7 Commercial Floor Cleaning Best Practices

In a lot of ways, floor cleaning is floor cleaning. Often, what works for taking care of the floors in your home will also work for commercial floor cleaning. However, it’s safe to assume that workplaces and retail establishments get much more foot traffic than the average home. This means that commercial flooring often needs more time and attention to stay clean.

It also means that following best cleaning practices is much more important. Clean environments also promote productivity in workplaces and encourage customers to shop at your store. Dirty floors are often associated with unprofessional or even unsafe buildings, so leaving yours unchecked can leave a bad impression.

So, let’s take a look at 7 commercial floor cleaning tips to help keep your space bright and shiny.

1. Don’t Vacuum Wet Floors

This is less for the sake of your floor and more for the sake of your vacuum cleaner. Vacuums are electronics and mixing water with electronics is never a good idea. Plan your cleaning session to prevent this situation. Try vacuuming before you grab the mop and bucket. 

Also avoid damp spots on carpets. Even if they aren’t soaking wet, water from a damp carpet can still do damage. Check for any damp spots before you run the vacuum. It’s easy to miss when you’re in the middle of the task.

2. Prepare Your Floors For The Winter

Mud, salt, and snow all increase in volume once winter hits. All of these elements make your floor messier and can cause damage if left to build up. You will need to clean a bit more often in the winter, but there are also some pre-winter prep tasks you can do to keep it under control.

Clean and refinish wood floors and deep clean carpets before the first snow. This will ensure that any autumn dust doesn’t add to the problem when winter comes. Make sure you have mats at each entrance, and encourage people not to wear their “outdoor shoes” inside if possible.

3. Use Tile & Grout Protector

Tile and grout protectors are handy for more than one reason. It enhances floor care by keeping stains out and makes your tile floors easier to clean. This is because it adds a barrier to the floor that prevents grime from soaking in. All you have to do is quickly wipe up any messes.

Regularly applying protector to your tile floors is a small task that can significantly extend the life of your floor. On average, you can apply a protector every 6 months, but please follow the manufacturer’s instructions for best results.

4. Damaged Floors Are Dirtier Floors

Cracks and scratches collect dust and dirt. Once dirt is embedded in a scratch, it’s hard to scrub it out. For this reason, preventing floor damage is part of floor cleaning. If you need to move furniture, lift it instead of dragging it as much as you can. This will reduce scuffs and scratches.

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Office chairs with rollers are also common culprits when it comes to scratches. If you use them in your office, use mats to prevent the wheels from scraping the floor’s surface. You may also consider placing caster cups or rubber caps on the legs of any furniture to prevent contact.

5. Be Mindful of Your Mopping

Believe it or not, there’s a wrong way to mop. Most people assume that mopping is straightforward enough, but there’s more to it than dragging the mop across the floor. Improper mopping can do more harm than good. Excessive water leads to warping, poor technique causes you to spread grime instead of sweeping it, and too much force causes scratches.

The right way to mop follows these steps:

1. Remove any loose dirt by sweeping or vacuuming.
2. Fill your mop bucket halfway with hot water and add the recommended cleaning solution.
3. Wet and wring the mop, ensure that it’s only slightly damp, not soaking wet.
4. Begin at the farthest point of the room and work your way towards the exit to avoid stepping on freshly mopped areas. Use a figure-eight or an ‘S’ motion to effectively pick up dirt without pushing it around. Be careful not to apply excessive pressure.
5. If your mop bucket water becomes dirty midway through the process, change it.
6. After you’ve finished mopping, rinse the mop with warm water until the water runs clear, then leave it to air dry. Empty and rinse the bucket as well.

6. Stop Using Water on Your Hardwood Floors

Hardwood doesn’t handle water well. Excess water can cause hardwood floors to warp, crack, or discolour. Instead, opt for dry dust mopping or a cleaning solution designed specifically for hardwood.

Also, remember to never leave any liquid standing on your hardwood floor. Spills should be cleaned immediately to prevent it from seeping into the wood. Once you wipe it up, always dry the area thoroughly to ensure no moisture is left behind.

Need Help Keeping Your Cleaning Schedule on Track? There’s Technology to Help

7. Skipping Cleaning Days Based on Looks

Looks can be deceiving. Just because your floor looks spotless doesn’t mean it actually is. Stick to your established cleaning schedule. Resist the urge to skip scheduled cleaning days based on your floor’s looks. 

Technology can also help you see what your naked eye can’t. Surface imaging solutions offer high-resolution pictures of where biological material was left behind. You can use these insights to refine your cleaning process for a cleaner floor after your next scheduled sweep.

Simplify Commercial Floor Maintenance With Tech-Powered Cleaning

Don’t let the cleanliness of your commercial space be a matter of guesswork. Use a data-driven cleaning technology solution to enhance productivity by up to an estimated 30% and spot all the biological contaminants you left behind.

Optisolve offers a comprehensive janitorial management software solution that helps keep your cleaning team on track. Our software makes it easy to improve tracking and reporting, gain visibility into your cleaning quality, and implement effective quality control.

Pair that with Pathfinder™, our surface imaging solution, and you’re well on your way to spotless, beautiful floors. Technology has made work easier across all industries, and now it’s helping cleaning professionals too!
Contact us today to try it out!