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Slick227

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Oct 25, 2020
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I am more of a engineered wood expert. I have a client that has a vinyl floor. Do yo know if I can use a scrubbing machine and polyurethane on a vinyl floor?
 
Never heard of anything like that before. Newer floors usually have some sort of a cushion or softness. It's not something I'd recommend and it would probably be hard to get the polyurethane to stick.
 
I am not sure about that. But you can follow the instructions floor cleaning the vinyl floor.
Wipe up spills with plain water as soon as they happen to help prevent stains. You’ll need to clean your floor more thoroughly about once a week. First, vacuum or dry mop the floor to remove dust, hair, and dirt. Then you’re ready to move on to a wet mop and a cleaning solution. Commercial vinyl floor cleaners are available, but you can make a simple, effective cleaner for vinyl floors by mixing apple cider vinegar with water. The vinegar’s acidity removes dirt without leaving a soapy film. Mix one cup of cider vinegar with a gallon of hot water. Use a damp mop to apply to the floor, rinsing the mop frequently with clean, hot water from another bucket or your sink. For extra cleaning power, add a few drops of liquid dishwashing soap to the water and vinegar mixture. Mop first with the soap mixture and then mop a second time with the water and vinegar mixture.
This is very inaccurate information and should not be disseminated to the public at large although it does exists in so many realms already. Firstly, cleaning anything on your floor with an acidic solution is a terrible idea. It will dull finishes and potentially etch vinyl. There is a reason that all commercial floor cleaners are a neutral PH (7.0) or are slightly basic. Then we go an tell people to wash their floor with dishwashing soap as well?? There is a reason there is a segment of industry dedicated to the care of floor coverings. This is about as good and useful as telling people to was their wood floors with a steam mop or their car with rocks.
 
You wouldn’t believe how many floors I’ve seen destroyed with them steam cleaners. Even had a section of a laminate floor destroyed because the customer set their still hot steam cleaner on it after they cleaned their tile floors.

I’m askin cus I don’t clean floors for a living. What’s the difference between using a cup of vinegar to a gallon of warm water vs using a cup of ammonia to a gallon of warm water. They both slightly tip away from neutral, just in different directions. Is that slight bit of acid really that much worse than a slight bit of base.
 
Most ammonia is sold in concentrations of around 30-35% if my memory serves and ita PH is something like 11 or 11.2 so it is mildly basic. Akalines are what is used for removing things like grease, oils and the likes seeing as they are soluble in alkalie substances.
Acids, on the other hand, etch minerals like rust deposit and calcium buildup.
Even Apple cider vinegar falls around a PH of 2-3 which is not overly acidic but more than enough to dull the materials you are cleaning.
That being said, I am sure lots of people have a lot of luck with it bit it wouldn't be for me.
 
The answer to the original question is NO

it would be foolish to try to put a polyurethane on a plastic floor.

There are "finishes" that can be applied to "no-wax" floors. Consult a professional to get the right concoction for your specific plastic floor covering.
 
What are they wanting to do with it and what is the specific flooring?

You can't use a standard polyurethane like you would for a wood floor but...

There are companies (more on the commercial side) who have products called semi-permanent coatings that are urethane based. I have some hospitals that I deal with who still have large amounts of VCT (Vinyl Composition Tile) that use these types of coatings as opposed to using an acrylic floor finish. On average these coatings will last up to 4 years before needing to be replaced as opposed to the standard strip and wax cycle with acrylic finish.

Here's a link to one of the products I've seen:

A vinyl floor finish can be water-based urethane.

With no-wax vinyl sheet or luxury vinyl tile - most of these products have a urethane topcoat already on them and unless they are lower end products shouldn't need anything like this applied to them. You also have to be careful as there may be additional steps so that this type of finish will bond correctly. With many modified urethane wear layers, such as those containing aluminum oxide, quartz or ceramic bead, they can be extremely difficult to bond to and may require a very aggressive, almost scuffing of the urethane so that a finish of any type will bond appropriately. If this step is not followed it can result in the finish peeling and flaking and it looks absolutely horrible. In short it's a little more involved than just using a scrubber and applying the finish to do one of the newer vinyl floors with something like the product in the link.
 
I remember many many years ago Armstrong having a finish coating for when the Solarian floors lost their gloss.
I'm betting it's still in the woodhouse along with the s553 the s200 and every other products that they used to sell. I understand why everyone is buying stone and tile these days.
 

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