Students and teachers everywhere are heading back to school, so we thought we’d take a moment to give our readers a quick refresher course on surface protection basics. No homework, detention or pop quizzes, we promise!
Get a Grip
Our surface protection products are designed to grip when pressure is applied, but they may lose their skid-resistance if the plastic backing gets dirty or dusty. The best way to prevent this is to start with a very clean surface. Ideally you’ll want to vacuum the floor, then use a damp (not wet) cloth to remove any dust or dirt left behind. Once the floor is completely clean and dry you can put down your surface protection. These extra steps help the Clean&Safe® grip better and prevent grit from being trapped underneath the floor protection where it can damage the floor.
If the backing of your Clean&Safe® does get dusty or dirty and begins to lose its skid-resistance, you don’t need to throw it out. Simply clean the floor thoroughly and wipe down the backing of the Clean&Safe® with a damp cloth to remove any dust clinging to the plastic. It should regain its grip once both surfaces are dry and dust-free.
Surface Protection Health and Beauty Tips
Contractors love the fact that our surface protection products are reusable, especially on light-duty jobs like electrical, plumbing and HVAC. Clean&Safe®Pro and SurfacePro® are a little more durable than our original Clean&Safe®, but all three products can be reused if maintained and cleaned properly. Clean&Safe®Pro was actually designed to be easy to broom clean or vacuum. When vacuuming, we suggest using a wand or hard floor attachment; spinning brush heads are too aggressive and may damage the product. Stronger vacuums may start to pull up the surface protection; if this happens simply raise the attachment off the product slightly while vacuuming.
SurfacePro® and Clean&Safe® have a fuzzier surface designed to trap and hold debris so they’re not as suitable for vacuuming, but they can be shaken out or even hosed out with a garden hose sprayer. Just be sure to let the product dry thoroughly before storing or reusing it.
Know When to Hold ‘Em, Know When to Fold ‘Em
Once it’s been cleaned, your surface protection can be stored for reuse. To prevent the backing from picking up dust that may be trapped in the fabric layer, don’t roll it up. Instead, fold the fabric over on itself once, then fold it or roll it into a small size for storage.
Of course, all good things must come to an end; eventually your drop cloth will start to wear, tear or just become too dirty to clean again. At that stage it’s time to retire it; use it for demolition work, or for gathering leaves and lawn clippings, or to catch oil drips underneath the car in the garage.
We hope you’ve enjoyed this refresher course. Remember, we learn a lot from our customers – if you have your own methods and techniques for using our products, please share them with us!