Enviro Master Blog

How to Clean Sticky Floors: A Comprehensive Guide

High Angle View Of Broom Cleaning Dirt On Tiled Floor At Home

There’s nothing more frustrating than walking across a floor and feeling your shoe stick with every step, or worse, hearing that distinctive, uncomfortable ‘squeak’ from beneath your feet. Sticky floors – they’re a specific beast to tackle and an unfortunate, common occurrence in areas with high traffic, such as restaurants, office spaces, healthcare facilities, and more. This sticky woe is inconvenient, can pose health concerns, and adversely affect your business’s overall impression. 

Understanding and tackling sticky floors smartly and effectively is essential, especially in commercial sectors where image, hygiene, and customer satisfaction align closely with their overall success. With extensive cleaning experience and state-of-the-art techniques under our belt, Enviro-Master Services strives to help commercial spaces overcome their hardest cleaning challenges – sticky floors included. 

Whether it’s the result of spilled drinks, food particles adhering to the sole of a shoe, or even the faulty cleaning product that, instead of helping, has left an undesirable sticky residue behind, we are equipped with the knowledge and solutions to deal with such sticky situations.

 

Common Causes of Sticky Floors

From unwanted sticky residue in your office space to the stubborn sticky spot in your restaurant, every commercial space has had its share of run-ins with sticky floors. Such floors can be an unwanted obstacle, often resulting in a clear reduction in your establishment’s cleanliness and hygiene – something no commercial business wants to deal with. 

Before you attempt to tackle this sticky feeling of your dirty floors without fully understanding the cause, let us help shed light on some key causes of the floor-turned-adhesive phenomenon.

A broad range of factors can contribute to your floors feeling tacky. These could range from an obvious coffee spill in a bustling corporate organization to more elusive factors like the type of cleaning agent used, or perhaps the type of floor that your commercial space incorporates. 

Different flooring materials like tile, stone, concrete, laminates, and hardwood floors each react differently to external factors. For instance, a coffee spill on a tile floor could easily be wiped up without much of a remnant sticky stain. However, a similar spill on laminate flooring could potentially result in an unhappily sticky situation due to the porous nature of the laminate flooring material. 

Moreover, traces of dirty shoes carrying in grime and particles from outside can quickly adhere to the surfaces, transforming your clean floor into an unacceptable sticky mess. Or merely using a cleaning solution that doesn’t align with your floor’s material can cause sticky residue that’s harder to get rid of than the initial dirt.

Understanding these causal factors can facilitate a smoother, more effective cleaning effort, transforming your tacky, unwelcoming floor into a spotless, shining surface.

Infographic for EMS about how to clean sticky floors properly

Proper Steps to Cleaning Sticky Floors

Now that we’ve understood the causes that lead to sticky floors, it’s time to dive into effective solutions and learn how to clean sticky floors properly. Every problem has a solution, and with the right materials and technique, sticky floors will become a thing of the past in your commercial spaces.

First, identify the type of your floor. Remember, different materials require different treatments. Laminate floors, for instance, are sensitive to water, so a steam mop might not be your best bet here. Instead, using a dry or damp microfiber mop could be the solution. On the contrary, for tile or stone floors, steam mops work wonders. They lift and remove stubborn stains and sticky residue, leaving behind a squeaky-clean surface.

After you have the right tools, your choice of cleaning solution is the next crucial step. Opt for a formula that’s specially designed for your type of floor. Using hot water or warm water can often enhance the effectiveness of your chosen cleaning agent. It helps to dissolve sticky grime quicker and more efficiently — remember, cold water could just move the sticky messes around instead of lifting it off.

That being said, be cautious with the quantity of your cleaning product. Too much of it or not rinsing it thoroughly can leave a soapy residue behind, which ironically can make the floors stickier. 

Use a spray bottle to evenly distribute the cleaning agent mixed with clean water on the floor. After allowing it to sit for a few minutes, use your mop to clean the area. Remember to rinse out your damp mop frequently with clean water to avoid spreading the dirty water. Finally, dry the floor thoroughly with a clean mop or microfiber cloth to avoid any leftover residue or water spots.

It’s not just about using the right cleaning tools, or the correct cleaning chemical — it’s about the right technique too. Cleaning in a pattern, such as an ‘S’ or ‘figure 8’, can help to prevent the spreading of dirt. In addition, remember to use a vacuum cleaner or sweep before mopping. This helps remove loose dirt, ensuring that your clean mop doesn’t simply push dirt around but lifts and removes it.

While these are general cleaning tips, be prepared to deal with some stubborn sticky spots. Add more elbow grease or try a stronger cleaning agent for these. However, test the stronger agent in an inconspicuous spot first, to avoid discoloration or damage to your floor. Always remember, that the goal is to maintain the integrity of your flooring as well as keep it clean.

Walking through these steps, it becomes evident how maintaining clean, non-sticky floors in commercial spaces involves routine checks, smart techniques, and the use of the right cleaning aids – which is something we at Enviro-Master Services can expertly help you with.

Clean office building with many windows and natural lighting

Advantages of Maintaining Clean Floors in Commercial Areas

Sticky floors are more than just an inconvenience – they can also have a profound impact on the perception of your commercial space. Maintaining clean and shiny floors does more than just elevate the look of your space; it contributes to a healthy and inviting atmosphere for everyone who walks through your doors. So, let’s explore the benefits of free-from-stickiness floors.

First Impressions

The first impression is the lasting impression, isn’t it? When clients, customers, or even employees enter your space, the cleanliness of the floors is one of the first things they’ll notice. Clean floors project an image of professionalism, attention to detail, and care for the welfare and comfort of all those who frequent the space. 

Safety & Liability Reduction

Further, in places like healthcare facilities, restaurants, or even a busy office, safety is key. Sticky floors can pose a risk of accidents and potential liability. Properly cleaned floors, rid of sticky messes, reduce this risk, providing a safe environment for everyone inside the building.

Sanitary Considerations

Also, high hygiene standards are particularly important in commercial spaces, where a vast number of people frequent daily. Sticky areas on the floor can harbor harmful bacteria, a breeding ground for various disease-causing germs. Regularly cleaning your floors eliminates these harmful organisms, thereby preventing the spread of diseases. It’s worthwhile to note here, that when using your chosen cleaning products, consider the pH – using an opposite pH to the sticky residue causing the problem can sometimes effectively neutralize it.

Reduced Floor Maintenance

Lastly, maintaining your floors through proper cleaning practices extends their lifespan. Dirt and grimy build-up can degrade your flooring material over time, causing wear and damage. Regular cleaning with the right cleaning solution protects your flooring, keeping it in good condition for longer and saving you potentially expensive replacement costs down the line. To achieve this, using professional cleaning products can make a difference; they are designed to not only clean effectively but to protect your floors too, making them resistant to future sticky situations.

When it comes to maintaining your commercial premises, it requires more than just a clean mop and a bottle of floor cleaner. It calls for commitment, substantial cleaning efforts, and the right approach. For many businesses, managing cleaning floors along with their core operations can be challenging. This is where coming on board with a professional cleaning service such as Enviro-Master is a game-changer!

Microfiber mop cleaning floors of commercial restroom

Enviro-Master Services: Your Best Solution for a Clean Commercial Space

Tackling the sticky floors of a commercial space is a significant task. Between running your day-to-day business operations and ensuring a clean and welcoming environment, it can seem almost impossible to keep your establishment spotless and shining. But with Enviro-Master Services, worry about sticky floors is a thing of the past.

While we offer a diverse range of services, aiming to cater to all your cleaning needs, the standout solution for spaces dealing with sticky floors is our MicroMax Commercial Floor Cleaning. With advanced microfiber technology, MicroMax floor cleaning penetrates deeply into your hard floor surfaces. Paired with our Tile & Grout service, our custom cleaning solutions lift away dirt, grime, and bacteria for a thorough clean that not only leaves your floors visibly spotless but also free from harmful contaminants. This ensures that your floor is not just cleaned superficially, but truly hygienically.

Enviro-Master’s MicroMax cleaning service outperforms traditional mops and buckets, eliminating sticky residues and bringing back the original luster and shine of your floors. Whether your commercial area features tile floors, concrete, or even tough vinyl floors, our service is tailored to suit each type, ensuring maximum cleanliness and your utmost satisfaction.

With our services, your struggle with sticky floors can be a thing of the past. At Enviro-Master, we consistently aim to deliver superior results along with unmatched customer service. We believe in building relationships – a clean floor might be what pulls you in, but our service will make you stay. 

Utilize Enviro-Master Services, and step into a cleaner, safer, and shinier commercial space. Ready to say goodbye to sticky floors? Contact us today!

References

“When and How to Clean and Disinfect a Facility.” Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2 Nov. 2022, www.cdc.gov/hygiene/cleaning/facility.html. 

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