How do you guys clean VCT tile.....

[groucho]

....AFTER it's waxed? Is there an easy method so just scuff the surface clean...without stripping, so I can then apply fresh wax? It's not that dirty, and I'm trying to avoid a major project. Thanks

 

[Designing Woman]

Hello groucho – love your avatar! I called my vinyl folks and asked them about the waxing.

The vinyl products that I am familiar with do not recommend waxing. (The surface of your floor is very dense and nonporous; this prevents wax from penetrating and thus will build up a bed for yellowing and dirt collection.) It may be best to remove the wax then use a different product for regular upkeep.

Use Armstrong New Beginnings Vinyl Floor Cleaner and Stripper to remove the wax. This will clean and remove the wax. Then use one of the following to add sheen and protective layer:

• Armstrong Shine Keeper
• Single-Step Floor Cleaner and Polisher (glossy is a high shine or satin is a matte finish)
• Pledge Future

Damp mop in the future. Use Armstong Once and Done for regular cleaning. (These products are available at home improvement centers.)

Hope this helps and best wishes!

 

[Hammerdown]

A floor buffer with scrubbing brush attachment will save a lot of elbow grease! Use a wax stripper like the ones mentioned above or available at any hardware/home improvement store with the buffer. Wash the floor with soap and water and thoroughly rinse to remove any residues prior to applying a new product. Wax will constantly need to be removed and re-applied to keep the floor looking good.

 

[groucho]

Guys, I'm asking how to clean the dirt that's on top of my waxed floor...without hurting the wax. I'm not looking to strip

 

[Hammerdown]

Other than a soft bristled broom and soap and water you really can't. Wax traps all kinds of dirt and wears easily, and it's designed to be non-permanate, so thats why people are always stripping and re-waking the floor. Try Dawn dish soap or Simple Green, diluted with warm water and a real soft bristled broom, like a truck wash broom, something that won't abrade the surface.

 

[groucho]

Other than a soft bristled broom and soap and water you really can't. Wax traps all kinds of dirt and wears easily, and it's designed to be non-permanate, so thats why people are always stripping and re-waking the floor. Try Dawn dish soap or Simple Green, diluted with warm water and a real soft bristled broom, like a truck wash broom, something that won't abrade the surface.

Is there an easy method so just scuff the surface clean...without stripping, so I can then apply fresh wax? It's not that dirty, and I'm trying to avoid a major project. Thanks

 

[rwhite692]

I have three coats of the Armstrong floor polish (not "wax") on mine (applied right after it was installed)...

For routine cleaning, I just damp-mop with a Quickie sponge-mop.

In areas where there is a stain or caster wheel mark or something, I use a little dish soap and a rag to clean the stain...

 

[foss]

Use a hard floor cleaner and water and mop it. In my store we have the floors cleaned daily. You probably only need to strip and rewax about once a year, depending on the traffic.

 

[Bill W]

Speed Shine and a high speed buff pad will clean and polish the floor with out stripping the wax you currently have. You can do it several times without having to rewax. Once a year strip the floor and put down 5-7 coats of wax and buff them with a highspeed pad.

 

[kfainf]

foss and Bill W are right. Scrubbing the floor with a buffer or floor scrubber with a mild abrasive scrub pad will remove a very thin layer of wax with the dirt. You can then reapply a thin layer of wax. After the wax has dried thouroughly, you can buff to a higher shine if desired. You should only need to completely strip and re-wax once a year.

 

[groucho]

foss and Bill W are right. Scrubbing the floor with a buffer or floor scrubber with a mild abrasive scrub pad will remove a very thin layer of wax with the dirt. You can then reapply a thin layer of wax. After the wax has dried thouroughly, you can buff to a higher shine if desired. You should only need to completely strip and re-wax once a year.

Look at the pic. A machine will be like a bull in a china shop. I can move the small stuff. But the desk is a heavy and big SOB.

 

[billykuhn260]

Dissolve 2 tbsp. of oxy-cleaning powder in 1 gallon of hot water, stirring until all of the powder has dispersed. Spread a liberal amount of cleaner onto the floor, working in a 3-foot strip and saturating the entire surface. Let the cleaner soak for fifteen minutes. This will loosen all soil and old finishes from the tile. Scrub the floor vigorously, using the abrasive edge of the mop in a back and forth motion. All dirt, polish and sealer will be stripped from the surface of the floor. Rinse the stripped VCT tile area, using clear water and the mop and replacing the water as it becomes soiled. Repeat the stripping and rinsing process until the entire floor has been cleaned and rinsed. Allow the floor to air dry. Apply two coats of VCT sealer according to the manufacturer's directions, allowing the floor to dry in between coats.

 

[SteveB]

Geez, you guys must like working. In 7 years all I have done is use Armstrong Floor Cleaner, applied with a damp mop. When dry, I follow up with some Armstrong Floor Polish also spread with a damp mop.

After 5 years I used an Armstrong floor stripper to remove the built up wax and started over again. For this job I rented a machine from Home Depot.

 

[FJ4FUN]

Or... Scuff up the VCT, wipe with denatured alcohol and apply a cote of Wolverine Coatings BondTite 1115 followed by a coat of EnduraShield 2254 and never wash 'n wax again.... ;-)

 

[ElDuderino]

Or... Scuff up the VCT, wipe with denatured alcohol and apply a cote of Wolverine Coatings BondTite 1115 followed by a coat of EnduraShield 2254 and never wash 'n wax again.... ;-)

I would like more information on this option (cost, effort, etc) please.