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In my last post, I talked about when and how to use Mop&Glo. Most importantly, it is not recommended for unsealed/worn wood or unsealed ceramic surfaces. *If applied to these surfaces, it can leave spots, streaks, and/or discoloration that can be very difficult and sometimes impossible to remove. In this post, I want to help identify these types of floors and how to tell if they are sealed or not. Wood To tell if your wood floor is sealed, find an inconspicuous area, dab a drop of water on the surface, and see if it soaks in or beads on top. If the water drop beads on top of the wood, your floor is sealed. Surface-sealed floors are stain and water-damage resistant and easiest to clean. Unless the floor is worn, it should be ready for Mop&Glo or other acrylic and wax applications.
Ceramic Ceramic tile can come un-glazed or glazed. Glazed ceramic tile does not usually require sealant because the glaze itself acts as a seal against general stains. However, glazed or not, unsealed grout could be negatively affected while using a product like Mop&Glo. If you want to make or keep a shine on these types of tiles, make sure un-glazed tile and unprotected grout are sealed before applying waxes or products like Mop&Glo.
Tile If the tile has been sufficiently sealed, when you do the bead test, you should see that the water beads up on the surface and will also ‘roll’ across the tile as you blow on it. If not – then either it has not been sealed correctly, or it requires preparation and re-sealing. As with ceramic floors, the grout also needs to be sealed before using waxing or floor shine products.  Left: Unsealed, Right: Sealed Laminate Most laminate flooring is sold already sealed, but it is obtainable in an unfinished state. To tell if your laminate floor is sealed or not, go to an inconspicuous area of the floor (the back of a closet perhaps) and start with the water bead test. If the water soaks in or the floor changes color, it is unsealed. Another way of testing for sealant is to gently scrape a small area with a blade edge or a coin. If you see a bit of clear material on the edge, it is most likely sealed. If you do not want to do the bead or scrape test, look for signs like lifting edges at the seams, especially in water-prone areas, such as the bathroom and kitchen. The laminate or adhered wood skin can begin to peel off the manufactured base over time, especially if it was left unprotected and wet.
44 Comments
Robin
1/6/2020 08:03:49 am
I tried the MopnGlo and had a terrible film that was left. Found out floors are evidently not sealed, so what should I clean them with.
Lynn Burnett
1/7/2020 04:56:59 pm
Thank you for asking. I have had the best success removing the residue with ammonia. Here are two methods that you may want to try out: 5/11/2020 10:49:14 am
Thanks for sharing this…it’s easy for us now to check if the floor is sealed or not while taking a new house. Me and my husband keep moving from one place to other due to our jobs and renting homes. It will really help us.
Lynn Burnett
5/11/2020 12:57:36 pm
Thank you for your comment! I appreciate knowing you are better prepared for your floor care. If you have questions about other cleaning topics, please let me know!
Andrew
6/9/2020 10:00:28 am
Great post. Thank you for sharing. During the confinement for the pandemic situation, my wife and I have had to tackle a lot more house work than we used to. With our first born only a few weeks away from joining the family, we are looking at ways to simplify chores.
Lynn Burnett
6/10/2020 01:58:50 pm
Firstly, congratulations on your soon to be bundle of joy!
Andrew
6/10/2020 05:57:01 pm
Thank you for your reply, Lynn. 8/18/2020 10:43:59 am
8/24/2020 05:16:25 am
This is a great article and you are banged on with your points about how to tell if your floor is sealed. Be clear about what you really need and want to accomplish at this point- you are right with this point.
Lynn Burnett
3/15/2021 07:32:14 pm
Thank you for taking the time to leave your kind words! 8/26/2020 02:14:56 am
These are some great idea about how to tell if your floor is sealed that you have discussed here. I really loved it and thank you very much for sharing this with us. You have a great visualization and you have really presented this content in a really good manner. If you are looking same kind of valuable information, then can also visit proservice.co.nz/en/services/educational_facilities_cleaning.
Lynn Burnett
3/15/2021 07:17:25 pm
Thank you for your feedback and for sharing more resources for people to learn from! 9/6/2020 03:58:25 am
Really informative article. Thanks for the information. Its a great website for flooring related blogs.
Lynn Burnett
3/15/2021 07:33:10 pm
Thank you for reading and taking time to share your feedback! 9/15/2020 03:18:48 am
i am really glad to see this article. was searching for it for a long time. Great job.
Lynn Burnett
3/15/2021 07:28:03 pm
I'm glad you found it helpful! Thank you for your encouragement :) 9/17/2020 11:12:59 am
There are so many ways to tell that your wood floor is sealed but this is also simple to drop water If it is sealed or not. Thanks for sharing all the tips including all the types of flooring options.
Lynn Burnett
3/15/2021 07:29:14 pm
Thank you for reading and taking the time to stop by and submit your comment!
Lynn Burnett
3/15/2021 07:29:58 pm
I appreciate you taking the time to read and comment! I hope to add more to this section soon! 2/25/2021 09:26:41 am
That's good to know that a sealed wood floor won't soak up any water that you spill on it. My brother is concerned that his floor is unsealed and vulnerable to damage. I'll recommend he tries that trick out, and then call a pro to help him seal it up if needed.
Lynn Burnett
3/15/2021 07:25:01 pm
That is a very good question and one I will be looking into for myself! Unfortunately, I am not currently qualified to answer it with any amount of certainty... If I was in your shoes, I would consider looking for a floor-sealing company or an article specific to your question since we are more of a general cleaning servicer when it comes to hardwood floors. 3/12/2021 03:34:49 am
what a pleasant type of article, I am properly appreciated this kind of blog.
Lynn Burnett
3/15/2021 07:26:56 pm
Thank you for saying so. With all that has been happening this last year, I find it difficult to get back into the swing of writing, however! After seeing all these encouraging comments, I will make a better effort to make another post soon! 4/7/2021 05:47:43 am
Thanks, what an informative post! Everything we need to know are found in this article. We hope you keep posting quality articles. 4/7/2021 05:49:08 am
The way you discussed the topic with ease and completeness is really amazing. Thanks for this article! 4/14/2021 10:32:49 pm
To tell the difference in a pinch, just rub your finger across the floor. Be sure to do this on a clean floor. If no smudge appears, the floor is surface sealed. If you do create a smudge, the floor has been treated with a penetrating seal, oil finish, shellac, varnish or lacquer, and then waxed. 7/30/2021 06:53:15 am
Awesome. Now when I start dropping little beads of water on my floors, I'll just have to explain it to my family! 8/12/2021 06:57:30 am
Thank you for giving us a direct and straight to the point answer! It greatly helped in clearing our confusion. 8/17/2021 10:25:04 am
Impressive and valuable article. This article has been beneficial to me. 10/7/2021 09:53:13 am
It's easy to tell rub. Your hand along the floor. Feel a slightly oily residue. 12/15/2021 11:26:51 am
I would like to get unglazed ceramic tile. That sounds simple enough. Maybe that will work for my wife too.
Nahrissa
1/4/2022 11:22:16 am
This is great advice, thank you for posting! I moved into a new apartment that has vinyl plank flooring and I want to make sure I'm getting the right equipment and cleaners to care for it. It's been daunting to figure out, but this really helped! 3/23/2022 05:03:09 am
It became more interesting when you shared that most laminate floorings are already sealed when you purchase them. That statement convinced me more that my plan to opt for laminate flooring is a smart choice. I should search now for a provider that offers a wide selection of laminate floorings. 4/15/2022 06:09:30 pm
My favorite part of this article is when you said that your wooden floor is sealed if the water drop beads above the wood. A couple of days ago, my mother told me that she was planning to have laminate floors installed in their home for easy cleanup flooring, and she asked if I had any idea what would be the best choice. Thank you for the informative article, and I'll be sure to consult a trusted laminate floors service as they can help us provide more information about laminate flooring. 6/28/2022 07:32:00 am
I want to make sure that I take good care of my hardwood floors. It makes sense that having them properly sealed would be a good idea. That way, I can ensure that they can last a long time. 6/28/2022 10:52:43 pm
First, be sure you sweep the floor. The combination is easy. 2 liters of water to 1 cup of vinegar. Put that in the bucket and begin cleaning each room by moving from the far corner to the entrance until you have covered the whole space you intended to clean. While you sponge clean the floor, be careful not to wet it. At most, it should be moderately wet. You run the danger of getting water in the seams if it is wet. That could cause board cupping, warping, or breaking in the future. At all costs, avoid doing this. For the same reason, you shouldn't merely dump the water on the floor in a hurry. 8/1/2022 04:56:34 am
Thank you for sharing this informational article, keep up the good work. 8/4/2022 10:09:49 pm
Such an amazing article and it is really helpful for many people, keep up the good work. Thank you so much for sharing. 8/23/2022 09:08:52 pm
Such an impressive article and it is beneficial for many people, keep up the good work. Thank you so much for sharing. Leave a Reply. |
AuthorI am an adventurous homemaker with a passion for wandering the forest trails of Alaska. When not exploring under every leaf, twig, and rock with my husband and two year old son, I tend to busy myself with keeping habitat trails from forming around the house. After more than 10 years of experience cleaning under various companies, we decided to make our own path and that is how Southeast Clean & Care started! Archives
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