Eight Tips For Effectively Spray Buffing A Floor

Something of a lost art, spray buffing has resurfaced as a key to stretching floor refinishing cycles, removing stains, and leaving floors with a high-gloss shine.

Across North America, schools are now in the final stages of preparing their buildings for the fall season. One of the big tasks is stripping and refinishing floors. However, many cleaning professionals have implemented steps to stretch refinishing cycles, sometimes as long as 24 months.

spray buffing floor
(Charlotte Products Ltd.)

But, the effectiveness of this strategy is very dependent on spray buffing the floor.

Something of a lost art, spray buffing has resurfaced not only as a key to stretching floor refinishing cycles, but also at removing heel marks, stains, spills, and leaving floors with a high-gloss shine.

For those that need a refresher course on spray buffing, James Flieler, VP of Sales and Marketing for Charlotte Products Ltd., reviews some of the key steps in the process:

  1. Cordon off the work area with wet floor signs.
  2. Dust and then damp mop the floor using a good quality pH neutral cleaner.
  3. Use a cleaning solution specifically engineered for spray buffing: “Sometimes cleaning professionals mix their own concoction. It’s always best to use a product expressly manufactured for this task.”
  4. Start at the farthest end of the area and walk backwards, towards the exit.
  5. Always mist the spray over the equipment directly onto the floor: “Realize that small amounts go a long way.”
  6. Using a low-speed floor machine, with a clean spray buffing pad move the machine side-to-side over about a three-foot-wide area of the floor. This needs to be performed twice.
  7. Let the machine linger over heavily scuffed floor areas to remove them. In some cases, these areas may need to be cleaned first using a little “elbow grease.”
  8. Finish by dust mopping the floor.

“A few more things to remember,” adds Flieler. “Never let the spray buff solution dry. If it does, clean the [floor] area and then re-mist. And for best results, don’t rush the process. Moving slowly over the floor brings out the shine.”