One of the main benefits of having an epoxy coating on any flooring surface is its ease of cleaning and maintenance. Whether it’s wiping up a cracked egg in a domestic kitchen or cleaning up muddy footprints in a commercial showroom, it generally requires little more than mopping with some warm water. But what about garage floors, where the wear and tear can be a little more intense?
If you’re anything like most Australians, it’s highly likely that your garage is home to a million and one things except a vehicle. Alternately, you might fall into the other group – those who value their car too much to leave it continually exposed to the elements. Either way, whether it endures two tonnes of ute rolling over it daily, or houses lawnmowers, workbenches and cans of paint, garage floors have to withstand a lot.
A clean sweep!
Firstly, it’s always a good idea to give your epoxy flooring a regular dry sweep with a good microfibre or modacrylic dust mop or a soft-bristled broom (if you happen to have an anti-slip floor finish). This will help keep the floor clear of little pieces of grit which can otherwise lead to scratching and divots when trodden in or caught beneath wheels or any other heavy equipment you might move about in your garage.
Should you mop your epoxy floor?
It’s not necessary to mop it frequently, but every few months you should also give your garage floor a more thorough clean with a mop and either some warm water, or some water mixed with heavily diluted ammonia (around half a cup in a 4-litre bucket of water). It’s best to avoid bleach and acidic cleaners which can dull the floor. While it’s OK to use a diluted dishwashing detergent, you need to be careful to thoroughly rinse and clean up any soap residue afterwards in order to avoid the floor surface becoming slippery if it gets wet at a later date.
How to clean a stained epoxy
garage floor
Of course, if you park your car in your garage, you’ll probably want to know how to clean oil stains off of your epoxy floor. The answer is pretty much the same way, but with possibly a little more spot-cleaning using a soft bristled brush. If you do have a stain that doesn’t come off easily with mopping, you can give it a little more attention with some of the diluted ammonia solution, or with a solution of Simple Green diluted in water. We always recommend wearing eye covering and protective clothing when using any cleaning solutions.
How to clean tyre marks off your epoxy garage floor
Good quality epoxy floors should experience less in the way of tyre marks than raw concrete and other finishes, but if you do find that your car is leaving treadmarks (sometimes caused by the leaching of compounds used in the construction of the tyre) in your garage, then you can give it a more concentrated clean using Simple Green or ammonia solutions.
If the removal of a stubborn mark is more important than keeping a section of floor shiny, that’s entirely your prerogative. If, however, you are determined to maintain the glossy appearance of your epoxy garage floor, be careful not to use any potentially corrosive cleaners, such as citrus or vinegar-based solutions, or abrasive cleaning equipment, like hard bristled brushes or scourers.
Garage floors put up with a lot, and an epoxy surface can help it to do so while looking good to boot. With regular light sweeping and occasional mopping, it should stay in good condition for many years to come.
Protect Epoxy can apply an epoxy surface to suit any premises, from factory, warehouse or laboratory, to car-park, showroom or domestic kitchen.
