So many dance numbers require dancing barefoot or performing moves on the ground. So you’ll want your floor to be as clean as possible. But dance floors can get messy quickly, which is why it’s important to know the best cleaning practices and frequency of clean dance floors.
From daily and weekly maintenance to yearly deep cleaning, there’s a lot to learn. This guide will walk you through the best practices for maintaining your dance floors and keeping them clean and sanitized.
Dance Flooring Cleaning Mistakes to Avoid
Before even beginning to clean your dance floors, you’ll want to know the most common mistakes to avoid. Here’s what not to do when cleaning dance floors.
Practices to avoid:
Excessive wet-mopping: Frequently wet-mopping your dance floors can potentially ruin its flexibility and finish over time. If your dance floors are being used daily, it’s best to wet-mop them every two to three days, at the most. Bleach: Bleach can discolor your flooring, but that’s not all. It also damages your floor’s surface over time.Alcohol, ammonia, and acetone: While these three common cleaning materials might be great for other floors, they can do a real number on your dance floor. Using any of these solutions will break down the plasticizer in your floor, causing the floor to become rigid and crack. Oil-based cleaning products: Cleaning solutions with an oil base leave a residue on your dance floor and create a slippery surface. Related Content > How to Choose Dance Flooring
Best Dance Flooring Cleaners and Tools
It’s important to know what tools are best for cleaning dance floors. From cleaning solutions to brooms, effectively cleaning your dance floor requires a few things.
Dance Floor Maintenance Supplies
Get your routine off to the right start with these recommended supplies.
Non-abrasive cloth: To gently remove those pesky scuff marks, a non-abrasive rag is a perfect solution.Soft-bristled broom: Sweep up the dirt and debris with your desired choice of broom and dustpan. All-purpose mops: An all-in-one mop will help you dry mop to pick up all the dirt you can’t see, and wet mop for any stuck-on dirt.
Dance Floor Cleaning Solutions
With all the bare feet and floor work involved in dancing, dance floorings can get greasy and dirty after one rehearsal. The right cleaning solutions will help disinfect and clean your floors.
By using a mild detergent degreaser, you can help your floors look new. The best way to go is to find an all-purpose cleaner that works on a variety of surfaces. This solution should be used weekly on your dance floor.
For when you’re deep cleaning your dance floor, a more heavy-duty floor cleaner will help eliminate all the build-up on your floors and disinfect semi-annually.
Related Content > Home Dance Floor Buying Guide
Sweeping and Dry Mopping Dance Floors
If you’re in a studio, holding classes and rehearsals every day, cleaning your dance floors daily is essential for keeping your floors looking good.
Therefore, sweeping and dry mopping your floors after every use and at the end of the day will help prevent dirt and oils from building up. If you don’t use your floor every day, practice these cleaning routines after every use.
While sweeping, focus on picking up any crumbs or hair. That way you’re not dragging crumbs around on your floor while you dry mop.
Dry mopping with a non-abrasive or microfiber cloth will pick up the dirt and grease you can’t see. You do not want to wet mop your floors every day, because, over time, that can potentially ruin the flexibility and finish of the floor.
Wet-Mopping Dance Floors
After sweeping daily, it’s time to wet mop. A few times a week, your dance floors should be wet mopped to disinfect and to eliminate oils, sweat, lotions, and other residues.
How often you mop depends on how frequently you use the flooring.
Moderately used dance floors: If you are using your floor every single day, multiple times a day, you should disinfect your floors two-three times a week by following the manufacturer’s instructions for use, then evenly mopping the entire floor, and letting it dry. Lightly used dance floors: For floors only being used a few times a week, use the manufacturer’s recommended mixture of all-purpose cleaner and warm water and evenly mop the floor once weekly.
Deep Cleaning Your Dance Floors
Regularly sweeping and mopping is an awesome way to maintain gorgeous dance floors. However, adding a deep cleaning regimen to your routine about twice a year will help your floors look great for years to come.
To get this done, we recommend you rent out an automatic floor scrubber machine every six months, use your favorite heavy-duty dance floor cleaner, and get your floors in tip-top shape.
Related Content > Dance Studio Flooring Buying Guide
How to Remove Scuff Marks From Dance Flooring
When you’re leaping and sliding in hard-sole shoes, scuffs happen. Thankfully, they’re also easy to handle with the right tools.
To remove scuff marks on dance flooring, you can use a non-abrasive cloth or tennis ball to rub the scuff away. If this doesn’t take care of the scuff, use a diluted floor cleaner and cloth and try again. If you need to remove several marks at once, use a microfiber mop to get it done faster.
Cleaning Specific Types of Dance Floors
If you’re in the dance world, you know there are a lot of different types of dance floors out there. To ensure you know the right way to take care of your floor, let’s break it down with cleaning tips for each dance floor type.
Tips for Cleaning Marley Floors
Marley is one of the most popular studio dance floors and is extremely easy to care for because it’s made of long-lasting vinyl.
To clean Marley for daily use, first, sweep away any debris and dry mop it to keep its professional appearance. Then once the floor has been swept, use a damp mop and your desired dance floor cleaner to mop the floor to remove any stuck-on dirt.
Related Content > Marley Dance Floor Buying Guide
Tips for Cleaning Vinyl Dance Floor Tiles
To clean vinyl dance floor tiles, simply sweep and/or dry mop the floor daily to make sure it stays clean and free of debris. You can damp mop this floor using a common household cleaner and warm water. Just be sure the household cleaner is not oil-based as this can create a slippery surface.
Tips for Cleaning Hardwood Dance Floors
Wood dance floors are the original flooring choice for many dance studios and banquet halls. It takes some special care to keep these floors looking amazing for a long time.
First things first, always sweep your dance floor, then mop with a mild detergent that is not oil-based.
Every month or so, after mopping, treat your floor with a light application of dance floor wax, such as Superior Dance Floor Wax. Use a soft-bristled push broom to evenly spread the wax across the floor and remove any excess.
Related Content > Dance Subfloor Buying Guide
Conclusion
With all the right tools and cleaning solutions, clean dance floors are easily managed. Be sure to establish a regular cleaning routine to make maintaining your floor effortless.
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