Maintaining Your Epoxy Floors
Epoxy is an excellent solution for any home or business that deals with large amounts of foot traffic or countless spills. It’s durable, easy to clean, and also low-maintenance. With all the benefits of epoxy flooring comes the responsibility of regularly maintaining it – but don’t worry, once you learn the basic steps, your floors will be shiny and new in no time!
What is an Epoxy Floor Coating?
Epoxy is a synthetic resin that comes in two parts that are mixed together to create the product. First, you have the resin, which is typically made up of ingredients such as benzene-amine or bisphenol. Once combined with the second chemical, it creates what’s called an emulsion polymer – this makes up most of your epoxy coating and acts as a protective barrier between your floor material and any accidental spills.
How Often Should I Clean My Epoxy?
Epoxy is tough enough to stand up to daily wear and tear, but it can’t do so if it’s dirty! It’s important to properly maintain your epoxy floor, specifically by cleaning it on a regular basis. Plan to clean once every week or two, depending on the amount of foot traffic that your floors see.
12 Tips for Maintaining Your Epoxy Floors
Regularly Clean Your Floors:
If you have epoxy floors in your home, you should create a cleaning schedule to ensure they are taken care of regularly. The best time to clean is either first thing in the morning or last thing at night before you go to bed. This ensures your floors are given enough time to dry completely and won’t be slippery.
Don’t Use Acidic Cleaners:
For your floors to maintain their glossy shine, avoid using acidic products when cleaning. Acids can actually damage the epoxy’s protective layer and will leave dull spots behind.
Avoid Using Soap:
Soap is another ingredient to stay away from. You should never use dish soap if you have an epoxy floor coating in your kitchen. The ingredients in dish soap can leave a film over your floors and make it look like it’s been lightly scratched.
Use Proper Mop Heads:
One of the best methods for keeping your floor clean is with a microfiber mop. These are low-cost, effective at cleaning up most spills, and there are reusable versions, so you don’t have to keep buying new mops all the time. If you’re using a regular mop to clean your floors, make sure it’s made from cotton. Cotton will help to absorb any spills and liquids you’re cleaning up, while synthetic materials may push these substances around without absorbing them.
Don’t Let the Mop Get Too Damp:
You should thoroughly wring out your microfiber mop every time before mopping the floor again. Make sure there’s no excess water dripping off of it either – if there is moisture left behind, this can leave streaks on your epoxy floor coating.
Only Clean One Pass per Area:
When you’re using a mop or cleaning solution to remove dirt and chemicals from the floor, never go over it more than once unless absolutely necessary. The reason for this is that you can risk pushing leftover dirt particles around without getting rid of them, which will reduce the life of your epoxy floor.
Avoid Cleaning on Hot or Humid Days:
Since epoxy floors are designed to be low-maintenance, they should not require much work to keep clean. However, if you try to wash your floor when it’s too hot outside (or even humid), you’ll end up with an oily surface once it dries. These conditions tend to make liquids bead up naturally instead of absorbing into the mop head; if these beads aren’t removed before it dries, they will leave behind a sticky residue on the floor.
Only Mop in Straight Lines:
When you are using a mop to clean your floors, make sure you are always moving in straight lines. This helps to ensure excess water is removed from the floor before it dries and leaves behind any streaks or residue that will stick around once it’s dry.
Don’t Let the Mop Dry:
Before cleaning up all of the dirt and chemicals on your epoxy floors, make sure you take time to properly wring out your microfiber mop head after every single pass over the floor. Otherwise, there may be too much moisture leftover once it’s fully dried, which can lead to streaking or mineral buildup. When your mop head dries back, simply rinse under freshwater so you’re ready for another pass!
If There Is a Stain:
While epoxy flooring is designed to be low-maintenance and easy-to-maintain, that doesn’t mean you’ll never have any spills or stains on your floors. If you do happen to see a spill, avoid using too much water when washing it away, as this can dilute the solution and make it less effective at removing the substance (and may even cause more damage in some cases). The best way to go about things is to use a paper towel or cloth first to pick up as much of the liquid as possible before mopping over it with your mop after wringing out excess moisture.
Use an Environmentally Friendly Cleaner:
If you’ve been using a vinegar and water solution to clean your epoxy floors, make sure you don’t use straight white vinegar as the smell can be overpowering! Instead, opt for distilled white vinegar or simple lemon juice. These options are much better for home air quality since they’ll leave behind a fresh scent instead of chemicals from the vinegar.
Use Furniture Pads:
One of the easiest ways to prevent scratches on your epoxy floor is to use furniture pads when moving heavy objects around. These slip under everything that’s moved, like chairs or tables, and help to protect the surface by spreading out weight instead of placing it in one concentrated point.
It’s important to keep in mind that epoxy floors are extremely low-maintenance since they were made for high-traffic areas. However, if you take the time to do a full clean every now and then and use furniture pads when moving heavy objects, your floors should easily last several years without any significant damage. Don’t hesitate to reach out to our team or your local epoxy company if you have questions about how to properly maintain your epoxy flooring!