Stripping and waxing commercial floors is a service performed to help maintain their shine and cleanliness, but the process is quite tedious. Starting this process without prior experience will likely lead to mistakes—and possibly even permanent floor damage. When considering this service, it is best to leave it to the professionals because they know the ten mistakes to avoid when stripping and waxing floors.
1. Not Knowing the Different Types of Floors
You’ll first need to know what kind of flooring you’ll be working with before you even start the process of stripping and waxing. The different flooring types are hardwood, laminate, vinyl, and tile, including ceramic, porcelain, and natural stone. Commercial buildings often use vinyl composition tile, or VCT, due to its low cost and ability to withstand high traffic.
Knowing the different types of flooring is important because the care for each class will vary, and if using the wrong chemical can be costly and could ultimately damage your floor.
2. Using the Wrong Chemicals
This mistake goes hand-in-hand with understanding the differences between the types of flooring. The solution needed for VCT flooring will differ from that of natural stone since they are different materials. Using the wrong chemical solutions will not give you the desired results intended and carry the chance of ruining your floor.
3. Incorrect Chemical-to-Water Dilution Ratios
It is important to use the correct chemical-to-water dilution ratios. Too much or too little of either substance can make your entire solution ineffective or even permanently damage the floor. Using more chemicals than what is necessary will not make the solution stronger. In fact, it may make the stripping process more difficult.
Incorrect chemical-to-water dilution ratios can also lead to chemical burns and other related injuries from exposure to caustic fumes and unhealthy amounts of volatile organic compounds or VOCs.
4. Inadequate Dwell Time
On top of using the correct chemical-to-water dilution ratio to create your solution, you also have to let it sit on the floor long enough to penetrate fully without drying. This is known as the solution’s dwell time. Dwell time plays a huge role in the finish removal process and can vary from chemical to chemical. Make sure to check the chemical’s label for directions on proper dwell time.
5. Letting the Solution Dry
Stripping solutions should never be left on the floor to dry because it will make the finish more difficult to remove. This often happens when too thin of a solution is applied. Another cause is if the area you are working in is too large, the solution is too far away for you to complete in time, allowing the solution to dry before scrubbing it.
If the solution is left to dry, you will have to repeat this process because the finish has become harder to remove. To avoid this mistake, we recommend using an adequate amount of solution and working section-by-section to ensure equal distribution and prevent wasted product.
6. Arriving Unprepared
Not having the right equipment will slow down the entire stripping and waxing process and results in an unhappy client. Create a checklist of all the equipment needed on-site and review it thoroughly before you head over there.
The stripping and waxing process involves using many items, including personal protective equipment, multiple solutions, buckets, mops, automatic scrubbers, scrub pads, safety signs, wet/dry vacuum, and more.
7. Not Cleaning Your Equipment
Always use clean equipment. You will not achieve a clean and polished floor with dirty, used equipment. When performing a strip and wax, line your buckets with a plastic liner before adding any solution inside to help prevent contamination.
8. Lack of Safety Signs
Safety should always be your main priority when it comes to cleaning. When stripping and waxing floors, utilize wet floor signs to alert others and prevent any accidental slips or falls.
9. Failure to Wear Safety Gear
It is equally essential to protect yourself as it is to protect others while cleaning. Before starting any floor work, ensure that you have the proper safety gear necessary to accomplish the task. Include non-slip shoes, gloves, goggles, and face masks that will protect you against the risk of injury and other hazards.
10. Lack of Routine Floor Care
To ensure that your floor remains in optimal condition, we suggest performing a strip and wax every six months. Lack of routine floor care allows minor problems to continue developing overtime and present more significant future issues.
Contact Us
Integrity Janitorial Cleaning Services thoroughly understands the mistakes to avoid when stripping and waxing floors. We provide intricate care for various flooring materials. Whether it is tile, wood, or other materials, we will create a specialized floor care system that works. Receive a free consultation and learn more about our commercial floor stripping and waxing services with our unique line of eco-friendly and green cleaning products. We love clean, shiny, and spotless floors!
