Overview
Some stains are not a cleaning problem. They are a scrubbing problem.
Mopping moves soil around on the surface. Once grit, spills and traffic have driven staining down into the floor, a mop and a cleaner cannot reach it, and the floor keeps looking dirty however often it is cleaned.
Deep scrubbing is mechanical. A floor machine and the right pad work aggressively at the surface with the appropriate chemistry, breaking up embedded soil and hard staining so it can be extracted and rinsed away. It is the first thing we do on a facility that has gone a long time without specialized floor care, and it shows us the true condition of the floor before anyone recommends restoration.
Floors we deep scrub
- Sealed and polished concrete
- Quarry, unglazed and porcelain tile
- Terrazzo, stone and epoxy
- VCT and resilient floors with a wax finish
- Entries, corridors and loading areas
- Not sure what you have? Photos on the assessment form help us identify it.
Signs it’s time
Signs a floor needs deep scrubbing
- Stains and marks that stay put no matter how often the floor is mopped
- A floor that looks dirty again within hours of being cleaned
- Dark, ground-in traffic paths through the middle of the room
- Grey, dulled concrete that used to be lighter
- Sticky or gritty patches underfoot around entries and machines
- A building taken over from another vendor that never looked right
Two situations
Whether the floor needs a recoat afterward depends entirely on what it is.
This is the part most people are not told before the work starts, so we would rather say it up front.
Floors with no finish on them
Sealed concrete, quarry and unglazed tile, terrazzo, stone and epoxy carry no sacrificial wax layer. There is nothing to put back. We scrub the soil and staining out, rinse, and the floor is done. This is the whole job.
Floors with a wax finish
On VCT and similar floors, a scrub aggressive enough to lift a set-in stain also cuts into the finish protecting the tile. The stain comes out. The floor comes back flatter and with less protection than it had before.
Honest limits
On a waxed floor, a deep scrub alone is a trade, not a free win.
If your floor has a finish on it and you want the staining gone without refinishing afterward, we will do it, and we will tell you plainly what you are getting: a clean floor that looks duller than it did and is carrying less protection. Sometimes that is exactly the right call, particularly when the finish was already failing or the space is due to be replaced.
Often the better answer is to scrub and then put fresh coats back on, or to strip and refinish properly. We will tell you which we think it is before we start, not after the floor is already open and flat. And some marks will not come out at all. Bleaching, burns, gouges and staining that has reached the tile body are damage, not soil, and no amount of scrubbing changes that.
How METIS does it
How a deep scrub runs.
01
Assess the floor
We identify the flooring, look for any existing finish, and judge how deep the staining goes.
02
Tell you the outcome first
You hear what will come out, what will not, and whether the floor should be recoated afterward.
03
Prepare and protect
Furniture is moved as agreed, and baseboards, walls and fixtures are protected.
04
Scrub
The right pad, the right chemistry and proper dwell time, worked mechanically across the floor.
05
Detail by hand
Edges, corners, thresholds and the areas a machine cannot reach are worked by hand.
06
Extract, rinse and inspect
Soil and solution are removed and the floor is rinsed, then we walk it with you under working light.
Where it fits
Often the first visit, rarely the last.
Medical & Dental Professional Facilities Churches Education & Daycare Fitness Facilities Property Management
Related services
Often paired with this service
Commercial Floor Care
Cleaning, restoration and ongoing maintenance planned around your flooring and traffic.
Strip & Wax
Worn finish removed and floors refinished for a consistent, protected appearance.
Questions
Common questions
Is deep scrubbing the same as stripping?
No. Stripping removes every coat of finish down to the bare floor so it can be refinished. Deep scrubbing works at the soil and staining. On a floor with no finish there is nothing to strip, and deep scrubbing is the entire job.
Will my floor look dull afterward?
On a floor with no finish, no. On a waxed floor, yes, because the scrub cuts into the finish along with the stain. If appearance matters, plan on fresh coats afterward and we will quote that together.
Do you deep clean tile and grout?
Yes, and for tile and grout specifically that is its own service, because the grout lines need their own approach. See tile and grout cleaning.
Can you get out a stain another company could not?
Sometimes, and sometimes not. Set-in soil usually responds to the right pad and the right chemistry. Damage to the floor itself does not. We will tell you which one we think you have after looking at it.
How long is the floor out of use?
A deep scrub with no refinishing is usually back in service the same day once the floor is dry. If we recoat afterward, the timing follows the finish, and we will confirm it for your facility.
Is this a one-time job or part of a schedule?
Both happen. Heavy soil is usually a one-time reset. Facilities with tough entries and high traffic often put periodic scrubbing into a recurring maintenance program so it never gets that far again.
Free facility assessment
Let’s Take a Look at Your Facility.
Request a free assessment and let METIS determine the right approach for your floors and facility.
Prefer to talk? 430-264-1950