Clean It Up

UK Floor Cleaning Forum => Carpet Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: M.Acorn on January 26, 2011, 10:43:36 am

Title: Vinyl stairs best way to clean
Post by: M.Acorn on January 26, 2011, 10:43:36 am
Went and did an interim quote on high traffic areas of one of my regulars today,they would also like a large set of vinyl covered stairs cleaning,not something i have done before,but needed to take it on as i am pretty desperate for work.
I am thinking green scourer and some ultra pac ren or mulit pro.
I also have a drill polishing and stripping mop,which i will use on the worst bit`s,does that sound about right ?

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v452/delk/DSC01063.jpg)
Title: Re: Vinyl stairs best way to clean
Post by: garyj on January 26, 2011, 11:17:51 am
Depends what they want, if it is just a general clean then a high acid cleaner, if they want them cleaned properly then it will be a strip and reseal job.  I would use Johnsons stripper and polish.

I did these years and years ago and they come up like new. You'll get a better response from the General Cleaning  section.
Title: Re: Vinyl stairs best way to clean
Post by: jasonl on January 26, 2011, 11:19:44 am
Strip it with a stripper from a janitorial supplier, rinse , let it dry , then re seal with a low sheen polish ,  always comes up great .  materials will be less than £20.
Title: Re: Vinyl stairs best way to clean
Post by: M.Acorn on January 26, 2011, 11:22:11 am
Will pop into my chemical supplier on Friday then and grab some,think the scuff marks will come off ok,only charging them £60 to clean them so won`t be going overboard on them,cheers for the reply`s  ;D
Title: Re: Vinyl stairs best way to clean
Post by: jasonl on January 26, 2011, 11:29:40 am
The black marks will rub straight out , a rub with a scotch brite pad will help.
Title: Re: Vinyl stairs best way to clean
Post by: M.Acorn on January 26, 2011, 11:33:45 am
Great that is what I was hoping,have a stack of them here,as i use them for paint prep  ;D
Title: Re: Vinyl stairs best way to clean
Post by: garyj on January 26, 2011, 11:47:09 am
Be careful not to scratch them!

Also, if you do strip and polish them for £60, they will be so impressed you'll end up doing the rest, depending on how big the rest of the area is I suppose and if its worth it to you.
Title: Re: Vinyl stairs best way to clean
Post by: M.Acorn on January 26, 2011, 11:52:34 am
It`s only the stairs that are vinyl,the rest is carpet,which I am doing on Friday also,but yes I hope to add that too the bill every time I am up there cleaning the carpets
Title: Re: Vinyl stairs best way to clean
Post by: garyj on January 26, 2011, 11:57:57 am
You'll need to put on 3 coats of polish, don't bother burnishing it on, just a little spalsh and a new mop, maybe even a cloth. Make sure stairs are bone dry before putting the polish on and dry in between coats.

It's slowly coming back to me now  ;D
Title: Re: Vinyl stairs best way to clean
Post by: M.Acorn on January 26, 2011, 12:04:57 pm
Cheers,will get my gear set up and pre spray the carpets,then make a start on the stairs,can use my turbo dryer to dry them off between coats,obviously don`t want them ending up too slippy though,last thing i need is a claim against me.
I have also got one of those 2 handed polishing machines ,that i use for my paintwork also,might use that just to polish them off a bit afterwards too
Title: Re: Vinyl stairs best way to clean
Post by: jasonl on January 26, 2011, 12:48:09 pm
Make sure you buy a low sheen polish , and type up a risk assessment, and method statement prior to starting , just in case of any slips . Also they will have some warning signs somewhere on site . Shame we have to do all this nonsense , people will claim where possible though .
Title: Re: Vinyl stairs best way to clean
Post by: kevin sparrow on January 26, 2011, 01:12:27 pm

Also make sure you supply them with some Johnsons floor cleaner as this will help to keep the polish that you have applied in good condition, if they use a cleaning product containing bleach it will kill any shine that you have acheived.
I think it is called floor maintainer.

Good luck

Kevin
Title: Re: Vinyl stairs best way to clean
Post by: Paolo on January 26, 2011, 03:14:44 pm
They don't look like they have polish on them, have you quoted to clean them or clean and polish?
Title: Re: Vinyl stairs best way to clean
Post by: murky on January 26, 2011, 03:36:16 pm
Mark, I would certainly take advice on this from the other side, ie gen cleaning, certainly dont put any polish on the nozings, those are the bits on the edge, just clean them they arent supposed to be polished or shiney.

Think about it, they are supposed to grip not slip.

Dont forget your are working on stairs here and any reason for anyone to slip and they will, they will have you. Female friend of mine was a Police Constable, career minded, being groomed for the top etc and she slipped on the top step at police hq, just been cleaned, she landed on her coxix, severly damaging her back. End of everything.

She and police sued contractors, got a nice payout but the end of her career.

The black marks are from shoes its technically called 'heal scar', white spirit and a green pad normally gets it off, or UR as you said.

And most of all get that risk assessment done and make them put up 'slippery floor' marker boards.

Good luck with it.

Murky
Title: Re: Vinyl stairs best way to clean
Post by: M.Acorn on January 26, 2011, 04:29:06 pm
Thanks so much for all the input everyone !! Don`t know where I would be without all your good advice.
I am starting at 5.30 pm on Fri eve,so the stairs won`t be used again until the Monday morning.
I have just quoted to clean,not clean and polish,but if i can get them looking nice then it will make me stand out more,their main concern was the heel and toe marks,so as long as that all comes off,which i think it will,all should be ok.
Title: Re: Vinyl stairs best way to clean
Post by: M.Acorn on January 28, 2011, 09:37:37 pm
Will put pics up when i have eaten,ended up using ultra pac on them,and a green scourer,came up great,and didn`t have to buy any more chems  ;D
Title: Re: Vinyl stairs best way to clean
Post by: happy mondays on January 28, 2011, 10:08:43 pm
Will put pics up when i have eaten,ended up using ultra pac on them,and a green scourer,came up great,and didn`t have to buy any more chems  ;D

Ultrapac, you should have just used a squirt of fairy liquid, it would have done the same job ;)
Title: Re: Vinyl stairs best way to clean
Post by: M.Acorn on January 28, 2011, 10:48:51 pm
(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v452/delk/DSC01072.jpg)

(http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v452/delk/DSC01071.jpg)
Title: Re: Vinyl stairs best way to clean
Post by: Carpet Dawg on January 28, 2011, 10:50:02 pm
Good job Mark!
Title: Re: Vinyl stairs best way to clean
Post by: M.Acorn on January 31, 2011, 11:44:22 am
Another happy customer !!!

Was not overly impressed with the results on the carpets,but sounds like they were  ;D Used hot powerburst,left to dwell,then Sebo action,then rinse extract......

Hi Mark

 

I’ve been meaning to email you all morning – great job, thanks so much.  Everyone’s commenting on how much better both the stairs and the carpet look.

 

Talk to you again in a few months – you better put us in your calendar because I may very well forget
Title: Re: Vinyl stairs best way to clean
Post by: jasonl on January 31, 2011, 12:16:40 pm
I would e-mail back ,,,,,,

Oh another thing , if any of your fellow workers would like the same standard of work in thier homes , I will gladly offer £20 off each job ,as Feb/March are typically quieter periods.

Cheers Mark
Title: Re: Vinyl stairs best way to clean
Post by: M.Acorn on January 31, 2011, 04:23:44 pm
Great minds think alike Jason,sent that very e mail back with a 20% discount to all their staff.
Another strange thing ,was chatting to the guy who let me in,and said I have family in Huntingdon,not seen them for over 20 years,the guy only lived next door to them !!!