Maintaining Floors and Other Surfaces
Covers the tasks involved in the daily, routine maintenance of floors. Lists floor coatings and uses. Explains periodic floor care tasks step-by-step, telling which particular methods to use on the various floors and floor coverings within buildings. Covers floor care problems trainees are likely to encounter. Concludes with a lesson on the cleaning of walls, windows, furniture, and other above-the-floor surfaces.
TPC Training is accredited by IACET to offer 0.6 CEU for this program.
Lesson 1: Routine Floor Care Tasks
Topics
Floor Size; How Dirty Is the Floor?; Removing Dry Dirt; Wet Cleaning; Disinfecting; Buffing
Objectives
- Calculate the area of a floor.
- Explain why it is important to remove dry dirt before wet cleaning.
- Name the four methods for removing dry dirt and tell when each is used.
- Name the three kinds of mopping (wet cleaning) and tell when each is used.
- Explain how to clean a floor using an autoscrubber.
- Explain why pressure washing sometimes does a better job of cleaning floors than scrubbing does.
- Describe the process of disinfecting a floor.
- Explain how to dry buff and spray buff a floor using a floor machine.
Lesson 2: Floor Coatings
Topics
Why Floors Need Coatings; Strippers; Using Strippers Safely; Floor Sealers; Floor Finishes; Natural Materials in Floor Finishes; Synthetic Materials in Floor Finishes; One-Step Floor Care; Testing a Floor Finish; Test Evaluation
Objectives
- List four reasons floors need coatings.
- Name the two kinds of floor strippers and tell when each is used.
- Describe the precautions that you must take when using solvent-base strippers.
- Explain the purposes of floor sealers.
- Tell why it is important that a sealer and finish have the same kind of base.
- List the properties of a good floor finish.
- Explain how to test and evaluate a floor finish.
Lesson 3: Periodic Floor Care Tasks
Topics
Scrubbing; Stripping; Etching; Screening; Sanding; Sealing; Refinishing; Safety in Refinishing Floors
Objectives
- List the equipment needed and describe the procedures used for scrubbing.
- List the equipment needed and describe the procedures used for stripping various floor coatings from different kinds of floors.
- Describe the processes of etching, screening, and sanding, and explain why each is used.
- Tell when to use water-base sealers and when to use solvent-base sealers, and explain how each is applied.
- Name the three basic types of floor finishes and tell how each is applied.
- Explain at least three safety points to remember when refinishing floors.
Lesson 4: Choosing a Floor Care Method
Topics
Resilient Flooring; Natural Hard Flooring; Synthetic Hard Flooring; Wood Flooring; Cork Flooring; Iron and Steel Flooring; Conductive Floors; Pedestal Floors
Objectives
- Describe the procedures and name the chemicals used for routine and periodic maintenance of resilient flooring.
- Describe the procedures and name the chemicals used for routine and periodic maintenance of concrete, terrazzo, marble, and other natural hard flooring.
- Describe the procedures and name the chemicals used for routine and periodic maintenance of synthetic hard flooring.
- Describe the procedures and name the chemicals used for routine and periodic maintenance of wood and cork flooring.
- Describe the procedures and name the chemicals used for routine and periodic maintenance of iron and steel flooring.
- Describe the procedures and name the chemicals used for routine and periodic maintenance of conductive and pedestal floors.
Lesson 5: Floor Care Problems
Topics
Resilient Flooring Problems; Problems Refinishing Resilient Flooring; Problems With Hard Flooring; Wood Flooring Problems; Adjusting Conductive Floors; Floor Stains
Objectives
- Identify resilient flooring problems and explain how to avoid and correct them.
- Describe problems encountered in the refinishing of resilient flooring and tell how to avoid and correct them.
- Identify hard flooring problems and explain how to avoid or correct them.
- Define warping and tell how to avoid it.
- Explain how to adjust the conductivity of conductive floors.
Lesson 6: Other Cleaning Tasks
Topics
Emptying Trash; Maintaining Ashtrays; Dusting; Cleaning Lamps and Light Fixtures; Washing Walls; Caring for Wooden Furniture; Washing Windows and Mirrors; Cleaning Metal Surfaces; Cleaning Blinds; Cleaning Elevators; Cleaning Chalkboards and Dry-Mark Boards; Cleaning Drinking Fountains; Maintaining Kitchens
Objectives
- Explain the procedures for emptying trash cans and ashtrays, and tell why it is important to empty them daily.
- Describe the tools you need for dusting, and list the reasons why dusting is important.
- Discuss the cleaning procedures for lamps and lighting fixtures, drinking fountains, and wooden furniture.
- Describe the two methods for washing walls, and tell when to use each method.
- Explain how to keep a chalkboard clean.
- List the steps in cleaning a kitchen.