[nextline cleaning]

I did a builders clean for a customer, the usual stuff ect.
There was a new slate tiled floor which had just been laid and oiled or sealed a few days before, it looked milkey and i thought i was just builders dust/dirt so i just mopped it with water and detergent and left.

I got a call from the customer saying we hadnt cleaned the floor, when i went back the floor was 10 times worse, watermarks and white blotches everywhere so i sent a friend in with a polisher, he didnt have much luck he just about removed the water marks in 3 hours, the floor is still milky and has white blotches.
The floor is a nightmare to clean it just wont let go of the dirt/dust white marks.
what can i do to clean this, i think the customer thinks i have caused the problem by mopping the floor, is this possible, has this happened to anyone else?

Can anyone suggest a way to clean this nightmare floor.

Many thanks in advance.

[John Kelly]

I think you need to find out exactly what the floor had been finished with. Only then can anyone advise the best course of action.
As you say the floor was milky, then this may have been an Acrylic finish which hadn't dried or it could have been an emulsion polish. As I said you need to find out exactly what.

[*Chris Browne]

Hi john
sounds like the floor as been poorly sealed(lots of reasons for this including wrong type of seal) without seeing it i would say that it would have to be taken back and re sealed or high speed polished

chris


www.scsf.co.uk

[keith b]

This very much sounds like the sealant has been coated on a newly laid floor that has not had time to dry properly, thus resulting in water/damp being trapped in the layer(milky white).
See if you can find out exactly when the floor tiles were laid, and when the coating was put on it.
Basically its going to have to be stripped using a solvent and allowed to dry naturally (normally 30 days) before any other coating can be put on it.

[Carolann]

Hi,
The milky marks sound to me like it is an emulsion based sealant, and as such should have been cleaned with an appropriate maintainer.
All you have done is probably used a detergent which is slightly acidic, this will have started to take the top surface of the seal off, but as it was left on the top, wet,  it has now become milky.
You will need to get an emulsion seal stripper, completely strip the floor and re seal.

It isnt as bad as it sounds, the stripping will only take a couple of hours, then leave the floor to dry for a day or so and go back and re seal. Don't let the customer see that you feel anxious, they will worry too much and think that there is more wrong than really is: take control of the situation, act as though you've seen it before and are not worried by it and are confident enough to rectify it. This may take you more time and cost you more money....but the client will use you again and again.

Carolann

[David Lauder]

Have to agree with other replies - you need to remove whatever was put onto the slate and then re-finish with another colour enhancer or topical sealer when the floor has fully dried.

I would charge much more for this service - you are rectifying some other guys bad workmanship and this goes beyond a builders clean.

[nextline cleaning]

thanks guys, the advice is much appreciated. i will check out the detergent i used to see what the ph is. So an acidic detergent could cause it to go milky by  taking some of the sealer off? if this is the case could i polish it with a rotary cleaner to bring back the shine?

[therapist]

You could try www.prosolve.org.uk

rob m