Even with a hard floor cleaning program that involves sweeping, mopping, and stripping (when needed), sometimes your floors won’t get that glossy shine unless you include burnishing and buffing in the mix.
Facility managers know that floor care can be the most expensive part of their cleaning budget – but that it’s worth it! Attractive, well-maintained floors are great at making a good impression on guests and customers.
Between stripping and refinishing sessions, the foot traffic in your building will inevitably grind dirt and soiling into the floors. If left unchecked, this can break down the finish ahead of schedule, and leave you to finance another session of refinishing. Of course, frequent sweeping and mopping reduce this effect – but they won’t bring back the shine you want.
Only burnishing and buffing can do it.
How Frequently Should Your Hard Floors Be Burnished or Buffed?
Ultimately, this depends on the foot traffic in the area you’re creating the cleaning program for. High traffic areas will need burnishing or buffing once or twice per week, while low traffic areas may only need this maintenance once per month.
It’s up to you and your cleaning company to assess the hard floor needs of your building and customize an optimal plan.
Do You Want a Soft Finish or Hard Finish?
Soft Finishes
A soft finish will yield a shinier, “wet” look for your hard floor. However, soft finishes require a greater commitment to maintenance than hard finishes – more time and increased frequency.
Hard Finishes
A hard finish will resist dirt penetration for longer than a soft finish, and therefore won’t need to be redone as often. However, hard finishes don’t produce quite the same shine as a soft finish.
When to Burnish and When to Buff
Burnishing is ideal for open corridors. It can, however, be restricting in smaller spaces as the cleaner can only move forward or backward with a burnishing machine.
Buffing is a more commonly used service, ideal for any spaces a burnishing machine cannot reach. Buffing machines can go anywhere without restrictions, such as smaller offices or tight corners.
The Bottom Line
Cut down on the costs of stripping and refinishing by introducing burnishing and buffing into your regular cleaning routine.
Proper hard floor maintenance will extend the life of your floors and ensure your building occupants have glossy, shiny floors to admire.
>> Sunshine Building Maintenance provides comprehensive, customized cleaning services for all types of buildings in southern Ontario. Contact us today to get a free quote or make a request for proposal.
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