Clean Altro Flooring

Altro floors are often installed in industrial or commercial settings like hospitals, warehouses, and schools. Altro floors have a protective coating that makes them slip-resistant and durable. You can clean Altro flooring with either a scrubbing machine or manually with a mop and bucket. If you use the right techniques and chemicals that won't degrade the floor's surface, you can clean your Altro floors so that they look shiny and new for the long run.

Steps

Mopping an Altro Floor

1. Sweep and vacuum the floor. Use a push broom and a dustpan or a vacuum to remove all of the loose dirt and debris from off the surface of the floor. Doing this before applying a cleaning solution will make cleaning the floors easier.
2. Mix an alkaline cleaning solution with warm water in a bucket. You can purchase these cleaners online or at a store that specializes in floor cleaning. Make sure that you choose a cleaner that has been tested on vinyl floors or a cleaner that is authorized for use specifically on Altro floors. Read the instructions on the cleaner and dilute the chemicals with warm water in a bucket.
   • Brands of Altro authorized cleaning solutions include Hillyard Super Grease Buster, Diversey PROFI Floor Cleaner, and AltroClean 44.
   • Using an unauthorized cleaner on your Altro floors may wear down their protective covering.
3. Transfer the solution to the floor with a mop. Dip a mop into the bucket with the cleaning solution and water. Remove the mop from the bucket and work it in a back and forth motion across the floor. Continue to work the mop back and forth until the entire floor is covered in solution.
4. Allow the cleaner to soak for 5-10 minutes. Let the solution soak so that it can work away built up dirt and grime. This will make it easier to remove dirt when you scrub.
5. Scrub the floor with an Altro Unipad or a deck brush. Finish removing the rest of the dirt and grime by scrubbing the floor in a back and forth motion. Do not use an overly abrasive brush like steel wool, or you may damage the protective covering on the floor.
6. Rinse the floor with a saturated mop. Get a fresh mop and thoroughly rinse down the floor. Move the mop in a back and forth motion across the floor to pick up the remaining dirt cleaning solution. As your mop gets dirty, wring it out and saturate it again until the entire floor is rinsed.
7. Dry down the floor with a dry mop or rags. Make sure that there is no more cleaning solution remaining on the floor.

Using a Floor Scrubbing Machine

1. Sweep or vacuum the floor. Get larger debris or trash off the floor by sweeping them into a dustpan and vacuuming the floor.
2. Rent or buy a floor scrubbing machine. An automatic scrubber or a standard low-speed swing machine that's between 150 rpm to 350 rpm is safe to use on Alto flooring. You can rent or purchase these machines online or at larger hardware stores. Make sure that you get a floor scrubber that's safe to use with a wet cleaning solution.
   • There are scrubbing machines that you can walk behind or ride on top of.
3. Apply a diluted cleaning solution to the floor. If you have a scrubbing machine with a reservoir for cleaning solution, you can fill it with your cleaning solution diluted with warm water. If your scrubbing machine doesn't have a basin for cleaning solution, you'll have to apply the solution to the floor using a mop. Either way, make sure to read the instructions before using a solution and make sure that it's safe to use on Alto floors.
4. Walk the machine back and forth across the floor. Press the trigger to initiate the scrubbers on your scrubbing machine and walk your machine up and down across the floor until you've fully scrubbed it. The scrubbing machine should leave behind strips of wetness where it worked the solution into the floor.
5. Remove the cleaning solution from the floor with a dry vac or mop. If your scrubbing machine already has a vacuum on it, you won't have to get a separate dry vac or mop to remove the remaining solution from the floor. If your scrubbing machine doesn't have a vacuum, ensure that you dry it down with a dry vac or mop.
6. Rinse the floor again and allow it to dry. Once you're done using the machine, use a mop and fresh water to manually rinse off the floor one more time. This will ensure that all the solution is removed from the floor and can prevent streaking.

Maintaining an Altro Floor

1. Clean high-traffic areas everyday. Most dirt that is transferred on your floors will be from dirt on the bottom of shoes. High-traffic areas are more likely to get a higher buildup of dirt and grime. Sweep the floor at least twice a day and mop it down once a day.
2. Scrub scuff marks with an abrasive pad. You can scrub rubber heel marks off of the Altro flooring manually with an abrasive pad. You can purchase an abrasive pad or abrasive sponge at most department stores or online.
3. Use mats and rugs to prevent dirt transfer to the floor. Doormats and rugs will help pick up dirt buildup from people's shoes and will prevent your floor from getting as dirty. Lay down mats or rugs in front of doors so that people can wipe down their feet before walking on your Altro flooring.

Things You'll Need

• Broom and dustpan or vacuum
• Mop
• Abrasive pad
• Altro authorized cleaning solution
• Rags
• Water
• Bucket
• Automatic scrubber or low-speed swing machine
• Mats or rugs (optional)

Sources and Citations

See also

• Scotchgard Carpet
• Clean Laminate Floors Naturally
• Clean Old Hardwood Floors
• Clean Laminate Wood Floors Without Streaking
• Clean a Wool Carpet
• Clean Polyurethane Wood Floors
• Remove Furniture Dents from Carpet
• Assemble a Swiffer WetJet
• Keep Your Carpet Clean
• Wax a Floor

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