Earlier in this series, you learned about the different flooring types and how cleaning needs vary among them. Whether you want to work with our team or perform this maintenance on your own, we want to ensure the right method is performed at the right intervals. To fully understand your commercial flooring, it is important that you become familiar with the different terms used to describe cleaning methods, products, and terms.
Abrasion: Any method of removing film or stains from a floor’s finish.
Abrasive: Used to describe the consistency of a cleaning product or tool that is gritty or thick in order to maximize intensity.
Absorbent: A term to describe material which attracts substances and is used to remove these substances from flooring.
Antioxidants: Material added to floor polish which helps it maintain its consistency over time by preventing oxidation that can damage finishes during buffing.
Backing: A layer of carpeting located underneath the visible layer which is used to secure the carpet in place.
Buffing: Polishing a surface using a cloth, brush, or buff pad.
Build-up: The wax, dirt, and debris that piles up after many layers of finishes are added on top of each other.
Ceramic tile: A certain type of tile that is created by mixing colorants and clays and baking them.
Concentrate: A cleaning product that is undiluted, thus very strong.
Damp Mopping: Utilizing a cloth or mop that has detergent on it but has been wrung out.
Dilute: The process of adding water to a concentrate to make it weaker.
Dirt Retention: The amount of dirt and debris that remains after a cleaning.
Dry Foam: Used to lift dirt and debris to the surface of a carpet, so it can be more easily removed with a vacuum.
Dry Rot: When a carpet has so much mold and mildew on it that it begins to break down.
Fading: The discoloration that occurs when flooring has consistent exposure to sunlight or cleaning products.
Film: A thin coating over a substance.
Finish: Can describe the texture of a material which is caused by different coatings and films.
Gloss: The visual perception of a floor, describing the shininess, clarity, and hue.
Grout: The material that bonds tiles together with each other and the floor underneath.
Homogeneous: A term used to describe materials that will stay the same throughout time and wear.
Linoleum: A type of flooring that used to be popular. This material is porous and soft, making it vulnerable to most cleaners and time.
Marble: A luxurious type of flooring that is porous so must be cleaned with non-acidic chemicals and wiped clean.
Mildew: Fungus that can grow and cause bad odors and the deterioration of fabrics.
Nylon: A synthetic material used within some types of carpets.
Pitting: What happens to concrete and other floors when small dents become larger due to heavy traffic.
Polish: To make a floor more smooth and shiny.
Polyurethane: A material used to create a hard gloss over flooring.
Residue: The substance left behind when a cleaner is not properly removed.
Resin: A component of finishes and sealants that helps create a glossy effect.
Sealers: A substance used to fill in the pores of porous materials, making them more durable.
Self-Polishing: A substance that creates a shine upon drying and doesn’t require any buffing.
Sheen: A term to describe the amount of shine a flooring surface has.
Soil: A term used to describe the dirt, debris, etc. that contaminates surfaces such as carpets.
Stain Repellant: A substance applied to a carpet that helps it defend against stains.
Streaking: Lines on a floors finishing caused by improper application or cleaning products.
Stripping: The act of removing old layers of finishing in order to prevent buildup.
Tackiness: A term used to describe how sticky a floor is.
Traffic Lane: A term used to describe the most highly-trafficked routes.
Urethane: One of the main ingredients used in sealant used for wood and concrete.
Varnish: A type of protective finishing, typically used for wood flooring.
Viscosity: The thickness of a substance, which can be used to determine how it will be poured and applied.
Wax: A substance used to polish and protect film that can be made naturally or synthetically.
Wear: The effects of traffic on a floor, shown through cracks, distortion, and discoloration.
Our team members are happy to educate our readers and customers on the work we do and the processes that make our methods so successful. Stay tuned to our blog to learn more about commercial floor cleaning, industry innovations, and company achievements!
