Proper Matting

Use walk-off mats at all entryways to help keep floors clean and dry longer; however, it is vital that these mats be cleaned regularly.

Daily Cleaning Regimen

Involves sweeping and dust mopping dirt and soil off VCT surfaces, a crucial step to prevent damage to the tile finish. Then, damp mop or auto-scrub floors using a neutral-impact professional tile cleaner to remove particulate left behind. Once clean, the entire floor should be rinsed with clean water and then allowed to dry thoroughly.

Recoating

Depending on VCT maintenance or the amount of foot traffic at a particular facility, it is good practice to periodically recoat the finish. Following a deep scrub of the VCT to remove soil build-up, reapply a high-quality commercial floor polish. Failing to ensure that there are three-to-five layers of protective finish means risking potential damage to the tiles from embedded soil that can eventually result in poor appearance, and ultimately the need to replace the flooring.

Routine Maintenance

It is important to routinely strip off the wax that has built-up from repeated maintenance in order to apply a fresh finish. The VCT should be scrubbed with an effective stripping agent, but note that most flooring manufacturers recommend not using an aggressive stripper on VCT that is less than two years old, as it may weaken the adhesive bond. After the stripping solution has been applied, it should be carefully removed with a wet vac or auto-scrubber vac. Then, the floor should be rinsed with clean water and allowed to dry before three-to-five coats of floor polish are applied to complete the process. However, this step can be skipped if a no-rinse stripping solution is used, offering added savings in time and effort.

Scrubbing Pads

It is important to use the appropriate scrubbing pad for regular VCT maintenance. Use a red pad for light scrubbing, and blue or green pads for deeper scrubbing. Brown or black pads are more abrasive and not typically recommended as they may cause damage to the VCT surface. However, Procter & Gamble Professional’s recent consumer research study reveals that professionals sometimes use black pads to deep scrub VCT in order to further delay the need to strip.