Clean It Up
UK Floor Cleaning Forum => Hard Floor Cleaning Forum => Topic started by: Kev Martin on October 09, 2015, 09:01:14 am
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This was a subject I posted on over 3 years ago. I thought I would revisit it and update it slightly.
I hope you find it useful and it gives you all food for thought.
I cannot stress enough the importance of masking off correctly prior to undertaking any Deep Cleaning, honing or polishing of any hard floors or natural stone. If you fail to mask off properly you will live to regret it. It is also very important to mask off with the correct material's for the area you are masking. By this I mean the correct protective adhesives, paper, masking tapes and silicones. Why is it so important? Well let us look at a few scenarios:
Lots of cleaning products these days are in the main water based or indeed pH neutral but they still do damage used in the wrong dilution ratio. You still need to mask! Take no chances!
So what are we using to Clean, Polish or problem solve with? Ask yourself?:
1. What is in the products?
2. Once you have established this look at the surrounding areas and what could be affected by those products?
Examples:
Are you using a stripper to remove old sealers or polishes - These will also strip skirtings, doors and some kitchen units so either mask or remove them!
Honing powder - Excellent product which is like Liquid Sandpaper and strips a few microns off the floor so you are using a brush or pad to apply if you do not mask surrounding woodwork, wallpaper and doors to name a few the honing powder will splash off the brush or pad and act like a mini sandblaster.
Acids - Not only strip cementitious properties they are also capable of stripping or wrecking aluminium and other metals. In some cases with the stronger acids such as Brick Acid sometimes the fumes alone are enough to affect metal!
Alkalines - High Alkalines will remove polished surfaces.
Plain Water - Now you all think I am mad! but it is without doubt the most common thing to damage modern kitchens because if you do not effectively mask or remove plinths and end panels the water will wick up inside the chipboard and swell them so they are virtually impossible to put right without replacing!
Above are a few scenarios there are literally dozens!
The upshot is it may take some extra time to mask but ultimately it is quicker than putting damage right or more importantly paying to have it put right.
Kev Martin
Marblelife Ltd
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Really sound advice, it can bite you big time.
Carpet solutions usually waterbased and dry ok, although best to avoid overspray but hardfloor slurry full of strippers and the like will readilly eat into doors etc.
Lots of people now use waterbased gloss etc useless stuff.
Great post Kevin
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No doubt about it - masking up, and proper management of expectation around surrounding surfaces - is a greater skill than cleaning the floor.
Watch out for
mdf skirtings - lay a bead of silicone the day before
chipboard kitchen units - take out plinths, consider silicone
oak - cover as best as possible - we're now using Gorilla tape, which is good but not foolproof and will take off paint
paint - you will f it up to some degree