Strip, Wax, or Buff? The Proper Maintenance For Various Floor Types

Floor maintenance can get tricky depending on the type of flooring that your commercial space has. Balancing the time that you and your team have to clean or the budget that you’ve allotted for a commercial cleaning service with needing to keep your flooring looking best and lasting long is no easy task. 

When it comes to knowing and choosing how to maintain your floors, from stripping, to waxing, or buffing, it’s important to read up on each process as there are parallels between each one and confusion could lead to the opposite effect of your good intentions.

Stripping

Floor stripping itself can be a singular way that may be used to maintain certain flooring types. Stripping refers to the complete removal of all dirt and debris from the floor, including any extra or worn wax or finish material. If your flooring isn’t finished or waxed hardwood or linoleum, maintenance can be as simple as vacuuming or sweeping your floors clean of all loose debris, and then wet-mopping with the appropriate solution.

If your floor is made of the former, then it’s best to hire a professional, as stripping wax or other contaminants is one of the most time consuming projects in commercial cleaning. Waxes that are soaked into hardwood floors will require a harsh stripping solution, while another method of stripping floors with the use of stripping pads – is often used to clean stubborn soil off of floors while maintaining the floor’s integrity. This is so the flooring won’t get blemished when a stain or finish is applied after the stripping is complete.

Waxing

As mentioned, waxing is a common floor maintenance method. It commonly comes in two forms: liquid wax and solid paste wax. Liquid wax lasts longer, and is good for unvarnished hardwood floors. Solid paste wax on the other hand can be used on both unvarnished hardwood and linoleum. When considering if waxing is the right method by which to maintain your flooring, remember that while it may be useful for your floor’s appearance and longevity, the need to clean it or modify your flooring will likely require the hiring of a professional, and that may cost you more.

Buffing

Buffing is said to be the equivalent of your floor’s skincare routine in that buffing your floors is like exfoliating the surface of your floors. 

Buffing floors isn’t as restrictive a method of floor maintenance as stripping and waxing are. Most floor types can be buffed with the right tools, including linoleum, vinyl, concrete, wood, tile and laminate flooring. The two main types of buffing are spray buffing and dry buffing. Spray buffing involves using a liquid solution to clean the dirt off of your floors while buffing, and this leaves floors looking glossy. Dry buffing doesn’t include any liquids, but involves using a buffer machine that goes above 1000 rotations per minute. This smooths floors and removes dirt marks.