MAINTENANCE

POST CONSTRUCTION CLEANING

 

• Dry mop floor using a micro fiber mop pad or appropriate floor vacuum to remove dust particulate from the floor.  

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• Spray neutral pH cleaner onto the floor in manageable area (spray mist will dry quickly). Use a micro fiber wet mop pad to mop the floor with cleaner. If pad becomes dirty, be sure to replace the pad with a new micro fiber wet mop pad. Work floor in sections. 

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• Always rinse the floor with water only by mopping water to remove any remaining residue from the floor.

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In the event where dry wall dust/construction dust is mopped with water only, a residue film will appear on the floor after drying. Use the process below to remove the film from the floor.

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Process to remove construction residue or cloudy film from resilient flooring 

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1. Dry mop floor to remove any construction dust or exterior soil tracked onto the flooring. Use micro fiber dry mop pad. If micro fiber dry mop pad gets dirty, replace pad with a clean pad.
    

2. Spray neutral pH cleaner, such as Shaw Hard Surface Cleaner or Diversey’s Stride, onto the floor in manageable area (spray mist will dry quickly). Work floor in sections. For smooth surface, use a low rpm (175 rpm) buffer with a 3M red pad on flooring with neutral pH cleaner applied to the floor to remove the residue film. (Never Dry Buff). For embossed or textured flooring, use a cylindrical brush scrubber with red brushes and a neutral pH cleaner applied to the floor to remove the residue film. 
    

3. Using a wet micro fiber mop pad, rinse with water only to remove any remaining residue from the flooring. When wet mop pad becomes dirty, be sure to replace the pad with a new micro fiber wet mop pad.
    

4. Repeat steps #2 and #3, if necessary. 
    

When the resilient flooring is cleaned properly, the floor will have the same visual as right out of the box.

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PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE

 

1. Care for newly installed floors.

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• Avoid heavy traffic for 24 hours. 
   

• ​Adhering tape to the surface of your resilient flooring could damage the surface. 
  Do not use tape to secure floor protection directly to the floor during construction or renovation. Instead, adhere tape to the material used to protect the floor and secure it to the base molding along the wall.  A material such as ram board can also be used to protect your flooring.
   

• Proper furniture protection is required to prevent scratching and scuffing of LVT flooring. It is recommended to use industrial strength felt protection.
   

• Moving heavy objects requires protective barriers to distribute the weight such as ram board to prevent damage to the wear layer. 
   

• Remove adhesive residue with a clean white cloth dampened with odorless mineral spirits or isopropyl alcohol. 
   

• Only low moisture or damp mopping is recommended initially, if needed. 
   

• Wait 4 days before normal wet cleaning and/or auto scrubbing the floor. 
   

• Avoid direct sunlight on LVT flooring as it can cause fading and expansion of vinyl planks. Use window protection.
   

• Surface temperature should not reach 140 degrees from sunlight or bed bug treatment as it would cause expansion of vinyl planks.
   

2. Identify and address all sources of soiling.

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• Maintain a clean exterior (parking lots and walk ways) where dirt enters the building. 
   

• Proper mats should have non-staining backing, use PVC backed matting. Use mats at entranceways, transition areas and special areas such as food service areas/restrooms to confine soil, oil, grease and high moisture areas. 
   

• Entrance mats keep soil and moisture outside. Two matting categories are: 

  • Soil Removal – used at exterior entrances to remove soil from shoes 

  • Absorbent mats – used inside to minimize moisture
     

• Mats should cover at least 6 footsteps to capture soil transferring from shoes. Additional matting may be necessary during inclement weather. Include mats in the maintenance program and keep them clean.

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ROUTINE MAINTENANCE

 

1. Remove dry soil. 

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• Sweep, vacuum or dust-mop frequently to remove soil particles that can abrade the wear layer. 
   

• Dust mop treatments are not recommended since these products can transfer and attract soil. 
   

• Do not use vacuums with rotating beater bars on hard surfaces.
   

2. Promptly address spots and spills. 
 

• All spills should be addressed as quickly as possible to avoid staining and slip/fall hazards. 
   

• Absorb wet spills and if necessary use a neutral pH vinyl cleaner* and rinse with water. 
   

• Isopropyl alcohol or mineral spirits can be used for oil/grease (petroleum-based) and/or scuff marks. 
   

3. Remove scuffs. 
 

• Cleaning with an auto scrubber or spray buffing with a spray/buff solutions* using a low (175 rpm) machine and red pad will remove scuff marks. Agitation is the key to remove these marks. 
   

• A tennis ball placed on the end of a stick, such as a broom handle, can be used as a tool to remove scuff marks. This allows you to remove scuffs from a standing position on smaller areas.
   

WET CLEANING

 

• Always pre-vacuum or dry dust mop before wet cleaning. 
   

• Use neutral pH vinyl cleaner* and follow the manufacturer’s instructions for dilution and use. 
   

• Common systems are: 1) Micro fiber wet mop or mop and two-bucket system, and 2) Automatic scrubbing with a red 3M pad/equivalent brushes. 
   

• Rinse the floor with clean water. Repeat the rinse process if necessary to remove all haze 
   

• Do not use brown or black pads/brushes. These pads are too aggressive and can damage the floor. 
   

• Products containing bleach and steam mops are not recommended.