How to clean & care for your epoxy flooring
When it comes to cleaning and protecting your brand new floor, it can become a bit daunting as you are often provided with so much information regarding the product itself, but not much information when it comes to the maintenance and cleaning of your floor post installation.
Stress less, this article can help you!
To begin with, the initial after installation care is often the most critical. Knowing what to do once the installers have left your home or business can help tremendously.
After Installation Instructions
Avoid all foot traffic for a minimum 24 hours
When it comes to epoxy coatings for your floor, it is often heavily weather dependant when being installed outside or a semi-closed space such as entertainment areas, pool/spa areas driveways etc. So, what does this have to do with how long after you can walk on it? Well, if epoxy is installed while the temperature around it is too cold, it will take longer to cure which means it will be longer until you are able to use the area. Most of the time, allowing a minimum of 24 hours before any foot traffic is had is essential. Once it has hit up to the 48 hours, you are able to walk on your surface normally.
Avoid furniture for 3 days
When it comes to placing your furniture back in place, whether it is your outdoor settings or your inside couches and cabinets, it is always best to allow 3 days before placing your items back to where they belong. Why is this? The epoxy needs to have enough time to fully cure before heavy items are placed, if the epoxy hasn’t had enough time to cure and set then this can damage the epoxy and ruin your brand new floor. So, it is best to wait.
Epoxy driveways/garages/sheds
Epoxy can go in almost any setting, so what does this mean for driving on it with a car or forklift? It is best to avoid driving anything on your new epoxy for a minimum of 4-5 days. Once that week has finished you can have no worries.
Remove pets from area
Before, during and after any epoxy job is being completed, it is essential to remove or barricade your beloved pets away so they do not walk or touch the epoxy while it is curing. This can always be discussed upon installation and we can always work out the best way possible to help both you, and your pets be comfortable during the installation.
How to clean & maintain your epoxy flooring
Maintaining your epoxy coating correctly can be the most critical solution to keep your floor looking brand new years down the track. So, what do you need to do for this to happen?
Epoxy Flake/Hyperflake
This epoxy is often found in outdoor settings such as entertainment/alfreso areas, the pool, footpaths, driveways, garages etc, so this can be one of the easier options to keep clean.
Sweep once a week – By sweeping your area once a week you are able to remove any dirt or grub that may have made its way onto your epoxy. This will help protect your epoxy from any possible staining that could occur.
Hose down/high pressure wash – Give your epoxy a deep clean by washing it down once every 2-3 months. If you have a high pressure washer aim for around 3 months. Deep cleaning your space every few months will help maintain your space and help prevent staining from various objects.
Remove stains – Scrub stubborn spots with a stiff nylon brush and non-toxic, biodegradable cleaners. For tire marks it’s best to use a concrete degreaser.
Rince area with clean water – Make sure to wash down your space with clean water once you are done cleaning it with your preferred soft cleaner. Rinsing off your floor will make sure that you have gotten rid of any cleaner still on the surface and provide you with a fresh floor.
Metallic Epoxy + Glazed flakes
When it comes to a soft floor with no texture such as the metallic or glazed epoxy, you will often find it inside your home such as kitchens, lounge or throughout, and businesses such as retail shop fronts, hairdressers etc. So how do you clean and maintain this type of floor?
Home settings:
Have door matts and rugs – Having a door matt at both your front and back door can help collect any dirt that may track in from outside on your shoes or feet. This can help prevent surface scratches generated from dirt and grime.
Sweep when possible – Sweep high traffic areas such as hallways, dining table and couch at least once a day or after each meal as removing surface dirt straight away can help make your floor look brand new still years down the track.
Clean spills straight away – If you spill something it is best to clean it straight away as depending on what it is, it can stain your epoxy which is impossible to remove. Make sure the area is cleaned with clean water after as well.
Mop once a week – If there is not as much traffic coming through our home on the weekly, then you may be able to stretch this out to 2 weeks, but generally mopping once a week with warm water and using soft cleaning solutions is your best way to maintain your floor.
Business settings:
Having epoxy in your business will generally be getting a lot more foot traffic than your home will, but when it comes to cleaning and maintaining, it is very similar to the above mentioned such as:
Have door mats – To help prevent dirt traveling through the shop
Vacuum daily or sweep twice a day – As there’s more foot traffic travelling through your business, it is best to vacuum or sweep every day, the amount of times this may need to be done will depend on how busy you are. Hairdresser salon for example, it is best to sweep your floor after every client, then vacuum at the end of each day.
Mop every few days – When it comes to mopping your glazed epoxy floor, it will highly depend on how much foot traffic you get through the door. If there’s lots and a lot of grime is being tracked through, it may be best to do a quick mop daily, or every few days. if there is not much traffic, then once a week should suffice.
Spills – As mentioned above always clean spills straight away no matter what type of flooring you have.
Re-coat after a few years (optional) – Once your floor has been down for a few years and you want to liven it up again, there is always the option to freshen it up with a re-coat of the top layer. This can essentially make it look like a brand new floor. Similarly as you would polished concrete.
Solid Epoxy
This type of epoxy is mostly found in your garages, undercover entertainment areas, storage rooms or even retail flooring such as the picture attached. If you are looking for something that is quick and easy to install and your not looking to spend too much, this is your perfect option. So, how do you keep this clean and maintained?
Sweep weekly – For your shed, garage, entertainment areas and so on, it is best to sweep once a week. This will help remove any dirt or grime that could have appeared during the week. If this is for your shop from, store room or any business, then this should be swept daily at a minimum.
Hose down/pressure wash – Just like the epoxy flake, you should be deep cleaning your epoxy at least every 3 months for home settings, if this is in your business, then this should be done a lot more often.
Mop every day/week for your business – As most businesses do regular cleaning, try to mop your floor every day if you get high foot traffic through, or weekly if there is less. This will help remove any dirt and grime from the floor and ensure no staining will appear due to different substances.
