I started new janitorial account and began cleaning the bathroom. I used a mild acid cleaner. The floors are ceramic tile. The little half inch squares. (I assume this is ceramic)

Anyway the floor is now sticky. The floor has a sealer or finish on it. I dred having to strip. I just don't have the time.

I wonder if i can just scrub with my cimex or OP and punch to remove the stickyness and apply a layer of sealer on top of the one thats there.

Customer is complaining that they are tracking on there new carpet. My goal is to get rid of the stickyness without stripping. After doing a search i was reading all the stripping input and i begin to get a HEAD,HEART AND BACK ACHE. I asume the mild acid cleaner caused the sealer to loosen up.

Thanks
Your Servant Alex

A sign of the times!

Alex you are going to ned to do the dreaded thing. Apply some good floor stripper, mixed according to the manufacturers directions. Give it 10 minutes of dwell time. Scrub with bushes. Wet vacuum and rinse.

After the finish that's presently on the floor is removed, it will be much easier to maintain the floor properly. Floor finish should have never been applied to a ceramic tile floor.

I know stripping the floor wasn't what you wanted to hear. But it is the only right way to fix the problem. Make the client aware of what you will need to accomplish to undo the messed up floors and then charge them accordingly.






Rick Gelinas
rick@excellent-supply.com

Alex I don't see what the problem with stripping is it's basically the same process you just did. I do it on tile all the time. As Rick said mop it down wait 10 mins hit it with some t & g brushes and then suck it up with a wet vac.
Basically what you just did with the acid cleaner only most strippers are a strong alkaline. Smells worse from the buytl so make sure you have good ventalation. I use mostly use "bare bones" and you can get it here http://www.globalsupplyservice.com/floorcare.asp or you can go to dirtygrout.com and ask the guys there to recommend a good stripper you can get locally. ( a lot of the HD and lowes strippers are worthless)
Be prepared to get prepared to get beat up for not knowing what you were doing
cleaning the tile to begin with.

I have no brushes only pad drivers for my cimex. Is there a pad to use and cut to size that won't scratch tile?


I actually was cleaning the urinals aand toilets with the acid cleaner. And sray and then rinse off.

yES YOU ARE RIGHT I'LL BE THE FIRST TO ADMIT THAT I'M NO PRO AT this stripper wax junk. I'm just trying to correct this and move forward. The key is that i learn from the mistake. (the first time)

The sealer is still on the floor. It looks ok. Just want to get rid of the stickyness and when its time to resore then i'll charge for the restoring.

Thanks
Your Servant Alex

A sign of the times!

From what I read the mess is Alex's fault, why should he be charging the contract for the job? The floors were not sticky before he did the work only after he used the acid cleaner.

He messed up by what his post said. He needs to correct his mess and not charge a dime on this. Unless I am reading the post wrong.

Years ago, I did office cleaning and dripped some acid bowl cleaner on a carpet which made it look like smalll burns. Guess what I paid for the repair of the carpet.

What made you use an acid cleaner on tile floor?

A neurtal cleaner would have worked just fine.. You went and made more work for yourself and worst of all you showed that you are not a professional (in there eyes of course).

The best thing you can do is have a janitorial supply house that you purchases from and get to talk with the sales person when you need info.

And it they sold you the acid cleaner for this floor I would go find another supply house to deal with.

Hey Joe i think i recall you mentioning you have eight years in the janitorial business.

Will RICK G'S lightening strip pads be too aggressive for that floor wwith a nuetral cleaner?

Thanks
Your Servant Alex

A sign of the times!

Alex I wasn't trying to be critical of you just telling you to be prepared if you go to Dirty Grout.
Joe is right you should of used an alkaline cleaner and it wopuld of done the job. You most likely are not dealing with a sealer but a wax of some sort.
Get a deck brush at Home Depot or Lowes and mop down the stripper let it dwell for 10 mins and and then scrub with the deck brush or you could use the fiber plus pads or any pad I would work my way up and not start out with the most aggressive pads. I do t&g all the time and one of my largest accounts is a hosp and they put VCT wax on everything so I have quie a bit of experience with this. If you like give me a call 678-350-3402.

Alex, it is difficult to get "too aggressive" on ceramic 1/2 inch tiles. The only problem with the Lightning Strip pads is that they may not get down into the grout lines. Otherwise they will be fine. You can get a $7.00 grout brush at any janitorial supply. I've found Bare Bones to be excellent for removing finishes. Not that difficult a job. Just protect the carpet in front of the restroom door. Since it's a new account, you might as well set it up right.

Only other thing is, when finish in on that kind of tile, it is usually obvious and should have been noted on the initial inspection.

Joe,

Maybe I misread the situation, but I am assuming that a previous cleaning company put the finish on the ceramic tile floor. Putting floor finish on a ceramic tile floor is ALWAYS a mistake. That should not have been done. If the previous company created the situation, my thought is that Alex shouldn't foot the bill for correcting it. An acid based cleaner would not have made ceramic tile sticky, however it could make floor finish sticky. But like I said, maybe I wasn't clear about who was responsible for applying the finish in the first place.


Alex,

Lightning Strip Pads are hugely aggressive - they're superb for stripping floor finish on a smooth floor. However they won't travel down into the grout lines. Brushes are needed for scrubbing into the grout lines. You could purchase brushes for your Cimex. But the cheapest way to approach this would be to apply a strong dilution of stripper - let it dwell - scrub the floor with your Cimex using the Lightning Strip pads - then run one of our Edge Brushes or any grout brush along each the grout line. Then wet vac and rinse. It will probably take a lot of work to get the grout lines clean, regardless of how you approach it, but it can be done.







Rick Gelinas
rick@excellent-supply.com

I used a 15"/175rpm rotory
white used pad.
ZEPP degreaser/cleaner
bought a squeegee, foam (great to have)
scrubbed rinsed mopped
stickyness gone
THANKS JEFF V.!!!


No more acid cleaner while floor is sealed
will not strip until client complain
Will tell them finish not recommended
Tuesday will recommend Strip N wax 2 kitchens (VCT)
Will apply all knowledge shared with me today on CERAMIC TILE POST.

heres before photo of kitchen
will show you my first strip n wax after photo
Thank you all.













Other Kitchen :




















Thanks
Your Servant Alex

The Time Left Is Reduced!!

here is the ceramic tile bathroom floor with sealer or wax.
















Grout lins seem to already have the dirt color and was already sealed when i got the account.
If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Thats my motto. They're happy with it so why change it.

Thanks
Your Servant Alex

The Time Left Is Reduced!!