You can’t afford to neglect your facility’s flooring. Dirty, deteriorating floors don’t just become major eyesores -- they also become health and safety hazards for employees, customers, and all other occupants. Of course, staying on top of commercial floor maintenance is often easier said than done. Certain processes require the right expertise and equipment to accomplish correctly, and not all businesses have the resources to dedicate to these important tasks day in and day out -- this is where technology comes to the rescue. Not just any technology will do, either. Businesses that wish to stay ahead of the curve in terms of floor care and occupant health and safety should look into solutions that feature a minimal amount of chemicals, if any.

Here we’ll explore why it’s a good idea to invest in state-of-the-art cleaning technology and chemical-free floor stripping for your facility.

Cleaning Technology and Chemical-Free Floor Stripping for Your Facility

The Many Facets of Commercial Floor Care

First, let’s go over what proper floor care involves, anyway. Different methods and products are required for taking care of different types of floors, but all floor types need regular attention. For instance, your facility’s floors should be cleaned on a daily basis (or every few days, depending on foot traffic, etc.) -- hard floors should be swept to remove dust and debris and then mopped to provide a more substantial clean, whereas soft floors (i.e., carpeting) should be vacuumed regularly.

This routine cleaning will prevent your floors from deteriorating, but wear and tear will still do its work over time. As such, less frequent but more intensive cleaning and maintenance tasks are also necessary to keep your floors sturdy, safe, and beautiful for a long time to come. Vinyl composite tile (VCT) flooring should be stripped and waxed about twice a year (or every 5-6 months) to keep them clean, durable, and retain their appearance. Meanwhile, concrete floors are best maintained by polishing them or coating them with durable materials like epoxy, urethane cement, or polyurea. Carpeted floors should be steam cleaned at least once a year to powerfully extract dirt and other contaminants from their fibers. The list of commercial floor care services goes on. Simply put, every floor requires both regular and periodic maintenance in order to stand the test of time and ensure occupant safety.

The Importance of Modern Floor Cleaning Technology

Technology helps us handle all sorts of tasks more precisely and efficiently, and floor maintenance is no exception. The advent of modern floor care equipment is particularly useful, seeing as it’s become increasingly difficult for commercial flooring contractors to find reliable front line employees. Indeed, the shortage of floor care workers (and cleaning staff more broadly) bolsters the need for the latest and greatest cleaning technology. While people are still needed to operate most of this machinery, this technology reduces the potential for human error, speeds up every maintenance and renovation task, and makes everything that much easier to accomplish.

Floor Cleaning Equipment to Consider

Let’s briefly run through some of the modern equipment used by commercial floor cleaning services to help facilities with various key tasks:

• Automated floor scrubbers

• Rotary floor machines

• Tile and hard surface cleaners and extractors

• High-efficiency burnishers and buffers

• Handheld spinner tools for hard surfaces

• High-powered vacuums

• Carpet steam cleaners and extractors

• Pressure washers

• Cleaning solutions (including chemical-rich and chemical-free carpet cleaners, concrete cleaners, degreasers, disinfectants, and so on)

• ...and much more

The technology mentioned above only scratches the surface of what floor care professionals bring to the table. These workers also come equipped with personal protective equipment (PPE), backup supplies such as floor pads, cords, mops, cloths, filters, fans, etc., and more.

The Benefits of Chemical-Free Floor Stripping

Traditional floor cleaning and maintenance often involves significant use of chemicals, such as ethanol, isopropyl alcohol, antiseptics, and more. While these chemicals are useful at cleaning and disinfecting various floor types, they can also leave behind strong odors and toxify the air. Standard floor stripping chemicals include the solvents 2-butoxyethanol and ethanolamine, which can also lead to negative health outcomes for occupants. When purchasing commercial floor cleaner or stripping solutions for your facility, then, consider opting for products that don’t contain these chemicals (or at least far fewer of them). Not only do chemical-free products result in better health outcomes for everyone inside your facility -- they’re also more sustainable and energy-efficient than their chemical-rich counterparts. And, generally speaking, chemical-free floor stripping is quicker and cheaper to get done (it’s also worth investing in eco-friendly commercial floor wax).

A Better Way to Maintain Your Facility Floors

Proper commercial floor care involves many moving parts, and it’s easy to fall behind on both routine and periodic duties. The right technology allows businesses to cut costs, speed up maintenance processes, and encounter fewer issues when it comes to floor cleaning and maintenance, including floor stripping and waxing. At The Budd Group, we know how difficult it can be to find reliable workers for these types of positions. Not only can we aid in the recruitment and placement process via our facility support services -- we can also provide the latest and greatest floor care technology for our clients.

To learn more about our services and values, give us a call today at 800-221-8158!