Should I apply TopShield and TopShield 2 to My New Marmoleum Dual Tile Floor?

So many people seem stuck once they have Marmoleum installed as to how to take care of the floor. Your best bet is to always follow Forbo recommendations for cleaning and for using TopShield and Top Shield 2, but let’s come up with a really simple way to think about it.

1. Do No Harm

Just like the oath the doctors take, we need to be careful about using things that we THINK might work but are not approved. You can permanently damage a floor. If you are insistent and need to experiment, even after the company that has been making it for 150 years says otherwise…go right ahead.

2. Use the Right Cleaners

Floor cleaner that is “pH balanced” is the right thing to use. Forbo makes their own and it is not terribly expensive. You can find it online and it uses just a capful to a gallon, so it will last a long time.

3. Spot Clean

Using Forbo cleaner or a mild pH balanced alternative, you can spot clean any sticky or messy areas. Overdoing the cleaning by mopping constantly can simply make a place for bacteria and biological organisms to live when it is warm and damp. Going to harsher chemicals to kill every germ in existence is like trying to kill the Earth’s last mosquito – the ones left behind are more resistant and harder to kill. Can you use a floor steamer or steamer mop? Yes, but don’t overdo it.

4. Sweep & HEPA Vac Next

Many folks are insistent that a clean floor is one that has just been mopped. This is not always true. Think about it like this – if you have dust on your floor, sweeping it with a fine broom or using a HEPA vac would work much better than wetting the floor. Also, the cleaning agents we are washing down our sinks are doing serious harm to our rivers, lakes and oceans and their populations.

5. Stains & Gouges

When trying to erase a stain, it is important to know if it’s the TopShield coating or the Marmoleum below that is stained. Sometimes a scrubby pad or very fine sandpaper can remove a stain, but the floor is going to need a top coat of finish when you are done. Gouges can be fixed with some fine colored scrapings mixed with carpenters glue and pressed into place. Again, some finish will have to be put on the floor after this type of repair.

6. Abrasive Cleaning

Many hospitals and universities go completely overboard with those giant scrubbing machines with the large abrasive wheels on them. They effectively sand the finish off the floor along with the color of the Marmoleum and in turn they shorten the life of the floor and increase costs by having to reapply finish constantly. Which brings us to finishing.

7. Apply Your TopShield Finish

Applying TopShield and Top Shield 2 is quite simple. Following the instructions on the containers is critical and downloading the directions for floor maintenance will help a lot. We’ve also got a very informative video on our Forbo Flooring Installation FAQs page.

After doing a thorough cleaning with some undiluted, full strength pH balanced Forbo cleaner, you can rinse and dry the floor. Using a pad to take off scrapes and stains will leave a matte area on the floor where it has been used.

Applying TopShield over that well-prepared floor with a sponge mop will do a beautiful job of applying a satin finish to your floor, which should last you many more years to come.