How to Clean Commercial Floors: Cleaning Equipment in Houston and Techniques to Try
The flooring on your commercial property is foundational to your business’ success. But many business owners neglect to learn how to clean commercial floors, leaving them as a messy and dangerous eyesore.
With the right commercial floor cleaning equipment and techniques, you can quickly achieve sparkling floors that protect your employees and equipment.
So, what does commercial floor cleaning involve?
While plenty of commercial floor cleaning techniques exist, the most successful business owners rely on proven and consistent methods. Cleaning usually involves pressure washing commercial buildings, paired with floor-scrubbing surface cleaner attachments and powerful chemicals to lift stains from deep within the ground.
For commercial floor cleaning, Houston business owners rely on Hotsy of Houston. We pair the storied reputation of Hotsy with friendly customer support. We’ll show you what to look for in a pressure washer to restore your commercial flooring.
Why You Need to Regularly Clean Commercial Flooring
Before diving into commercial floor cleaning equipment, we must discuss the why. What does commercial floor cleaning involve, and why is it vital to your business’s success? Mastering commercial floor cleaning techniques isn’t just about aesthetics–it’s critical to safety and hygienic standards and ensures your flooring and property last as long as possible.
Business Reputation and Customer Experience
First impressions are everything for your business. Whether you’re a retail store serving thousands of customers daily or a busy manufacturing plant visited by hundreds of vendors, the state of your flooring will leave a mark on your visitor’s minds.
Let’s use restaurant pressure washing as an example to illustrate this. What does commercial floor cleaning involve for a restaurant? You’ll rinse the floors, removing food stains, dust, and dirt.
Your floors will look as good as new soap with suitable commercial floor cleaning equipment. When customers see that the ground is clean, they’ll assume that your kitchens are, too.
Proper commercial floor cleaning techniques allow you to put your business’s best foot forward.
Employee Safety and Hygiene
Beyond aesthetics and reputation, learning how to clean commercial floors properly is also crucial for safety matters. The best commercial floor cleaning equipment will lift any oil, grease, and dirt that poses slip and fall hazards to employees and visitors.
There’s also sanitization to consider. What does commercial floor cleaning involve in terms of disinfection?
Many commercial floors can harbor germs, especially in busy restaurants or production facilities. If they fester, they will become embedded into the floor. This can cause contamination with your products and pose health risks to your employees.
By sanitizing the floors, you avoid these costly errors and keep your staff safe and happy.
Prolonging the Life of Flooring Materials
Commercial floor cleaning equipment saves you more money than it costs. One of the most vital reasons to learn how to clean commercial floors is the protection of your commercial flooring.
Let’s use pressure washing factory floors as an example.
Factory floors take a beating from everyday operations. Dirt, dust, rust, oil, and grease accumulate on the ground, slowly breaking down your floors. Soon, you’ll find holes and divots in the ground, running the structural integrity of your property.
What Does Commercial Floor Cleaning Involve?
These are enough reasons to learn how to clean commercial floors. But you must have the proper techniques. So, what does commercial floor cleaning involve?
The commercial flooring equipment and techniques you use will vary based on the details of your property. Some businesses require frequent deep cleaning to handle tough stains like grease or rust. Other commercial spaces may only need routine cleanup with the occasional intense clean.
Different Types of Commercial Flooring
One of the critical concepts we stress when helping businesses with commercial floor cleaning in Houston is understanding the type of flooring you’re working with. Working with delicate hardwood will require tools different from warehouse floor pressure washing or vacuuming carpets.
Fragile surfaces like vinyl and wood require light equipment. On the other hand, durable surfaces like concrete, stone, and grout tend to accumulate tougher stains like grime and rust, requiring powerful commercial floor cleaning equipment.
Routine vs Deep Cleaning
Another crucial decision to make when learning how to clean commercial floors is how frequently you need to clean them.
As with flooring material, this choice will depend on your needs. For commercial retail spaces, dust and dirt might be your only concerns. You can often perform routine cleaning with the occasional deep clean.
Conversely, a busy restaurant kitchen will need a thorough cleaning to deal with caked-on grease and oil. Deep cleaning once a week may be required to avoid buildup.
Focusing on High-Traffic Areas
Another factor we stress for commercial floor cleaning in Houston is low vs. high traffic areas.
Simply put, the more action an area of your commercial property sees, the more cleaning you need. Loading docks, customer-facing areas, and flooring under industrial machinery all require extra TLC.
Most Common Commercial Floor Cleaning Machines, Chemicals, and Supplies
Now that we know the importance of cleaning your floors, let’s discuss the methods. What does commercial floor cleaning involve?
Several equipment options include manual methods like mops, and powerful machines like pressure washers.
Mops and Brooms
Manual tools like brooms and mops are your first line of defense. They are effective at removing dirt and dust without requiring a monetary investment.
The issue with these tools is twofold–they are slower than other methods and require far more physical effort. Cleaning an entire commercial property with a mop and broom will take hours, if not days, and will fail to clean up tougher stains.
Floor Scrubbers, Sweepers, and Buffers
Floor scrubbers are a step above mops and brooms. They eliminate some of the manual cleaning efforts, speeding up the process.
However, these tools are often expensive and unwieldy, making it difficult to access your property’s small nooks and crannies. They also tend to have less cleaning power than pressure washers.
Pressure Washers With a Flat Surface Cleaner
If you’re trying to learn how to clean commercial floors, there is no better option than a quality pressure washer. They are the fastest and most effective method, enabling you to eliminate stubborn stains like grease, oil, and rust.
We recommend flat surface cleaner attachments for commercial flooring, including rotary cleaners and water brooms. They are some of the best pressure washer accessories for clearing large areas quickly.
Plus, power washers tend to use less water than mops or floor scrubbers. The extra power behind the machine allows you to finish the job timely without spending an entire month’s budget on energy costs.
Cleaning Chemicals
Chemicals are used in the commercial floor cleaning process, including mops, floor scrubbers, and pressure washers.
For the best results, we recommend pairing them with power washers. The best soaps for pressure washers have extra cleaning penetration due to the high-powered jet stream of the water.
Power washers also reduce the chemicals needed to do the job. For the best results, we recommend Hotsy’s line of detergents, which are biodegradable and formulated specifically for various stains.
Once you know what equipment to look for, you’ll need to find a reliable source for it!
Get Your Commercial Floor Cleaning Equipment and Chemicals at Hosty of Houston!
Hotsy of Houston has all the commercial floor cleaning equipment you need to restore your property! We are the #1 home for commercial pressure washers in Houston as the region’s only authorized Hotsy dealership. We’ve helped thousands of local businesses, including McDonald’s, HEB, and the City of San Antonio.
Why Source From Us?
Hotsy is the world’s best commercial pressure washer brand. For over 50 years, Hotsy has been the industry leader, assisting businesses worldwide.
Our team will be your strategic partner, giving you the knowledge you need to find the perfect equipment.
We offer sales, leasing, and commercial pressure washer rental in Houston to fit your budget. We’ll walk you through renting a power washer, set you up with the perfect pressure washer detergent, and ensure you have the accessories to cover every square inch of your property.
Buying vs Renting Equipment
You have a choice to make–should you rent or buy your cleaning gear?
The answer depends on your needs. Buying will be cost-effective if you have many high-traffic areas and need frequent deep cleanings. Conversely, rentals may be better if you have a small property.
Remember that buying your pressure washer outright gives you more options than flooring. For example, if you run a restaurant, you can also use your machine for pressure washing parking lots, cleaning grease traps, and cleaning commercial vent hoods.
Of course, rentals require less effort. You won’t have to worry about pressure washer storage, maintaining a pressure washer, or pressure washer repair costs.
If you need help deciding or want a reliable place to source commercial pressure washer repair in Houston, talk to our team at Hotsy of Houston! We’ll review your needs and give you a personalized recommendation.
Pressure Washer Specs to Consider
There are so many types of pressure washers available that you need to hone in on the specifics for the best results.
There are three main categories: size, engine, and temperature.
Size is defined by PSI and GPM, which note the force and volume of your water stream. Low-end stains can be handled with 1000-2000 PSI and 1 to 4 GPM, while stubborn debris like grease, oil, and rust will require 2000-4000 PSI and 4 to 8 GPM.
You’re weighing mobility and noise for the gas vs electric pressure washer debate. Gas models are more powerful and mobile, while electric models are quiet, eco-friendly, and suitable for indoor use.
As for water temperature, choosing hot water vs cold water pressure washers is simple. Hot water models are more effective but are costly and require extra maintenance. Cold water machines are simple to use and maintain.
Whether you need a commercial cold water pressure washer in Houston or a commercial hot water pressure washer in Houston, you can contact our team for help.
We also sell and rent pressure washer trailers in Houston if you lack water access. You can skip the homemade pressure washer trailer setup and let us handle everything.
How to Clean Commercial Floors: Step-by-Step Guide With Advanced Pressure Washing Techniques for Efficiency
Once you acquire your equipment, it’s time to teach you how to use a pressure washer.
Grab your machine and some personal protective equipment to wear when pressure washing, and you are ready to begin.
Step 1: Clear the Area and Start With a Sweep
Grab your broom and clear the area of any large debris. If there are any delicate materials, remove them, as the high-pressure water may be too much for them to handle.
Step 2: Selecting the Right Nozzle and Detergent
Pressure washer nozzles range from 0 to 60 degrees, sometimes higher. The narrower your nozzle, the higher the concentration of the stream will be. You can use wider angles to clear large areas but switch to the smaller ones for tough stains.
As for what kind of soap to use in a pressure washer, you want to choose something specific to the surface. You can ask our team at Hotsy of Houston for particular recommendations. We recommend Hotsy Breakthrough or Verde All-Purpose for general tasks.
Step 3: Apply the Cleaning Solution Evenly
You can add soap to your pressure washer by filling the detergent tank. Apply the soap to the cleaning area and let it soak for 10 to 15 minutes. Make sure it doesn’t dry completely, or there may be streaks.
Step 4: Scrubbing Tough Spots
As the soap soaks in, you can scrub down any stubborn spots with a sponge, floor scrubber, or surface cleaner attachment.
Step 5: Pressure Washing the Floor Surface
Now you can begin washing. Switch to a wide nozzle and begin washing the floor. For the best coverage, use sweeping, overlapping strokes around 12 to 18 inches above the ground.
Step 6: Drying and Polishing
Once the floor is clean, you’ll want to dry it with floor fans. Once dry, you can run a buffing machine over it for a shiny finish.
Closing Thoughts on How to Clean Commercial Floors
Overall, your commercial floors set the stage for your business. Clean floors will satisfy your customers, employees, and other visitors. Plus, you’ll keep valuable equipment safe, avoiding the need for replacements.
Our team at Hotsy of Houston will help you get started. We’ll show you the perfect equipment for your needs.
We’ve helped business owners with all of their questions, including pressure washing business start-up costs, quoting pressure washing jobs, how to clean a cooling tower, fleet pressure washing, pressure washing farm equipment, and pressure washing meat markets.
Stop by our Pasadena Freeway location in Houston or give us a call to learn more about how you can transform your commercial flooring today!
