Shine bright with floor paint

Floor polish usually creates a layer of protection for the floor. PHOTO/net.

What you need to know:

A floor can be swept for years. When it gives in though, you need more than a broom.

We all love a sparkling floor.

Whether they are tiles, concrete, marble or wood, after some time, these floors will lose their spark that ordinary cleaning may not help as much.

In such situations, polishing the floor may be ideal, especially in creating a protective layer.

There are many companies producing floor polishes, while some are used across different types of floors such as concrete, tiles or vinyl, there are those made specifically for floors such as wood.

According to Ronald Mutabazi, a proprietor of a hardware shop, it is advisable for one to polish their floor at least  once every two or four months depending on the traffic that accesses it.

Different floor polishes serve different purposes, for example, some may simply be a protective coat, while others will make the floor shine. For wood floor polishes, some will make that floor stunning, while others will leave a problematic residue that may be hard to clean after.

Hannah Nakuya says she first interacted with floor polishing while a student in one of the schools, then, this was a school activity many of them only took part in while serving a punishment.

“But I liked how the floors looked after the brushing process,” she says.

Later, when she became a homeowner, with little funds to install tiles or wood, she found herself choosing an ordinary floor, though coloured, to add a little spark, she decided to floor polish it whenever she could.

“But I had to do a lot of reading on polishes and how they work in order to pick the right one,” she says.

For instance, she says that while at school they used to simply polish the floors almost every two weeks, she learnt that before applying the polish, it is advisable that the old polish is scrubbed off.

The commonest type of floor polish for concrete floors is usually wax though there are few that are liquid.

Applying these is not hard since with only the help of a cloth or sponge, one can ably polish the floor themselves.

Wood polish

Wood floors are very particular during maintenance, for instance, they are demanding and rarely share maintenance products. There are many ordinary floor products that will either damage or break down a wooden floor if used.

It is the same case with floor polish, while many floor types may once in a while share polishes, wood seems to be different.

Some are meant for sealed hardwood while others may only be good for softer wood coating, but either way, when polishing wood floors, one needs a polish or wax specifically designed for wood.

Different brands such as Floor Revive, Weiman Squeeze and Fledge Floor Care suitable for vinyl, marble, slate, linoleum, concrete and tile. These products revive old, lifeless floors and make them beautiful again.

Floor wax

This is usually used on concrete floors though some people use it for tiles as well.

The wax comes in various colours such as red, green and others that are colourless. Most people use floor waxes based on the colour of their floor. However, there are those that are neutral and can be used on all colours of floors.

Before applying floor wax, one has to start by scrubbing the floor to remove the past layer of wax before putting on a new layer.

There are different ways of removing old wax layers, some use a remover machine but the rudimentary way is a solution of white vinegar in a gallon of warm water.

Use the solution to mop parts with the old layer of wax. It is always advisable to thoroughly clean the floor before polishing it.

Price

Floor polish is available in many hardware shops around town.

Many of the shops don’t stock the liquid polish usually used for wood, but the wax that’s common for concrete and tiles.

In many of the shops, floor wax is sold at Shs25,000 for 400g, while hardwood polish is priced between Shs25,000 to Shs35,000.