Maintaining Your Commercial Epoxy Floor Coating
Some of our customers epoxy floors have seen 20 years of use and still look new. Here is how you can care for your epoxy floor the same way:
Commercial Epoxy floors are known for their durability and shine, but just like anything else, they require some care to keep them looking their best. While a fresh epoxy floor coating won’t stay perfect forever, regular maintenance can significantly extend its lifespan and preserve its appearance. Plus, epoxy floors are less maintenance-intensive than untreated concrete, thanks to their non-porous surface.
How often you maintain your commercial epoxy floor will depend on factors like foot traffic, the environment, and the amount of dirt or chemicals it’s exposed to. Dust and dirt are abrasive, and liquids can quickly stain or damage the finish, so it’s important to stay on top of cleaning to prevent these issues from shortening your floor’s lifespan.
To help you get the most out of your investment, here are six key tips for keeping your epoxy floor coating in great shape:
EPOXY FLOOR CLEANING PROCESS & TOOLS:
| Steps in the Process | For Small Areas | For Medium to Large Areas |
| Sweep floor thoroughly | Broom, Dust, Mop | Floor Sweeper, Broom |
| Apply cleaning product on floor surface | Deck Brush, Foamer/Sprayer | Automatic Floor Scrubber, Foamer/Sprayer |
| Dwell – allow product time to emulsify foreign material | 10-15 Minutes | 10-15 Minutes |
| Agitate – to aid in the release of foreign materials | Deck Brush, Rotary Floor Machine | Automatic Floor Scrubber, Rotary Floor Machine |
| Remove cleaning product from the floor | Squeegee (Soft Neoprene) Wet Vacuum | Automatic Floor Scrubber |
| Rinse the floor with clean water and remove | Wet Vacuum, Squeegee (Soft Neoprene) | Automatic Floor Scrubber |
RECOMMENDED EPOXY FLOOR CLEANING PRODUCTS
Determining the correct cleaning product for your new epoxy floor is based upon the amount and type of soiling the floor receives. We have divided these into four types, and recommended a cleaning product for each instance:
| Application | Typical Areas | Product Description |
| Traffic Areas (Light Soils) | Hallways, Healthcare Facilities, Labs, Dining Area, Schools | A heavy-duty alkaline floor cleaner designed to remove protein or crude based soils |
| Moderate/Heavy (Protein Soils) | Grocery Stores, Restaurant Kitchens, Animal Care, Food/Beverage Processing | A heavy-duty alkaline floor cleaner designed to remove protein or crude based soils |
| Moderate/Heavy (Crude Soils) | Manufacturing/Industrial, Machine/Automotive Service Centers, Warehouse | A heavy duty, highly alkaline floor cleaner designed to remove machine and crude oil from concrete |
| Rubber Tire Marks | Forklift Tire Spin | TIRE MARK REMOVER is a heavy duty cleaner designed to remove rubber skid marks from polymer type floors as well as hard steel troweled floors |
DO’S AND DON’TS OF EPOXY FLOOR CLEANING:
- Wax strippers should never be used
- Never use Enzyme based cleaners
- DO NOT use “No-Rinse” cleaners as the chemical concentration can increase in the residual film left behind
- Combinations of chemicals can result in staining or degradation if not properly rinsed and removed
- Never use a mop to clean a floor that is greasy or oily
- Make sure the pads or brushes on the automatic scrubber are in good shape.
- Pads should be non-abrasive white, tan or red 3M cleaning pads or equivalent. Brushes should be nylon nonabrasive Malish 8129 series or equivalent soft to medium flex nylon bristle brush.
- When using a deck brush, choose a medium/stiff bristle.
- When using a floor cleaning machine, a pad is recommended for use on smooth floor systems, while a soft to medium flex nylon bristle brush is recommended for broadcast floor systems or smooth floor systems with added texture.
- When removing solution with a squeegee, use a soft, neoprene squeegee.
- Do Not use a water spray to remove cleaning solution from the floor because it will over-dilute the solution and cause grease and oil to fall back onto the floor.
- Spills should be cleaned up immediately to prevent staining and as a safety precaution.
- Surfaces should be adequately protected when moving heavy equipment across the floor.
- Through proper training and education, unnecessary wear of the floor (such as forklift spin and skid-marks) can be avoided.
WHEN TO CLEAN YOUR EPOXY FLOOR
Your new floors are designed for and used in heavy traffic areas that typically accumulate foreign matter. Because of this, the recommended maintenance schedule for most areas is once or twice daily cleaning and regular “touch-ups” for spills. Less frequent cleaning of these areas results in a buildup of foreign matter, which diminishes the appearance, safety and service life of the floor.
NEED MORE HELP?
If your floor is in need of more than just maintenance or cleaning, give us a call for a professional epoxy floor consultation. Contact Nuflorz Commercial Epoxy Flooring
“To avoid paying for a new floor twice, make the right call once. Call Nuflorz!”