Investing in a floor coating is a great way to protect untreated concrete floors. However, these floors require precise cleaning to ensure they look their best for their expected lifespan. But how do you clean your epoxy floors to avoid unnecessary damage or premature wear and tear?
Our Solid Garage Floor Coatings of Utah team understands how important it is to maintain the beautiful appearance of your epoxy floors. However, your cleaning attempts may do more harm than good without proper education. If you have recently invested in a new coating and want to clean your epoxy floor, keep reading to see what cleaning methods our team recommends incorporating into your routine.
Understanding the Importance of Cleaning Your Epoxy Floor Coating
When you choose to invest in an epoxy coating, you might not realize how important cleanliness is for maintaining the appearance and integrity of your floors. While epoxy is an incredibly durable flooring material, often boasting chemical, stain, and abrasion resistance, it is not infallible. If it doesn’t get the appropriate care it needs, dirt, dust, and other grime may begin to degrade the coating prematurely.
By implementing a regular cleaning schedule, you remove any corrosive or staining substances that may mar its appearance, allowing it to maintain a glossy finish. Additionally, as you clean your epoxy floor coating, you remove any substances that may lead to slips and falls. When you clean your epoxy floor regularly, you can prolong the life and performance of your coating, ensuring the longevity of your investment for years to come.
How to Clean Your Epoxy Floor
1. Sweep Regularly
One of the easiest ways to clean your epoxy floor and maintain its beautiful appearance is by remembering to sweep regularly. There are a few broom options you can use to clean your floors, including a soft bristle broom or a commercial dust mop. You should use this broom to remove any dirt, dust, and debris from your floors at least once a week. However, you may need to sweep more often if this is a high-traffic space, as this dust and debris may otherwise lead to scratches and scrapes across the coating.
2. Mop Up Spills
While your epoxy floor coating is stain-resistant, you should not allow spilled substances to sit on the surface. Some spilled substances, such as abrasive cleaning agents and acids, are abrasive enough to eat through the coating. If you want to clean your epoxy floor coating and ensure the coating is wearing out evenly, mop up spills immediately. By cleaning them immediately, you remove them before they have the chance to degrade the coating, protecting yourself from premature patching.
3. Use Appropriate Cleaning Agents
As we mentioned above, some cleaning agents are abrasive enough to degrade your epoxy coating, even well before it reaches the end of its expected lifespan. When you clean your epoxy floor, it is essential that you use a pH-neutral cleaning solution to avoid this degradation. These cleaning solutions are strong enough to remove any built-up debris without stripping away layers of your epoxy. After you’ve mopped, make sure to rinse with clean water to remove any lingering cleaning solutions.
4. Rinse Twice When Necessary
Although mopping and rinsing your floor once is enough to remove debris, that isn’t always the case. In some cases, you may need to mop your floors more than once to remove any debris, dirt, and dust adequately. While it can be frustrating to have to clean your floor more than once, it is an important part of maintaining the appearance of your coating. If the debris is significant enough to require multiple cleanings, take the necessary steps to remove this mess.
5. Be Mindful When Pressure Washing
As you prepare to clean your epoxy floor, you may consider pulling out a pressure washer. While this can be an efficient way to clean your floors, it is important that you do so mindfully. Using excessive pressure on your floors can result in damage to the coating. If you choose to use your pressure washer to remove debris, make sure that your water pressure doesn’t exceed 1,000 PSI. You should also avoid using pulsating or rotating nozzle heads and holding the device too close to the floor.
6. Apply Acetone to Tough Stains
If there are spots on your floor that won’t go away, no matter how much you clean them, it might be time to break out the acetone. Used in small doses, this can be aggressive enough to remove the toughest stains. However, it is important that you don’t overuse it, as it can harm parts of the coating that aren’t stained. As soon as you have treated the staining, wipe away the excess acetone and rinse the area with clean water.
The Most Reliable Epoxy Floor Coatings in Ogden, Utah
If you have been considering investing in an epoxy floor coating for your home in Ogden, Utah, turn to our team at Solid Garage Floor Coatings of Utah. For years, our team has provided the most reliable epoxy and Polyaspartic floor coatings for a variety of spaces. Whether you want to improve the appearance of your garage or unfinished basement or you want to install an easy-to-clean floor coating in your commercial space, we can do it all. If you want to learn more about our floor coatings or you have more questions about how to clean your epoxy floor, don’t hesitate to contact us today.