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Choosing the Correct Floor Pad

By: Becky Mollenkamp

From polishing to stripping, janitors spend a lot of time using floor-care machines. That’s why it’s so important to choose the right pad or brush for the task at hand. But with more options than ever, many building service contractors find it easiest to simply stick with what they know.

“Most manufacturers offer upwards of 25 different pads,” says Rory Beaudette, Vice President Sales and COO for ACS Industries Inc., Lincoln, Rhode Island. “That’s complex for most operators, so they may need to spend some time educating themselves.”

Although there will always be a need for the basic pads, learning about myriad new colors and shapes is worthwhile. Many are designed to improve productivity and reduce floor damage, both of which can boost the bottom line.

Topics: Hard Floor Care, flooring, machines & equipment, cleaning tips

WAXIE Santa Ana Gives Back to Local Nonprofit!

Helping Working Wardrobes Get Ready to Move Into Their New Facility

By: Nicholas Yuan

On May 26th, 2016, members of Team WAXIE Santa Ana went to help Working Wardrobes prepare to move into their new facility out in Irvine, none of which would have been possible without the special contributions from John Levulis, John Berry, and Oscar Alvarez. The leadership in attendance included Alice Sawaya, Michael Gould, John Torgerson, and Erik Chantarapan. 

Topics: community involvement, carpet, Hard Floor Care

Do's & Don'ts for Cleaning Linoleum & Marmoleum Floors

By: Mike Anderson

Linoleum (and Marmoleum) floors have come a long way design-wise from its inception in the 1860’s, but its longevity and endurance as a flooring material haven’t changed a bit. Still, as with every floor, it’s important to regularly clean and maintain them to minimize scratches, scuffs and, other damage. Here are some cleaning tips for preventing linoleum and Marmoleum floors from damage and keeping them looking their best. 

Topics: Hard Floor Care, flooring, cleaning tips

Linoleum & Marmoleum Floor Care: Fact vs. Fiction

By: Mike Anderson

Linoleum and Marmoleum floors are perfect for high-traffic areas because of their durability. Even so, like all flooring materials, they need to be cleaned and maintained regularly to keep them that way, so a daily sweeping and damp mopping routine will go a long way to keeping them in great shape for a long time. Here are some common misconceptions about linoleum and Marmoleum floors and what you need to know to keep yours looking at their best at all times. 

Topics: Hard Floor Care, flooring, cleaning tips

How to Repair Scratched Linoleum & Marmoleum Flooring

By: Mike Anderson

Linoleum & Marmoleum (a brand name type of linoleum made by Forbo Flooring Systems) flooring surfaces are very durable, but accidents can happen and they sometimes get scratched. Here are some procedures that will, in most cases, repair the floor to where you don't see the scratch.

Topics: Hard Floor Care, flooring, cleaning tips

Winter Matting Tips and Suggestions from Crown Matting Technologies

Guest Post By: Adam Strizzi, Marketing Director with Crown Matting Technologies  |  March 26, 2015

So, for those managers/building owners who are just now starting to think about mats, Adam Strizzi, Marketing Director with Crown Matting Technologies, offers the following suggestions for selecting and installing an effective winter matting system:

Topics: Hard Floor Care, floor matting

The Original Vinyl Composition Tile (VCT) – Asphalt & Asbestos Tile Flooring

By: Briana Smith, Social Media & Product Branding Specialist, WAXIE Sanitary Supply

Unless your facility has been built sometime in the last 20 years or so, there is a good probably that your flooring is either some form of asbestos or asphalt tile. These tiles were a type of vinyl composition tiles (VCT), which were used predominately between the 1920s through to the early 1980s. At the beginning of the 1980s, modern non-asbestos containing vinyl composition tiles became standard, as asbestos related materials – including adhesives & mastics that had asbestos in them – were recognized as being hazardous by the EPA.

Modern VCT tiles are designed in a different manner, as they are produced from a mixture of colored polyvinyl chloride (PVC) chips, and are often made to resemble high-end flooring materials such as stone, wood, etc. without the cost. VCT is still a very popular flooring material as it holds up well in busy high-traffic areas, has a long lifespan and is much less expensive than high-end flooring options.

Topics: Hard Floor Care, flooring

The Benefits of Scrubbing & Recoating Your Floors

By: Briana Smith  |  December 9, 2014

Keeping your flooring looking great can take a bit of work, and each flooring type, whether it be natural stone, wood, VCT (vinyl composition tile), etc. has its unique set of challenges to take into consideration.

Softer flooring surfaces, such as VCT, marmoleum, linoleum, etc. typically need several layers of floor finish to protect the flooring material from the wear and tear of shoes that drag in dirt, sand and other debris from the out-of-doors. Synthetic flooring materials are very resilient and can be low-maintenance if you take care of them properly.

Topics: Hard Floor Care, flooring, cleaning tips

Step-by-Step Guide to Choosing a Floor Machine or Burnisher

By: Mike Anderson, Commercial Equipment Specialist, WAXIE Sanitary Supply

WAXIE Boise CEP Stone Floor Care Training – Cleaning & maintaining various stone flooring materials using a floor machine, as well as the proper cleaning products & accessories.

Floor machines are perfect for using any time you need a scrubber or a mop and you can use them just as you would a vacuum or a mop. Whenever the appearance of your facility is not up to your standards, it’s time to get the floor machine out. Remember, preventative care is much cheaper than restorative care and floor finishes can degrade fast depending on how much foot traffic your floor gets. Cleaning the dirt, debris and sand from your floors regularly will help maintain a brilliant shine.

We generally call them low speeds, but low speed floor machines are also commonly referred to as… swing machines, buffers, side by sides, polishers and scrubbers. In Spanish they refer to it as the “Machina Loca,” which translates to crazy machine – no joke.

A buffer or polisher can also mean a burnisher. So get the name correct.

Keep in mind that the best floor care maintenance program takes several key factors into consideration, the floor machine being just one of them. The others are your flooring material, floor finish, floor pad being used, the amount of foot traffic, as well as your maintenance schedule.

Topics: Hard Floor Care, machines & equipment, cleaning tips