Deep cleaning a rubber floor is not the easiest task. There are many types of rubber floors, but they all have in common that dirt and grime can easily get trapped into the material. This article will give you tips on how to deep clean your rubber floor properly.
Rubber Floor Cleaning Tips
Step-by-step guide:
1- Sweep and vacuum the floor:
Sweep the floor, then vacuum. Alternatively, use a hard broom and sweep the rubber gym floor in straight lines; this way you will trap all debris between the gaps of the broom.
2- Use a high-pressure water jet:
A high-pressure water jet is your best choice to deep clean a rubber gym floor.
3- Use detergent and spray:
Use detergent, depending on how dirty your rubber gym floor is. The most important is that spay any cleaning product on a small area of the rubber floor, check if there’s any damage in color or texture after 10 minutes. If not, continue to spray the remaining cleaning product.
3- Rinse the floor:
Rinse all detergent with water and collect in a bucket, then use this water to clean the rest of the rubber gym floor. Collect all dirty water in another container and dispose of it after using bleach or any other biodegradable products to disinfect the surface. Finally, check your rubber floor before using it to ensure there is no residue on it.
4- Repeat the above process for colored rubber floors if needed:
Use a brush, water jet, or broom, depending on your needs. You can also use a combination of all three tools.
5- Use deodorizers/disinfectants after cleaning with detergents:
Use a deodorizer or disinfectant to eliminate the smell of detergents. You can use any commercial spray available in the market; we recommend using IG Floor Care products for this purpose.
6- Apply tire marks remover:
Rubber floors tend to produce tire marks, so if you own one, place some cardboard under your equipment’s tires, such as bikes, steppers, and ellipticals. Use tire marks removers usually found in most hardware stores.
7- Clean rubber mats:
Apply any detergent and scrub each mat with a hard brush; use water to rinse and rub again if needed. Then dry them using an air blower or a cloth. Most of the time, it’s enough to clean just one side of the mat.
8- Optional: Use a buffer to shine your rubber floor and erase all tire marks, scuffs, and scratches:
This is an optional step, especially if you receive a lot of traffic on the gym floor or use machines with wheels like bikes for example. If you own a buffer machine, then clean the surface using a non-woven cloth on one side and fine sandpaper of 200 or 400 grit on the other side. This will help you remove all scuffs, scratches, and tire marks (see below).
9- Maintain your rubber gym floor:
If you own a rubber gym floor, you need to maintain it to keep its color and durability. We recommend deep cleaning it once every 6 months with the first step; if your rubber gym floor is colored, then clean it with grout (above) after each deep cleaning procedure. Regularly sweep and vacuum all debris off the surface, or sweep in straight lines if necessary (see below photo).
10- Use a commercial rubber mat cleaner for colored floors:
You can use any cleaning product on the market to clean your colored rubber gym floor, but make sure you use the right one. Commercial cleaning products are designed to maintain the color of your rubber mats and tend to be less harmful than detergents which can damage its surface.
11- Use a commercial mop for rubber floors:
We recommend using a commercial mop designed explicitly for rubber surfaces because they are designed not to damage the surface. Check our post on the best mop to clean rubber gym floors.
12- Optional: Apply floor polish or buff your rubber gym floor:
This is an optional step that helps make your gym floor shine and removes all scuffs and scratches. We recommend applying a multipurpose floor polish to shine your rubber gym mat.
13- Check for moisture:
After cleaning the rubber gym floor with a detergent, always check it using an infrared thermometer to determine if there’s any moisture left. Moisture can cause mold on your rubber mats, and you’ll eventually need to replace them. When using hot water to rinse your rubber floor make sure you use demineralized water for this purpose.
We hope you find this article useful; please let us know in the comment section below for any comment or suggestion.
