Sanitize your hands and your surroundings. While the spirit of the season may be all around us, so are numerous types of bacteria. Seats on a plane or bus, your desk at work and shopping carts are common places for you to pick-up unwanted germs. Hand washing can reduce the risk of respiratory infections by 20%, so protect yourself by washing your hands and sanitizing your surroundings before touching them.

If you’re not feeling well, stay in. You don’t feel like yourself when you’re sick. While it can be hard to miss out on some holiday fun, it’s important to put your health first. Let people know you won’t be able to attend a gathering if you’re feeling under the weather. They’ll understand and appreciate your mindfulness to allow them to spread cheer, not your germs.

If you are sick, don’t prepare food. Bacteria is not a favorable secret ingredient. It’s important to prevent cross-contamination since 80% of all infections are transmitted by hands. Be courteous of others and don’t contaminate your famous holiday dish with your illness.

Stay hydrated. Water helps your body transport nutrients to keep you energized and healthy. Nourish your body by following the 8x8 rule; drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water each day.

Take in holiday joy, not germs. Those cookies in the break room and bowl of roasted peanuts at the holiday party are tempting to pick up and eat, but sharing is not always caring when it comes to festive treats. Use the proper utensils when adding food to your plate and steer clear of food that has been touched by other people. Your appetite and your health will be satisfied.

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Betco^® already offers many non-triclosan skin care solutions that comply with this new rule. In the next 12 months, we plan to introduce additional skin cleansers that will meet this criteria for consumer antiseptic handwashing for use with any of our innovative hand hygiene platforms.

This ruling does not affect antiseptics used by healthcare professionals, antiseptics used by food industry professionals or consumer antiseptic rubs (i.e. hand sanitizers). Consumer antiseptics are defined as those primarily used in homes, schools, daycares or other public settings.

You can find full details of the FDA ruling here.

Together, these layers help LVT floors withstand heavy traffic and contribute to extreme durability. However, despite their longevity and low maintenance qualities, LVT floors are still prone to damage and require maintenance to ensure the floor looks good and performs well. Continue reading to learn about 3 problems with LVT floors and how the Elevate™ Multiple Surface System is the solution.

1. Finish Scratches

Cause: LVT floors are susceptible to scratches in the wear layer, despite being known as the toughest floor surfaces in the industry. Scratches appear when substances are pressed into the floor by shoes, objects, and more. They ruin the LVT floor’s look and aesthetic by leaving marks on the top layer. They also dull the shine and pattern of the floor, destroying its overall appearance.

Solution: Daily cleaning on LVT floors reduces the risk for scratches in the wear layer. Sweep the floor regularly to dispose of any debris or hard substances resting on the floor. Use Reinforce Cleaner and Protectant for daily wet mopping and as a protectant. Its neutral formula contains a small amount of polymer and waxes that continually fills in scratches with a slight residue. The residue hardens and the wear layer is smoothed out, creating a better and newer looking LVT floor.

Routine maintenance with Reinforce will extend the life of the floor up by to 25% and prevent the need for a costly strip and recoat. A strip and recoat on 10,000 square feet of LVT can cost an upwards of $10,000 annually, including maintenance costs.

Apply Rescue Finish to protect the wear layer of LVT flooring to avoid costly floor replacement. An LVT floor replacement can cost around $100,000 on a 10,000 square feet floor. The formula contains a specific polymer for adhesion that has the capability to bond to LVT and make it last longer. To suit every floor aesthetic, Rescue is available in Gloss or TruMatte.

2. Stains and Discoloration

Cause: LVT floors can stain and become discolored due to a wide variety of causes, including moisture, liquid, food, constant sunlight, and using the wrong cleaning chemicals or stripper. A yellowing coloring is usually the first sign of damage on LVT floors and tends to stay permanently.

Solution: Be prepared with Reinforce to clean up any contaminants before they penetrate the floor layers. To help remove heavy soiling and stains, deep clean with Reinforce at the proper dilution rate by double scrubbing affected areas.

Rescue Finish adds an additional layer of protection to the LVT floor. If that layer is stained or discolored, the finish can easily be removed and reapplied. Conventional floor strippers that are not made for LVT floors can also cause yellow discoloration. High alkalinity found in these strippers’ formulas attaches to the wear layer and grabs onto soils that causes a yellowing or a darkening color on the floor.

Recover Finish Remover is safe for multiple low-maintenance flooring types because its lower pH will not harm LVT and other non-traditional floors such as linoleum. Recover can also be used as a deep cleaner to remove scuffs and black marks when diluted at a low rate. The floor will look like-new and routine cleaning with Reinforce can resume.

3. Peeling and Cracking

Cause: LVT floors can start peeling and cracking after enduring significant amounts of wear and tear. It usually starts around the adhesive in corners as it wears out. Cracking happens between tiles due to the nature of the environment where the LVT is applied. Dirt, soils, and other substances are able to unintentionally contaminate underneath the floor through the exposures.

Solution: A combination of Elevate system products reduces the risk of peeling by providing superior protection. Reinforce has a specific blend of surfactants, polymers, and waxes that continually protect LVT with daily cleaning. Its pH balance will not harm LVT from delamination and removal of flooring flexibility.

Rescue extends the life of the LVT wear layer with additional protection while finishing the floor. It also contains a flexibility polymer, which is important because LVT tiles are flexible and move and bend as the floor endures wear. Without flexibility, the floor will crack or peel.

Elevate Multiple Surface System

The Elevate Multiple Surface System caters to LVT floors and other alternate flooring types such as vinyl tile, linoleum, rubber, and laminate. It is also the only program that provides a cleaner, a finish, and a stripper specifically for these floor types. Reinforce, Rescue, and Recover are designed for no to low maintenance flooring with advanced technology to keep floors looking cleaner for longer. Each play a role in combating the top problems with LVT.

Regardless of the floor’s current condition, the Luxury Vinyl Tile Floor Assessment quiz will help determine which Elevate products meet the needs of the floor. The following videos teach about the different processes and procedures for each phase of the Life Cycle of Floor Care.

• Elevate Routine Maintenance
• Elevate Interim Maintenance
• Elevate Restorative Maintenance

If interested in the Elevate Multiple Surface Program, please click here to contact us for more information.