Clean Room Floor Deep Cleaning
Cleaning in highly sensitive environments such as clean rooms adds a further challenge to what is often already a difficult task.
The sensitivity of the environment is closely monitored and controlled to avoid any contamination entering into the working environment as well as ensuring containment.
Pressure-controlled changing areas are provided to ensure that contaminants are not transported in either direction. All equipment requires decontamination before entering the clean room.
This all adds to the effort and energy required when deep-cleaning the floors. Most cleanroom flooring is vinyl, sealed with a removable polish.
Stripping off the old polish and deep-cleaning vinyl flooring is a tough, highly skilled job. If it is not completed to a good standard, it shows in the finished product.
Another big challenge when stripping floor polish in these environments is that there will rarely be access to water and waste facilities. So each time fresh water or soiled water waste needs to be replenished or disposed of, operatives will have to go through the changing process, moving from the clean room area to outside areas.
The process involves putting on and taking off gowns or full body suits. Protection of the head and facial hair with hair nets. Cleaning hands with a sanitising solution and wearing protective gloves and shoe covers.
Of course, when wearing all that protective clothing and doing the very physical task of deep cleaning vinyl flooring, it makes the work very hot and uncomfortable.
Another challenge can be the effect of air pressure on the work in progress. The process for stripping off layers of old polish begins with pre-soaking the floor with a chemical solution of floor polish remover diluted in water.
For the chemical in the solution to be active, the floor must remain wet. The air pressure can accelerate the drying of the stripper solution, so it is very important to ensure that the floor section being worked on, as well as the next section, is kept wet.
Once the chemical has been active upon the floor for some time, normally a minimum of 20 minutes on a lightly polished floor and up to an hour on a heavily polished floor. The polish should be soft enough to be cleaned off with a rotary floor machine.
A weighted machine will be best as extra weight can be added or removed depending on how stubborn the seal or polish is.
Once the floor polish has de-bonded from the vinyl floor surface by the agitation and scrubbing, the slurry solution left on the floor then needs to be removed with the use of a powerful wet extraction vacuum.
After removing the polish from the surface, the next stage is to ensure the floor is fully neutralised and that no residue or chemical remains.
The best method is by wet mopping the floor several times. During mopping, as soon as the water starts to look a bit cloudy, it must be refreshed.
Once the floor is clean and has dried, the new polish or sealant can be applied.
Two coats of a good brand polish should give the floor a good seal and leave it looking fresh and vibrant.
The best method for applying the polish is to use a flat mop and ensure it is applied evenly.
The first coat should be applied in one direction across the floor. When that has dried, and the floor has been left for a suitable period, the second coat can be applied in a cross direction to the first.
This should ensure that the floor gets fully covered, leaving no bare spots.
