MAINTENANCE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR COMMERCIAL SHEET VINYL FLOOR CARE

Contents

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NO POLISH – NO BUFF FLOORING

AHF Contract Resilient Flooring features a high performance wear surface. This highly durable floor covering does not require any floor finish or buffing. As a result, there is no need to use aggressive pads or strippers to maintain your floors. Before starting maintenance or spot cleaning, make sure you have the correct safety and cleaning equipment and that it is in good working order.

SAFETY PRECAUTIONS

When performing wet maintenance, always put out wet floor caution signs and or caution tape and prohibit traffic until the procedure is done. Promptly remove caution signage when the maintenance procedure is complete and the floor is dry.
Carefully follow each product’s label instructions for proper use. Refer to the products SDS (Safety Data Sheet) to understand the hazards and precautions associated with each product and use the appropriate personal protective equipment for each cleaning product.
Floors are more slippery when wet or contaminated with oils grease, silicone or other contaminants. Immediately clean up spills or contaminants to maintain the floor’s surface traction.
DO NOT mix any chlorine bleach containing cleaner with ammonia or acidic cleaners. The combination can create toxic gases.

INITIAL FLOOR CARE

Permit foot traffic on the new floor after waiting the time referenced for the adhesive used. With trowel applied adhesives, wait a minimum of 24 hours for foot traffic and keep furniture, fixtures, rolling loads and heavy traffic off the new floor for at least 72 hours.
Remove acrylic adhesive residue contamination with recommended adhesive remover. Before use of any cleaner, test in an inconspicuous area first for any adverse reaction. Apply cleaner to a clean terry cloth towel. Place the damp cloth over the spot and let sit for 1-2 minutes to loosen and soften the adhesive. Carefully blot and rub the adhesive off the surface with the damp cloth rotating to clean sections of the cloth during cleaning. Rinse the surface with clean water and blot dry.
Installation Flooring Contractor shall sweep, dust mop or vacuum the floor to remove all loose dirt and grit. Lightly damp floor with well rung mop as needed to turn over a clean floor.
Wait 72 hours (3 days) or longer before wet cleaning the new floor or in areas where flooring has recently been replaced.
Facility shall perform their first cleaning using the Periodic Deep Cleaning Maintenance procedures.

SPOT CLEANING

Remove surface contamination with water based cleaner (in plastic containers), or denatured alcohol. Before use of any cleaner, test on an inconspicuous area first.
Apply the cleaning solution onto a clean white terry cloth.
Put the wet cloth over the contamination and let sit for 1-2 minutes. This helps to loosen and soften the contaminant.
Gently rub and buff the spot off the surface with the damp cloth rotating to clean sections of the cloth during cleaning.
Keep in mind that it may take more than one application to remove the contaminant.
To aide in removal of stubborn contaminants, carefully use a non-abrasive scrubbing pad for increased agitation.
Apply additional cleaner to a clean section of cloth and continue to gently rub and buff the remaining contaminant until it is removed.
When finished, rinse the surface with clean water and blot dry with a clean towel.

ROUTINE MAINTENANCE (DAILY OR AS NEEDED)

Sweep, dust mop or vacuum the floor to remove all loose dirt and grit. Do not use treated dust mops.
When available, clean the floor with an auto scrubber using a properly diluted Neutral pH cleaner and a 3M™ Red pad or equivalent pad or brush. Rotary or cylindrical brush cleaning is recommended for textured floors. DO NOT USE A MORE AGGRESSIVE PAD OR BRUSH.
When an auto scrubber is not available, mop on a properly diluted Neutral pH floor cleaner. Apply the solution liberally, but do not flood the floor. Clean the floor using a mop, flat mop or machine scrub with a low speed (175-350 RPM) swing arm floor machine using a 3M Red pad or equivalent pad or brush. DO NOT USE A MORE AGGRESSIVE PAD OR BRUSH.
Completely remove the cleaning solution using an auto scrubber, shop vacuum or mop and let the surface dry.
Fans or air movers can speed up the drying process. Once the floor surface is clean and dry, remove caution signs and return the floor service.

PERIODIC DEEP CLEANING

For deep cleaning, work in manageable sections of flooring.
Sweep, dust mop or vacuum the floor to remove all loose dirt and grit. Do not use treated dust mops.
Prepare the floor using a properly diluted heavy duty cleaner (≤ 10 pH) that is safe for use on all flooring. Apply the solution liberally, but do not flood the floor.
Let solution dwell for 7-10 minutes making sure the solution does not dry on the surface.
Machine scrub the flooring with an auto scrubber or low speed (175-350 RPM) swing arm floor machine using a 3M Red pad or equivalent pad or brush. DO NOT USE A MORE AGGRESSIVE PAD OR BRUSH.
Remove the cleaning solution using an auto scrubber or shop vacuum and rinse the surface with clean water.
Rinse the surface with clean water and remove using an auto scrubber, shop vacuum or mop. Let the surface dry.
Fans or air movers can speed up the drying process. Once the floor surface is clean and dry, remove caution signs and return the floor service.

PREVENTATIVE FLOOR CARE

DIRT & GRIT CONTROL – Use proper walk-off matting at all entries and where needed to trap soiling, dirt, clay and gravel and other contamination that gets tracked onto the floor through routine use.
OPEN TREAD – Walk off mats should incorporate a high friction, open tread or surface that will scrub off grit and particles from the bottom of shoes and other traffic and prevent contaminants and moisture entering the facility.
OUTSIDE – Mats should be placed outside each entry and incorporate an open flow through design with an aggressive tread and ability to scrub off both heavy soil and wetness or snow as appropriate for location.
INSIDE – Mats should be placed inside each entry and in other locations with an open tread and sufficient depth to scrub off particulate and hold contaminants for later cleaning. Inside matting should be at least the width of the doorway and be a minimum of 10 feet or longer sufficient to capture the contaminants from normal traffic.
NON-STAINING BACKING – Matting shall incorporate a non-staining polypropylene backing to prevent staining.
ROUTINE CLEANING – Walk off matting needs to be frequently cleaned to maintain functionality.

FURNITURE RESTS & PROTECTORS

Use appropriate furniture rests and floor protectors under all chairs, furniture, rolling equipment and beds. Proper selection and care of furniture rests, wheels and floor protectors is an important part of a comprehensive and effective floor care program for long term appearance retention of all types of floor coverings.

NON-STAINING – Be made of non-staining materials.
RADIUSED EDGE – Provide slightly radius or rounded edges.
SUFFICIENT CONTACT AREA – Have a surface contact area that is large enough to evenly distribute the load without causing damage to the floor. Generally a 1˝ or larger diameter flat smooth contact area is appropriate for most applications.
FLAT SMOOTH CONTACT AREA – Provide a flat smooth contact area free from unevenness, protrusions or depressions, abrasiveness, mold lines or seams or embedded grit or particulate, etc.
LEVEL FURNITURE – Equipment and furniture should be properly levelled so that the weight is equally distributed on each rest and they are flat on the floor at all times.
GLIDES LEVEL WITH FLOOR – Floor glides should rest level on the surface of the floor.
COMPOSITION OF GLIDE SURFACE – Commercial grade felt glides are preferred for resilient flooring. Stainless steel, nylon and non-staining rubber glides can be used. Do not use metal glides that may rust or plastic glides as they become abrasive with use and can scratch the floor.
ROUTINE MAINTENANCE – Furniture rests, wheels and floor protectors require periodic cleaning and maintenance like all other equipment in a facility. Check often and replace warn or damaged furniture rests immediately to prevent unintended damage to the flooring.

DO USE:

MICROFIBER MOPS – Microfiber mops and microfiber flat mops are recommended as they clean more effectively and retain soil better than traditional mops.
DILUTION CONTROL – There are various options available from the cleaning chemical suppliers for precise metering of the cleaner with water to provide the correct dilution. Incorrect measurement of cleaners reduces their effectiveness and may cause a residue build up that can be difficult to remove.
BRUSHES FOR TEXTURES SURFACE – Rotary or cylindrical brushes are recommended for cleaning all floors with textured surfaces. Brushes should be equivalent to a 3M 5100 Red pad with flexible non-abrasive bristles.
SPOT CLEANERS – To remove surface spots and contamination that does not come up with routine cleaning, use Heavy Duty Goof Off® water based cleaner (in plastic containers), Windex® or denatured alcohol.
FLOOR PROTECTION – Protect the flooring from construction trades or when moving appliances or heavy fixtures over the flooring (including dollies or protection from outside wheels or castors) with appropriate level of protection. For construction traffic, undyed Kraft paper may be sufficient to protect the floor. For heavy fixtures or large appliances like vending machines, use a minimum 1/4˝ plywood or other suitable underlayment panel to protect the floor.

DO NOT USE:

SOLVENT CLEANERS – Avoid solvent-based cleaners or abrasive cleaners.
ABRASIVE CLEANERS AND PADS – Avoid steel wool or abrasive scrubbing pads, brown or black stripper pads or abrasive or stiff bristle brushes to clean the floor.

DO NOT:

DRY BUFF OR BURNISH FLOORING – Avoid dry buffing or burnishing the floor surface unless using a floor finish. Before dry buffing or high speed burnishing, make sure the floor surface is clean and there is a sufficient base (5-7 coats) of polish.
FLOOD THE FLOOR – Avoid flooding the floor or using excessive amounts of cleaning solution or water during cleaning.
GET METAL WET – Prevent metal furniture and glides from being in contact with the floor when wet.

Updated on March 26, 2024