• Diluted ammonia is the best epoxy floor coating cleaning solution, and it’s simple to make.

• You can make this cleaning solution at your home or workshop by adding a half-cup of ammonia to a gallon (3.8 L) of hot water (that is, 2 – 3 ounces of ammonia per gallon of hot water). With this preparation, this cleaner is completely safe for your epoxy floors.

• Another very effective epoxy flooring cleansing solution is diluted Simple Green Epoxy Cleaner. Simply add half cup of Simple Green to 1 gallon of hot water (that is, 1 part of Simple Green to 8 parts of hot water). This cleaner is also safe, but ensure the cleaner isn’t too concentrated as it can leave a film on your epoxy floor.

• And finally, another great cleansing solution for epoxy floors is Windex. Mix Windex with water in this ratio: 1 part of Windex to 3 parts of water. This will do an amazing job in cutting through residue without leaving a film on your epoxy floor surface.

• You’ll want to remove furniture or anything that will stand in your way from cleaning thoroughly. Then remove the excess dirt with a broom before vacuuming.

• After that you can apply the solution to your epoxy floor with a hard foam mop or microfiber cloth. Then rinse off the detergent with clean water and leave to air-dry or use a soft towel.

• You can also use your home-made cleaner to spot-clean stubborn stains and spots on your epoxy floor. Scrub the floor with a stiff nylon brush. Repeat till all stains are gone, and rinse with water and dry with a towel when you’re done.

• Clean tough rust stains with a lactic acid-based cleaner. You can do this by adding equal parts of the lactic acid-based cleanser (like CLR) and water (that is, 1 part lactic acid-based cleaner and 1 part water). You’ll have to apply this solution directly to the area and scrub with a scrub brush to clean your epoxy floor. For best practices, the cleanser SHOULDN’T sit on your garage floor for MORE THAN 2 MINUTES, and don’t forget to rinse with cold water.

• You can also use this cleansing solution to get rid of salt film and grease on your epoxy floor surface.

• It’s very common to have tire marks on your garage floors. The only thing is that you’ll have to get the marks off immediately when they’re made, as they’ll be difficult to come off if they stay long on the floors. Saturate the area you’ve got the tire marks with a concrete degreaser product, and leave it for 5 – 10 minutes. Then scrub with a stiff very hard with a stiff bristle nylon brush. You might need to reapply the cleanser and scrub a few more times if the stain remains. After you scrub the marks off, rinse with water and dry with a towel.

• Keep the surfaces dirt and grit-free. If you allow dirt and grit to remain on your epoxy floor, they can embed in the epoxy and scratch the floor coating over time. This is especially so when you’re always moving heavy machinery or cars on your epoxy garage floors.

• To avoid this, regularly use a soft dust mop or a shop vacuum with a soft brush attachment to sweep away sand, dirt, and loose debris from the epoxy floor. You can do this once or twice a week depending on the amount of dirt your epoxy garage accumulates.

• If your epoxy garage floors have got an anti-slip aggregate (like aluminum oxide) added to its formulation, you’ll be better off using a soft bristle push broom than a regular dust mop: this is more effective against dirt for such floors.

• Epoxy flooring surface is tough, resilient, and resistant to abrasion, but that doesn’t mean prolonged exposure to grime, dirt, and grit can’t damage it over time.

• To extend the lifespan of your flooring surface, take extra precautions to make sure your epoxy floor is always free of dirt, cleaning oils, car chemicals, and other chemicals

• Engine oil particularly contains chemical agents that can be harmful to your epoxy coating. Hence, the more reason you shouldn’t allow this and any other chemical to sit on your epoxy floor for long.

• To protect your epoxy floor coating, wipe up the following liquids and chemicals with a shop towel or paper towel as soon as possible;

Engine oil spills

Gas spills

Paint

Antifreeze

Harsh household cleaners

Abrasive or coarse liquids

And other chemicals from cars

• To ensure the durability of your epoxy, the best thing you can do is to clean it immediately once these chemicals come in contact with it.

• It’s also advisable you keep a neutralizing agent in your garage. You can first neutralize the chemicals before washing them with water and using a soft cloth or squeegee to drain liquid.

• Avoid using steel wool and harsh chemicals like Comet.

• You should strive to deep clean your epoxy floor coatings once a month. To do this, you’ll have to move your tools, vehicles, and other items out of the way so you can reach hidden areas.

• Ensure to use a walk-off mat at the entrance of your garage. This will collect dirt, sand, and moisture from under your feet and save you from cleaning your floors all the time.

• Also, use soft pads under bicycle and motorcycle kickstands. you don’t need anything fancy: a computer mouse pad will suffice.

• Also, place a piece of cardboard if you’re going to leave your car in the garage for a long time.

• If you weld in your home, factory, or warehouse, use a welding mat to prevent damage from being done to your epoxy floors.

• You can still take extra care by placing heavy equipment or tools on plywood to ensure too much pressure is not applied to your epoxy floor.

• Even though epoxy coatings are very durable, you can make them more durable by adhering to these epoxy maintenance best practices.

• When cleaning your epoxy floors, AVOID USING citrus cleaners or vinegar as they contain acids that can de-gloss you’re the finish of your epoxy floor coatings.

• Also, avoid using soap-based cleaners as they can leave streak marks or a residue on your epoxy coating surface.

• Soap-based cleaners are capable of dulling the shine of your epoxy floors and also making the floors more slippery when it gets wet.

• Decorative surfaces are "stain resistant" not "stain proof." The sooner stains receive attention, the easier they are to remove. Stains can become set over time if they are allowed to penetrate/eat into the decorative surface. Residue such as tree sap or road tar may be spot cleaned with either Goo Gone or Dissolves-It, then rinsed clean. Heavily soiled areas may be cleaned using a pressure washer (maximum pressure 2400). Do not use a turbo/rotating tip. Care must be taken when using equipment such as this to assure that you are not damaging the surface due to improper use

• Do not put plastic or rubber backed carpets/mats over the surface. These hold in moisture, prohibiting natural evaporation, which contributes to a build-up of mineral deposits. The residue from these minerals can be next to impossible" to remove. If there are planters on the surface, they must be placed on protective saucers/plant dollies with air space beneath them. Failure to do so will entrap the water draining from the planters (ie: mineral deposit build-up). Plant fertilizers also have the potential to cause discoloration. You wouldn't put your planters in direct contact with any other type of surfacing; therefore, take care to protect your epoxy surface too.

• If your surface is a swimming pool deck, care should be taken to rinse any pool treatment chemicals which are in concentrated form as soon as possible to deter surface damage/discoloration. (Note: properly balanced and treated swimming pool water itself will not harm your surface.)

• Never use Xylene, MEK, Acetone, Paint Thinner, or any other type of solvent to remove foreign matter (such as road tar, tree saps, paint drips, etc.) from your surface. Doing so will cause your sealer to either break down/emulsify or at the very least cause appearance defects. Never use ANY deicer containing ammonium nitrate and/or ammonium sulfate within a winter maintenance program... doing so will result in rapid attack and deterioration of the protective sealer. Magnesium chloride, calcium chloride, and sodium chloride will have a negligible effect.

• If a skid-resistant media was added to your sealer at the time of application, it may be worn off over time in heavy traffic pathways. This is a normal wear factor; thus, application of another coat of sealer with skid-resistant media again incorporated in it may become necessary, Annual surface inspection will determine if this is the case.

• Your exterior surface should be examined annually. Any areas that require repair or treatment must be properly attended at that time. The longer areas requiring repair, or resealing, are not addressed the more costly doing so will become due to the harsh elements of Mother Nature and environmental conditions.

• Make sure all furniture has protective caps on the legs. Your surface is durable, but sharp edges can scar and scratch it. Do not use rugs with solid rubber backing or plastic over your decorative surface. If a rug is to be placed on the floor, use an open weave, breathable, pad only. Natural sweating, due to the differential in temperature between the floor and the insulating rubber backed rug over it will cause permanent discoloration over time.

•  Failure to follow these precautions will void any written or implied warranties.

• Chadwick's Custom Epoxy warrants application to original owner for a period of one 1 year from the date installed including materials and labor, as related to mechanical bonding to substrate and general performance characteristics as outlined in technical data/specification sheets.

• Completed surface will be matched to original sample/samples provided or color chart literature as close as possible; however, actual colors/tints and decorative outcome will vary on each architectural concrete surface due to substrate itself and other innerent surface conditions, which is what makes this such a unique individualized decorative concrete surface.

• If application, as to original owner, proves to be defective Chadwick's Custom Epoxy will repair the surface at no cost. Neither Chadwick's Custom Epoxy nor Manufacturer shall be responsible for earth or ground-fill movement, earthquakes, cracks or heaves in the existing sub- surface, discoloration, reduction of gloss, hydro-static pressure, seasonal rising moisture conditions, acts of God, negligence, normal wear, or acts of others.

• Commercial applications are to be inspected on an annual basis by Chadwick's Custom Epoxy, to determine whether they require repair or other surface/sealing treatment in order to maintain their longevity/performance properties and natural architectural beauty.