How To Clean Your Epoxy Floor Coating

The main reason why many facilities choose epoxy as a floor coating is due to the ease of maintenance. However, cleaning epoxy floors requires proper techniques as despite the strength of the flooring system, damaging your epoxy coating can easily be done if you do not know how to clean the application correctly.

Effectively cleaning an epoxy floor is relatively simple to do as long as you know what cleaning tools you need and the right cleaning products to use.

One benefit of having an epoxy floor coating is that the coating is resilient to dirt and stains, it doesn’t, however, mean that it will not have marks, dirt stain or dust settlement and depending on the design you had fitted, many of these marks will be visible. By implementing a regular cleaning routine and observing guidelines, the appearance of your epoxy floor together with its life will be greatly extended. Be mindful that some floor cleaners are prone to leaving a film on the surface while others can cause the floor to lose its shine/glossy appearance or fade a lot quicker over time.  This is why it is very important to learn how to look after epoxy flooring to ensure that you increase the lifespan of the floor coating.

Below will provide you with all of the information that you need to properly clean an epoxy floor coating.

EPOXY FLOOR MAINTENANCE

To start the cleaning process of your epoxy floor, you will require a dust mop, preferably 24″ to 36″. Dust mops area a great tool to use in your cleaning routine, this is because dirt and dust will not stick to your floor coating so using the dusting mop once a week (or when needed) will help to keep your floor clean. Dust mops can also work well for floors with an aggressive anti-slip aggregate, however, for flooring like this, a soft bristle broom is the better choice.

For flooring with expansion joints that are exposed, use a vacuum cleaner on a monthly basis, or a broom can be used to sweep it clean.  Spot cleaning for spills and fluid leaks from cars are easily wiped up with a soft cloth or paper towel.  You can usually clean the area with window/glass cleaner if the spill has left a film.

Many epoxy floor coatings are chemical resistant and so chemical spills are easily wiped up with a soft cloth. For all other films on non-chemically resistant flooring, use a spraying of glass cleaner and wipe it clean with a soft cloth. This will help to remove the layer of film.

HEAVY DUTY CLEANING

For epoxy floors that see a lot of traffic resulting in a lot of dust and dirt, it is recommended that you deep clean your floors at least every 3 months. Use a high-quality hard foam mop with a cleaning solution. , it is recommended that you deep clean your floors once every 3 or 4 months.  The best cleaning tool for this is a quality hard foam mop with a cleaning solution.  Avoid using a string mop.  These do not clean as well and can leave streaks.void

A good cleaning solution to use is an 8:1 ratio of Simple Green in a spray bottle and a bucket of hot water.  Spray the Simple Green in sections on the floor and then scrub it with a damp foam mop.  To complete the clean dip the mop into the hot water to give the floor a rinse.

This method also works well for cleaning up films left behind from deicing fluids and road salts that have dried on the surface.  Just increase the strength of the Simple Green as needed to remove the film.

Another solution that works well for regular cleaning is ½ a cup of ammonia to a gallon of hot water in a bucket.  Apply it using the foam mop and be sure to rinse the mop frequently in the bucket of hot water to rid it of the dirty residue.

When using these methods, you can just let the floor air dry or wipe it dry with a clean towel.

For stubborn spots, we recommend using a stiff nylon brush to scrub the area along with a stronger solution of Simple Green if necessary.  Be careful if using a green scrub pad.  These can work well but depend on the quality of your epoxy coating, they can de-gloss the surface if you scrub too hard.

When cleaning your epoxy floor coating, do not use citrus cleaners or vinegar.  These types of cleaners contain acids that can slowly de-gloss the finish of your epoxy over time. Avoid using cleaners with soap in them, as soap can leave streak marks and a hazy film on the surface that reduces the shine from the finish.  It can also make the floor much more slippery when it gets wet.

Polycote provides a wide range of industrial floor paint that is suitable for many environments. If you have any questions or would like some technical advice please contact us.

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