Everything you need to know about how to clean and maintain your floors.
When we talk about cleaning floorswe know that we have many types of processes that we can carry out (first cleaning, recovery treatments, protection, stripping, crystallizing, daily, periodic and thorough maintenance, etc.) for each type of surface.
In some surfaces, due to their characteristics, all these processes are not necessary. It is therefore important that we know how to distinguish between them.
It is also essential that we know the precautions we should take when working in the cleaning and maintenance of floors. cleaning and maintenance of floorsto ensure the protection of the floors, the furniture, passers-by and ourselves.
In this article, we will try to give an overview of floor cleaning. floor cleaningWe are going to give an overview of the different types of surfaces that we can find and their nature.
Therefore, we need to know how to distinguish the different types of surfaces according to their characteristics; to determine the technique and chemical products suitable for each surface; to select the machinery and accessories and to know which products and tools can deteriorate each surface.
In this way, we can establish a first classification of surfaces:
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- Stony
- Plastics
- Textiles
- Wood
- Other
Stony surfaces
Depending on their origin, they can be natural or derived. Each one of them has specific characteristics in terms of resistance, porosity and brightness. Like granite, one of the most resistant stones. For cleaning a granite floor and remove the dirt adhered to both polished and coarse granite, a chemical action is needed, with a neutral detergent without residue on the polished and a specific one for the dirt on the coarse. Remember not to use abrasive products that remove the shine or acids that may yellow it.
Marble is very porous so it is usually treated to leave it smooth, shiny and without pores. For cleaning a marble flooryou will need a neutral detergent with bio-alcohol that does not leave a film and dries quickly, such as our floor cleaner FADEIN-FLORAL. Avoid bleach, ammonia and non-neutral detergents.
Slate can be composed of different minerals, so it is advisable, when cleaning a slate floor, to cleaning a slate floorIt is therefore advisable to use neutral detergents without residue and, if an acid is needed, to test in an inconspicuous place to rule out the presence of calcium carbonate.
Stoneware and clay are derivatives that have many different finishes, which will determine their porosity, roughness and shine. Depending on these finishes, for cleaning a stoneware floorIf you use a neutral detergent without residue or a specific detergent for the dirt to be cleaned, such as our floor cleaner FADEIN-AZANA. You should avoid abrasives and try acids first. Care must be taken with cement joints that do not resist acids.
Terrazzo is a pavement made of cements and marble pieces. Its resistance will depend on the minerals that compose it. It is recommended that, in order to cleaning a terrazzo floorIf the floor is not clean, use only neutral detergents, avoiding abrasive products and acids that take away the shine or color of the floor.
Plastic surfaces
are increasingly used due to their convenience, lower cost and the fact that they can be bacteriostatic. They are composed of PVC, Linoleum and Rubber.
PVC is a water-resistant material with a low porosity factory finish. The cleaning of a PVC floor is easily done with a neutral detergent. For more specific cleaning, select the appropriate detergent and use it on the stain and not in a general way.
The components of linoleum determine its characteristics and the precautions to be taken. For example, linseed oil causes yellowing with alkaline products. Wood sawdust and chipboard make it not very resistant to humidity. For cleaning a linoleum floor the same products and precautions are used as with PVC, except for alkaline products.
Rubber is obtained from tree sap and the vulcanization process. This gives it characteristics of flexibility and resistance that it would not otherwise have. The cleaning of a rubber floor and its maintenance are similar to PVC, avoiding alkalis with PH higher than 10, solvents derived from petroleum and oils.
Textile surfaces
can be divided into natural and synthetic, depending on their origin. Whether animal, vegetable or chemically elaborated.
Knowing that each fiber, whether natural or artificial, has its own characteristics and can fade, they generally resist weak acids and alkaline products. Therefore, after a good vacuuming, the stains can be removed with the appropriate chemical product for each type of dirt. If necessary, we can use an injection and extraction machine. The greatest precaution when choosing a cleaning product is to avoid damaging the glue that fixes the carpet to the floor.
For cleaning carpets or textile floors or textile floors that cannot be excessively wet, shampooing is a technique that, by applying foam on the carpet, allows us to perform a practically dry cleaning.
Wood or parquet surfaces
are particularly delicate, soft floors that are easily scratched and are very sensitive to wear and moisture. Once installed and varnished, they have a shiny surface with a well sealed pore. To keep the parquet clean, simply dust it, either by vacuuming or mopping.
So that the parquet cleaning to be more effective, it is advisable to damp mop or scrub gently. It is very important to wring out the gauze or mop well. In this way we will reduce the humidity in contact with the wood and we will avoid the appearance of veils when drying.
The recommended product for cleaning cleaning of the parquetwill be a neutral detergent without residue and of fast evaporation, such as our floor cleaner LAVASIN. The products that you should never use to clean the parquet are bleach, ammonia or acid and alkaline detergents, since they damage the varnish and take away the shine.
As we have seen, in order to perform a floor cleaning floor cleaning to allow us to both clean and protect our floor, we need to know the type of material and its characteristics. That is why in FADEIN we put special care in the formulation and design of our neutral floor cleaners, which will allow you to clean any surface.
In addition, for the cleaning of specific stains we have a series of products that, with the recommended treatment, will help you to keep your floors looking like new. This is the case of large supermarkets, where they usually use scrubbing machineswith products such as our
FADEIN-MF5
thanks to its low foam formation.
We hope that our recommendations will help you to know how to clean a school. If you have any questions or suggestions for our next articles, please contact us at [email protected] and we will be happy to hear from you.
FADEIN can help you design the cleaning and disinfection protocol in schools for your center. Call us at 918738702 or visit our website www.fadein.es.
