper
a. Dilute stripper with COLD WATER. Dilute at 1:4 to remove sealer and finish.
b. Fill the second bucket with clean water only. This will be used for rinsing.
Apply Stripper
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a. Submerge the mop in the stripper solution. Do not wring the mop. Withdraw the mop and place it directly on the floor. Flood the floor with stripping solution. |
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b. Allow stripper to dwell 10-15 minutes. Do not allow stripper to dry on the floor. If it does, simply reapply more solution. |
Strip the Floor
Scrubbing will be done with and automatic scrubber or a low speed floor machine.
a. Automatic Scrubber
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1. Use the doodlebug with the stripping pad and scrub the floor edges, corners and baseboards to remove finish. |
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2. Use the double pass procedure with the automatic scrubber. On the first pass, walk slowly behind the scrubber and scrub with the squeegee up and the vacuum off. On the second pass, scrub with the squeegee down and the vacuum on. Be sure to use stripping pads or brushes. |
b. Low Speed Floor Machine
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1. Use the doodlebug with the stripping pad and scrub the floor edges, corners and baseboards to remove finish. |
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2. Use the floor machine with the stripping pad or brush and scrub the floor. Move the floor machine across the floor in overlapping strokes, carrying the stripping solution along. Be sure to scrub first in one direction and then in the opposite direction. Pass two should be perpendicular to pass one to ensure the entire floor has been covered. |
Pick-Up and Rinse
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1. Pickup the stripping solution slurry with the automatic scrubber, wet vac or mop. |
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2. Immediately after the pickup of the stripper slurry, flood rinse the floor with clean, cold water using either and automatic scrubber or mop. Pickup the rinse water with an automatic scrubber, wet vac or mop |
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3.. Rinse the floor a second time with clean water. Use HOT water on second rinse to speed up dry time. |
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4. Allow the floor to air dry. |
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5. After the floor has air-dried, run your hand across it to check for stripper residue, old finish, which appears as shiny patches, or alkaline residue, which appears as a fine, white powder. If powder or stripper residue is found, rinse again with clean water. If old finish remains, follow the stripping procedures for that effected area, rinse and test again. |
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6. When the floor is free of residue and old finish, clean and return equipment to its proper place. |
Large areas should be stripped in stages to make the job more manageable. Areas that can not be shut down or blocked, such as hallways, should be stripped in sections to allow foot traffic to pass.
After stripping floors, save left over stripper. Utilize this solution at the end of the night to clean your wringer, which has been covered with finish. Apply stripper , let dwell and agitate with knocked out center of stripping pad.
Floor Finish Application - Interim and Restorative Procedures
Floor finish application is conducted following two maintenance procedures: top scrub and strip-out. Once your floor has been properly top scrubbed or stripped, you are ready to apply floor finish. Gather the finish and equipment required and make the necessary preparations listed below. Then, turn to the floor finish application procedure you're performing and continue.
When finishing a floor use a finish mop - cotton mops contain cotton seed oil which may interfere with the finish. Soak your clean mop in water prior to use - this helps remove any lint which may interfere with the finish. Do not use colored liners because the finish may bleed the color from the bag.
When pouring finish into your bucket, place pre-soaked mop into bucket and pour finish into it. This prevents bubbles which could lead to "fish eyes" in the finish. Wrap finish mop in a plastic bag between coats to prevent finish from drying on the mop.
Preparation - Apply Floor Finish
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Soak your clean finish mop in a clean mop bucket filled with clean water. This removes any lint that could interfere with laying your floor finish. Wring out the mop and empty the bucket. |
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Post "Wet Floor" signs. |
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Line your mop bucket with a plastic trash can liner. |
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Pour finish into the lined bucket. |
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Place the clean finish mop into the finish and thoroughly saturate the mop. |
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Place the finish mop into the wringer and push down on the mop handle to wring out excess finish. DO NOT USE THE WRINGER HANDLE TO WRING OUT THE MOP. |
Top Scrub and Recoat - Apply Floor Finish
Location Frequency Number of Coats
Hallways & Heavy Traffic Areas Bi-annually (Summer) - 4 Coats
(Mid-Year) - 2 Coats
Moderate & Light Traffic Areas Annually (Summer) - 4 Coats
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1. Withdraw the finish mop from the wringer. To apply a full coat, a few drops of finish should be dripping from the mop. |
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2. Apply Finish |
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a. Mid-year recoat of hallways and heavy traffic areas - (2 coats) Place the mop on the floor 6 inches away from the baseboards and outline the area you are finishing. Fill in that area using the Figure "8" technique. After allowing dry time, apply second coat starting 6 inches away from the baseboards.
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b. Annual recoat of all areas - (4 coats) On the first, second and third coats, place the mop on the floor 6 inches away from the baseboards and outline the area you are finishing. Fill in that area using the Figure "8" technique. On the final coat, apply wall-to-wall. |
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3. If any furniture, equipment or baseboards are splashed with finish, immediately wipe them clean with your cloth. |
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5. Clean and return equipment to storage. |
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6. Wait 24 hours before burnishing or buffing |
Restorative Strip-Out - Apply Floor Finish
Location Propane Prog. High Speed Prog. Low Speed Prog.
Hallways, High Visibility 7 Coats Finish 6 Coats Finish 6 Coats Finish
Classrooms, etc. 6 Coats Finish 6 Coats Finish 6 Coats Finish
After a floor has been stripped, six to seven (6-7) full coats of floor finish, in accordance to the chart above, will be applied. These coats provide the foundation of your program that, with proper maintenance, will enable you to lengthen your stripping interval to 24 months or longer.
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1. After the floor has been stripped and the final rinse has occurred, you will apply four (4) full coats of finish the first day according to the chart above. The second day, you will add two to three (2-3) coasts of finish to the four (4) coats previously applied. |
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2. Withdraw the mop from the wringer. To apply a full coat, a few drops of finish should be dripping from the mop. |
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1. After the floor has been stripped and the final rinse has occurred, you will apply four (4) full coats of finish the first day according to the chart above. The second day, you will add two to three (2-3) coasts of finish to the four (4) coats previously applied. |
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3. On the first coat, place the mop on the floor next to the baseboard. Apply floor finish wall-to-wall. Outline the area you are finishing and fill in that area using the Figure "8' technique. |
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4. Wipe off any furniture, equipment or baseboards splashed with finish. |
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5. Allow this coat to completely dry, usually 30-40 minutes, before applying the next coats. Test for dryness between coats by feeling the finish with the back of your hand. (If it feels tacky - WAIT!!!) |
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6. Once the first coat has dried, apply Coat 2. Follow procedures (2-5) however, maintain a 6 inch interval between the baseboards and mop. |
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7. Allow Coat 2 to completely dry. Be sure to test for dryness. |
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8. Apply Coats 3 and 4 the same as Coat 2 - maintaining the six inch interval from the baseboards. |
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9. Allow them to completely dry. They are the final coats for day 1. Be sure to keep "Wet Floor" signs down until the floor is dry. |
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10. Clean and return equipment to storage. |
Keep mop in remaining finish and cover with trash liner for next days use. Do not store in this manner for more than 24 hours.
| 11. Day 2 - Apply the final coats of finish. |
a. If the floor has been exposed to traffic - clean the floor by dust moping and damp moping first.
b. If the floor has been closed to traffic, and no debris is found on the floor, proceed to Step 12.
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12. Following the above chart for recommendations on number of coats, apply remaining coats. Maintain the 6 inch interval from the baseboards, except for the final coat. The final coat should be applied wall to wall. Always allow coats to completely dry before applying the next coat. |
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13. After final coat is dry, clean and return equipment to storage. Be sure to keep "Wet Floor" signs out till floor is dry. |
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14. Wait 24 hours before burnishing or buffing the floor. |
Floor finish buildup usually occurs near baseboards and fixtures. To prevent buildup, it is important to maintain a 6-inch interval form baseboards when applying finish during the top scrub and recoats. Always check near the baseboards for the amount of finish present. If sufficient finish is found near baseboards, maintain the 6-inch interval. This way, the floor will have a more uniform appearance and stripping will be easier when the time comes.
Some areas, such as hallways, cannot be blocked when applying finish. Consult with your supervisor for a location of these areas in you buildings. Floor finish is applied in these areas in two stages. One half of the floor is finished while the other remains open. When the first half dries, the second half is finished.
Certain areas may be subjected to spills that can penetrate through the floor finish and stain the floor. Stain resistant seal resists the stains many spills can cause.
In addition to protection from spills, stain resistant seals helps protect worn floors from further damage. Apply stain resistant seal to worn, porous floors to build a base for floor finish. Top scrubbing and stripping will remove the finish but not the stain resistant seal.
Application - Stain Resistant Seal
Stain resistant seal is applied in full coats using the Figure "8" technique.
| 1. Prepare the floor by thoroughly stripping and rinsing. | |
| 2. Apply two (2) coats of stain resistant seal. Allow sufficient dry time between coats, usually 30 minutes. | |
| 3. Apply floor finish if desired.. |