Cleanzine: your weekly cleaning and hygiene industry newsletter 18th April 2024 Issue no. 1110

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3M puts a shine on thecentre:mk visitor experience

3M floor pads have put an added gloss on the experiences of shoppers at thecentre:mk by restoring the shine to the centre's Grade 2 Listed Travertine stone floors. By specifying 3M, contract cleaner Europa has also made the floors quicker, easier and cheaper to maintain, to the delight of thecentre:mk's management company, CBRE.

With 1.3 million sq ft of retail space and over 27 million visitors each year, thecentre:mk is one of the UK's busiest shopping centres. "Enhancing the experience for visitors and tenants is a critical part of our future strategy," says CBRE Operations Manager Brad Curcillo. "Additionally with the Travertine stone floor being Grade 2 Listed, we have an obligation to enhance and protect it."

CBRE challenged Europa to restore the shine to the dull stone floors and create an ambience worthy of a top 10 retail destination. Previously, Europa had been employing a general scrubbing and buffing process to keep the floors clean. The company looked at a number of different systems and processes to get the deep clean and shine required before settling on the 3M solution. "Not only did it deliver the best results, but it also proved to be the most cost-effective," says Europa's Environmental Services Manager for thecentre:mk, Jason Buckley.

3M Scotch-Brite Surface Preparation (SPP) floor pads were used to deep-clean the floor and remove stains without the need for any chemical strippers. Two grades of 3M Trizact HX Discs were then used to grind and polish the dull and scratched floor to a smooth sheen, without reducing slip resistance. Finally, 3M Scotch-Brite, High-Shine Purple Pads were used to buff and polish the floor to a brilliant shine.

Having restored the floors Europa is now able to maintain them all year-round at a lower cost, with minimal mess and operational downtime. The 3M floor pads strip and clean with fewer passes than the previous system, significantly increasing productivity. They also clean deeper so the floors don't need to be revisited as often, reducing labour costs. Furthermore, because they require only water to effectively remove the floor finish, the floor pads are safer and more environmentally friendly to use.

3M floor pads are part of 3M's innovative range of floor care and maintenance products which are designed to deliver cleaner, safer and better looking floors that cost less to maintain.

T: 0845 601 5499
E: [email protected]
W: www.3M.co.uk

13th February 2014