Streaks in Polish
| Causes | Solutions |
| Too much or too little floor polish applied in one coat. | Carefully follow manufacturer’s directions. |
| Dirty mop used to apply polish. | Clean mops or applicators frequently; use only mops dedicated to polishing and polish application. |
| Soiled floor. | Thoroughly clean and rinse floor before applying finish. |
| Inadequate drying time; polish recoated too quickly. | Follow manufacturer’s recommendations for drying time and allow more time during high humidity. |
| Alkaline residue on floor. | Rinse floor thoroughly with clear water after scrubbing or stripping. |
| Polish frozen. | Strip and rinse thoroughly; reapply polish. |
| Polish contaminated. Leftover finish poured back into container or saved from previous use. | Do not proceed with finishing. Replace polish. |
Polish is Tacky
| Causes | Solutions |
| Inadequate drying time. | Allow floor to dry completely before opening to traffic. Follow manufacturer’s recommendations for drying time and allow more time during high humidity. |
| Polish recoated too quickly. | Follow manufacturer’s recommendations for drying time and allow more time during high humidity. |
| Too much chemical was used. | Follow manufacturer’s recommendations for proper dilution. |
Slippery Floors
| Causes | Solutions |
| Silicone based products (stainless steel cleaners, furniture polishes, glass cleaners, lubricants, vinyl cleaners) and disinfectant products getting on floor due to aerosol over-spray or accidental spills. | Spray cleaners on rag or applicator prior to use to reduce the chance of over-spray hitting the floor. To remove over-spray, scrub floor thoroughly. If still slippery, strip area and re-polish. |
| Improper dilution of cleaner or disinfectant. | Follow manufacturer’s recommendation for proper dilution. Use chemical dispensers if available. |
| Improperly treated dust mops being used, usually oil treated. | Use only recommended dust mops or refer to label directions when treating dust mops. |
| Ice melting compounds on floor. | Clean contaminated floor thoroughly with clean water or cleaner to remove film (normally at entrances and at the end of runners). Use mats and runners, and clean them occasionally. Control amount of ice melting chemicals used. |
| Dirt and grit on floor. | Use entrance mats and increase dust mop frequency. |
Swirl Marks in Polish
| Causes | Solutions |
| Inadequate drying time. | Follow manufacturer’s recommendations for drying time and allow more time during high humidity. |
| Polish soft due to moisture from below. | Address moisture issue; choose a harder or moisture resistant polish. |
| Improper floor pad selection. | Follow pad and/or polish manufacturer’s recommendations. |
| Polish not dry before buffing/burnishing | Allow proper drying time before buffing/burnishing. |
Floor Polish Powdering or Failing To Adhere to Floor
| Causes | Solutions |
| Old floor polish/finish not completely removed (incompatibility of coatings). | Strip and rinse thoroughly; reapply polish. |
| Stripping solutions dried and/or not thoroughly rinsed after stripping. | Strip and rinse thoroughly; reapply polish. |
| Dirty mop used to apply polish. | Clean mops or applicators frequently; use only mops dedicated to polish application. |
| Polish applied before floor or previous coat dried. (Finish not sticking to floor) | Follow manufacturer’s recommendations for drying time and allow more time during high humidity. |
| Surface of polish force-dried. | Strip and rinse thoroughly; reapply polish, allowing adequate drying time for each coat. Never direct fans at floor finish during drying process. If fans are used, aim upward for air circulation. |
| Inadequate grit and soil control (no walk-off mats). | Install walk-off mats; clean walk-off mates; sweep and vacuum frequently. |
| Mismatched polish and machine speed. | Switch to recommended polish, buffing pad and machine speed. |
| Floor pad too abrasive. | Follow polish manufacturer’s recommendations |
| Room temperature too hot or too cold or humidity too high or too low. | For optimal results, maintain room temperature between 60° and 90° F (16° and 32° C) and humidity between 40% and 80% RH. |
| Excessive alkaline moisture permeating through tile from subfloor. | Investigate and solve moisture problems. |
| Frozen polish (may bead up on floor during application). | Do not proceed with polishing. Replace polish. |
| Polish contaminated. Leftover polish poured back into container or saved from previous use. | Do not proceed with polishing. Replace polish. |
Poor Gloss
| Causes | Solutions |
| Insufficient coats of polish applied. | Apply additional coats of polish. |
| Polish applied too thin or too heavily. | Follow manufacturer’s recommendations for application. |
| Polish recoated too quickly. | Follow manufacturer’s recommendations for drying time and allow more time during high humidity. |
| Wrong scrubbing pads used (usually too aggressive). | Use approved pads and follow polish manufacturers recommendations. |
| Excessive amount of sand & grit on floor. | Use entrance mats and runners of sufficient length and width. Increase dust mop frequency. |
| Improper cleaner dilutions. | Follow manufacturer’s recommendation for proper dilution. |
| Dirty equipment used. | Always use clean equipment and mops. |
Scuffing and Scratching of Polish/Finish
| Causes | Solutions |
| Wrong scrubbing pads used. | Follow flooring and/or pad manufacturer’s recommendations. |
| Excessive dirt and grit on floor. | Use entrance mats, increase dust mopping frequency, and dust mop thoroughly before cleaning. |
| Not scrubbing often enough. | Adjust cleaning frequency accordingly. |
| Floor polish not resistant to scuffs and scratches. | Use a high quality floor polish as recommended by polish manufacturer. |
Furniture Sticking
| Causes | Solutions |
| Furniture placed too soon after polishing. | Follow manufacturer’s recommendations for drying time and allow more time during high humidity |
| Furniture left in place while polish is applied. | To release stuck furniture, tap the legs near the floor, hitting firmly in a horizontal direction. Be sure to protect legs to avoid scratching or marring. Do not attempt to lift furniture straight up before loosening. |
| Polish not properly cured/dried. | Allow floor to dry completely before applying additional coats. |
Rapid Black Marking
| Causes | Solutions |
| Little or no protective polish; polish and/or cleaner too high in pH; polish and/or cleaner too aggressive. | Strip and rinse thoroughly; apply and maintain the minimum three to five coats of the recommended polish. |
| Floor polish is too soft. | Switch to a more scuff-resistant polish such as Armstrong S-480 Floor Polish. |