[sonya]

Am I on the right track? I have to clean a medium size communal hall way. The painters have made a bit of a mess and there is general grime(scuffing ect). I am going to use a numatic scrubber/ polisher on it and as martin has posted previously johnsons or prochem chems. Is this an effective method or can anyone offer a suggestion?

Cheers guys & gals

Sonya.

[blacksheep]

hi sonya ,i could be wrong but if theres  bits of paint and s**t strip it back ,re seal and polish may be a scrapper on those spots of paint. Deep scrub using blue pads.lino floors can become porous, it is necessary to seal the floor with two coats of a porous floor seal

[Fox]

Sonya

It is hard to know what you mean by a 'lino' floor - is this the soft type you can get in domestic kitchens or more of a thermoplastic?  I should imagine it is the latter as it is in a communal corridor.  Before you do anything check that the flooring is laid properly with no gaps at the edges etc as you will be laying alot of water for this job and you don't want to risk water getting underneath.

Using a a numatic scrubber is fine but I am assuming you have a standard size (15" or 17") so you may have difficulty reaching the edges of a hall way, make sure you also take a doodlebug (a pole with a flexible head that heavy duty scourers fit to).

If there are scuffs, scratches, dips and bumps you need to make sure the client is aware that these may not be removed.  Make sure you have plenty of wet floor signs with you and tape of the area if poss.  Lay your stripper on the floor and use your scrubber with a green or black pad, have a coffee break (lovely!) while you leave it to do it's job then scrub again.  Ensure you remove all of the stripper (and sludge!) from the floor, use a wet vac if poss (be careful because the floor will be exteremly slippy at this point).  Clean the floor with plain water, at this point I would flood it somewhat if it is safe to do so, ensure you leave no residue on the floor and mop as many times as need be to acheive this. 

Once the floor is completely dry lay your seal/polish in thin coats leaving to dry inbetween.

Make sure the floor is not walked on until the polish is completely dry and I suggest leaving it at least 24hrs before any buffing is carried out.

Hope this helps you.
Fox   

[CMS]

Fox has just about summed up what I was going to say.

Make sure you know exactly what the floor is. Is it vinyl/thermoplastic etc? Is it tiles or sheet?

If you put a machine on a 'lino' floor you will probably rip it to shreds.

[sonya]

Hi Fox, Black.s and Cms thankyou so much for your help! the floor is a very thick vinyl not a lino. I had a mind block while writing sorry peeps.
Fox when you find gaps what is the best solution for filling or sealing them.
Quote:-
communal corridorflooring is laid properly with no gaps at the edges etc as you will be laying alot of water for this job and you don't want to risk water getting underneath.

Thanks again for all your help
Sonyaxx

[CMS]

Hi Fox, Black.s and Cms thankyou so much for your help! the floor is a very thick vinyl not a lino. I had a mind block while writing sorry peeps.
Fox when you find gaps what is the best solution for filling or sealing them.
Quote:-
communal corridorflooring is laid properly with no gaps at the edges etc as you will be laying alot of water for this job and you don't want to risk water getting underneath.

Thanks again for all your help
Sonyaxx

Sonya

You will find that if you have loose tiles, it's a maintenance job not a cleaning job. There is another important issue that I'm not sure if anyone's mentioned............

Quite apart from water getting under the tiles it is VERY DANGEROUS to put a machine on a floor that has the edges of the tiles lifting. A loose or raised tile can catch the edge of the pad and cause  a serious injury to the operator (quite apart from the damage to the walls!).

[sonya]

Hi CMS afternoon to you!
I think I understand the point where if there are loose tiles and lifted edges this will have to be fix before the cleaning can take place.
In the case of this property there is not that problem, but in future cases on assesment of the property if any such problems are found, then the client should be informed that we cannot carry out any works until the maintenance of the floor is carried out!
Cheers cms.
Sonyaxx

[Len Gribble]

Sonya

Fox know its business but I would add vinegar to last rinse, if applying more than one coat of sealer leave a gap of about 3 “ from the edge last coat to the edge.









Me on one of my jobs, as you can see totally exhausting? Or should I say waiting for it to dry?


Len

[CMS]

And work your way back to the door..........don't get trapped in a corner like I did once in the early days............lolol 

[Len Gribble]

CMS

Been there and what a learning curve that is !  So are the uses of air movers !

Len

[CMS]

And work your way back to the door..........don't get trapped in a corner like I did once in the early days............lolol 

Or another daft trick is to work back to the door and realise that you've left your lunch on the window sill at the other side of the room.

Done that one too ! 

[Fox]

Also make sure everyone knows what you are doing.  I did a clean room in a very large commercial property and no one had informed security.

I went off for a coffee inbetween coats and yes you guessed, got back to great big footprints all over the floor! arghhhhhhhhhhh

[CMS]

Don't forget warning signs!

[sonya]

Oh you lot are funny when you get going! Nice touch with the pictures Len lol...Thanks for all your help Fox,CMS and Len.
Oh.. CMS I will email you tomorow eve around 6.00 if thats o.k?
Sonyaxx