EMEA LVT COMMERCIAL MAINTENANCE CHECKLIST 

Proper care of your resilient floor will help maintain the appearance and performance of your investment by following recommended preventative, routine and wet cleaning guidelines.

Maintenance instructions for Shaw Hard Surface Resilient Floor finishes

POST CONSTRUCTION CLEANING

• Dry mop floor using a micro fibre mop pad or appropriate floor vacuum to remove dust particulate from the floor. Do not use vacuums with rotating beater bars as they may scratch the products surface.

• Spray neutral pH cleaner, such as Shaw Hard Surface Cleaner, Diversey Stride or similar detergent onto the floor in manageable area. Note: spray mist applications will dry quickly. Use a micro fibre wet mop pad to mop the floor. Change the pad regularly. Work the floor in manageable sections. 

• Always rinse the floor with clean water only. Remove all spoiled residue with a wet vacuum or by mopping.

In the event where dry wall dust/construction dust is mopped with water only, a cloudy residue film will may appear on the floor after drying. Use the process below to remove the film from the floor.

PROCESS TO REMOVE CONSTRUCTION RESIDUE OR CLOUDY FILM FROM RESILIENT FLOORING 

1. Using a dry micro fibre mop pad or an appropriate vacuum cleaner, remove any dust or exterior soil tracked onto the floor coverings surface. Change the pad regularly.

2. Spray or mop apply neutral pH cleaning solution, such as Shaw Hard Surface Cleaner, Diversey’s Stride or similar detergent, onto the floor in manageable area. Note: spray mist will dry quickly. Work the floor in manageable sections. For smooth surfaced floors, use a low speed (175 rpm) rotary scrubbing machine with a red 3M scrubbing pad. For embossed or textured flooring, use a cylindrical brush scrubber with red floor brush attachments. Never dry scrub or brush the floor.

3. Using a wet micro fibre mop pad and / or a suitable wet vacuum cleaner, remove all liquid residue from the floors surface.

4. Once complete, rinse the floor with fresh water and a clean micro fibre mop and allow to dry.

5. Repeat steps 2, 3 and 4 if necessary. 

When cleaned properly, the floor will look as if it’s just been taken right out of the box!

PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE 

I. Care for newly installed floors.

• Avoid heavy traffic for 24 hours. 

• Do not use tape to secure floor protection during construction or renovation. 

• Proper furniture protection is required to prevent scratching and scuffing of LVT flooring. It is recommended to use industrial strength felt protection. These can be purchased from the following websites: https://www.dr-schutz.com/en/scratchnomore/ www.1877floorguy.com, www.expandedtechnologies.com, www.flexifelt.com.

• Working upon or moving heavy objects over requires the floor to be fully protected. To prevent damage to the products surface, cover the product with materials such as Ram Board, plywood (6 mm or thicker) or heavy cardboard. 

• Remove adhesive residue with a clean cloth dampened with odourless mineral spirits or isopropyl alcohol. 

• Only low moisture or damp mopping is recommended initially, if needed. 

• Wait 4 days before normal wet cleaning and/or scrubbing the floor. 

• Avoid direct sunlight or surface temperatures that exceed 60 ^o C (140 ^o F) as they can cause fading and expansion of the material to occur. Use window protection. 

II. Identify and address all sources of soiling.

• Maintain all exterior entrance points (parking lots and walkways) to prevent any dirt and grit entering the building. 

• Use proper mats at entranceways, transition areas and special areas such as food service areas/restrooms to confine soil, oil, grease and high moisture areas. 

• Mats should have non-staining reverse side, PVC backed matting is suitable.

• Entrance mats keep soil and moisture outside.

• Mats should cover at least 6 footsteps to capture soil transferring from shoes.

• Additional matting may be necessary during inclement weather.

• Include mats in the maintenance program and keep them clean. Soil removal type mats should be installed at all exterior entrances. Use absorbent mats internally to minimise moisture ingress and slip hazards.

ROUTINE MAINTENANCE

I. Remove dry soil. 

• Sweep, vacuum or dust-mop frequently to remove soil particles that can abrade the wear layer. 

• Dust mop treatments are not recommended since these products can transfer and attract soil. 

• Do not use vacuums with rotating beater bars as they may scratch and damage the floors surface

II. Promptly address spots and spills. 

• All spills should be addressed as quickly as possible to avoid staining and slip/fall hazards. 

• Absorb wet spills and if necessary, use a neutral pH vinyl cleaner and rinse with water. 

• Isopropyl alcohol or mineral spirits can be used for oil/grease (petroleum-based) and/or scuff marks.

• For matter embedded in the surface of embossed or textured flooring, use a brush with medium stiff bristles to clean the area. Follow with a water rinse using a flat microfiber wet mop pad.

III. Remove scuffs. 

• Cleaning with an auto scrubber or spray buffing with a spray / buff solution using a low speed (175 rpm) machine and red pad will remove scuff marks. Agitation is the key to remove these marks. 

• A tennis ball placed on the end of a stick, such as a broom handle, can be used as a tool to remove scuff marks. This allows you to remove scuffs from a standing position on smaller areas.

WET CLEANING

• Always pre-vacuum or dry dust mop before wet cleaning. 

• Use neutral pH vinyl cleaner

• Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for dilution and use. 

• Common systems are: 1) Micro fibre wet mop or mop and two-bucket system, and 2) rotary scrubbing with a red 3M pad or equivalent soft brushes. 

• Rinse the floor with clean water. Repeat the rinse process if necessary, to remove all haze 

• Never use brown or black pads/brushes. Such products are too aggressive and can damage the floor coverings surface. 

• Products containing bleach are not recommended.

• The use of steam mops is not recommended.

The following are suggested products to assist the maintenance program:

• Neutral Cleaners: Shaw Hard Surface Cleaner, Diversey Carefree Stride or Diversey Jontec Best etc.

• Spray and Buff: Diversey Carefree Maintainer or Diversey Snapback

• Matt Finish Surface Dressing: Diversey Taski Jontec Matt low gloss floor emulsion

• High gloss finishes are NOT recommended.

For specific cleaning product related guidance please call one of the following companies:

• Johnson Diversey Ltd. - Tel. 0800 525525

• Ecolab - Tel. 029 20 855540

• Premiere Products -Tel. 01242 537192

• Prochem Ltd. - 0208 974 1515

• Dr. Schutz - Tel. 01296 437827

• Shaw Hard Surface Cleaner - Tel: +44 (0) 20 7961 4120.

 SUGGESTED FREQUENCY CHART FOR RESILIENT FLOOR CARE

This chart represents a general guideline; identify and schedule your facility for specific conditions and frequencies.