Floor polishes are applied to resilient flooring such as vinyl tile or wood
to maintain a clean and sanitary appearance in high traffic public areas.
The polish is cleaned and buffed, often daily, to restore the shine, and then
periodically stripped and re-applied. Longer maintenance intervals are often preferred, to minimize
labor costs, but only if the polish has sufficient durability.
Wax surface modifiers satisfy many of the performance demands of a floor
polish. Proper selection and usage will control how the polish responds to buffing; minimize
black heel marks; and provide slip control, i.e. the proper coefficient of friction to provide traction for foot traffic in wet or dry conditions.
By enhancing mar, scratch, and abrasion resistance, the surface modifier may also extend
the durability of the polish, resulting in reduced maintenance demands.
The nature of the sanitary maintenance market, of which floor polish is a part,
demands frequent exposure to cleaning chemicals in interior spaces. Increasingly, the industry is
adopting safer methods and materials to mitigate the risks. Today's floor polishes are expected to
be free of harmful chemicals such as formaldehyde and phenol. Fortunately, high performance wax
surface modifiers are available that comply with these high environmental standards.
