So many dance numbers require dancing barefoot or performing moves on the ground. So you’ll want your floor to be as clean as possible. But dance floors can get messy quickly, which is why it’s important to know the best cleaning practices and frequency of clean dance floors.
From daily and weekly maintenance to yearly deep cleaning, there’s a lot to learn. This guide will walk you through the best practices for maintaining your dance floors and keeping them clean and sanitized.
Dance Flooring Cleaning Mistakes to Avoid
Before even beginning to clean your dance floors, you’ll want to know the most common mistakes to avoid. Here’s what not to do when cleaning dance floors.
Practices to avoid:
Excessive wet-mopping: Frequently wet-mopping your dance floors can potentially ruin its flexibility and finish over time. If your dance floors are being used daily, it’s best to wet-mop them every two to three days, at the most.
Bleach: Bleach can discolor your flooring, but that’s not all. It also damages your floor’s surface over time.
Alcohol, ammonia, and acetone: While these three common cleaning materials might be great for other floors, they can do a real number on your dance floor. Using any of these solutions will break down the plasticizer in your floor, causing the floor to become rigid and crack.
Oil-based cleaning products: Cleaning solutions with an oil base leave a residue on your dance floor and create a slippery surface.
Best Dance Flooring Cleaners and Tools
It’s important to know what tools are best for cleaning dance floors. From cleaning solutions to brooms, effectively cleaning your dance floor requires a few things.
Dance Floor Maintenance Supplies
Get your routine off to the right start with these recommended supplies.
Non-abrasive cloth: To gently remove those pesky scuff marks, a non-abrasive rag is a perfect solution.
Soft-bristled broom: Sweep up the dirt and debris with your desired choice of broom and dustpan.
All-purpose mops: An all-in-one mop will help you dry mop to pick up all the dirt you can’t see, and wet mop for any stuck-on dirt.
Dance Floor Cleaning Solutions
With all the bare feet and floor work involved in dancing, dance floorings can get greasy and dirty after one rehearsal. The right cleaning solutions will help disinfect and clean your floors.
By using a mild detergent degreaser, you can help your floors look new. The best way to go is to find an all-purpose dance cleaner that works on a variety of surfaces. This solution should be used weekly on your dance floor.
For when you’re deep cleaning your dance floor, a more heavy-duty dance floor cleaner will help eliminate all the build-up on your floors and disinfect semi-annually.
Sweeping and Dry Mopping Dance Floors
If you’re in a studio, holding classes and rehearsals every day, cleaning your dance floors daily is essential for keeping your floors looking good.
Therefore, sweeping and dry mopping your floors after every use and at the end of the day will help prevent dirt and oils from building up. If you don’t use your floor every day, practice these cleaning routines after every use.
While sweeping, focus on picking up any crumbs or hair. That way you’re not dragging crumbs around on your floor while you dry mop.
Dry mopping with a non-abrasive or microfiber cloth will pick up the dirt and grease you can’t see. You do not want to wet mop your floors every day, because, over time, that can potentially ruin the flexibility and finish of the floor.
Wet-Mopping Dance Floors
After sweeping daily, it’s time to wet mop. A few times a week, your dance floors should be wet mopped to disinfect and to eliminate oils, sweat, lotions, and other residues.
How often you mop depends on how frequently you use the flooring.
Moderately used dance floors: If you are using your floor every single day, multiple times a day, you should disinfect your floors two-three times a week by following the manufacturer’s instructions for use, then evenly mopping the entire floor, and letting it dry.
Lightly used dance floors: For floors only being used a few times a week, use the manufacturer’s recommended mixture of all-purpose cleaner and warm water and evenly mop the floor once weekly.