How Do You Deep-Clean Epoxy Floors?
How Do You Deep-Clean Epoxy Floors?
When deep-cleaning your floors, you want to remove dirt and grime buildup. Distilled ammonia is an excellent cleaning solution for an epoxy floor finish. 2 to 3 ounces of ammonia per gallon of hot water, used with a microfiber mop, avoid cleaning products that include vinegar or citric acid. Citrus cleaners or vinegar can be used to gradually degloss the epoxy surface.
After cleaning the floor with pure ammonia, rinse the floor with clean water. If the epoxy itself is dirty, you will want to use a mild acid to remove dirt and grime that cannot be removed by water alone.
To apply acid, stir well in a bucket of warm water and neutralize immediately with lemon juice or vinegar. Apply acid on a microfiber mop or cloth to avoid staining your floors. Rinse thoroughly with clean water until no more residue remains after wiping the floor dry.
To remove loose dirt from your floors, you may opt for direct-to-epoxy methods such as steam canning (very laborious) or humid heat pressing (not recommended).
The use of steam canning is not recommended because it can be time-consuming and ineffective. However, if you have severe soil buildup on your floors or have had them treated with acid, humid heat pressing may be an effective option.
How Do You Repair Epoxy Hardwood Floors?
When repairing your epoxy hardwood floors, you should focus on repairing shallow nicks and scratches instead of large cracks or deep gouges. You will want to sand down the affected area with fine-grain sandpaper until the surface is smooth. Afterward, use an orbital sander to blend in the repair.
If you have bubbles all over your floor, use a sandblaster to remove them. You may remove all of the epoxy coatings by renting a sandblaster from your local hardware store.
Cleaning the floors after sanding down the affected area helps you maximize the overall appearance of your floors. Next, you will want to apply one or two coats of stone coat epoxy over the repaired area after cleaning it thoroughly.
This will strengthen and revitalize your floors. Vacuum the dust and wipe the floor with a clean, solvent-dipped cloth. Allow the floor to dry before applying any additional coats of stone coat epoxy.
Certified applicators should always be used when repairing epoxy hardwood floors to ensure quality and avoid damaging the flooring and structure.
