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UK Floor Cleaning Forum => Hard Floor Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: Dave Wills on December 27, 2012, 09:46:47 pm

Title: Removing gum from vinyl flooring
Post by: Dave Wills on December 27, 2012, 09:46:47 pm
Hi folks. I am new to the cleaning business and have recently landed a cleaning contract (my first job!!) to clean a night club.  I bought myself a few Karcher BR400 floor scrubers. They are really good machines but the brushes (even the hard Karcher brush) is quite soft and does not remove all of the gum from the floor. I can sometimes scrape it with my foot as Im cleaning and it will come up easily but some of it is really stuck down hard and there is lots and lots of little bit scattered that makes parts of the floor look terrible even after cleaning as most of the hard stuff is now a brown/grey colour.  I have tried using a traditional buffer and it still goes right over the top of it. I can freeze it and remove it or pick each bit off individually but this takes far too long!!! The main part of the club is like a vinyl safety flooring (slightly dimpled).  Does any one know of a good method or machine that will get this off without damaging the flooring?

Any help is greatly appreciated.

I am sure that there are some cleaning veterans on this forum in there plenties.

Thanks.  Dave. Allied commercial cleaning
Title: Re: Removing gum from vinyl flooring
Post by: Jamie Pearson on December 27, 2012, 11:54:16 pm
An orange based product will help with this.

Prochem Bazooka gum removal system is worth looking into or a steam machine.

We have a product for use with a steam machine that will make light work of it but it would need pretesting to ensure it won't cause any adverse effects on vinyl. It works great on exterior paving but not so good on bitumen so a test would be required.
Title: Re: Removing gum from vinyl flooring
Post by: Holly Rothwell on February 07, 2013, 03:00:21 pm
Sometimes putting ice on the gum can help it to go hard, making it easier to get off.
Title: Re: Removing gum from vinyl flooring
Post by: Tadgh O Shea on February 09, 2013, 12:21:43 am
Hi Dave

I can recommend our Bio-kleen tar,gum,adhesive label remover.
Just apply it with our waffle microfiber floor cloths and it will dissolve the gum deposits from the vinyl floor without causing any detrimental damage.

Regards

Tadgh