It is
important to understand the maintenance requirements of your vinyl in order to
keep it looking new and shiny for years to come. The maintenance your vinyl requires varies
greatly depending on the level of traffic and the environment in which the vinyl
is situated.
Most
commercial vinyl flooring requires a scheduled maintenance service to maintain
the floors attractive appearance and prevent damage. This includes regular polishing of the vinyl
and additional coats of sealer as required.
With regular floor maintenance you can reduce the frequency floor
stripping and sealing is required to be done, thus saving you the hassle and
cost and keeps your floor looking great.
Vinyl
flooring in domestic situations may not require the same level of
maintenance. The time between polishing
being required will vary greatly and polishing should be on an as needed
basis. Once you notice that the floors
appearance has dulled or the mop has become hard to move over the vinyl, this is
a good indication that the floor is ready to be polished, resealed and restored
to its as new look.
It is
recommended that vinyl floors are kept clean with regular sweeping and
mopping. It is the dirt that sits on the
floor that causes a lot of the discolouring and scratching. Spills should be cleaned up immediately to
prevent staining, however if you do notice a stain on your vinyl you can attempt
to remove with a little Eucalyptus Oil and a clean cloth. Never use aggressive cleaners, soaps, waxes,
solvents, alkaline detergent or any steel brush or harsh scrubbing pads as these
may damage the vinyl.
It is
worth noting that some vinyl floors react to products such as rubber, for
example rubber based soles on shoes or slippers have been known to cause
yellowing on the vinyl. Without a
protective coating of sealer on the floor, this staining may cause permanent
damage to vinyl itself and not be able to be removed. Some chemicals, insect repellents, bleaches or
ketchup may also have a staining effect on vinyl and should not come in contact
with the floor. Avoid dragging of heavy
items over your vinyl floor and ensure that chair legs are adequately cushioned
to avoid scratching and damage.
If a
vinyl floor starts to become dull in appearance, however doesn’t have a buildup
of dirt and surface scratches, it can be polished using the polisher/burnishing
machine and then resealed to restore the floors shine and protective
coating. The reason the floor is polished prior to
sealing is that when the floor is sealed it locks in what is underneath. When the floor is polished it has a very fine
layer of surface removed and it becomes cleaner and shinier. Therefore when the sealer is applied, this
appearance will show through, as opposed to if the sealer was applied to the
unpolished surface.
