Stand out among all the cleaning companies in your area by ensuring the floors in your buildings shine! Floors that receive good service regularly will have a sparkling shine. This shine will be a positive reflection on your company and employees.

On the other hand, poor quality floor care stands out in many ways. Floors not properly cared for can become discolored in corners, along the edges, and under furniture. On VCT flooring, this is often a sign of wax build-up or improper stripping procedures. Scuffed or dirty floors are a strong signal that floor maintenance occurs infrequently or is not thorough, and overall gives the impression that your employees do not care about their work. Also, keep in mind that dirty floors can quickly become slippery, which can lead to serious falls and accidents.

Basic floor care includes sweeping, dust mopping and wet mopping. Dust mop and sweep before performing any other floor care procedures. When sweeping, it is important to sweep edges, corners and hard to reach areas. Make sure to get under shelving and move light objects to sweep under them. Dust mopping will remove roughly 90% of the soil and debris found on most hard and resilient floor surfaces.

After sweeping and before you begin mopping make sure to put out wet floor signs. When you get ready to wet mop, prepare your cleaning solution by using four gallons of cool water and a neutral cleaner. Begin your mopping by cleaning the corners and edges being careful not get cleaning solution on baseboards or nearby furniture. After mopping the corners and edges, fill in the open area using a figure eight pattern. Change the mop water whenever it becomes dirty. After mopping, clean and store the equipment properly so it will be ready for the next use.

If you are using a microfiber mop instead of a traditional loop mop head, mix your solution in your pail and then immerse the microfiber pads into your solution. Wring out and roll up your mop pads. Then store the mop pads in a bucket or container until you are ready to use them. Once the pads become soiled, remove them and put them into a container for laundering.

Pay careful attention to small details when cleaning floors:

Look for black heel marks and clean those by putting a scrub pad on your mop. Do not be too aggressive when removing black heel marks or you could cause damage to the floor.

Check for stains behind urinals and build up around toilets. These are areas often missed.

Remove any gum or stickers before mopping.
Make sure the floor is dry before removing the safety signs.

Employees should tell their supervisor of any problems such as loose tiles. Also report when the floor needs scrubbed or recoated.

Keeping floors clean and shiny will have positive impact on your company and your employees. Help your company stand out among others by giving the floors in the buildings you clean proper care.

Steve Hanson is co-founding member of The Janitorial Store (TM), an online community for owners and managers of cleaning companies who want to build a more profitable and successful cleaning business. Sign up for Trash Talk: Tip of the Week at http://www.TheJanitorialStore.com and receive a Free Gift!