Any facilities manager whose business uses forklifts knows the headaches that this equipment can pose for floors. Particularly, the rubber skid and tire marks that forklifts and other heavy machinery inflict on surfaces are often an ongoing challenge for those aiming to clean and polish surfaces. Learning how to remove tire marks from sealed & epoxy coated floors can make your job much easier and bring a higher level of professionalism to your work site, whether it’s a warehouse, factory, or distribution center.
What Causes Tire Marks on Industrial Floors?
First, it’s important to evaluate what pieces of equipment are causing the marks on the floor. It is possible that some machine driver training could reduce the number of marks left on your floors. It is also possible that the tire compound on the equipment is degrading and causing more tire marks than normal. Equipment malfunction can also be a culprit.
How to Clean Tire Marks Off Floors
Rubber burns, which can be caused by spinning tires or skidding can usually be removed by applying a D-limonene based cleaner directly to the tire mark. Use full strength. If possible, scrub the tire mark with a cleaning pad. The longer you can let the product sit on the affected area, the better it will work.
Our #1 tip: keep your warehouse floors clean in general. Tires do not grip well on a dirty floor. When a tire spins on a dirty floor it literally grinds the dirt right into your floor or floor coating. You will save time and money in the long run by regularly cleaning your floors with an industrial floor scrubber.
Cleaning Products That Remove Tire Marks
Here are two options Factory Cleaning Equipment recommends to remove stubborn rubber marks:
- MaxForce: This product combines the power of an ultra-concentrated detergent and the force of a degreaser. It’s composed of Butyl to give it extra cleaning power, allowing the product to break down oil stains and soap scum, as well as effectively remove rubber marks.
- Burn Out Tire Mark Remover: This is a pre-spray composed of D-Limonene, which bonds with rubber to remove stains from flooring. Because of this, it should not be used in an autoscrubber solution system, as it could damage the rubber in the system. The biodegradable spray has no carcinogenic ingredients and can be used on a wide variety of floor surfaces, including epoxy and unfinished concrete. To use, spot the area with Burn Out and treat with a stiff brush; after 10 minutes, scrub thoroughly with water and then rinse. Follow with your regular floor scrubber maintenance routine and your floors will look like new.
Important – Test coated surfaces before using. In rare occasions, Burn Out can lighten the color of an epoxy floor.
Properly Maintain Coated Industrial Floors
Knowing how to properly remove tire marks and maintain the protective coatings on your industrial floors can significantly help productivity. Selecting the most effective floor cleaning products can help your team quickly target and remove rubber stains and get back to work without wasting time, effort, and money. If you have questions about how to care for coated warehouse and industrial floors, just ask! Call the experts at Factory Cleaning Equipment: 800-793-3790