How to Clean Epoxy Floors in Commercial Settings

Epoxy is tough, but it’s not bulletproof - so understanding how to clean epoxy floors in commercial settings can’t be taken lightly. Don’t sweat it. We’ll show you the best way to clean epoxy floors below! 

Epoxy floors look great when they’re new, but keeping them that way takes more than a mop and a bucket. Forklifts, foot traffic, oil drips, and dust all take a toll, and we see facilities constantly trying to balance efficiency with safety.

So how do you clean epoxy floors in commercial and industrial settings? Investing in a commercial floor scrubber pays for itself fast. It saves labor hours and ensures a pristine finish every time. You’ll just need to pair it with an epoxy-specific floor cleaner.

SweepScrub is your one-stop shop for commercial floor cleaning equipment and cleaning agents to help you make the most of them. Learn more about cleaning epoxy floors below, or connect with our team for one-on-one support today. 

What’s the Best Way to Clean Epoxy Floors?

Let’s start with choosing the right epoxy floor cleaning agent. There are a number of options at your disposal, but the best way to clean epoxy floors is with a specialized solution made for this exact type of flooring. 

Plain, Warm Water

This is obviously the easiest option if you don’t have access to a specialized detergent and need to clean immediately. It won’t damage the coating and it’s fine for quick maintenance passes.

The downside, of course, is subpar results. Water won’t break down oils, tire marks, or warehouse grime. Floors might look clean for an hour but they’ll be dull again by the next shift. Even hot water won’t remove certain stains, either. 

DIY Epoxy Floor Cleaners

Some facilities rely on mild household products like diluted Windex, ammonia-free glass cleaners, or small amounts of dish soap to deal with light grease and scuffs.

These can work when they’re mixed right. The problem is consistency. Concentrations vary, residue builds fast, and repeated use can leave epoxy cloudy over time. Is it the best way to clean epoxy floors? Definitely not. 

Specialized Epoxy Floor Cleaners

We always encourage janitorial teams and building owners to invest in specialized epoxy floor cleaning agents because it takes the uncertainty out of the process. You won’t have to worry about causing more harm than good.

These cleaners are typically neutral-pH, low-foaming, and designed to rinse clean through a floor scrubber. They cut oils and traffic film without softening the coating, and they don’t leave a slippery residue behind.

What Not to Use on Epoxy Flooring

Using the wrong product causes more damage than dirt ever will:

• Acidic cleaners (vinegar, citrus, bathroom chemicals) dull the finish and weaken the coating
• Abrasive powders or grit cleaners scratch epoxy permanently
• Degreasers meant for concrete are too aggressive for sealed surfaces
• Solvent-based cleaners can soften or discolor the coating
• Soap-heavy solutions: leave slippery residue that attracts dirt

Stick with something made for this type of flooring and you won’t have to worry about a negative impact on your flooring. But, how do you actually go about using an epoxy floor cleaner? There are two options - manual mopping or mechanical floor cleaning.

As you can imagine, the best way to clean epoxy floors is to use a floor scrubber. Here’s why…

Why Invest in an Epoxy Floor Scrubber Machine?

These machines apply a cleaning solution, scrub it into the floor, and vacuum up the dirty water in a single pass - saving tons of time and effort, all while ensuring a pristine clean. They’re a smart investment for any facility trying to protect its flooring investment and maintain impeccable conditions for employees or patrons.

Walk Behind Floor Scrubbers

Commercial walk-behind floor scrubbers are the go-to choice for most businesses because they’re easier to maneuver and more affordable. They give you controlled pressure, consistent water flow, and strong recovery without taking up much space.

They work especially well in warehouses, auto shops, gyms, production rooms, and corridors. Basically, anywhere you need precision. You can clean really close to walls, navigate around equipment, and store the machine in a closet or corner. 

The limitation is scale. Large facilities might find themselves better suited with a ride-on unit.

Ride-On Floor Scrubbers

An industrial ride-on floor scrubber is built for speed and coverage. They cut cleaning time dramatically for distribution centers, manufacturing plants, parking decks, and logistics facilities. 

The operator controls the unit with a steering wheel. They save a ton of manual effort, too. Larger tanks also mean fewer stops to refill and dump. 

The trade-offs are space and maneuverability. These are impractical for facilities with narrower aisles and limited storage space. They’re overkill for tighter layouts, and you’ll often find yourself needing to buy a smaller walk-behind unit for that “last mile cleaning,” too. Ride-on units are more expensive and complicated to maintain, but they’re worth it for the right facility. 

 

What Brushes/Pads Are Safe For Epoxy Flooring?

Whether you’re cleaning epoxy floors, cleaning concrete floors indoors, or trying to learn how to clean rubber flooring, the brushes and pads on your machine matter just as much as everything else. Like the epoxy floor chemicals you use, these components can be the difference between effective cleaning and causing more harm than good.

Soft nylon brushes and red or white pads are your best bet. They clean traffic film without scratching the coating. Avoid black, brown, or aggressive stripping pads unless the epoxy is being refinished.

Do You Need a Floor Sweeper Machine, Too?

A scrubber might be more than enough for your business, or, you might find that you need a commercial floor sweeper machine as well. These are a must for dusty or debris-heavy spaces. They prepare the floor for safe scrubbing so you aren’t grinding anything into the flooring.

There are also floor sweeper scrubber machines that handle both in a single pass - picking up dry debris, then scrubbing the floor thoroughly. They’re a smart investment in some settings.

No matter what you need, SweepScrub stocks the top manufacturers and their most popular models, always priced competitively and backed by exceptional customer service from A to Z. 

Get in touch with our team for one-on-one guidance today. In the meantime, we’ll walk you through how to clean epoxy floors below.

How Do You Clean Epoxy Floors? Step-by-Step Guide

So how do you clean epoxy floors once you have the right equipment? It’s actually really straightforward. There are just a few important steps: 

• Filling the scrubber and preparing the cleaning solution
• Dialing in brush and pressure settings
• Operating the machine in slow, overlapping passes

It’s that simple! Here’s an overview of how to clean epoxy floors in commercial settings.

Step 1: Clear the Area and Set Safety Markers

Move pallets, cones, trash cans, mats, and anything you can for full access to the floor. Put out wet floor signs at every entry point to the zone you’re cleaning. Block off forklift lanes if you’re in a warehouse or shop so nobody tracks soil back onto the wet surface.

Step 2: Remove Dry Debris First

Epoxy scratches when sand and metal grit get dragged around, which is why you need to start with a sweeper, wide dust mop, or a vacuum suited for hard floors. You don’t necessarily need to cover every square inch, but you should focus on:

• Entryways and loading doors
• Under racking edges
• Along baseboards and corners
• Around machines where shavings collect

This step will happen at the same time as scrubbing if you’re using a floor sweeper scrubber machine. Otherwise, get this taken care of before you start filling up your scrubber’s solution tank.

Step 3: Mix a Cleaner That Won’t Leave Residue

You know the best way to clean epoxy floors is with a dedicated cleaning agent made for epoxy or a neutral-pH degreaser designed for coated floors. Our team can give you a recommendation if you aren’t sure where to start. We carry some solid options.

Mix your cleaning agent exactly to the label ratio. Stronger isn’t better. Over-mixing leaves a film that grabs dust and makes epoxy look cloudy. And it’s just wasteful from a cost perspective. 

Be sure to choose a product built for petroleum soils if you’re dealing with oils. This is more effective (and safer) than dumping extra concentrate into the solution tank of your scrubber.

Step 4: Pick the Right Brush or Pad

We touched on how to clean epoxy floors with the right pad already, but just as a reminder:

• Soft nylon brush for textured epoxy or light grit
• Red pad for general cleaning on smooth coated floors
• White pad for polished-looking epoxy that marks easily

Whatever you do, avoid aggressive stripping pads unless you’re intentionally removing buildup as part of a recoat plan.

Step 5: Scrub in Controlled Passes

Run the scrubber at a steady walking (or riding) pace. Overlap each pass by a few inches so you don’t leave striping. You may have to do two passes on heavy soil:

1. Scrub with solution laid down
2. Second pass with recovery emphasized to pull everything up clean

This may not be necessary if you clean frequently enough. That’s an important piece of context on how to clean epoxy floors. Cleaning more often sounds like extra work, but it actually saves you from having to be more aggressive!

Use the lowest flow that still gives full coverage if your machine has an adjustable water flow. Too much water can leave epoxy looking streaky.

Step 6: Detail the Edges and Tight Spots

Most scrubbers won’t perfectly hit corners or under toe-kicks. Use a small deck scrubber, a hand pad, or a compact micro scrubber for:

• Restroom edges
• Around floor drains
• Under sinks and breakroom counters
• Dock plates and corners near doors

These are actually the areas that accumulate more soil than the middle of aisles, so don’t overlook them!

Step 7: Confirm the Floor Is Dry and Clean Before Reopening

There you have it, how to clean epoxy floors! Your epoxy floor should dry fast and look even. There’s a problem with your scrubber if you see puddles or a hazy streak. Here’s what to check:

• Squeegee blades for nicks or curling
• Vacuum pickup and hose clogs
• Recovery tank seal and filter condition
• Cleaner ratio (most common cause of film)

On that note, it’s important to account for a bit of routine maintenance on your scrubber. The squeegee blades and pads/brushes will need to be replaced every so often. Your machine’s manual should clue you into the typical replacement schedule.  

Parting Thoughts on How to Clean Epoxy Floors

That does it for our guide on how to clean epoxy floors! 

Our blog has more resources on cleaning commercial kitchen floors or factory floor cleaning if you’re interested. You can also learn about the difference between a floor burnisher vs buffer, which you may want to add to your epoxy floor care arsenal as well.

At this point, though, the only thing left to do now that you know the best way to clean epoxy floors is invest in the right equipment. SweepScrub stocks all the leading brands like Tennant, Advance, Clarke, and our own private label line for better value. You also gain access to the epoxy floor care chemicals you need, along with world-class customer support from A to Z.

Clean smarter, not harder, with SweepScrub!

Frequently asked questions

Can I use a pressure washer on epoxy floors?

Only at low pressure and with a wide fan tip. High pressure can dull the finish or force water under the coating edges. But how are you going to get your floor dry afterwards? This is not the best way to clean epoxy floors. Invest in a floor scrubber instead. It’s safer and more practical. 

How do I remove stains from my epoxy flooring?

It depends on the stain in question as you’ll want to tailor the chemical to the mess. In general, though, use a soft brush or pad with a neutral-pH epoxy-safe cleaner. Let it dwell briefly, then scrub and recover. Avoid aggressive chemicals.

What should you not clean epoxy floors with?

Acidic cleaners, citrus degreasers, bleach, ammonia, and abrasive powders can all break down the floor’s coating over time. 

Can you use Dawn on epoxy floors?

It will leave residue that causes streaking and negatively affects traction, but occasional use may be ok. You should keep a more specialized cleaning agent on hand, though.

Can you use Swiffer wet pads on epoxy floors?

Maybe for light touch-ups, but they don’t remove embedded grit and often leave a film behind.

How do you maintain an epoxy floor?

Learning how to clean epoxy floors correctly is 80% of it. Following the right cleaning schedule prevents more intensive maintenance needs.