Polymer floors usually take the most abuse of any surface in the building, but are easily maintained because of their physical and chemical tough finishes. For Epoxy and Urethane floors, avoid abrasive cleaning methods during the first week after installation. Full chemical cure for most epoxies and urethanes takes 7 days to develop. Methyl Methacrylate floors are the exception and develop full cure within one hour.
No matter how aggressive the texture of your finished floor, regular cleaning is necessary to avoid a potential slip hazard. Emulsifying, rinsing, and drying your floor properly will reduce the risk of a slip and fall incident. Contaminants such as oils, dirt, and grease work with water and bacteria to attack your floor. This will eventually lead to extended damage to the floor.
Sweeping: For dust control, the textured floor may be swept. A dust mop may be used on smooth polymer floors.
Regular Chemical Exposure: Thoroughly clean at least once a day*. A regular cleaning consisting of soaking, scrubbing and rinsing – mechanically or manually – should be part of the daily Standard Operating Procedures for areas subjected to heavy protein and crude soils.
*In addition to potential staining, it is important to clean up any liquids immediately, as they can pose a slip hazard.
Cleaning Chemicals: Neutral to slightly alkaline cleaning solutions containing ammonia or alcohol bases, or detergents such as tri-sodium phosphate are appropriate. Industrial Applications recommends ProClean B100™ – a heavy-duty, non-hazardous, bio-based floor cleaner/degreaser specially formulated to handle both tough industrial cleaning jobs and everyday cleaning and degreasing.
Application of Cleaner: Cleaning solutions may be applied with a synthetic mop, deck brush, or mechanical floor scrubber or rotary floor machine with 3M Red, Tan, or Blue cleaning pad, or deck brush with a medium/stiff bristle. Allow the solution to sit for 5-10 minutes.
Removal of Cleaning Solution: Do not use a water sprayer to remove the cleaning solution as this will over-dilute the solution and may cause grease, oil, or other contaminants to fall back onto the floor. Use a soft neoprene squeegee to move the solution to the drain. Use an automatic floor scrubber or wet vac if cleaning solution cannot be moved to the drain with a squeegee. After removing the cleaning solution, rinse the floor thoroughly with clean water and remove either manually or mechanically.
Recoating/Refinishing: Periodic re-application of the topcoat will ensure a tight seal on your floor’s surface, preventing soil and moisture damage.
