Floor Pads: Choosing the Right Color for the Task

As a custodial manager, I periodically come upon custodians using incorrect color-coded floor pads for a floor care project, because they will often express that all floor pads are the same and it really does not matter. But when you are trying to manage a staff and oversee a host of custodial projects to completion, the difference between a job task being completed on time and a job task being completed correctly, can come down to this one simple fact. In order to make a floor care job task easier for the average person to understand, this short article will help me explain the purposeful use of each color pad.

Floor pad manufacturers do not produce floor pads in different colors schemes simply as means to attract more sales with the pretty colors. Floor pad colors were introduced into the industry with a purposeful intent. Each color is meant to define a floor care pad for a specific floor care task. The color allows a floor pad manufacturer to differentiate the coarseness of the pad, the job task intent of the pad, as well as providing a means to the customer to be able to discriminate between which color pad should be used for the job task they have to complete. Although some manufacturers occasionally will attempt to introduce new colors into the marketplace, there is a standard color breakdown set in place that is universally accepted in the janitorial industry upon which most customers can rely. The standard colors of floor care pads are as follows: pink, white, beige, red, blue (green), and black.

The pink floor care pad is defined as a pad of light coarseness, which is underlined by the color which speaks of softness. The purpose of the pink floor care pad is for the pad to be utilized in burnishing a floor. With a high speed burnisher, the pink floor care pad restores sheen to the floor and redefines the high gloss look that a floor finish should provide. The reason one would utilize such a pad is to keep a floor looking shiny and new.

A white floor care pad is defined as a pad of light coarseness, which is underlined by a color which speaks of cleanliness. The purpose of the white floor care pad is for the pad to be utilized in dry buffing a floor to a high sheen. Where most floor care pads are recommended to be used with water on the floor, the pink and white floor care pads are primarily intended to be used on a dry floor to restore a finish. The white floor care pad is intended to be used in conjunction with a higher speed machine, though not necessarily a burnisher.

The beige floor care pad is defined as a pad of slightly higher coarseness than that of a white or pink pad, which is defined by the earth tone color it represents, while maintaining a light color neutral appeal. The purpose of the beige floor care pad is for the pad to be utilized as a crossover pad for light cleaning and standard floor cleaning, which requires a step up to a red pad. The beige pad is intended to be used with a swinger machine, which allows side to side movement for cleaning purposes. This floor care pad allows a floor care technician to work a mildly scuffed floor spot gently back up to an acceptable presentable level. The beige floor care pad works best with water or a floor care cleaning solution on the floor, which will allow the pad to better move and clean a problem area. A beige pad is also a good pad to use for spray buffing, because the spray buff skill restores a high sheen finish while cleaning a floor area.

A red floor care pad is defined as a pad used primarily for everyday cleaning needs. The red color symbolizes strength and a resolve to get the job done. The coarseness and texture of the red floor care pad is similar to a beige pad, except the texture begins to show more thickness and coarseness. The primary use of the red floor care pad for which it was intended to be used is for everyday daily floor cleaning tasks. Utilized with water and a floor care cleaning solution, a red floor care pad can be utilized for everyday cleaning, as well as some heavy duty cleaning tasks. The machine with which a red floor care pad is best used would be a swinger, which allows a floor care technician to use the pad and machine in all directions for cleaning purposes.

The blue floor care pad, often identified as green because the actual color is primarily turquoise, is used as the primary standard bearer for heavy duty cleaning floor care job tasks. The coarseness of the blue (green) pad is noticeably more pronounced than the previous examples. Identified as either blue or green in the industry, the pad actually exemplifies a color shade that is more turquoise. Utilized with water and a floor care cleaning solution, the blue (green) floor care pad is used to remove deep scuff marks, clean tough dirt stains, or spills on floor finish, and in some instances as a shower scrubbing floor care pad or stripping pad. When used for stripping, the blue (green) floor care pad will be used in conjunction with water and a floor care stripping solution. Utilized with a swinger floor machine, the blue (green) pad adds "teeth" to the capabilities of removing finish as it cleans. This capability belies a need for immediate recoating after its use, because the pad actually does dig down and remove upper layers of floor finish. Unless the intent of the floor care technician is to recoat a floor, the technician should use this as the determining factor when choosing between a red and blue (green) floor care pad for a job task. If used as a stripping pad, the same allowances for removing the stripper with good rinsing practices apply before recoating the floor with finish.

A black floor care pad is primarily identified as a floor care stripping pad. The coarseness of a black floor care pad is easily identified as more coarse than other floor care pads, except possibly the wire (metal) stripping pad for used for removing floor finish from a wooden gym floor. The black pad showcases more texture, as well as the intent to be used to break up and remove floor finish. To do so the black floor care pad blends the power of a swinger floor care machine with the coarseness of the pad to "rip" and "pry" the floor finish away from its adherence to the floor area. Used in conjunction with water and a stripping compound, a black floor care pad saves a floor technician much time in completing a floor care stripping task.

The utilization of a color floor care pad for the incorrect job task costs a floor care technician time and money. Utilization of a coarse pad for a light floor care maintenance task will actually create problems, not cure the concern one is attempting to correct. For instance, a blue (green) pad used for everyday cleaning could remove finish. By using a blue (green) pad in preference to a red floor care pad for everyday cleaning tasks, a floor technician will find himself or herself replenishing the floor finish more often than necessary. Not utilizing a red floor care pad for everyday cleaning, while using a pink or white pad as a cleaning floor care pad, one will find that floor cleaning concerns might never be completely addressed, because the coarseness of the pink or white pad does not give enough strength to the effort, in order to remove scuff marks or ingrown dirt.