MAINTENANCE INSTRUCTIONS FOR Plynyl Tile® BRAND FLOORING PRODUCTS
Plynyl Tile will deliver years of satisfactory service when maintained properly.

1. Maintenance Instructions General:
1.1. Plynyl is made with a woven vinyl fabric bonded to commercial grade backings. Vinyl is a very tough durable material and few household or common office chemicals affect it. Routine maintenance along with periodic cleanings and diligent attention to stain causing spills will provide a long useful life.

1.2. The frequency of routine maintenance depends on the application. For commercial offices it may be once a day, for residences, two to three times a week. The frequency has to be determined by the user or through consultation with the manufacturer. The methods for routine maintenance as well as cleaning methods also depend on the application. Frequency depends on the amount of soil and dirt Plynyl is exposed to. Dirt and soil will degrade any flooring so proper maintenance will increase its natural life cycle.

1.3. Plynyl is unique among soft floor coverings because water can be used effectively in daily maintenance. Detergents and shampoos with a pH up to 11 can be used repeatedly and safely. However it is recommended to use the lowest pH detergent that provides a satisfactory result. When using water with any of the maintenance techniques listed below, be sure not to leave any standing water and keep foot traffic off the floor until it is completely dry. Also do not over-wet areas to be cleaned.

1.4. Do not use Acetone, Pine-Sol or Citrus based cleaners as they can damage Plynyl. Solvents containing Xylene or Toluene may be used in a limited fashion as a spotting agent, see the Section 3 below.

1.5. Plynyl w2w and tile are not absorbent and therefore are not recommended to be used in street level entrances as walk off mats

1.6 It is recommended that a walk-off mat be provided in every installation to reduce the tracking of soil and other foot borne contaminants onto the Plynyl floor. If walk-off mat is not provided it will result in premature wear of the Plynyl installation.

1.7. Sealers, waxes, stain repellents and other topical applications are not required for Plynyl. Using a powder cleaner such as "Host" is not required, it does not result in more effective cleaning.

1.8. Direct contact between natural rubber and Plynyl will cause discoloration in Plynyl. Avoid the use of rubber castors, furniture pads or other rubber pad or cushion products.

1.9. It is necessary to use chair pads under rolling chairs to protect Plynyl fabric and seams.

2. Maintenance Techniques:
2.1. The most common and easily accessible maintenance options are the vacuum cleaner and mop. Either is effective in picking up and removing dirt. If a vacuum cleaner is used, the beater brushes should be lowered so it brushes the surface of the Plynyl to release dirt and brush out scuffs.

2.2. In the absence of additional cleaning methods noted in 2.4 below, mopping is slightly more effective than a vacuum cleaner because you can use a detergent with it. If a detergent is used in mopping spread it out on the area to be mopped allow it to stand 30 seconds to a minute and then mop the area. Rinse the mop with clean water and apply detergent again if necessary. Rinse and mop with at least one additional clean water rinse after applying detergent, as detergent residue will attract soil if not properly rinsed.

2.3. For modest sized installations Hoover manufactures a floor-cleaning machine called the Hoover Floor MATE™ which was designed especially for flat surfaced floors like wood and tile. It works very well with Plynyl as well. It uses water, detergent and rotary scrub brushes to aggressively remove soil and dirt. Follow the manufacturers instructions for use. It can be used for the home but will work well for some smaller commercial applications as well. You can find it at www.hoover.com, The Floor MATE works well with Crystal Dry™ as well, see paragraph 2.4 (A) below.

2.4. For commercial and institutional installations, a recommended cleaning program would consist of daily vacuuming to remove soil particles, daily spot cleaning, and periodic comprehensive cleaning. The frequency of the comprehensive cleaning depends upon the use and should be determined in consultation with maintenance professionals.

Vacuuming: See paragraph 2.1 above

Spotting: See article 3 below.

Periodic Comprehensive Cleaning: There are several methods that work well.

A. The Whittaker GLS™ Carpet Cleaning Systems with Crystal Dry™ works very well in combination with routine vacuuming.  This system relies on Crystal Dry, a detergent that suspends soil into dry crystals that can then be vacuumed easily. Crystal Dry’s advantage over conventional detergents is that it doesn’t leave a soapy residue, which may attract more dirt.  Periodic cleaning with Crystal Dry would be done using the GLS, Whittaker’s carpet cleaning machine. The GLS has twin cylindrical counter rotating brushes that are effective in removing soil from Plynyl without abrading the fabric. You can find Whittaker products at www.rewhittaker.com, or call them at 800-422-7686. GLS, Crystal Dry and Carpet Roamer are all trademark names of the R.E. Whittaker Co.

B. Crystal Dry by Whittaker can also be used with a rotary bonnet and pad. It is recommended to saturate a cotton micro-fiber pad with Crystal Dry to clean the floor. Care should be taken to make sure the pad stays moist. It isn’t necessary to rinse Plynyl after treating with Crystal Dry.

C. Plynyl can be cleaned with a rotary bonnet and pad and conventional detergents. The pad should be a green striped cotton pad available from most industrial suppliers such as Grainger. First a detergent should be applied to the surface and allowed to stand for 30 seconds to a minute. Pass over the floor three to four times with the rotary bonnet and pad. To pick up the detergent pass over the floor again with the rotary bonnet but with a clean dry cotton pad. Care should be taken to remove all detergent residue or it may attract more dirt. Care should be taken not to abrade Plynyl with the rotating pad. Hard to remove stains should be treated by hand, not machine as per instructions below.

D. For large installations, cleaning can be accomplished with an auto-scrubber. When using an auto-scrubber, activate its scrubber brushes and vacuum bar and set the automatic solution dispenser on medium to high. Follow the manufacturer’s recommendations to get the best results from the equipment. Do not exceed an 11 pH for chemicals used in the machinery. As noted above care should be taken to remove all detergent residue or it may attract more dirt.

E. Interior Preservation Inc. (IPI) is an approved maintenance provider. They have a nationwide network of service provides. Call Tony Doria at 800-820-0008 extension 109 for a local provider.

3. Spot And Stain Removal
3.1. Even with routine maintenance, stains and spots will occur. Clean up spills as quickly as possible. Watery spills should be blotted with clean cloths or paper towels. Thick jelly like substances should be removed with a spoon or blunt scraper and then blotted. Solids should be scraped using a blunt scraper and then swept, brushed or vacuumed to remove the material. After removal of the majority of the spilled material it is important to complete the removal process so the spill does not have a chance to affect the flooring. Whittaker manufactures a spotting and brushing system using Crystal Dry Spotter and Cleaning Agent and the Whittaker Carpet Roamer™, it’s effective in cleaning the stains listed below where brushing is required.

Plynyl is stain resistant, not stain proof. To avoid lasting stains blot and clean immediately.

The list below shows stain removal procedures for some common spills and other tough to clean areas.

Follow all cleaning procedures using common detergents with a water only rinse in order to remove all residual cleaning agents (If Crystal Dry is used, a follow up water rinse is not required). Allow the area to completely dry before allowing traffic in the area.

NOTE: Stains that cannot be removed under the listed procedures can be treated with a 1:10 bleach to water solution. Mist the solution on the area of discoloration and allow to dwell for 5 minutes. Rinse the area with water only in order to remove the bleach residue. Allow to dry completely before trafficking. Some stains may require a professional to complete the stain removal process.

CHILEWICH | SULTAN LLC
44 East 32nd Street
New York NY 10016
212 679 9204 tel
212 679 9205 fax