The challenge of high-gloss finishes

Many facilities today are not putting a high-gloss finish on their floors.

However, there are some exceptions, particularly retail stores, medical facilities and grocery stores, with one mega-retailer considering its floors — and their high-gloss shine — an effective branding tool, according to a press release.

But, for facility service providers, maintaining that "wet look" shine can be a challenge.  

"These are typically high-traffic, high floor maintenance locations," said Mike Englund, a cleaning trainer and product manager for Powr-Flite.

"Keeping a shine on these floors can be tough, but there are ways to make the process easier," Englund added.

This month's Powr-Flite Troubleshooter offers the following suggestions:

•    Start with a high quality, ultra-high-speed finish (UHS). The shine from a burnishable, quality, UHS finish will "snap back" when cleaned and burnished
•    Daily dust mopping/damp mopping or, better yet, auto-scrubbing will remove grit and soil and protect the floor. Use a cleaning solution that has a neutral impact to the floor’s finish, but not a neutral impact to dirt
•    It is very important that the floors be thoroughly cleaned before burnishing—any soils on the floor may damage the finish and the floor.

For more tips, click here.