Epoxy flooring is an attractive and resilient option that’s durable, versatile, and easy to maintain. Many homeowners and businesses invest in epoxy for garage, basement, porch, store, and warehouse floors. One of the best things about epoxy flooring is how well it cleans up – after years of wear and tear, you can make these tough floors look good as new in just a few steps. Maintaining epoxy flooring doesn’t take a lot of work, but it does take certain tools and know how. Follow this guide to make your epoxy floors look and perform their best.
Prevent Damage to Your Epoxy
Epoxy is extremely durable and made with multiple layers of coating, but they are not indestructible. Prevent damage to your epoxy flooring by placing soft pads under bicycle and motorcycle kickstands in your garage. Even something as simple as a computer mouse pad will work. Any furniture that may scratch your epoxy also needs protective pads. If you have to lift heavy loads with rolling jacks on your floors, place plywood under jack stands. Use a welding mat if you weld above your epoxy flooring. Epoxy is very scratch resistant, but it doesn’t hurt to take precautions.
Perform Routine Maintenance Cleaning
Like any floors, epoxy requires simple maintenance measures to stay shiny and aesthetically pleasing. Luckily, epoxy coatings are incredibly durable and easy to clean. Minor maintenance can prevent large-scale messes from piling up on your epoxy flooring, making it look and perform better throughout the year. It also makes annual or heavy cleanings easier.
For any liquids spilled on an epoxy floor, simply wipe them up using a soft cloth or paper towel. Use a broom or industrial wet/dry vacuum cleaner to pick up any dust or debris. A soft-bristle broom or blue commercial dust mop are great options for routine epoxy floor maintenance, because they won’t scratch the shiny surface. Investing in color chip epoxy floors can limit the amount of cleaning you have to do, since it’s more difficult to see day-to-day dirt and scuff on these multifaceted surfaces.
Remove Tough Stains
If something soils your epoxy floor, such as engine oil, a simple solution of ammonia and water should adequately remove the stain. Treat spills as soon as possible to prevent staining. First, sweep away any dust and debris from the area. Then, mix five ounces of clear ammonia per gallon of hot water. Soak a hard foam mop in the solution and completely scrub the soiled area. Mopping epoxy flooring with this mixture removes many types of stains without hurting the epoxy coating.
Some stains, such as rust, may require additional light scrubbing with a kitchen scrubbing pad. Do not use a steel-wool or other metal scrubber, or you risk scratching the epoxy. Scrub the area with hot water to remove tougher stains. If hot water doesn’t do the trick, try using a bit of Soft Scrub. This is a nonabrasive cleaner that will not harm your epoxy. Do not use abrasive cleansers, chemicals that contain acids (including citrus cleaners), or soap-based cleaners on epoxy flooring. These could lead to damaged or clouded-looking floors.
Make Your Floors Shine Like New
New epoxy flooring shines beautifully, but over time may fog with compounds from your vehicle or foot traffic. At least once a year, clean your entire epoxy floor to make it shine like new again. Do this by hosing off your floors with hot water, using a squeegee to dry. This should remove any cloudiness or residue on your floors. For spots that still aren’t clear, spray some all-purpose surface cleaner and wipe the area with a soft cloth.
Your floors may need heavy-duty cleaning every six months to look their best. Heavy-duty cleaning involves mopping the entire floor with the ammonia-water solution or taking the next step – hiring a team of professional epoxy flooring cleaners.
Trust the Professionals
Bringing in a crew of professionals is a wise decision if you have stubborn stains, cloudiness you can’t get rid of, or a large area to clean. Professionals can shine and polish your floors quickly and efficiently, making them look as brilliant as they did when they were brand new.
Maintaining your epoxy floors is easy and rewarding with the right resources. If you need help cleaning or maintaining your epoxy floors, call the Nashville epoxy floor professionals – Artistic Polymers. We specialize in epoxy garage flooring and can help you with the tools, chemicals, and methods you need to successfully maintain your flooring.