After a fair amount of elbow grease, on-going effort, and a myriad number of chemical supplies, does that once lovely floor still look like a ’71 Chevy at the end of a demolition derby? Nothing seems to work and many despair that nothing ever will. You have been plagued by the marks that don’t come out. Many a floor owner feels marked for life – or so they think.
There are a number of ways to triumph over those resistant blights upon your floor. First, we need to know how those marks got there. Shoes, the environment, and things we do, are responsible for all those little nasties.
We begin with shoe bottoms since they are the prime cause of marks. Rubber, rubber compound, leather, metal, metal compounds, thread and an assortment of synthetic materials located near or on the bottom of our shoes disintegrate. In many cases, they leave marks on the floor.
The traditional scuff mark is a classic problem. In the case of percussive movement, such as tap or clogging, the problem is compounded by the abrasive, burnishing, and grinding nature of the transference of materials to the floor surface. The same kind of result can be produced by sneakers.
Normal cleaning procedures may not get the job done. There are two ways to attack these problems and in some instances, a combination of both work well.
There are aggressive chemical cleaning agents that can dissolve and “lift” the marks off the floor, and there are mechanical means utilizing a floor machine, brushes and/or aggressive pads (red or black) to muscle the offending marks off the floor.
Please note the following caution: That which can dissolve foreign matter off your floor may very well dissolve your floor along with any floor finish you may have had on your floor.
The first time out test any new product or technique. Read maintenance instructions for do’s and don’ts before you dive in. More floors get ruined by failed attempts to clean them than for any other reason.
We suggest trying a specialty maintenance/cleaning product such as Proclean and Proclean NS.
For answers to specific cleaning problems, please contact Stagestep for a free consultation!
Randy Swartz
Stagestep, Inc.