Go for gold with these cleaning practices

By California Sports Surfaces. 

How to best clean athletic facilities and surfaces this spring. 

Winter puts a wear on almost everything, and in the northern hemisphere, a hallmark of springtime is the routine seasonal maintenance and cleaning of facilities. In terms of athletic facilities, routine cleaning makes sure athletic courts, tracks and arenas are in the best condition for their peak-use seasons. One of the most important cleaning tasks in athletics is making sure that any mold or mildew stains are removed from surfaces and equipment. 

One of the classic ways to clean athletic surfaces of things like mildew, mold and stains is to use household dish detergent. The experts from California Sports Surfaces explained the steps:  

1. Add a few ounces to a bucket of water 
2. Apply to your court for 15-20 minutes 
3. Rinse it off.  

They suggest that a soft-bristled broom or squeegee, but you must be careful to not apply too much pressure or use cleaner with grit that can damage the finish on the court. So, what if those gentle scrubbing methods and detergent aren’t cutting it? We recommend IAQ Advanced Peroxide Cleaner by Fiberlock® (an ICP brand). This revolutionary hydrogen peroxide-based cleaner provides performance unmatched by any other peroxide-based cleaners. It effectively removes stains from mold and mildew on porous, semi-porous and non-porous materials. Created using innovative chemistry and a unique manufacturing process, its proprietary formulation releases the product’s maximum oxidation potential. 

IAQ APC can be applied with a trigger or pump sprayer, airless spray or mop. For the best results, use IAQ APC with a rotary head pressure washer, but be sure to keep the pressure under 1500 psi. When applying, saturate the surface with enough product to remain wet for at least 10 minutes. Provide Advanced Peroxide cleaner enough time to work its way into the surface and lift inanimate particulate out through the foaming action. The dwell time will depend on the thickness and porosity of the surface but is usually 5 to 10 minutes. 

After a layer of foam has developed, agitation will assist in removing more dirt; and as Advanced Peroxide Cleaner dwells on the surface, it will remove staining. Like with the detergent, do not use any hard-bristled brushes or tools that may damage the court. Rinse thoroughly. 

After all stains have been removed from your athletic surface and to prevent mold from coming back, we recommend Fiberlock Shockwave® – a state-of-the-art disinfectant/sanitizer/cleaner designed to handle any situation a contractor or janitorial professional might encounter. 

Indoors or outdoors, Shockwave has been formulated, tested and is registered by the EPA for use on more surfaces, in more situations and to kill more organisms than any other product. Shockwave disinfectant and cleaner is ideal for use on sports surfaces such as athletic courts, tracks, gym floors and equipment and locker rooms. 

And because Shockwave is compatible with acrylic athletic surfacing products, it is excellent for use prior to recoating. 

When applying Shockwave to a court or other horizontal surface, start at the highest elevation edge of the court and work toward the lowest elevation of the surface. Apply an adequate amount of the diluted product (also available in ready-to-use) to allow the surface to remain wet for 10 minutes. After treatment, just mop it dry or let it air dry. 

Original article source: California Athletic Surfaces