Too infrequent overpolishing and cleaning are the two greatest problems of maintaining resilient flooring. Grit particles have an abrasive effect on floor's surface; these particles dull the surface of the floor and make thousands of cuts. By sweeping or vacuuming the floor regularly - daily if necessary, you can prevent surface wear and damage to the flooring.

An occasional cleaning with a mild cleaning solution, such as clear or sudsy ammonia, along with sweeping up dirt, should be sufficient to keep resilent flooring in good condition. For the purposes of washing and rinsing use a clean sponge mop. Do not use harsh chemicals, detergents, and soaps, and avoid flooding the surface.

No wax surfaces : There will be no wax surfaces on most resilient floor coverings that are sold today. Some may require a coat of polish just to add a bit of luster and fill in tiny scratches and many remain shiny for years without any polishing. Be careful to purchase only those floor care products recommended for use on the type of flooring you've installed.

Some of the products available on the market claim both to clean and shine a floor in a single operation. The labor that you save from these products does not reduce the complications caused by continued use of one-step clean and shine products. There is a combination of detergent and a polish in these products and the concept is that as the polish spreads the detergent loosens dirt particles, which are retained in the applicator.

On lightly trafficked areas this system works well. But the applicator cannot absorb all the dirt, in more soiled areas, and the dirt is spread and trapped in the polish. In time, damaging abrasive materials are added by this dirt build up to the floor's surface.

Waxing resilient flooring : The surface of conventional resilient flooring and that of vinyl - asbestos tiles is porous. To make it shinier and to seal it you'll want to wax such a surface occasionally.

In actual terms, often, no wax is contained in modern floor waxing products. Instead, in the solution vinyl or some other plastic is used. For all type of synthetic resilient flooring materials currently being produced, water - base emulsions are considered safe. On wood and linoleum, solvent - base wax, which includes paste wax, works well. But this should not be used on asbestos, vinyl, or other resilient flooring materials.

Waxing too often causes the polish to build up and creates a dull, yellow surface. To avoid this, applying polish only when needed and only to those areas that receive the most wear, helps.