Many facilities today are not putting a high-gloss finish on their floors. 

However, there are some exceptions, particularly retail stores, medical facilities, and grocery stores.  In fact, one mega-retailer considers its floors—and their high-gloss shine—an effective branding tool.

But, for facility service providers, maintaining that “wet look” shine can be a challenge. 

“These are typically high-traffic, high floor maintenance locations,” says Mike Englund, who is a cleaning trainer and product manager for Powr-Flite, a leading manufacturer of professional cleaning equipment.  “Keeping a shine on these floors can be tough, but there are ways to make the process easier.”

For this month’s Powr-Flite Troubleshooter, Englund offers the following suggestions:

· Start with a high quality, ultra-high-speed finish (UHS).  The shine from a burnishable, quality, UHS finish will “snap back” when cleaned and burnished.

· Daily dust mopping/damp mopping or, better yet, auto-scrubbing will remove grit and soil and protect the floor.  Use a cleaning solution that has a neutral impact to the floor’s finish, but not a neutral impact to dirt.

· It is very important that the floors be thoroughly cleaned before burnishing—any soils on the floor may damage the finish and the floor.

· Use a mop-on restorer prior to burnishing at least once a month or more as needed; this will help the floor’s shine “snap back” and repair any minor damage to the floor’s finish.

· Perform interim maintenance, which includes scrubbing and recoating the floor, every two to three months, especially in traffic lanes. This maintenance will help remove scratches and soils, even out the floor’s finish, and help delay a complete strip and refinish.

“Eventually though, the floor will have to be stripped and refinished and the whole process started again,” adds Englund.  “[But,] following these steps and always using high quality tools, chemicals, and equipment will help maintain a high quality, high-gloss shine.”