It is crucial to keep commercial floors clean and well-maintained, whether in an office, school, or healthcare facility. Continuous foot traffic in these areas inevitably introduces dust, dirt, and other allergens and degrades the attractiveness and safety of the floor.
Proper floor care is important for safety, hygiene, appearance, and durability. With regular maintenance and the right floor cleaning products, the risks of accidents and injuries caused by debris and slippery areas are reduced. At the same time, the possibility of bacterial growth decreases, and healthy environments are obtained. Since floors are the places where wear and tear are most intense in a building, the accumulation of dust and dirt causes the floor to be easily scratched and causes it to look unaesthetic. A clean and well-kept floor always makes an aesthetically pleasing impression.
Cleaning the floors after they are dirty is a solution, but preventing them from getting dirty makes it easier to achieve the desired appearance on the floors. Prevention is also a factor influencing the cost and frequency of service. Small measures such as mats to be placed at entrances and rubber mats for impact areas can be lifesaving. The doormat retains large dust-soil particles, water, and oil-based moisture. Rubber or latex mats protect agains deformation caused by heavy goods and furniture legs.
Cleaning Process
● Daily Maintenance
It is necessary to clean it daily with a brush vacuum to remove 80% of the dirt on the floors and maintain its appearance. The frequency of sweeping depends on the traffic passing over it and the soiling of the floor covering. It is sufficient to vacuum every day for places with heavy-normal ground traffic, 2-3 days a week for light traffic areas, and once a week for places with uneven ground traffic. Vacuuming solid particles such as sand, rather than dragging them with a wet mop, is the most effective cleaning method against solid particles.
Tackling stains is part of daily care. To avoid situations that may leave permanent stains, the stain should be treated immediately. First, the stain is cleaned with a clean and damp cloth, then it is cleaned by tapping lightly on it before it spreads. After waiting for the stain to dry, it is swept with a vacuum cleaner. If the stain does not come off, you can use a surface cleaner with neutral pH values. However, do not use surface cleaner products when it is not necessary. Surface cleaners may damage the product as they stick on the floor.
All flooring materials require maintenance and care, but different equipment and approaches are needed for each flooring type. Regular sweeping and spot cleaning as well as stain treatments are necessary for carpet tiles. LVT floors, on the other hand, require very little maintenance. It doesn't require mopping too often, and abrasive scrubbing can cause scratches. LVT floors are as water-resistant as PVC floors. Even if PVC floors are water resistant, they can be cleaned with a very wet cloth, but leaving them wet for a long time may cause slipperiness and deformation. Therefore, a vacuum and dry mop will suffice.
● Annual Maintenance
All flooring types need deep cleaning at certain times of the year. For carpet tiles, the fibers are cleaned annually with the dry foam system or the chip cleaning method. Dry carpet washing methods are treated completely without water or with very little water. The aim is not to wet the carpet and to do a deep cleaning while saving drying time. These factors are vital for commercial floors. PVC floors, on the other hand, need deep cleaning in order not to lose their shine. For annual maintenance of LVT and roll PVC floor coverings, they should be cleaned with a neutral cleaner and professional hard floor cleaners. These types of machines are also recommended for daily cleaning depending on the size of the place and the traffic density. In areas with heavy traffic, a polish supplement can also be recommended after cleaning, where wear is observed on the surface as a result of long-term use.
If you take care of your floor coverings correctly, you will get durable floors that are well-protected for years. The above guidelines are provided as a step towards improving your cleaning program. Unigen recommends following a regular maintenance schedule to maintain the original appearance of your surface coating.