Floor cleaning methods

Abstract

This invention provides a floor cleaning method that allows the wax coating to be maintained for a long period of time. [Solution] The floor cleaning method of the present invention comprises: a first step of cleaning the floor using a cleaning agent; a second step of recovering the liquid generated by the cleaning; a third step of raising the floor surface temperature to room temperature or higher by wiping the floor with hot water; a fourth step of applying wax to the floor while maintaining a floor surface temperature of room temperature or higher; a fifth step of buffing the floor while maintaining a floor surface temperature of room temperature or higher; a sixth step of removing the powder generated by the buffing by wiping the floor while maintaining a floor surface temperature of room temperature or higher; and a seventh step of repeating steps 4 to 6 once or more times. In steps 4 to 6, a wax film is formed and laminated while the floor is maintained at a high temperature. This makes it possible to maintain a strong and smooth wax film for a long period of time.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a floor cleaning method capable of maintaining a wax coating for a long period of time.

Background Art

[0002] A general floor cleaning method includes a step of sweeping the floor to remove dust, a step of cleaning the floor using a cleaning agent or a polisher, a step of collecting the sewage generated during floor cleaning with a vacuum or the like, a step of wiping the floor surface with a mop or the like to dry it, a step of applying wax to the floor, a step of drying the wax with a blower or the like, and the like. Also, a step of buffing the floor surface may be added as necessary. There are problems such as the inability to operate a store or factory while cleaning the floor and the increase in cleaning costs, so it is required to make the wax coating last as long as possible.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a floor cleaning method in which wax using calcium as a crosslinking agent is applied to the floor and buffed to form a strong base film, and then cleaning and buffing are repeated twice and surface cleaning is repeated once at intervals of about one month. By using wax with calcium as a crosslinking agent, the base film can be maintained for a long period of time, and the cleaning cycle can be extended.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] However, the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1 above has a problem in that it is premised on using a special wax having calcium as a crosslinking agent and lacks versatility.

[0006] The present invention aims to provide a floor cleaning method that can maintain a wax coating for a long period of time, taking these problems into consideration. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] The floor cleaning method of the present invention is characterized by comprising: a first step of cleaning the floor using a cleaning agent; a second step of recovering the liquid generated by the cleaning; a third step of raising the floor surface temperature to room temperature or higher by wiping the floor with hot water; a fourth step of applying wax to the floor while maintaining a floor surface temperature of room temperature or higher; a fifth step of buffing the floor while maintaining a floor surface temperature of room temperature or higher; a sixth step of removing the powder generated by the buffing by wiping the floor while maintaining a floor surface temperature of room temperature or higher; and a seventh step of repeating the fourth to sixth steps one or more times. Furthermore, it is characterized by having a floor surface temperature of 30°C or higher, above room temperature. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] In this invention, in steps 4 to 6, a wax coating is formed and laminated while maintaining the floor surface at a temperature above room temperature. This makes it possible to maintain a strong and smooth wax coating for a long period of time. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] A diagram to explain how to clean the floor. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] An embodiment of the floor cleaning method of the present invention will be described. As shown in Figure 1, the worker first cleans the floor using a cleaning agent (Step 1: S1). The type of cleaning agent is not particularly important. Use the cleaning agent to remove dirt attached to the floor. Using a strong cleaning agent may also remove the old wax coating.

[0011] Next, the contaminated liquid generated in step 1 is collected (step 2: S2). The liquid can be collected using a vacuum. Next, the worker uses hot water to wipe the floor, raising the floor surface temperature above room temperature (third step: S3). In this specification, water with a temperature of 40°C or higher is defined as "hot water." For example, hot water can be obtained at the work site by heating a bucket of water with a heating rod. It is preferable to use a mop for wiping, but other materials such as a rag may also be used. One of the features of this invention is that the floor surface temperature is raised above room temperature by wiping the floor with hot water. Hot water can be added to a bucket, a mop can be immersed in the bucket, and the water can be squeezed out of the mop to make it hot. By wiping the floor with this hot mop, the floor surface temperature can be raised above room temperature. The worker uses a radiation thermometer, for example, that can measure the floor surface temperature, and repeats mopping the floor while adjusting the temperature of the hot water until the floor surface temperature is above room temperature. Generally, the floor surface temperature is equal to or below the room temperature. During cold seasons, the floor surface temperature can be raised to above room temperature by wiping the floor surface several times with a mop or the like. Alternatively, the floor surface temperature can be raised to above room temperature by directly sprinkling hot water on the floor surface. The surface temperature of the floor surface varies depending on the amount of sunlight it receives, which is one of the factors that reduces the ease of waxing. However, in this invention, the surface temperature of the floor is uniformly raised to above room temperature, suppressing variations and thus improving the ease of waxing.

[0012] Next, the worker applies wax to the floor while maintaining a floor surface temperature above room temperature (Step 4: S4). There are no particular restrictions on the type of wax; resin wax, semi-resin wax, or water-based wax is acceptable. The inventors of this invention discovered that when wax is applied to a floor surface at a temperature above room temperature, the wax melts due to the heat, making it easier to adhere to the floor, and the wax film adheres firmly to the floor. Generally, it is considered preferable to apply wax at a moderate room temperature (around 15°C to 25°C), and it is known that when the room temperature exceeds 30°C, the drying rate of the wax increases too much, making it prone to unevenness and significantly reducing workability. Furthermore, it is not generally practiced to adjust the floor surface temperature to an optimal level when applying wax. In contrast, the inventors of this invention discovered that the wax film can be firmly adhered by repeatedly applying wax to a floor surface at a temperature above room temperature. Through experiments, the inventors of this invention found that the preferred floor surface temperature T above room temperature is 30°C ≤ T ≤ 35°C.

[0013] Next, the worker buffs the floor while maintaining a floor surface temperature above room temperature (Step 5: S5). Buffing can be done with a well-known buffing machine, but a polisher with a lower rotation speed than a buffing machine may also be used. Buffing removes scratches and irregularities from the surface of the wax coating, resulting in a smooth surface, and the frictional heat hardens the wax coating, allowing it to last for a long period of time. Furthermore, the frictional heat generated by buffing helps maintain the floor surface temperature above room temperature.

[0014] Next, the worker removes the powder (wax abrasive residue) generated by buffing by wiping the floor while maintaining a floor surface temperature above room temperature (Step 6: S6). Wiping the floor with a mop using hot water helps maintain a raised floor surface temperature. By removing the powder, the first layer of a strong and smooth wax coating can be formed. Next, the worker repeats steps 4 to 6 above at least once (step 7). That is, the worker repeats waxing, buffing, and removing powder by wiping the floor at least once, preferably at least twice. Each time steps 4 to 6 are performed, one layer of a strong and smooth wax coating can be formed. In other words, if steps 4 to 6 are repeated three times in step 7, four layers of wax coating can be formed.

[0015] As shown in Fig. 1, in the present invention, in the fourth to sixth steps, a wax film is formed while maintaining the floor in a high-temperature state, and the films are laminated. As a result, a strong and smooth wax film can be maintained for a long time.

Example

[0016] The examples and comparative examples of the present invention will be described. On October 19, 2024, the floor cleaning method of the present invention was implemented. When the floor before construction was measured with a gloss meter (Horiba, Ltd. IG-331), the glossiness was 44. The floor was partitioned into two parts with tape. The floor cleaning method of the present invention was implemented on one part of the floor, and as a comparative example, wax was applied only once to the other part of the floor to form a single-layer wax film by the normal construction method. There were toilets, elevators, and stairs around the floor, and an area with a lot of human traffic was selected.

[0017] One part of the floor was washed (first step), and the generated liquid was collected (second step). The glossiness of the floor decreased to 36. This is presumably because the old wax film was removed. When the temperature of the floor was measured with a digital thermometer (Testo 905-T2), it was 24.7°C. The temperature of the space where the floor was located (room temperature) was about 25°C. Hot water at about 90°C was prepared in a bucket. After putting a mop into the bucket to warm it, the mop was wrung out. The temperature of the mop before putting it into the bucket was 22.7°C, and the temperature of the mop after wringing out the hot water was 47.5°C. In the following steps, the temperature of the mop was maintained at 45°C or higher. The floor was wiped with the warmed mop (third step). The floor surface temperature rose to 31.5°C.

[0018] Resin wax was applied to the floor (fourth step) and dried with a blower. The glossiness of the floor increased to 63 in the state where the first-layer wax film was formed. The floor was buffed (fifth step). The floor surface temperature after buffing was 30.5°C. It can be seen that the floor surface temperature can be maintained at a high temperature by the frictional heat generated by buffing. After putting the mop into a bucket filled with hot water and warming it, the powder generated by buffing was removed by wiping the floor with the mop while squeezing out the hot water (Step 6). The floor surface temperature was 32.5°C, and it can be seen that the high temperature state was maintained because the floor was wiped with the warmed mop.

[0019] The second coat of wax was applied to the floor (Step 4, second time). The wax coating became two layers, and the glossiness of the floor increased to 77. The second buffing was performed on the floor (Step 5, second time), and the floor was wiped with a warmed mop (Step 6, second time). The floor surface temperature was 31.5°C, and it can be seen that the high temperature state was maintained.

[0020] The third coat of wax was applied to the floor (Step 4, third time). The wax coating became three layers, and the glossiness of the floor increased to 81. The third buffing was performed on the floor (Step 5, third time), and the floor was wiped with a warmed mop (Step 6, third time). The floor surface temperature was 31.5°C, and it can be seen that the high temperature state was maintained. The fourth coat of wax was applied to the floor. The wax coating became four layers, and the glossiness of the floor increased to 86.

[0021] On October 21, 2025, about one year after the construction, the floor with the present invention (wax coating with four layers) was compared with the floor of the comparative example (wax coating with one layer). The glossiness of the floor of the present invention was 65, and that of the comparative example was 36. Visually, the floor of the present invention maintained a gloss almost comparable to the state at the time of construction, with few scratches and stains. However, the glossiness of the floor of the comparative example was clearly lower than that at the time of construction, and scratches and stains were prominent. It was found that the wax coating can be maintained for a long time according to the cleaning method of the floor of the present invention.

Industrial Applicability

[0022] The present invention is a floor cleaning method capable of maintaining a wax coating for a long time and has industrial applicability.

Claims

1. The first step is to clean the floor using a cleaning agent, The second step involves recovering the liquid generated during washing, The third step involves using hot water to wipe the floor to raise the floor surface temperature above room temperature, The fourth step involves applying wax to the floor while maintaining a floor surface temperature above room temperature, The fifth step involves buffing the floor while maintaining a floor surface temperature above room temperature, A sixth step involves removing the powder generated by the buffing by wiping the floor while maintaining a floor surface temperature above room temperature, A method for cleaning a floor, characterized by comprising a seventh step of repeating the above-mentioned fourth to sixth steps once or more times.

2. The floor cleaning method according to claim 1, characterized in that the floor surface temperature is 30°C or higher than the room temperature.

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