COREtec Scratchless Maintenance and Care

MINERAL CORE FLOORING MAINTENANCE 

Mineral Core flooring is designed to stand up to the toughest household conditions. However, to keep it looking its best, follow these simple instructions for protection and care. 

A Care Program Consists of Key Areas: 

1. Post-Construction Maintenance 

2. Preventative Maintenance 

3. Routine Maintenance 

4. Spot and Spill Removal.   

For New Construction or Renovation: Construction dust and joint compound can be deposited on the flooring. If it is not completely removed and then wet mopped, it will create a haze on the surface of the flooring. 
 

POST-CONSTRUCTION MAINTENANCE 

• Dry mop floor using a microfiber mop pad or appropriate floor vacuum to remove dust particulate from the floor. 

• Spray neutral pH cleaner, such as Shaw TOTALCARE® Hard Surface Cleaner or equivalent neutral pH floor cleaner, onto the floor in manageable areas (spray mist will dry quickly). Use a microfiber wet mop pad to mop the floor with cleaner. If pad becomes dirty, be sure to replace the pad with a new microfiber wet mop pad. Mop floor in sections. 

• Always rinse the floor with water only by mopping with water to remove any remaining residue from the floor.  

In the event where dry wall dust/construction dust is mopped with water only, a residue film will appear on the floor after drying. Use the process below to remove the film from the floor.  
 

PROCESS TO REMOVE CONSTRUCTION RESIDUE OR CLOUDY FILM FROM RESILIENT FLOORING 

1. Dry mop floor to remove any construction dust or exterior soil tracked onto the flooring. Use microfiber dry mop pad. If microfiber dry mop pad gets dirty, replace pad with a clean pad. 

2. Spray neutral pH cleaner, such as Shaw TOTALCARE® Hard Surface Cleaner or equivalent neutral pH floor cleaner onto the floor in manageable areas (spray mist will dry quickly). Clean floor in sections. For smooth surface, use a low rpm (175 rpm) buffer with a 3M red pad on flooring with neutral pH cleaner applied to the floor to remove the residue film. (Never Dry Buff). For embossed or textured flooring, use a cylindrical brush scrubber, such as the Clark MA10 12E Scrubber and a neutral pH floor cleaner applied to the floor to remove the residue film. 

3. Using a wet microfiber mop pad, rinse with water only to remove any remaining residue from the flooring. When wet mop pad becomes dirty, be sure to replace the pad with a new microfiber wet mop pad. 

4. Repeat steps #2 and #3, if necessary.  

When the mineral core flooring is cleaned properly, the floor will have the same visual as right out of the box! 
 

PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE 

• Always protect floors when moving heavy objects to prevent permanent scratches and tears. 

• Adhering tape to the surface of your resilient flooring could damage the surface.  

• Do not use tape to secure floor protection directly to the floor during construction or renovation. Instead, adhere tape to the material used to protect the floor and secure it to the base molding along the wall.  A material such as ram board can also be used to protect your flooring. 

• Use appropriate wide floor protectors under tables, chairs and any other heavy home furnishing, in addition to chair pads under caster chairs to avoid permanent damage.

 

• Place chair pads underneath rolling chairs to prevent damage to the mineral core flooring.  

• Walk-off mats should be used at all entrances to absorb soil and moisture. If mats are placed directly on top of the floors, use mats without latex or rubber backings to avoid possible discoloration. 

• Avoid direct sunlight on mineral core flooring as it can cause fading and expansion of the planks. Use window protection 

• Surface temperature should not exceed 100F (38C) from sunlight, bed bug treatment, steam mop, etc, and temperatures should not fall below 55F (13C). Exposing mineral core products to temperatures outside the recommended range could cause expansion of flooring planks. 

• Products containing bleach are not recommended. 

 

• Walk-off mats should be used at all entrances to absorb soil and moisture. If mats are placed directly on top of the resilient floors, use mats without latex or rubber backings to avoid possible discoloration. 

ROUTINE MAINTENANCE 

• Use a damp cloth to blot up spills as soon as they happen. Never allow liquids to stand on your floor. 

• Use 70% isopropyl alcohol to clean tough spots such as oil, paint, markers, lipstick, ink, or tar. Let alcohol dwell for 1-2 minutes and then agitate with red scotchbrite pad. Wipe the area with a damp cloth to remove any remaining residue. 

• Regularly sweep, dust, or vacuum the floor with the hard floor attachment (not the beater bar) to prevent accumulation of dirt and grit that can scratch or dull the floor finish. 

• Periodically clean the floor with cleaning products made specifically for hard surface floor care (neutral pH floor cleaners) such as Shaw’s TOTALCARE® Hard Surface Cleaner. 

• Avoid using mop and shine products on your resilient flooring. 

• Products containing bleach are not recommended. 

• Some disinfectants contain chemicals that can stain, discolor and cause general harm to your flooring product.  Quaternary Ammonium Salts are among those that have been found to be harmful to your flooring when used over time.  Take care to choose pH neutral products only.   

• Do not use steel wool, abrasive / oil soap cleaners, or strong ammoniated or chlorinated type cleaners. 

• Do not use any type of buffing or polishing machine. 

• For spots such as candle wax or chewing gum, use isopropyl alcohol 70% and let dwell for 1-2 minutes. Gently scrape with a plastic scraper, such as a credit card. Be careful not to scratch the flooring. Rinse with water using a damp cloth to remove residue. 

• A more frequent dust-mopping or vacuuming schedule may be required in very sandy areas such as a beach home.  

• Steam mops are approved for use with your mineral core flooring.  
   

SPOT & SPILL REMOVAL 

Our flooring products are engineered to resist and minimize common staining. 

• Absorb wet spills as quickly as possible by blotting with paper or cloth towels. Rinse with water if necessary and blot dry. 

• Dried spots should be removed by gentle agitation and rinsed with water. Blot dry. 

• Use Shaw TOTALCARE® Hard Surface Cleaner cleaning products or products formulated for vinyl floor cleaning. Do not use detergents or abrasive cleaners since these products can leave a dull residue. 

• Use rubbing alcohol (isopropyl alcohol) with a clean white cloth for spots requiring a solvent type cleaner that water and cleaning agents cannot remove.  

Please note that some stain conditions may become permanent. 
 
Safety Caution: The surfaces of mineral core floors change during wet cleaning and finish applications. Use appropriate safety measures. 

ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION 

• Entry mats will help collect the dirt, sand, grit, and other substances such as oil, asphalt, or driveway sealer that might otherwise be tracked onto your floor. 

• To prevent slippage of area rugs, use an approved vinyl rug underlayment. 

• Use floor protectors and wide, load-bearing leg bases / rollers to minimize the chance of indentations and scratches from heavy objects. As a rule, the heavier the object, the wider the floor protector. 

• Adhering tape to the surface of your resilient flooring could damage the surface.  

• Do not use tape to secure floor protection directly to the floor during construction or renovation. Instead, adhere tape to the material used to protect the floor and secure it to the base molding along the wall.  A material such as ram board can also be used to protect your flooring.