Cleaning and Maintenance of Resiliant Floors

all right foreign foreign is the operational stage on which all  business and production takes place on it are placed the machines tools  and desks of business and industry floors are subjected to more wear from traffic  and operations and collect more dirt than any other part of a building scientific Floor Care  therefore is the most important phase of any sanitation program and may require almost half of  the entire sanitation effort however the benefits of good floor care more than compensate for the  time material and effort required most people think that floor cleaning is a manual operation  which begins when the worker starts to clean this discounts completely the planning and preparation  which is necessary for efficient floor cleaning now this enlarged copy of a floor plan shows the  areas to be cleaned and maintained each day the colors indicate the type of flooring and Aid in  allocating the amount of floor space to be covered daily the entire cycle of daily weekly and monthly  Floor Care is scheduled on comprehensive charts although working out these schedules takes  time they result in increased coverage and better cleaning cleaning frequencies May  then be modified to meet changing needs first of all know your floors teach the  operator the basic composition of these floors so you'll be able to follow  an intelligent system of Floor Care there are four main types of soft floors this is  asphalt tile and is fairly resistant to moisture it is the least resilient of the  soft floors and is easily indented ground in dirt are foreign  materials impair and Mar its surface linoleum is made from vegetable oils oxidized  into a tough pliable substance and mixed with Ground Cork wood flour and color pigment  it is usually pressed onto a burlap backing it may be stained by Grease and oil rubber is  very durable if properly treated it is composed of pure rubber combined with fillers and color  pigments there are many types of vinyl floorings but generally they may be classified as vinyl  asbestos homogeneous vinyl and calendared vinyl the difference in the types of vinyl pertain  mostly to the service life of the flooring for our purposes we can treat all vinyl floorings  the same vinyl floorings are composed of vinyl resins a plasticizer mineral fillings and color  pigments vinyl floorings are very attractive in color and their surface is smooth and durable  they are resistant to wear and yet they're extremely resilient underfoot among the resilient  floorings vinyl is the most resistant to grease and oil but they must be protected with a  wax or non-wax finish floors are subjected to unusual traffic conditions take for example  this 118 pound girl when walking with stiletto heels she exerts more than two tons pressure per  square inch that's a lot of pressure on the floor from what you've heard and seen you should  realize more than ever the importance of knowing your floors and the need for cleaning  each as required by the proper cleaning procedure to clean and protect these floors provide your  operator with the best materials and equipment consult your National Sanitary  Supply Association member who is qualified to furnish you with the proper floor  cleaning materials as determined by your need thank you other sanitation AIDS  such as waste receptacles and sand urns placed at strategic points will be of some  help in keeping your floors from getting dirty entrance gratings or mats are desirable for  cleaning dirt from employees or visitors feet as they enter the building also floor Runners  are useful rainy day protection for your floors help your Operator by providing him with an  orderly sanitation storage space where he may get his supplies packaged and uncontaminated  without waste time in the average cleaning operation about 40 percent of the time is  non-productive the get ready time which is spent in securing supplies transporting them to  the job preparing solution assembling equipment litter of any size must be carried  away and Furniture must often be moved before the floor is ready  for the actual cleaning operation thoughtful planning will reduce the time  consumed by this phase of the cleaning operation tools for sweeping heavy litter  include the brush and dustpan for areas with light soil a treated dust mop may  be used selection of a suitable brush is important for an efficient sweeping operation a 60 inch  handle is desirable for ordinary use the exact length depending on the height of the operator  the sweeping stroke should be one which allows the greatest coverage with the least amount of fatigue  an easy rhythmical stroke the back is straight minimizing fatigue and the arms are extended at  the end of The Stroke providing greater coverage foreign equipment includes two mops two mop buckets  with ringer or squeezer or a mopping tank and steel wool or synthetic pads mop ringing  equipment varies depending on the areas where it is to be used for small or obstructed  areas where portability is necessary a 16 to 44 quart bucket is desirable there is a variety of  mops available to meet your exact requirements large mopping tanks equipped with rubber tires  and mop ringer are most desirable for mopping large areas the mop should be run along the  baseboard area first so that the fast rhythmical mopping stroke will not come too close to the  baseboard and splash it at the end of the nine foot stroke direction is reversed by lopping  the mop and Swinging it from right to left using a good rhythmical stroke approximately 100  square feet can be cleaned with one application of solution time per 1000 square feet varies from  30 minutes to an hour depending upon operator's skill the degree of soil number of obstructions  and availability to water change facilities after mopping with the cleaning solution wait  for the chemical action to emulsify the soil then the mop should be rung and the  emulsified solution picked up quickly to prevent its drying or soaking into the  floor any spots remaining can probably be removed with steel wool and concentrated  cleaning solution rinsing is an important part of the mopping operation use Clear Water  and the clean mop cleaning solution left on the floor may be harmful to the surface  through chemical action and may be slippery foreign mopping or deck scrubbing will  still be necessary in corners and under equipment inaccessible to the machine a stiff fiber brush such as basine or Palmetto  fiber is used for scrubbing soft floors some operators prefer the synthetic fiber pads  others prefer steel wool some are mounted on separate driving units designed for driving these  pads While others are mounted to the brush with a holding device when the tank is attached to the  scrubbing machine the amount of solution deposited on the floor is controlled by the operator and  is determined by the degree of soil most machines rotate in a counterclockwise Direction the control  of the machine is simple once it is learned to make the machine move to the right raise  the handle to make the machine move to the left lower the handle the beginning of the stroke  should be made with the machine directly in front of the operator a stroke of six feet  is the best width for a single pass and is less fatiguing for individuals of average build  the machine scrubbing operation may be followed immediately by a pickup using a vacuum with  squeegee attachment if stripping is desired then wait for the solution to act chemically then  flush with clear water and pick up with the vacuum some operators prefer to sweep the cleaning  solution to a central point using a lightweight squeegee where it is picked up by the vacuum the  floor is then damp mopped with clear water or a rinsing cycle with clear water is used to pick up  any trace of cleaning solution unobstructed areas efficient use of large automatic floor machines  is recommended and can achieve maximum savings these modern floor machines lay down the cleaning  solution scrub the floor pick up the Emulsion lay down the rinse water pick up the rinse water  and vacuum the floor dry where such equipment can be used the efficiency in cleaning may  be increased by 16 to 1 over hand cleaning portable vacuum cleaning machines have many uses  and models are available that are very light in weight permitting the custodian to move rapidly  from one area to another speaking of efficiency in terms of machines and equipment and also  from the standpoint of morale the Furnishing of individual sets of tools for cleaning workers  has proven to be an important cost saving Factor a protective coating is applied to resilient  floors after cleaning there are many types of protective Coatings available these  include wax and non-wax products the surface coating protects the flooring from  abrasion by grit and dirt and harmful effects of air and moisture the purpose of a protective  coating is to preserve the flooring consult your NSSA jobber about products which will best fill  your needs it is his job to protect your floor a coating makes daily cleaning easier as  dirt and dust do not stick to a hard surface also the tough protective coating seals  pores and cracks so that frequency of scrubbing or mopping is reduced and the  Finish helps to protect against staining the selection of the correct finish is very  important consumer requirements may vary in accordance with their own particular operation  your National Sanitary Supply Association member is qualified to recommend a product which  will give you the qualities you desire important advancements have been made over  the last few years in the development of protective Coatings for floors there is a wide  range of Coatings available for Floor Care finishing equipment consists of various types  of applicators and containers finishes applied only to a clean floor and should follow the  scrubbing operation as soon as the floor is dried many operators prefer the Lamb's wool  applicator especially in small obstructed areas a shallow pan is desirable for ease in applying  finish when finishing apply a thin film using a straight stroke for uniform drying do not go  over the surface after the initial application because the Finish begins to dry immediately  and additional Strokes will cause streaking in large unobstructed areas where a free rhythmic  stroke is possible application of finish with a mop is faster however the mop must be carefully  rung and Care must be taken to prevent splashing baseboard furniture and equipment the  Finish must be allowed to dry thoroughly drying time depends on the wax itself and also  upon atmospheric conditions some finishes require buffing with brushes or synthetic pads between  coats after drying apply a second coat of finish this second coat gives added gloss  and additional protection to the floor for added luster buff the area with a mechanical  buffer using polishing brush or synthetic floor pad buffing burnishes the surface making it tough  and wear resistant as well as heightening the gloss application of the second coat will  decrease the frequency of finishing needed when it is applied immediately after the  first coat is dry it requires only a fraction of the time since all Make Ready preparation is  eliminated after the second coat polish the floor with your choice of polishing pad placed under  the brush or particular driving head required at the end of the complete cleaning and  finishing cycle all equipment should be cleaned it is important for the operator to  form this cleanup Habit to ensure proper maintenance of equipment and to have  it ready for the next cleaning operation proper storage of tools and equipment  will also prolong their life this beautiful clean floor is easy to  maintain through a program of daily Floor Care daily Floor Care is dependent upon the degree  of soil on the floor and the amount of traffic in the area for light soil and as a preliminary  to any other cleaning dust mopping is suggested when the floor becomes obviously soiled  mopping with clear water is the practice The Damp mop will pick up the soil without  removing the finished coating from the floor no rinse is needed when clear water  is used instead of a cleaning solution a light periodic machine buffing using a  soft brush steel wall or synthetic buffing pad will restore the luster where traffic has  impaired it or where it has been dulled by moppy it may be necessary to refinish these areas  before the entire floor requires a thorough cleaning and refinishing this new finish may be  Blended easily into the old with skillful buffing when the floor becomes noticeably soiled it  is desirable to remove the old finish by the stripping procedure and repeating the cleaning  and refinishing operation type and amount of soil and traffic will determine the frequency the  technique suggested in this film are not the only cleaning methods which can be used successfully  on soft floors however they do represent floor cleaning practices designed to secure superior  quality results in the average cleaning situation if you have an unusual cleaning problem consult  your local NSSA supplier who will be glad to help you work out a satisfactory solution for  the answers to specific questions you may have concerning any phase of Floor Care call  on your NSSA member salesman for assistance remember to keep your floors clean and well  preserved bear in mind the points we've covered one plan worked carefully beforehand two  use only the best materials and equipment three avoid excessive use of harsh cleansers  and solvents four clean the floor thoroughly and carefully rinse well and five protect the  floor surface with a good finish coating which will make daily maintenance easy and prolong  the life of your floors the National Sanitary Supply Association program of soft Floor  Care means beautiful floors at low cost