“Our floors look awful!”
We often hear this complaint when prospective clients ask us to provide cleaning services. Aside from dirty restrooms and break rooms, nothing frustrates building owners more than having dull, damaged floors.
This reaction shouldn’t surprise us. Think about the places you visit—doctor’s offices, grocery stores, department stores, restaurants—do you notice shiny floors? Do you notice if they’re dull or dirty? In this article, we’ll discuss vinyl composite tile (VCT) flooring and how to keep it looking good.
So, What Is VCT Flooring? Vinyl composite tiles are made from PVC chips that are heated and pressed into solid sheets. Although the surface of VCT feels smooth (usually due to a layer of wax), it’s actually porous. This porosity makes it prone to collecting dirt and grit, which is why it’s crucial to apply and maintain an appropriate amount of wax on this type of tile.
How Can You Keep Your VCT Floors Clean? Try These Tips:
Use Walk-off Mats: Place walk-off mats at entrances to capture dirt and grit from people’s shoes. This helps prevent the floor from getting scratched over time. In industrial settings, position mats at entrances and exits from shop floors. While mats won’t catch everything, they’ll surprise you with how much they collect. Consider a service that replaces these mats regularly, and remind your cleaning team to vacuum them nightly.
Dust Mop Daily and Damp Mop Often: The best way to prevent your floor from dulling is to remove dust and dirt daily with a microfiber mop. Microfiber is excellent at capturing debris. Follow up with a damp mop using mild soap to clean any remaining dirt. For highly trafficked areas, damp mop daily; for light traffic, less frequent mopping will suffice.
Buff Occasionally: Floor buffers create shine by smoothing the VCT’s surface. A smooth surface reflects more light and appears shinier. Over time, VCT floors develop small scratches and pits from daily foot traffic and rolling chairs. Buffers, using abrasive pads and heat, smooth these imperfections to restore a reflective surface.
Restore Annually (in most cases): Continuous foot traffic, abrasion, and buffing will eventually wear off the wax on your VCT flooring. To address this, strip away the old wax and apply several layers of new wax. The frequency of this restoration depends on various factors. Modern floor waxes offer long-lasting protection. Generally, we recommend an annual floor restoration for facilities with medium to high traffic.
With consistent care and a good preventive maintenance plan, your VCT floors can maintain their appearance for a long time.
