The Dura Wax Company

I recently did a post on para regulations. Below is some more information including the states that are banned from buying products containing “para”.

Please note that this may not be a complete list and you should check with your suppliers, state government or the EPA to confirm. 

“People in these states can use up what  they have on hand (products that contain para) by January 2010 but have not been allowed to purchase PARA products since January 1st 2008.

 PARA Products are Banned in:

• California

• Maine

• Michigan

• Pennsylvania

• Connecticut

• Maryland

• New York

• DC

• Massachusetts

• Ohio

We have found that the non-para urinal blocks do not hold up as well as the old fashioned para ones. We are testing different suppliers to find a better product to release in our 2010 Buyers Guide.  Let us know if you have found a good urinal block product that works for you.

Dura Floor Machine Pads

Pads are chosen based on the machine that will be used(high or low speed), and the application. The darker the pad color the more aggressive it is to the floor.

Pads are used to scrub, strip, buff and polish floors with a floor machine.

Hi-Pro Strip:  Our most aggressive pad. Strips floors that have many layers faster. Machine: Low speed

Black :  Very aggressive– for use in regular or heavy-duty stripping operations with 175 to 300-rpm machines. High-quality abrasive plus heavy-duty binders and tough fibers. Machine: Low speed 

Green: Medium Abrasive for wet scrubbing. Will remove embedded soil and black marks found in heavy traffic areas without completely stripping the finish.  Machine: Low speed 

Blue: Ideal for scrubbing or heavy-duty spray cleaning and buffing with a 175-300-rpm machine. Removes ground in dirt, spills, scuffs, and black heel marks. Prepares floors for recoating. Machine: Low speed 

Red: Designed for spray and dry buffing or light scrubbing operations with 175 to 300 rpm machines. Unique open weave allows loosened soil and finish to go up into pad. Machine: Low speed 

Peach: Ideal for spray buffing or polishing with 300 to 1,500+ rpm machines. Very open weave prevents excessive heat build up and glazing. Machine: Low or speed 

White: Non-aggressive for dry or water-mist polishing with 175 to 350-rpm machines. Achieves a very high shine while removing only minimal amount of finish. Can be used on automatic scrubbers for non-aggressive damp-mop cleaning. Machine: Low speed 

Gorilla pads: Used for burnishing with a high speed machine-1000-3000rpm-check specs on each pad for details. Made with blend of animal hair & polyester.  Machine: High speed 

 JaguarPads: Used for burnishing– lubricates and polishes at the same time. Use on floors that need to be burnished every few days-1,000 rpm machine. Machine: High speed 

Champagne: High speed burnishing Pad for 1000+rpm machines. Machine: High speed

Last month we received a letter from Ken & Kay Sarka. They found us on the web and this is what they said,

” We ordered the Johnny mop and twelve extra heads. Most people would use the product for cleaning the toilet and shower. My husband has severe arthritis and is very limited to movement. We have through the years ordered numerous kitchen mops, and many brushes through the medical field., with no consolation. Not to mention expense.

With your Johnny Mop, my husband is happy for the first time in years. He can completely wash his feet, and his back, with the Johnny Mop, with no assistance or frustration. He has his independence back. What a wonderful feeling, and a great product with the long handle. We were so surprised how well the mop was made. The one head will endure for many showers. We are anxious to say “Thank You”!.

“Very Pleased Customers”

Ken & Kay Sarka

Long Handled Johnny Mop

We love it when our customers use an existing product in a surprising way. A inexpensive solution for a better quality of life !

A few months ago, Alexandra and I were at a convention for Illinois School Administrators.  A school official approached our booth and asked our opinion about a floor issue they were having .  He told us that their gym floor was so slippery that the kids could not be allowed to play on it and they were afraid someone would get hurt.  We thought that was surprising as it is  a GYM.

After a bit of discussion, we asked Brian (Our President and floor guru). He immediately thought that the floor was not being properly cleaned. He explained that if dirt is left on a finished floor, it can become very slippery. The School administrator came back to speak  to Brian. It turned out that they use the same dust mops without washing them .

Simple solution, work with clean dust mops on a daily basis to maintain a safe, good-looking floor.

Every year, Dura Wax publishes a new Buyers Guide. We review existing products to make sure they still are within state & federal regulations.  One of the regulations that has changed is the rules concerning products containing paradichlorobenzene. This chemical is used in many urinal products such as hockey blocs, urinal screens and other toilet bowl products.  This chemical has been shown to be hazardous and both OSHA  http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/healthguidelines/p-dichlorobenzene/recognition.html and the EPA http://www.epa.gov/ttn/atw/hlthef/dich-ben.html have regulations in place for paradichlorobenzene(“para”).

Many states, including California, prohibit the purchase and sale of products containing para.  To find out if the product you are selling or buying contains para, check the msds sheet. It will list this chemical under the hazardous section.  The manufacturer will also be able to tell you which of their products contains para and which states have regulations.

There are many comparable products from companies such as EES, Impact, Fresh and others that are para free. They are price comparable to para products and come in the same forms (ie- hockey blocks , urinal screens and bowl cleaners). Dura Wax has switched all of our products to Non-para to make sure our customers are safe.

Floors that are finished and maintained properly make a good impression. They also protect the underlying floor from damage.  Follow these steps to a perfect finished floor;

NOTE: It is critical that the applicator be absolutely clean. Never use an applicator for any other purpose or it will become contaminated and ruin the finish.

Step 1: Pour the finish into a bucket or applicator pan (never directly onto the floor). Dip the applicator into the finish and wring out until the applicator no longer drips.

Step 2: Apply the finish only to meticulously striped floor, over a seal, or a completely clean, finished floor. Proper adhesion with the right floor finish will help get an excellent gloss and good wear. Apply at 1500-2000 sq. ft. per gal. Measure an area to be sure you are applying at the proper rate. Use only 2 coats along baseboards to minimize build-up.

Step 3: Apply enough coats to get the gloss you desire*. A floor should require between 3-5 coats of finish depending on the Dura product used.

* Based on the percentage of solids in the finish. An ideal floor has coats of finish adding up to 100+ solids. On a stripped floor,  a finish with a 25% solid, you would need  4 coats. A finish with 20% would need 5 coats.

Before a floor is refinished/finished, you must first strip off the original layers.  Strippers have a variety of options. Some features to consider before buying are : rinse/no-rinse,machine/ no machine required, and scented/odorless.

Step 1: Clean and sweep the floor. To protect floors and baseboards, use a Scrubba-Gard on your floor machine. To protect your shoes and prevent slippage, use Dura’s Sure-Step safety shoes.

Step 2: Prepare a mop-on, (Easy-Up®, Liberate®, or Finish-Up®) vac-off solution and apply liberally to a 200 sq. ft. area. For the really tough jobs, use Punch® floor stripper.

Step 3: Use a regular speed machine (175 rpm) equipped with a pad drive and a black stripping pad. Very little scrubbing is required with Dura’s mop-on, vac-off strippers. The job will go very fast unless sealers have previously been used.

Step 4: Wet vac or mop up the soiled stripping solution.

Step 5: Rinse twice with clear water or a Neutral Rinse solution. This is the most critical step. The floor must be clean, completely dry and neutral for finishing or sealing. Use our Neutra Rinse® in the final rinse water to neutralize the floor.

Step 2:Vacuum up the soiled scrub water with a Wet/Dry Vac. Rinse floor twice using water or Glo 64 so that it is perfectly clean. A second rinse may be necessary.

Step 3:Apply 1-2 coats of the same floor finish used originally, or apply one of Dura Wax’s easy-to use finishes.

Step 2:Clean the floor with a Glo-64 or New & Blue solution using a damp mop or an autoscrubber. Allow floor to dry.

Step 3: Burnish the floor with a high-speed machine (1000-2000 rpm) Electric or Propane Burnisher using the proper burnishing pads. Burnishing pads are light in color.  Keep burnisher moving to prevent scarring the finish. Floor will be nice and shiny!

In high wear areas,we recommend damp mopping the floor with a floor treatment product Gel-Brite, Restorer Spray Buff or  Renovation.