Well, the verdict is in- People like shiny floors that look like new. Shocker, right? Throughout the many training classes and demos for floor care I have held over the years, the most often question asked of me is “What are the easiest ways to keep the floor’s shine and have them looking like new?”

It is not surprising that this is a concern for all operators, since usually their floors give their customers the first impression. A “shiny new floor” translates to the concept of “clean” for customers, which then translates to increased dividends for your hotel, restaurant, country club, nursing home, hospital… well you get the picture.

A proper professional floor care program starts with a good daily maintenance process, correct chemical products, dependable equipment and a trained staff. People like shiny floors that look like new.

The use of floor mats at entry ways helps to remove most soils; ice melts, water and other contaminants. The idea is to remove most of these items before they ever get inside the building, then it lightens the load, so not to address these problems later.

Next, have a good dust mopping then damp mopping procedure in place. For both, the use of clean equipment that works is essential. If, for example, the wringer is not working correctly on the mop bucket, please find another.

Then, use a neutral base daily floor cleaner which has been proportioned out correctly in cold water, per manufacturer’s rates. A mild, neutral pH floor cleaner that is effective is huge for daily maintenance of floors.

You then need to incorporate a buffing program in which you put down a spray buff with a sprayer. This helps with some soil removal, adds a slight amount of new finish with gloss and repairs some of the scratches and blemishes on the floors. Please use the appropriate pad for this since it depends on the RPM of your machine and products being used. Remember, people like shiny floors that look like new! If you aren’t sure, just ask your specialist- or ask me! Sani Wash is always glad to help make those floors shine!

Finally, and most importantly, I then incorporate a good re-coat or top scrub program.  I’ve seen more feet of nursing home floors than just about anyone, so I know it creates real havoc to strip and wax floors. The time, the labor, the money- it’s a lot! Places like nursing homes, hospitals, or any other facilities with 24/7 functionality rarely has the time nor employees to complete this kind of job. (A good floor care program can significantly reduce these costs! Ask me how).

After we have stripped the floor and possibly applied a sealer, we determine how many coats of wax to use. If, for example, we have one coat of sealer down and plan on adding six coats of wax, I use the “dot” system.  After applying four coats of wax, I add two dots with a marker, side by side in different parts on the floor near entrance ways. If proper procedures are being used, you will notice the marks starting to wear away after some months. At that time, you will deep scrub the floor with neutral cleaner, dry it, and then add three more coats of wax. This process can be done repeatedly, and takes only about 25% of the time of stripping and waxing.  Huge money and time saver! Because the largest cost of properly caring for floors is the labor, investing in this project up front will save you immensely in the end.

Finally, if you do the floors of a larger sized facility, it is very important to have a master plan on each of the building’s areas. A chart of each room, and when it was last done combined with future plans can accomplish so much more.

We at Sani Wash are now introducing our brand new Professional Floor Care Series and will be glad to help you with all your professional floor care needs. Please email me with questions or to request literature and information- I will be glad to get back to you right away.

Thanks for reading, I hope it adds some insight. Please share and like online and let us know if you have comments, questions or other stories to share.

Written by Jerry Bauer, Sani Wash Account Manager, http://www.hospitalitycleaning101.com

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