Whether you hire a professional commercial cleaning team such as phs, or hire internal employees to manage it yourself, one thing is always certain - floors need to be cleaned, and they need to be cleaned safely and thoroughly properly.
Spills, dirty footprints, scuffs - floor cleaning can be a time-consuming activity. It can also be hard to remember how to clean flooring, as each type of floor requires a different kind of cleaning technique, so we’ve listed a few of the most common here to help you:
Stone Floor Cleaning
The most important part of stone floor cleaning is to keep in mind that stone is very porous. This means you should ensure you’ve applied a commercial sealer to prevent fluids draining into the floor.
- Use a wool pad to apply a thin layer of acrylic floor finish, then apply a second layer for good measure.
- Simply mop with all-purpose floor cleaner.
- To ensure your floor is always protected you should occasionally strip off the sealer, rinse the floor off and re-apply it.
Wooden Floor Cleaning
If you have a large amount of wooden flooring to look after, it might be worth investing in a wooden floor cleaning machine. This would help you save time, and is ideal for areas that require a daily clean.
- First, use a vacuum cleaner or brush to remove all dust and debris from the wooden floorboards.
- use a microfibre or a mop treated with a dusting agent to pick up the tiny dust, hairs and other contaminants.
- for a deeper clean, occasionally follow this up by mopping the floor with 4.5 litres of water mixed with around 240ml of vinegar.
Hard Floor Cleaning
Hard floors require the same cleaning method as wooden floor. The only difference is that wooden floors tend to require more vacuuming than hard floors.
- First, use a vacuum cleaner or brush to remove all dust and debris from the hard floor.
- Use a microfibre or a mop treated with a dusting agent to pick up the tiny dust, hairs and other contaminants.
- For a deeper clean, occasionally follow this up by mopping the floor with 4.5 litres of water mixed with around 240ml of vinegar.
Limestone Floor Cleaning
Limestone floors are soft and porous, and therefore they pick up stains very easily. Limestone should always be treated with a limestone-specific sealer in order to protect it from these stains.
- Use a vacuum cleaner to remove all dirt and dust.
- Scrub the floor thoroughly using a pH-neutral stone cleanser. You should be sure to use a limestone-specific cleanser and never use normal soap or all-purpose cleaner for limestone.
- Use a small brush such as a toothbrush to scrub individual stains. Stubborn ones can usually be removed with a special stone cleaner specifically made for limestone, if necessary.
- Rinse the floor thoroughly with distilled or soft water then run dry immediately. This is crucial as hard water can seriously damage limestone flooring, as can leaving water sitting around on it for too long.
- test your floor’s seal by leaving a drop of water on it for 5-10 minutes. If the water appears to absorb into the floor or leaves a dark spot behind, you will need to seal it again.
Slate Floor Cleaning
Before cleaning your slate floor, you should ensure it has been sealed. As long as you keep the slate sealed and strip and reseal it from time to time, mopping with an all-purpose cleaner should work wonders.
- Simply mop with all-purpose floor cleaner.
- To ensure your floor is always protected you should occasionally strip off the sealer, rinse the floor off and re-apply it
Marble Floor Cleaning
Marble floor can also be very porous when not polished, so make sure you seal it with a commercial sealer.
- From here, use water and general all-purpose cleaner to mop down the entire floor.
- Be sure to strip the sealer, rinse the floor and reapply from time to time. If using a paste sealer, we would recommend testing it on a small corner of the floor first to be 100% sure it won’t lead to any discolouration or floor damage.
Laminate Floor Cleaning
Laminate floor is very easy to clean and look after, it just requires a regular vacuum clean or brush, and an occasional mop with floor cleaner.
- First, use steel wool to scrub down laminate flooring and remove any marks or mess that’s stuck to the floor.
- From here, use a general all-purpose cleaner or polish to mop the floor.
- It is best to keep it simple with laminate flooring as many more advanced products such as solvent-based cleaners can damage it, and even very hot water can be a bad idea.
Ceramic Floor Cleaning
If they are glazed, ceramic floor can usually be mopped with a simple mixture of warm water and all-purpose cleaner. If ceramic tiles aren’t glazed, they are very porous and should be treated similarly to stone flooring.
- Use a wool pad to apply a thin layer of acrylic floor finish, then apply a second layer for good measure.
- Simply mop with all-purpose floor cleaner
Industrial Floor Cleaning/Commercial Floor Cleaning
Industrial floor cleaning usually involves the same steps as above, but on a much larger scale. One commercial building could even potentially contain all of the floor types listed above, each with huge surface areas.
As a result, industrial floor cleaning machines and professionally trained technicians are usually required. Industrial cleaners will have in-depth knowledge of cleaning methods and floor cleaning products, allowing them to provide an efficient service.
Work with phs
As the leading provider of hygiene services in the UK, phs can handle all your floorcare needs. Providing specialist cleaning methods and a tailored service schedule.
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