Because terrazzo floors are popular once again, building managers and cleaning professionals are likely to have a few questions about how to properly care for them.

While terrazzo is a very durable floor, it does need special care, often different from other types of floors such as stone or VCT.

According to the floor care experts at Charlotte Products, manufacturers of terrazzo floor care products and programs, here are some key “DO’S” and three “DON’Ts” when it comes to caring for terrazzo floors:

DO: Dust mop or vacuum the floor daily; when grit is pounded into the floor with foot traffic, it acts like an abrasive and can damage the floor

DO: Only use cleaning solutions explicitly manufactured for cleaning terrazzo floors

DO: Before applying a sealer to the floor, give the floor up to 12 hours to dry. Terrazzo floors can be porous. This prevents moisture from being trapped in the pores

DO: Use a neutral pH cleaning solution when cleaning terrazzo

DO: When working with a heavily soiled floor, allow the cleaning solution to “dwell” on the floor before mopping to help loosen soils

DO: If this is a new terrazzo floor, it should be machined scrubbed once per week for two to three months to remove any construction dust or debris lodged in the floor

DO: Seal the floor using what is called a “densifier.”  This will fill the pores of the floor and provide a shine

DO: Take advantage of “floor care programs” designed for terrazzo. These suggest products and procedures to follow when caring for terrazzo, including which machine floor pads are best to use on terrazzo

DO: “One-time” terrazzo floor care programs are also available. One-time means end-user need only strip, scrub, seal, apply floor finish, or diamond grind terrazzo floors once.

And the DON’Ts

DON’T: Never let cleaning solution dry on the floor

DON’T: Never use acrylic floor finishes, such as those used on VCT floors, on terrazzo

DON’T: Use all-purpose cleaners, they can damage terrazzo because of their pH

For more information on terrazzo floor care, contact Charlotte Products at experts@charlotteproducts.com