When it comes to workplace cleaning, there are two distinct schools of thought: a science-based approach, and an experience base approach. Both have their merits; it is true there is no substitute for experience and following tried and tested techniques.  However, the flipside to this coin is that by ignoring science and technology you could be missing out on the latest and greatest in the cleaning world.

Traditional floor care systems/maintenance cycle consist of coating, scrubbing, burnishing, scrub & recoat, and stripping the old coating.  But 3M is developing products to simplify the floor maintenance cycle with restorative and innovative 2-in-1 solutions.  The system is made up of three elements, Scotchgard^TM UHS 25 Floor Finish, Clean & Shine Floor Pads and Daily Floor Enhancer.

The UHS25 Floor Finish boasts many benefits including providing a deep, high gloss look

Superior soil, abrasion, black mark resistance, as well as excellent slip resistance.

The Clean & Shine Floor Pad is a 2-in-1 scrubbing pad that provides a deep clean while also improving gloss with daily use, this means less time and labour spent on burnishing, which can help to reduce costs and free up time for other cleaning activities.  It removes black marks three times faster than traditional cleaning pads and this two-sided pad has an optimum life of approximately 42,000 square metres per pad.

Finally, 3M’s Daily Floor Enhancer is a daily cleaner for autoscrubber or mop and bucket applications which improves the appearance of your floor and also has restorative properties to repair fine surface scratches that can extend the life of the floor coating.

Trials have been conducted on the Clean & Shine pads and Daily Floor Enhancer on acrylic floors which allowed for burnishing to be reduced 80% while still maintaining and improving the gloss/appearance of the floor.  It is easy to focus on the impact this pad has on floor care maintenance, but it is compatible and will work on bare stone as well as a range of resilient floor types including linoleum and VCT.

As we started this article, the science-based approach from a leading global brand is great but the thoughts of a professional with years of experience also carries a lot of gravitas. This brings in Peter Rundle, Managing Director of Frontline Support, one of the big names in cleaning and facility support services. Peter was happy to share his knowledge of 3M’s Advanced Floor Care System.

Peter commented, “The UHS25 floor coating is convenient in its simplicity – the fact that you don’t need a different base coat on stone floors is a definite advantage. The added bonus is that since it is higher solids than comparable products, you can achieve good ‘depth’ in less time. When used in conjunction with the Daily Enhancer and Clean and Shine pads, we have seen excellent gloss levels in high traffic environments.”

Real Life Results

Peter continued, “This product was my first choice in a CBD office building foyer. This is a 24/7 facility, and the foyer needs to be stripped and sealed in two sections as access cannot be restricted – using just one product allowed us to seal without any unsightly overlap and being able to apply three rather than 5 coats was a real time saver.”

Peter moves on to discuss the Clean & Shine Pads, “One pad does all is the biggest selling point for these pads. 3M Clean and Shine pads produce a great result in one pass. We are using these pads extensively for deep cleans in time sensitive sites as they give us the ability to deliver the floor back to the client quickly and looking good. We are also finding they are assisting with ‘problem’ floors such as some types of rubber. Scrubbed with water only, we are getting a consistent shiny result on even old and worn floors.

Peter concludes with his thoughts on 3M’s Daily enhancer, “With approximately 9 months of testing our clients have seen discernibly improved gloss levels from their existing floors, and extended timeframes between stripping and sealing or recoating. Whilst the product may look expensive, it is concentrated and most people are impressed with the actual ‘cost in use’.”

If the science behind the technology, twinned with an experienced industry voice isn’t enough to convince you, then perhaps the fact that 3M offer an on-site floor care trial with their Advanced Floor Care System so you can see how your floors can be enhanced. The trial starts with an understanding of your objectives and typically takes 3 weeks. It consists of 3M’s floor specialists conducting a floor evaluation, both before and after with readings, photos and weekly gloss readings resulting in a final floor evaluation and field report with summary of results.

Contact 3M today to learn more or to request a free trial by simply Clicking Here.