What is the Best Way to Clean Commercial Flooring?

Whether you're in charge of a warehouse, factory, office, retail store, or any other massive space, you can't overlook the role of commercial floor cleaning. A few reasons it matters:

• Flooring is expensive, and you want to make it last as long as possible
• Clean floors send the right message to clients and keep employee morale high
• There are safety and compliance standards for certain businesses

Yeah, pushing a broom and mop around takes a lot of time. But we're going to show you how to clean commercial floors the smart way. So, what is the best way to clean commercial floors? Depends on your flooring type, the size/layout of your facility, and the messes you face.

Whatever the case, you'll find all the different types of floor cleaning machines you could need here at SweepScrub - be it a commercial floor scrubber, a commercial floor sweeper, or even a carpet extractor! We also stock the chemicals you need to keep your floors in tip-top shape.

Reach out for a personalized recommendation, or learn more about cleaning commercial floors below!

Why You Should Care About Commercial Floor Cleaning

We get it. The more time and resources you devote to cleaning commercial floors, the less you're able to focus on core business activities. But that just goes to show why it's worth learning about how to clean commercial floors more efficiently. This isn't something you can afford to neglect. The goal is to maximize productivity.

There's the damage side, too. Floors don't just get dirty. They deteriorate. Grit on concrete grinds through coatings every time a forklift rolls over it. Chemical spills eat into epoxy if nobody catches them in time. Stains that sit for a week turn permanent. 

Before you know it, you're looking at a five-figure resurfacing job that could have been prevented altogether by consistently cleaning commercial floors. We’re here to help you avoid that.

Different Types of Commercial Flooring and Their Unique Needs

So, what is the best way to clean commercial flooring? There's no one-size-fits-all answer. The biggest variable is the type of flooring. SweepScrub has you covered either way, whether you need the best floor scrubber for laminate or the best floor scrubber for vinyl floors.

Each floor type has its own quirks, though. Here's what to know about the most common ones.

Tile and Grout

Tile is easy to scrub clean. Grout is a different story. Dirt packs into those lines and mopping just slides right over it. We have a separate guide on commercial grout cleaning for that exact reason. We see customers try everything before they finally put a scrubber on it with a grout brush attachment. Voila - it looks pristine in one pass. 

Stick with a pH-neutral cleaner for everyday care. Anything acidic will eat your grout over a couple of years. Then you've got a way bigger problem on your hands.

Concrete

We have a complete guide on cleaning concrete floors for the full scoop, but the main thing to know is that unsealed concrete soaks up everything - oil, coolant, whatever hits it. That stain takes up permanent residence if you don't get to it ASAP. 

Sealed concrete is a little more forgiving, but that seal wears down under traffic and needs regular attention. A scrubber and degreaser is a dynamic duo for commercial floor cleaning.

Natural Stone

Marble, granite, travertine - these surfaces are absolutely gorgeous in a lobby or upscale retail space. But they’re also expensive, so you really don’t want to use the wrong products. You'll permanently etch marble if you hit it with an acidic cleaner. Similarly, aggressive pads leave scratches that don't buff out. 

Keep it simple. pH-neutral solution, soft pads, periodic resealing. Treat stone floors gently, or you'll spend more on repairs than the cleaning ever would have cost.

VCT and Other Types

VCT is everywhere in schools, hospitals, and retail. It lives on a strip-and-wax cycle. There's no getting around that. You burnish between strip jobs to bring back the shine. Pay attention to your pads, because the wrong choice tears through the wax layer.

What is the Best Way to Clean Commercial Flooring?

Now that you know what your specific building calls for, what is the best way to clean commercial flooring? It all comes down to what your floor is, how big the space is, and what kind of mess you're dealing with most.

Before we get into how we recommend you clean commercial floors, though, let’s take a step back and talk about what’s only going to waste time.

The Problem With Manual Methods

Anyone figuring out how to clean commercial floors for the first time usually grabs a broom and mop. Sure, that’s been the go-to approach forever. And yeah, it’s probably fine for a break room or a small office. 

But try mopping 10,000 square feet of warehouse concrete. You'll pay someone for an entire shift, and much to your dismay, the floor still won't be as clean as it should be. Mops mostly just push dirty water around. Push brooms don’t cut it. So, what’s the best way to clean commercial flooring?

Commercial Floor Sweepers

A floor sweeper machine picks up dry debris without throwing dust into the air like a broom does. Think of it like a massive vacuum for hard surfaces. There are two main types:

• Walk-behinds work in tight areas
• Ride-ons cruise through open spaces fast

You need a sweeper if your biggest daily mess is dust, dirt, packaging scraps, and loose parts on hard floors. Most warehouse and manufacturing floor cleaning routines are built around one of these.

Commercial Floor Scrubbers

Floor scrubbers handle the wet work. They put down a cleaning solution, then brushes scrub it into the floor. A squeegee and vacuum system pick up the dirty water behind the machine. One pass, and the floor comes out dry. These are like a mop on steroids.

Your facility needs one of these if you find yourself constantly fighting stains, oil, grease, or any liquid mess. Like sweepers, they come in both walk-behind and ride-on models depending on your layout.

There’s also a floor sweeper scrubber style that combines sweeping and scrubbing into one trip, so you're not making two passes down every aisle. You can consolidate your equipment by purchasing this type of machine.

Commercial Floor Care Chemicals

You can have the best equipment in the world and still get poor results with the wrong chemical. Or worse, damage your flooring. Here are some quick tips on picking the right solution: 

• Degreaser for oily shop floors. 
• Use a neutral cleaner for everyday hard floor maintenance.
• Apply a that's a stripper when old wax on VCT needs to come up. 
• Disinfectant keeps you in good standing with health codes (industry dependent). 

SweepScrub doesn’t just keep all the best floor care machines in stock - we have a full lineup of chemicals to match. Get a personalized recommendation today.

How to Clean Commercial Floors: Step-by-Step Guide

As for how to clean commercial floors when the time comes, it’s pretty simple. Just follow the right order.

Start With the Dry Soil

Whether it's dust and dirt, pollen, or manufacturing debris, sweep it up first. Going straight to scrubbing just grinds grit into your floor with every pass and chews through pads twice as fast. A sweeper handles the dry stuff in minutes. 

Move Onto Floor Scrubbing

Fill your scrubber's solution tank at the proper dilution ratio for your chemical of choice. Then, set brush pressure for the soil level you're dealing with. Let the machine do the heavy lifting from there.

Run straight rows, overlap a bit so you don't miss strips, and keep a steady pace. Going too fast doesn’t give the brushes time to work or the squeegee/vacuum a chance to pick up all the water. It’s always better to take one good pass than rush through two bad ones.

Routine Buffing May Be Needed

Waxed floors become dull no matter how well you clean them. That's normal. A burnisher brings the shine back and actually hardens the wax so the finish lasts longer before the next strip. This only applies to VCT and similar waxed surfaces. 

Disinfecting and Sanitizing Commercial Flooring

A clean floor isn't necessarily a sanitary one in healthcare, food service, and schools. The disinfectant has to sit on the surface for its full contact time. That dwell time will be printed on the product label. Most people wipe it up too soon, and the chemical never actually does its job. 

Preventative Measures You Can Implement

Cleaning commercial floors gets way easier when you minimize messes in the first place. 

• Good entrance mats at every door. 
• Spill cleanup the minute it happens. 
• A posted cleaning schedule with actual names assigned to actual tasks. 

Implement these protocols and watch your cleaning time drop. Your floors hold up longer between deep sessions, too!

Closing Thoughts on Cleaning Commercial Floors

So, what is the best way to clean commercial flooring? Whether you’re cleaning warehouse floors or office layouts, you just need the right machine, the right chemical, and a schedule somebody follows. 

SweepScrub stocks every type of machine and chemical for any commercial floor out there. Tell us what you're working with, and we'll match you to the right setup. Get started today!