Epoxy flooring is a leading solution for auto shops and garages. The epoxy is extremely durable and can stand up to cars, carts, toolboxes, and other heavy equipment that you regularly roll over the surface. It also will remain undamaged by the majority of chemicals and fluids you use in your shop, all while looking exceptionally professional to your customers.
Epoxy flooring in auto shops is also extremely easy to keep clean, which is necessary for both maintaining the professional look of your floors and protecting their longevity. Cleaning epoxy as a car mechanic is convenient and straightforward as long as you employ the right strategies.
Cleaning Epoxy Flooring for Car Mechanics
Industrial epoxy flooring needs only a low maintenance, regular cleaning regimen and a few additional steps in response to particular types of dirt or spills. To ensure the looks and functionality of epoxy floors, you should follow these steps:
- Clean Up Chemical Spills – Most of the chemicals that are used in auto shops and likely to spill on the floor, such as oil, antifreeze, lubricants, and other automotive fluids, are not damaging for epoxy floors with short term exposure. But you do not want to leave them sitting on your floor. Wipe up chemical spills when you notice them. You may also want to keep a chemical neutralizer on hand and clean spill areas with a neutralizer and water after they occur.
- Protect from Dropped Tools – Dropping heavy tools could risk scratching your floor. If you have any areas where drops are common, you may consider the additional installation of padded mats as well as using caution while working.
- Sweep Regularly – At least once a day, but perhaps more depending on how busy your garage is and how much debris there is, you should sweep floors with a standard broom or dust mop to get any dust particles off the floor. This is particularly important for car mechanics because driving vehicles or other heavy machinery over a floor that is extremely dusty could cause the particles to become embedded in the floor or scratch it.
- Mop – For a deeper clean, regularly mopping the floor is an effective way to remove stuck on dirt, grease, and stains. A simple way to do this is with an ammonia and water mixture in a ration of 2 ounces of ammonia to a gallon of water. This can effectively lift different stains and debris. Apply the ammonia with a microfiber mop, covering all exposed epoxy surfaces.
- Spot Clean When Necessary – If you have specific stains on your floor, such as oil or rust, you can clean those spots individually. TSP works against oil and CLR is generally effective against rust. Apply the cleaner and use a gentle deck brush and light scrubbing to remove the stain.
When cleaning epoxy floors in your auto shop, you will want to avoid harsh cleaners as well as any cleaners using vinegar or an acidic base. These can start to wear away the epoxy and cause it to lose its gloss over time. You should also avoid soap based cleaners because the soap will leave a filmy residue on top of your epoxy floors.
These cleaning strategies are able to combat almost all of the different types of dirt and fluids that auto shops encounter, and with regular cleaning, they should have no negative effects on an epoxy floor.
Another option when installing an epoxy floor in Denver with Colorado Concrete Repair is to customize the floor in ways that will make it more durable for your specific needs. For instance, if you are using certain chemicals in your auto shop that may be more abrasive or areas of your shop see heavier traffic, our team can plan out your auto shop epoxy floors to better stand up to these challenges, making cleaning and maintenance easier and increasing the lifespan of your floors.
Colorado Concrete Repair works with car mechanics throughout Denver and all the surrounding cities. If you are interested in upgrading your garage floors with an industrial epoxy coating, reach out to our team for more information.
