Cleaners, sealers & maintenance equipment

How to maintain your ecotile Floor

Keeping your floor clean and looking good is a simple task but will involve a small investment on your part in the correct equipment and chemicals and the introduction of a simple but professional cleaning regime. The cleaning regime will be dictated by the usage that your floor will experience and can be broken down into three categories as follows:

1. Preventive Measures
In entrance areas it is essential to install a large, effective dirt and moisture collection entrance mat which must be cleaned or replaced at regular intervals. This prevents a large percentage of dirt being carried into the building and diminishes wear and tear strain on the floor. Chairs fitted with either defective or missing gliders or unsuitable rollers/wheels destroy both the surface protection and the floor coverings themselves and should be changed or replaced.

2. Initial Clean/Resealing the floor
The floor must be thoroughly cleaned prior to applying the sealer in order to remove installation-related residues and building dirt from newly installed floors, to remove any possible existing care finish and to get rid of residues of care products and dirt in the case of older floorings.
Apply Rotex diluted with water (mix ratio is dependant on the resistance of the dirt residues). After allowing it to stand for 10-15 minutes, scrub the floor using a floor scrubber/polisher fitted with green pad. Rinse the floor with clean, if possible warm, water until all traces of dirt and cleaning agents have been completely removed (the mopping water no longer bears any traces of foam!).

3. Surface Protection with Distance Sealer
To protect the floor, help routine cleaning and prolong the lifespan of the flooring, a protective film of sealer can be applied immediately after completion of the cleaning. Distance is a long-term sealer that is particularly durable and will help improve the anti-slip performance of the floor.
3.1 Initial Treatment: After cleaning, apply two / three coats of the sealer evenly to the dry floor with a mop if using the general purpose sealer or a short pile roller (10 mm) if using the heavy duty sealer. Between applications wait for the previous film to dry and become firm enough to walk on but apply both coats on the same day.
3.2 Repair and Renewal: Depending on the level of use and usage conditions, the sealer film should be checked at regular intervals for signs of wear and tear and a renewed sealer operation performed if required. For this purpose, after thoroughly removing dirt and other residues apply sealer to the dry floor. It is possible to carry out repair and renewal of partial areas.
Note: Before applying sealer remove the shine from the floor surface using the floor scrubber and green pad to guarantee an optimum adhesion of the following sealer coat. Freshly sealed floors can be walked on after 4 hours if the general purpose sealer has been used and 24 hours if the heavy duty sealer has been used.

4.Maintenance of ecotile ESD / Anti-static Floor Tiles - VERY IMPORTANT
We recommend applying two coats of Selstat anti-static floor sealer to ecotile ESD Floor tiles when first installed to improve and help maintain the conductivity of ESD tiles. Selstat once applied, hardens and protects the floor and helps maintain an anti-slip finish. Selstat must be applied to a clean grease free floor. Apply a thin even film of Selstat using a clean lint free mop or applicator. Apply a second coat when the first is dry (approximately 30 minutes). COVERAGE: 60 square metres per litre.
4.1 Use a dedicated set of cleaning equipment for the ESD floor - Do not use equipment that has been used on other floor types or areas of the building where it may have come in contact with strong acid or alkaline cleaners. This could damage the ESD performance of your floor. WE STRONGLY RECOMMEND USING ROTEX NEUTRAL PH FLOOR CLEANER FOR MAINTAINING ECOTILE ESD FLOORING. USE OF ANY OTHER PRODUCTS MAY INVALIDATE YOUR WARRANTY.
4.2 Dust Removal: It is essential to prevent a layer of insulative dust building up on the ESD floor which may restrict the ESD performance of the surface. Remove loose surface dust and dirt by sweeping, vacuum or wiping over the floor with a slightly damp mop, we recommend the Unger Biomop system.
4.3 Manual or Mechanical Wet Cleaning: To remove dirt adhering to the floor dilute 1:10 Selstat polish with clean water using the wet mopping method, clean the floor with a suitable mop (e.g. Biomop) or using a cleaning appliance (e.g. rotary scrubber/dryer).
4.4 Intermediate Cleaning: In cases where it is no longer possible to remove dirt adhering to the floor surface by wet mopping, perform an intermediate cleaning operation with detergent in a dilution with water appropriate to the level of dirt present (e.g. 1.50 to 1:100).
Regular polishing up of the floor after cleaning with floor polisher with a white pad is recommended for optimum maintenance of floor condition and to facilitate cleaning.

5. Routine Cleaning and Care
5.1 Dust Removal: Loose surface dust and dirt is removed by sweeping, vacuum or wiping over the floor with a slightly damp mop,
we recommend the Unger Biomop system.
5.2 Manual or Mechanical Wet Cleaning: To remove dirt adhering to the floor dilute detergent in a ratio of 1:200 and, using the
wet mopping method, clean the floor with a suitable mop (e.g. Biomop) or using a cleaning appliance (e.g. rotary scrubber/dryer).
5.3 Intermediate Cleaning: In cases where it is no longer possible to remove dirt adhering to the floor surface by wet mopping,
perform an intermediate cleaning operation with detergent in a dilution with water appropriate to the level of dirt present (e.g. 1.50
to 1:100).
Regular polishing up of the floor after cleaning with floor polisher with a white pad is recommended for optimum maintenance of
floor condition and to facilitate cleaning.

6. Removal of Stains and Rubber Heel Marks
Stubborn stains and rubber heel marks can be removed using Dr Schutz Floormate cleaner or undiluted PU-Cleaner together with a cloth or nonabrasive white pad. Subsequently wipe over the area with clear water. Remove stains immediately if possible since certain types of stains settle into the flooring as they age and can then only be removed with difficulty.

For more information or to speak to one of our experts just call (+44) 01582 788232 or email enquiries@eco-tile.net

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