The Betco U Certification Program offers three important components to floor care: daily maintenance, interim care, and restorative care. Of the three, daily maintenance is the most important. Not only does daily maintenance help keep the floor looking its very best every day, but properly performed, it can delay interim and restorative floor care, which are typically more costly and more labor intensive.
So what does daily floor care entail?
The tools typically used for daily maintenance include buckets, mops, dust mops, dust pans, and a putty knife to remove such things as gum and grit that may stick to the floor. As to the mopping of the floor, it should be performed using a figure 8 technique. A figure 8 motion overlaps floor areas and helps ensure all floor areas are mopped clean.
Additionally, cleaning professionals must know the mop and cleaning solution should be changed frequently. As the mop or cleaning solution becomes soiled, the mop and water can spread soils and contaminants over the floor that not only discolor the floor, but over time can increase interim and restorative cleaning needs.
Additional tips: If you can use a light “back pack” vacuum cleaner to clean the floor instead of a dust mop, the removal of dry soiling is much more thorough. As to the actual cleaning, if you can move from mopping to machine scrubbing, daily cleaning will be far more effective. Automatic scrubbers now come in all shapes and sizes, allowing them to be used just about anywhere a mop and bucket is used, so there should be a system available to address your scrubbing needs.
Further, and this is very significant, an automatic scrubber reduces the amount of time to clean a floor to a fraction. According to a report by the University of Minnesota, “an automatic scrubber or riding automatic scrubber can reduce the time it takes one person to clean 5,000 square feet with a mop and bucket from one to two hours down to 15-30 minutes. Furthermore, choosing riders over walk-behinds reduces fatigue.”
Whether using an automatic scrubber or mopping a floor, a highly effective floorcare cleaning chemical is also required. The chemical helps dissolve and “suspend” soils so that they can be removed with the machine or by the mop. Because this chemical will be used daily, a highly-concentrated heavy duty floor cleaner, diluted correctly, is the economical way to go.
Eventually, daily cleaning tasks may need to be increased a notch or two. After several cleanings, a Restorer should be applied. Some Restorers can also be applied by an automatic scrubber or mopped on the floor. An effective Restorer provides the following benefits:
- Cleans and reconditions the floor, improving its appearance
- Increases the slip resistance of the floor, which regular daily cleaning may reduce
- Further helps delay interim and restorative cleaning
- Some Restorers also leave a fresh, appealing fragrance that most building users appreciate
When selecting a Restorer, be sure and read the manufacturer’s instructions. Some Restorers require that the floor be burnished after application. The burnishing not only helps remove soils from the floor’s surface but puts a high-gloss shine to the floor as well, giving the floor the look and appearance you and your customer can be proud of and appreciate.
Betco U Certification Program is one of the most comprehensive teaching and learning programs in the professional industry. Information is available on a number of topics from floor care to green and sustainable issues. Sign-up for free access to Betco U and take advantage of this important resource.