Over Easy

June 1, 2001
Turning a floor into a masterpiece isn't difficult with a few inside tips. Of all the rental equipment on the market, none is less intimidating than a

Turning a floor into a masterpiece isn't difficult with a few inside tips.

Of all the rental equipment on the market, none is less intimidating than a floor cleaning machine. At least it should be.

Contractors and homeowners with little mechanical or working knowledge of the machines can, with a little instruction, operate the machines quickly and easily achieve the desired results without the hardships and aggravation typical of floor cleaning equipment in years past.

Yet no matter how easy the machines are to operate, there's always room for some inside information on how to get the best results. Here are three trade secrets designed to help users get better results from their floor machines.

Hardwood floor cleaning

Operators will need a floor machine, drive pad holder, lamb wool bonnet, polish brush, white polish pad, 1 pound of paste wax and a dust mop. This procedure should be used on wax finish floors only.

  1. Completely dust mop the floor.

  2. Wipe up spills with a dry cloth or paper towel. Use a slightly damp cloth for sticky spills.

  3. To apply paste wax, attach pad holder to the floor machine. Apply a tablespoon amount of paste wax on four sections of white polish pad. Turn machine on. Work the machine in a forward/back motion spreading out the paste wax to a thin coat. Allow 5 minutes for the paste wax to dry. Turn the white polish pad over to clean side and buff. To obtain a higher luster, use a polishing brush.

Helpful Hints:

  • When the floor looks dull, try buffing first to see if that will restore luster before re-waxing.

  • When areas of heavy traffic no longer respond to buffing, wax only those areas and buff the entire floor to an even luster.

Stripping procedure

Operators will need a floor machine, drive pad holder, black strip pad or brown scrub pad, broom or dust mop, wax remover or stripping solution, small black pad, two mops, and a bucket and wringer. A wet-dry vacuum is optional. This procedure can be used on most types of hard floor surfaces, except wood.

  1. Use a broom or dust mop to sweep floor area to be stripped.

  2. Mix stripping solution according to manufacturer's instructions on the container label for proper solution mixture.

  3. Dip the mop in stripping solution and apply to the floor over a 6-by-6 foot area. Apply along the baseboard edges first or where there is wax or dirt build-up.

  4. Let the solution stand for 5 minutes, scrub using floor machine, pad holder and black or brown pad. Use a small black pad, also known as the donut hole, to reach corners and around door jams.

  5. Remove the dirty solution with a mop or wet-dry vacuum. Do not allow stripping solution to dry on the floor.

  6. Repeat steps 3 through 5 until the entire floor area is completely stripped.

  7. Rinse floor area twice with clean water and clean mop.

  8. Allow floor area to dry before applying the new floor finish.

Precautions:

  • Do not flood the floor area with stripping solution or allow the solution to dry before pick-up.

  • Use a clean mop for final rinse.

  • Change rinse water frequently.

  • Use a damp cloth to wipe off any splashes on walls or furniture.

Refinishing floors

Operators will need a floor machine, drive pad holder, white polish pad, floor finish liquid, clean string mop, bucket and wringer, and a disposable plastic bag. This procedure can be used on most types of hard floor surfaces, except wood.

  1. Place disposable bag inside the bucket with wringer. This will protect floor finish from being contaminated with chemical residue that may exist inside the bucket.

  2. Pour a quart-size container of finish into the disposable bag. The amount of finish depends on size of floor area to be covered and number of coats to be applied.

  3. Only dip the mop tip into the finish, then wring out lightly. Avoid dripping floor finish or splashing on walls.

  4. Apply finish in thin, even coats. Apply the first coat of floor finish along the baseboard edges and cover the remaining floor area in an east-west direction. Remember, only the first coat of floor finish needs to be applied to the baseboard edges.

  5. Allow floor finish to dry for 20 minutes before applying a second coat.

  6. Apply the second coat of finish one tile width out from the baseboard. The coat should be applied in a crossing direction to the preceding coat.

  7. Additional coats of finish should be applied to achieve the level of appearance desired. Several coats will provide extra protection to the floor surface.

  8. Allow 24 hours for the finish to harden before buffing.

  9. Buff the floor to improve the shine using a floor machine, drive pad holder and a white polish pad.

Information provided by Oreck Commercial Sales, Plymouth, Mass.