Terrazzo is an appealing form of flooring. With its glossy finish and use of marble, quartz, and other chips, it looks great and is considered more high-end than ceramic tiles. Some people also assume terrazzo floor cleaning is easier because of the polished finish of the material. But that isn't necessarily true. The type of cleaning system used plays a huge part in how easily a surface cleans. And as with any floor where shoes track dirt and dangerous bacteria, terrazzo floors require an advanced cleaning technique to ensure soiled floors are spotless. Here is how to best clean terrazzo floors.
Terrazzo Floor Cleaning Technique
The use of standard mops and buckets on any type of floor are never very effective. Studies have revealed that mops often spread as much bacteria as they remove during cleaning. In some tests, mops removed only 50 percent of the bacteria on floors. That means the cleaning system is only doing half the job.
A better way to clean terrazzo and other types of flooring is to let go of the mop altogether. Instead, use a spray-and-vac cleaner. This allows your janitorial team to clean floors and other surfaces without risking recontamination. Instead of spreading soils around with mops, vacuuming helps remove soils completely. No-touch cleaners such as Kaivac's OmniFlex Spray-and-Vac are also safer for your patrons, drying the cleaned area so people can walk on it immediately.
Large Floor and Hall Cleaning
When you need to cover a large area during terrazzo floor cleaning, you might consider investing in a motorized floor scrubber. These tools are expensive and involve a complicated setup and operation for custodial employees. Because of these variables, spending the extra money doesn't guarantee results. Kaivac's AutoVac system delivers a performance that rivals the automatic scrubbers in a much more cost-effective system.
Used in conjunction with the OmniFlex cleaning system, AutoVac serves as an all-in-one cleaning solution for large areas of terrazzo flooring. Using a trolley bucket with a variable spigot, the system distributes cleaning solution automatically. With fresh cleaning solution applied to the floor, custodial workers only need to follow the AutoVac cleaner down the hall to achieve optimal cleaning results. Testing showed the system can clean 16,000 square feet per hour without compromising any effectiveness. That means your team can cover huge areas in short time frames.
The failures of mops and the challenges of large-scale terrazzo floor cleaning demanded answers. With the Kaivac multipurpose cleaning system in play, you have an effective solution at a fraction of the price.
For more information about Kaivac floor cleaning, click here.