Some of the best information available when it comes to professional cleaning is right here on the Charlotte Products website.
Our document library is open to you, the cleaning professional, to use and learn from. It is designed to help you learn as much as possible on best cleaning practices, infection control and prevention, washroom cleaning and maintenance, carpet care, and about any other cleaning task and activity.
Of interest, especially during the summer months, are the documents involving floorcare. That’s because many schools close during the summer months and even offices and other types of facilities often have fewer building users this time of year.
To be clear, the document library is not filled with “books.” Instead, it is a collection of easy to understand documents, most one to about five pages in length. But they include about all the information cleaning professionals need to know to help them perform their cleaning tasks properly.
For instance, among the things you will learn regarding floorcare are the following:
- Mops should be labeled “stripping,” “finishing,” or “cleaning?” This helps prevent the wrong mop being used for the wrong purpose.
- Floor strippers may need as much as 10 minutes to dwell on a surface for them to work effectively. But never let the solution dry. If it dries, the stripper must be re-applied all over again.
- Air movers are a very useful way to speed up the drying process in floorcare. But did you know it is better to have the air movers pointing up toward the ceiling or directed out a door? If the air movers are pointed directly on the floor, it can cause cleaning solution to spread on to walls and cause the finish to dry and not “cure” properly.
- While it’s a great time saver to use a “no rinse” floor stripper, to make sure there is no residue on the floor and to ensure the finish adheres correctly, it’s a good idea to mop the floor with a fresh mop and cool water. No cleaning solution necessary. This will help remove residue and prevent coating failures.
- One question that invariably comes up is how can you determine if the finish is thoroughly dry before applying another coat? There are different ways to do this, but first make sure the area is cool (but not cold), dry, and well ventilated. Then wait 30 to 45 minutes. In most cases, a thin coat of floor finish will be dry in this amount of time. *
- Finally, once the floorwork is completed, the last thing cleaning professionals want to see is problems. But it does happen. For example, possibly there are streaks; the finish has an uneven appearance; it powders when buffed or burnished; or it has a nice gloss shine but still looks soiled. Troubleshooting information is provided in many of the floorcare guides in the document library, discussing just about any problem and what steps need to be taken to correct it.
This is reading you can use not just during the summer months but throughout the year. Charlotte Products has put this document library together just for you. We encourage you to take advantage of it.
*One way to test if a coat of finish is thoroughly dry is to place a Kleenex under your shoe and rub your foot against the floor. If it slides effortlessly, the floor is likely dry. If it sticks in some areas, give the floor another ten minutes to dry.