The Evolution Of Floor Finishes

This article was originally published in Clean Link.

Much of the terminology and the traditional procedures in floor care come from the early history of floor finishes. So it is important to understand their history and the evolution of modern technology used today. This technology is a combination of floor finish evolution and floor machine advances that have increased the speed for buffing resulting in a higher shine in less time. The advances in floor care technology we enjoy today are due to progressive manufacturers competing to provide a product and process superior to their peers. The building service industry and end users are the beneficiaries of these advances.

Many people still talk about “waxing” the floor, even though it has been 50 years since natural waxes were widely used as a floor finish. The first floor finishes were carnauba waxes, made from the leaves of a tropical plant. Carnauba is a natural wax emulsion blend combined with a resin. Carnauba waxes were buffable and gave a great shine. They dried to a slight haze and left deep, rich swirls on the floor when buffed. They were extremely abrasive resistant but, because carnauba wax was very expensive and difficult to obtain, manufacturers began using other natural materials that were less costly, like beeswax, shellac and paraffin. Although some natural wax finishes are still used today, synthetic materials have largely replaced them in floor maintenance.

Synthetic wax/polymer finishes followed carnauba wax. In the late 1940s, a synthetic floor finish using a water-based and a plastic called polystyrene was developed. The first polystyrene finishes were colorless and had a very high gloss. But, they were also very brittle and tended to turn yellow after a period of time. When the wax-like plastic polyethylene was mixed with the polystyrene, however, a very durable, buffable, non-brittle floor finish was created.

Today, synthetic materials are much more commonly used in floor finishes than natural waxes. Synthetic water-based finishes are collectively called polymer finishes. The improved result was a dry, bright finish. The "buffability" of the finish depended on the type of synthetic wax and polymers that were put into them. Synthetic wax/polymer finishes in liquid form are a milky white color.

Rock Beats Polka

 

Advenger® REV™ Rider Scrubber Delivers High-Capacity Cleaning Performance

The new Advenger® REV™ rider scrubber combines the superior daily cleaning performance and chemical-free floor finish removal of our innovative REV scrubber technology with the high productivity of a rider scrubber. The Advenger REV delivers quality, high-capacity scrubbing performance for large cleaning applications.

Featuring a wide 28-inch scrub path and 28-gallon solution tank, the Advenger REV provides up to 280 minutes of continuous operation per tank while removing floor finish and up to 140 minutes per tank when daily scrubbing. Advance’s exclusive Random Orbital Scrubbing technology allows the Advenger REV to scrub deeper and more uniformly than conventional rider scrubbers, leaving a swirl-free, scrubbed surface—all while using far less water and chemicals.

Additional benefits of the Advenger REV include:

• Floor finish removal capabilities at a touch of the button enable easy floor restoration using only water
• Sustainable cleaning is achieved with the standard, onboard EcoFlex™ System, allowing complete control of water, detergent and energy use
• Simple operation with an open, easily-accessible rider compartment and excellent sight lines
• NFSI certification provides enhanced operator safety to aid in the prevention of slips and falls

The Advenger REV is ideal for a variety of large cleaning applications, including but not limited to: healthcare facilities, educational facilities, grocery stores, government centers, entertainment arenas, hospitality facilities and warehouses.

Selecting the Right Vacuum

Advance continues to reduce the cost of cleaning through innovative commercial vacuum products. Advance has a full line of upright, wide-area, canister, backpack and rider commercial vacuums to meet any floor cleaning need. For superior performance, Advance vacuums provide the following benefits:

• Excellent dust control and superior filtration for improved indoor air quality
• Upright vacuums closely resemble vacuums used for home cleaning and are operated in the same manner 
• Wide-area vacuums are upright vacuums with a wider base to accommodate large, open spaces 
• Canister vacuums feature a compact body with an attached hose and cleaning wand 
• Backpack vacuums also have an attached hose and wand, but the body of the vacuum is worn on the operator’s back 
• Rider vacuums allow operators to drive the unit from a seated position and offer more productivity in large spaces

For more information on how to select the ideal vacuum for your cleaning application, visit www.advance-us.com.