How to Clean and Maintain Terrazzo Flooring

Floors in a commercial building set the groundwork for the design and décor of the building.  In addition to their aesthetic appeal, the floors need to be durable and easy to maintain.  

Terrazzo flooring meets all of these requirements.  

Dirt and Debris from Foot Traffic

Any business or a commercial building that is routinely open to the public, be it a school, a government building, a retail location, or other public building, anticipates a certain amount of dirt and debris to be deposited on the floor from foot traffic.   

Terrazzo floors are incredibly easy to clean.  

Here are the best ways to clean the two most common deposits on floors:  

Sand, dirt and debris: When you are dealing with sand, dirt and debris, simply use a broom to sweep up dry particles on your terrazzo. Sweeping or dry dust mopping should be done regularly so that the grainy particles don’t get  an opportunity to scratch the floor.

Liquid spills: Coffee, water, ketchup, and countless other liquid, gooey, or otherwise spillable material is often carried over your terrazzo floor. Eventually, something is going to spill, squirt or dump. The good news is that, just like picking up dirt and grime, cleaning liquid spills off of terrazzo floors is just as easy. Simply wipe it up and go on with your day.

Regular Cleaning

Short of the floors cleaning themselves, terrazzo’s regular cleaning routing could not be easier.

To clean your terrazzo floor, all you need is a broom and a mop. If you need to clean your floors with something a little stronger than just a damp mop, you need to use a neutral cleaner. Do not ever use any harsh cleaners on terrazzo.

Plain water is generally best to clean anything sticky.  If plain water doesn’t do the trick, use a neutral cleaning agent, one that is neither acidic nor alkaline.  

The cleaning products to never use on terrazzo floors are:

• Acidic cleaners: This includes vinegar, which is otherwise a popular cleaning agent. Using any acidic cleaners will eventually dull the shine of your terrazzo and extended use could even erode portions of the floor away, leaving etches or scratches on the surface. Unfortunately, having a blemish in your terrazzo is easy to notice against its otherwise gleaming appearance.

• Abrasive scrubbers: Terrazzo is created so that you don’t have to scrub it.  Even if you have a challenging cleaning job, do not use coarse scrubbing pads, steel wool, or anything abrasive on your terrazzo.

• Bleach: Bleach is corrosive and will eat away at the polish and will almost immediately dull the shine of your floor, leaving it looking spotty and unfinished.

Since terrazzo flooring does not require any special cleaning methods beyond a broom and a mop, it is extremely easy to maintain throughout its life.

Terrazzo Can Be Restored

Accidents happen and over the course of decades, and a building is bound to have its share of spills and tracks that are left unseen for an unfortunate amount of time. However, one of the best things about Terrazzo is that it can be fixed.  Rather than replacing the entire floor terrazzo can be restored to its original luster.

If your terrazzo is chipped, broken, dull, or stained, it’s time to call a restoration pro to restore your floor and get it looking new.

Andreola Terrazzo has over four decades of experience crafting, installing, and restoring terrazzo floors for many different types of public buildings including schools, commercial and civic buildings, and medical facilities.