The cleanliness and appearance of a business’s floors holds more importance than most people think. Not only are dirty floors an eyesore, they can also raise health and safety concerns too. It is for this reason that commercial floor cleaning has become a service that is high in demand. Many businesses will hire janitorial companies to perform floor cleaning services, and a common way to clean commercial floors and give them a shine is by waxing. Floor stripping and waxing is a great way to clean and maintain VCT, or vinyl composite flooring, concrete, and even terracotta floor surfaces. 

What Is Floor Stripping?

Many businesses may opt for a commercial floor wax to maintain a clean and polished look. While floor waxing can significantly improve the look of any commercial floor, over time old layers of wax, soil, and grime will begin to accumulate. Even if commercial floors are clean, the build-up of old layers of wax and dirt can become an eyesore and will not be effective at protecting the surface. Floor stripping is the process of removing old wax, soil, and grime from floors to restore them to a shining, like-new condition. Using powerful equipment and machinery, the top layers of wax are removed from the surface of the floor, enabling it to be re-treated with new wax to keep them tidy and fresh.

Floor stripping is one of the most complicated and labor-intensive tasks when it comes to floor care services. When businesses try to perform floor stripping themselves, or hire a below-average janitorial service without the proper training or experience, it is likely that mistakes will be made. To prevent these mistakes, its best to hire a commercial floor stripping company. Commercial floor cleaners will have the proper training, knowledge, and experience to perform floor stripping and waxing services.

Common Floor Stripping Mistakes

Hiring a commercial cleaning company for the job can help businesses avoid costly repairs, damages, as well as common floor stripping mistakes. In this blog, we will take a look at some of these common mistakes and why it’s worth hiring a professional that knows what they are doing.

Lack of Preparation

There are many ways that companies can be unprepared when performing floor stripping services. To start, it is vital that companies working on the floor take the time to know and understand what type of floor is being worked on, as well as the necessary procedures that follow. Not all floor types are the same, in fact, many require certain chemicals and cleaning products. For example, the cleaning products used for VCT flooring may not be suitable for concrete or stone flooring.

Lack of Professional Equipment

In order to properly perform floor stripping, the proper equipment is needed. Without professional floor stripping equipment and tools, the process can be prolonged and come with higher labor costs. Professional floor stripping services will not only have professional tools, equipment, and technology, they will also have the training, knowledge, and experience to restore flooring so that it looks new, clean, and polished. Some common tools and equipment needed for this task are:

• Rotary Floor Buffer
• Floor Stripping Pads
• Mop Buckets and Ringers
• Trash Bags
• Floor Dryers
• Protective Wear
• Wet Floor Signs
• Safety Supplies

Creating Large Work Areas

In order to properly perform floor stripping services, it is vital to work in manageable sections at a time. Many janitorial services will work in large sections in order to get the job done faster, collect their money, and move on with their day. Commercial floor stripping and waxing services will understand that this strategy is inefficient as it could allow the floor to dry in some places while other areas are still being worked on, making the service not as effective. It is essential that floors stay wet during this process, and commercial cleaning companies will understand this importance.

Improper Floor Stripper Dilution

There are plenty of floor stripping products available on the market. One thing that many of them have in common is that they need to be diluted with water. Skipping this step, or not diluting it correctly can lead to serious issues. Inexperienced people may not only forget this step, but they may potentially dilute the cleaner wrong. For example, diluting the stripper with hot water instead of cold can cause the active ingredients to evaporate from the solution before it has finished its job.

Rushing

If companies rush to complete floor stripping and waxing services, they are likely inexperienced and unqualified for the job. Floor stripping takes time. The solution used on flooring to help remove wax, dirt, and grime needs to sit long enough to be effective. It must have time to penetrate the existing layers before the next steps to begin. This can usually take five to 10 minutes. However, floors that have aged, have a buildup of heavy residue, or are in exceptionally bad shape may need more stripper applied once the first round becomes saturated and dirty.

Using Dirty Equipment

When performing floor stripping services, it is essential the clean equipment is used. For example, using a dirty mop can potentially discolor and streak a floors finish. Streaks are bad news for floors, as the only way they can be removed is by re-stripping the floor.

Incorrect Finishing

Speaking of streaks, not using enough finisher during the process can streak the floor making it necessary to restart the entire process. In addition, using too much finisher can also cause streaking, creating the need for additional buffing, coating, and costs. Below average companies likely won’t care about streaks. Professional commercial cleaners, on the other hand, know the proper amounts of finisher to use in order to avoid streaking, saving businesses time and money.

Not Letting the Coats Dry

During the floor stripping process, not allowing the coats to dry completely before applying additional coasts is a big mistake that can result in a significant amount of streaking. Again, streaking requires rebuffing and recoating in order to create a professional look. Commercial cleaning companies will not only allow a proper amount of time to dry, but they will test the dryness to ensure another coat is ready for application.

Your floors are a treasured investment. While they will naturally age over time, they will eventually need to be stripped and finished. The best way to avoid mistakes, such as the ones above, is to hire a professional and experience floor cleaning company that takes the time to ensure a job is done properly.

Looking For Floor Stripping and Waxing in Atlanta?

If you own a commercial building in Atlanta that has flooring with a noticeable buildup of wax, dirt, and grime you may want to consider looking for reliable floor stripping and waxing companies in the area. When this is the case, you need to contact Classic Commercial Services. At CCS, we specialize in commercial floor stripping as well as other floor care services. Our services include the stripping and waxing of VCT flooring, concrete flooring, or terrazzo flooring. We only use premium waxes to ensure that our customers are left with durable, long-lasting floors that have a polished look. We only use professional equipment and eco-friendly products to ensure that your floors are clean and safe. Interested in learning more? Receive a free floor stripping estimate today!