How many different types of flooring do you have in your facility? One? Two? Five? Often times facilities have several different types of flooring in different rooms, and each requires a different type of cleaner. Choosing the correct floor cleaner can often be a daunting task, and often floor cleaners aren’t very descriptive on what type of flooring they work best on. Let’s explore the three main types of floor cleaners that you’ll find in common food service and hospitality situations.

Alkaline Floor Cleaners

Alkaline floor cleaners often fall into the pH range of 7.0-10.0 and are best suited for floor types that are sealed and durable such as quarry tile, stone, ceramic, and porcelain. Alkaline floor cleaners work by emulsifying soils and suspending them in the solution to be picked up by the mop and rinsed away with water. Acid floor cleaners are most often a two-step mopping process requiring a thorough rinse step to ensure that the emulsified soil doesn’t get left behind and redeposit leaving sticky floors.  Thorough rinsing is also important if any grout is present because acid floor cleaners can often eat away at the grout, as it would limescale, weakening the floor. overall, acid floor cleaners are great for dumpster areas, bathrooms, heavy traffic areas, sealed kitchen floors, and other heavy soil areas.

Neutral Floor Cleaners

Neutral floor cleaners often fall in the PH range 6.0-7.0 and are best suited for flooring types that are manufactured such as linoleum, vinyl, synthetic wood, anything that would be easily damaged by a strong base or acid, or flooring with finishes such as waxes or polishes. Neutral floor cleaners provide considerably less cleaning power than their alkaline counterparts, but they do help to restore flooring to a neutral state preventing sticky or chalky floors. Neutral floor cleaners are either one or two-step mopping processes depending on the ph and chemical composition. Make sure to read the directions carefully before using. Neutral floor cleaners make great everyday cleaners and provide a great shine for keeping up those first impression areas such as entry ways, large hallways, meeting spaces etc.

Enzyme Floor Cleaners

Enzyme floor cleaners are generally neutral on the PH scale at 6.0-7.0, but they do harbor a secret cleaning power; the power of enzymes. These natural bacteria work hard at cleaning up organic material and provide a very eco-friendly approach to cleaning without the harsh chemicals of alkaline based cleaners. Enzyme cleaners work great in the foodservice industry because food and grease often end up on the floor and in hard to clean grout, and other cracks and crevices, but these powerful enzymes eat away at your problems and leave behind a great clean. These types of cleaners must be used regularly to take effect, as enzymes work slower than other chemical cleaner do. Enzyme cleaners are also a one-step floor cleaner, which is especially important because if you were to rinse an enzyme based cleaner, you are effectively rinsing away the enzymes which won’t have a chance to work their magic. Enzyme cleaners also have a great effect on drains and mop sinks. Just drain the excess or dirty mop water down any smelly or trouble drain at the end of a shift, and let the enzymes eat away at your clogged pipes too! Enzyme floor cleaners are a great choice for any flooring with grout lines, gaps, tile, stone, or any heavy grease of food soiled areas.

It’s important to keep in mind when selecting a floor cleaner, what type of floor you’ll be cleaning with it, as well as the type of soil you will be cleaning. To explore the different types of floor cleaners Advantage has to offer, take a look at our products page above under “Mop Sink“, or you can always contact a representative through our Contact Us page, as well as our 24/7 service line at 855.238.2436.