deep cleaning commercial-grade no-wax flooring

[Kyle]

My church's kitchen constantly smells like a bucket of dirty mop water

- if you worked in fast food (as I did as a teen) you know the smell I'm talking about: grease and dirt and ugh.

I think the problem is the floor, that it has a build-up of grease and years of not-so-great mopping. It's a commercial-grade no-wax vinyl according to the buildings-and-grounds guys who (when you keep 'em on topic) seem to remember the floor being laid in 1985.

I don't think a simple mopping with bleach and water will suffice. Eventually we will replace the floor, but do not have the funds to do so (especially after the phone system blew out in last week's storms). Can anyone recommend a product or method of removing years of accumulated ick from a no-wax floor?

Arigato!

[M Q]

How about cleaning it? Try a good grease cutting detergent. Bleach just sterilizes the dirt, but doesn't really clean anything. I think there probably are detergents that are made just for vinyl floors, but if not, I have used 409, laundry detergent, and maybe even sudsy ammonia. And you should scrub a bit. Or you can hire a cleaning service to do a once a year thorough cleaning.

[coffee]

Had the same problem when we rented an apartment. The floors were a black and white check pattern about 12 inch squares. They were very dirty from grease and dirt. So, I took some straight ammonia and poured it on and let it sit a few minutes. Then with a pail of hot water and a sponge mop it all came off.

Make sure you venelate really good. The ammonia can get quite strong.

[Kyle]

M Q suggested:

This is what I get for trying to post questions while at the office - I fail to include all information!

The cleaners we have at the church claim they've used good janitorial cleaner on the floor, but it doesn't do the trick. There's a bit of tacky/stickiness to the floor, so I suspect years' worth of build-up that just won't come off without either a really strong almost floor stripper (which I'm told you NEVER use on no-way flooring) or scrubbing and scrubbing and scrubbing and...

I was hoping there was a simpler solution I wasn't aware of, but it looks like I'm gonna have to recruit some members who have loads of elbow grease to share and are willing to get on their knees for something that doesn't involve praying (unless you count "Oh, God, my knees hurt!").

[coffee]

Before you do why dont you try some ammonia (sp?) and let it sit for a few minutes and then take a mop over it? I bet it all comes up.

Sounds like its just a build up of wax and grease. Ammonia will take it right off for you. Look like brand new.

[NickySantoro]

Spic n Span and a good dose of ammonia. Do it 4 times.

[Kyle]

coffee suggested:

NickySantoro wrote:

OK, guys, ammonia it is. I'll have a couple of people hit it hard on the next clean-up day, and bring the results back here. Thanks!