What Is The Marmoleum Floor

Clean, Seal And Polish Marmoleum Floors Like A Pro

Marmoleum is a modern, eco-friendly floor covering designed as a durable alternative to traditional vinyl and lino floors. While it may look similar to linoleum, marmoleum is manufactured from natural and renewable raw materials such as linseed oil, wood flour, pine rosin, jute fibre, and natural pigments. Because of its organic composition, it is considered one of the most environmentally responsible floor types available. It has a low carbon footprint, is biodegradable, and contains none of the plasticisers or synthetic additives found in PVC-based flooring.

Marmoleum floors are widely installed in schools, hospitals, nursing homes, dance studios, sports centres and public buildings, where hygiene, safety and sustainability are essential. The surface is slightly soft and warm underfoot, naturally anti-static, and contains antibacterial properties thanks to the oxidising linseed oil. Under normal residential use, marmoleum can remain perfectly intact for many years. However, in high-traffic areas—such as classrooms, corridors, gyms or commercial spaces—marmoleum floors experience high levels of friction, scraping, and soil embedding, which means they require periodic deep cleaning, sealing, and polishing to avoid permanent wear.

Because marmoleum is porous when unsealed, it can easily absorb dirt, moisture, scuff marks and chemical stains. Therefore, regular marmoleum floor cleaning and scheduled marmoleum floor polishing are essential to maintain its appearance, hygiene, and lifespan. When treated professionally and maintained correctly, marmoleum floors can stay stain-free, glossy and protected for over a decade.

Why Should You Polish The Marmoleum

Marmoleum is not fully protected straight from installation. Unlike vinyl, it does not come with a built-in factory polymer coating. Once exposed to foot traffic, chairs, sports equipment or cleaning chemicals, unsealed marmoleum can dull quickly and suffer abrasion, patching and irreversible scratches. This is why all reputable floor cleaning companies, floor cleaning contractors, and floor cleaning services strongly recommend sealing and polishing marmoleum floors shortly after installation.

Polishing marmoleum provides several important benefits:

Creates a protective barrier that prevents dirt, oils and liquids from penetrating the surface
Reduces wear and tear from foot traffic, friction and furniture movement
Improves appearance by adding a glossy, satin or matte sheen depending on the chosen polish
Makes daily floor cleaning easier because sealed surfaces repel dirt and allow mop-on maintenance
Extends the life of the floor by preventing deep chemical or mechanical damage
Allows patch repairs or re-polishing instead of replacing the entire floor
Adds slip resistance when using a high-quality, water-based high-traffic floor polish

A fully polished marmoleum floor behaves like a protected surface rather than an absorbent one. Without this coating, the floor will deteriorate rapidly, especially in commercial buildings. If maintained properly, polishing only needs to be repeated every 1–3 years depending on footfall and cleaning routines.

Marmoleum Floor Stripping Process

Before marmoleum floor polishing can be carried out, any old sealers, floor polishes or embedded grime must be completely stripped off. Stripping is the most important step in the restoration cycle, and should only be carried out using professional floor stripping products, rotary floor buffers, and wet vacuum systems.

A correct stripping process follows these principles:

Use a high-quality, non-aggressive, water-based floor stripper
Never apply the stripper undiluted – it must always be diluted as per the manufacturer’s instructions
Never leave the stripping solution on the floor longer than five minutes, as marmoleum is porous
Work in small sections to prevent drying, staining or surface swelling
Use red pads, white pads or medium scrubbing brushes – never black or green pads, which are too abrasive
Extract the dirty slurry immediately with a professional wet vacuum
Rinse thoroughly with clean water and allow the floor to fully dry before sealing

Correct marmoleum floor stripping produces a clean, residue-free, matte surface that is ready to accept new coats of sealer or primer. Failure to strip properly leads to visible streaks, patching, dull spots, and poor polish bonding.

Important safety notes:
Do not use ammonia-based, bleach-based, or acidic stripping solutions. Do not scrape the surface with blades. Do not scrub the floor with abrasive scourers. Improper stripping can permanently damage marmoleum.

Marmoleum Floor Sealing Process

Once the floor is fully stripped, rinsed and dried, the next step is marmoleum sealing. Sealing is what closes the microscopic pores of the floor and prepares it for polishing.

Professional floor cleaners typically apply a primer or base sealer to level out small imperfections, restore colour uniformity and increase product adhesion. This base coat acts as a foundation layer that prevents the polish from soaking into the floor.

After priming, the floor is sealed with two coats of high-traffic, water-based floor polish. The best and most widely recommended product for commercial marmoleum floors is Cleanfast Floor Polish 25%, a high-acrylic, durable finish designed for hospitals, schools, and retail buildings. It is easy to apply, dries quickly, and offers superior gloss retention and scuff resistance.

Each coat should be applied with a clean microfiber mop applicator or polish pad, allowing full drying time between coats. Good ventilation and stable temperature are important for curing.

Once both coats are dry, the floor is prepared for burnishing.

Marmoleum Floor Polishing

Polishing is the final stage in the restoration process and is responsible for creating the smooth, shiny, high-traffic protective finish that marmoleum floors are known for.

The polishing stage involves buffing the sealed surface with a red or white pad using a high-speed burnisher. The heat generated during high-speed buffing melts the top surface of the floor polish slightly, allowing the coats to fuse together and harden into a single, durable layer.

Polishing provides:

A deeper gloss or satin sheen depending on preference
A harder, longer-lasting surface with greater scratch resistance
A smoother texture that repels dirt and allows easy daily cleaning
A fully restored, “like-new” appearance even on older floors

Only red or white pads should be used. Black or green pads are too aggressive and will scratch and cut into the finish, leaving the floor patchy and dull.

Once polished, the floor is ready for full use after a short curing period. Heavy furniture should not be dragged across the surface; instead, place protective pads under table and chair legs.

How To Maintain Marmoleum Floors

Proper marmoleum floor maintenance ensures the surface stays clean, shiny and damage-free for years. The maintenance routine depends on the environment, but the main rules are universal:

Daily / Routine Cleaning

Use a PH-neutral floor cleaner diluted in warm water
Mop using a flat microfiber mop or scrubber-dryer machine
Do not use bleach, acidic cleaners or alkaline degreasers
Clean spills immediately to prevent marking or staining

Weekly Maintenance

Light buffing with a white pad to refresh gloss
Deep washing with auto-scrubber machines (only if sealed)

Periodic Maintenance

Re-polish high-traffic areas every 6–12 months
Full strip and seal every 12–36 months depending on traffic levels

What To Avoid

Do not use bleach-based products
Do not use acidic or descaling cleaners
Do not scrub with abrasive pads or wire scourers
Do not use black or green pads on marmoleum
Do not drag furniture – install leg protectors
Do not leave harsh chemicals sitting on the surface
Do not allow floor strippers to dry into the floor

If marmoleum becomes torn, deeply scratched, chemically burnt or stained beneath the sealer, polishing will not fix the damage. In those cases, replacement of the damaged section may be required.

Best Marmoleum Floor Cleaner

The best cleaner for ongoing marmoleum floor cleaning and marmoleum floor maintenance is always a PH-neutral floor detergent designed for sealed, polished floors. A good product removes dirt and grease without stripping polymers, dulling the surface, or reacting with the sealant.

Professional floor cleaning companies typically use:

Cleanfast Neutral Floor Cleaner for daily use
Cleanfast Floor Polish 25% for sealing and polishing
A low-foaming detergent for auto-scrubber machines
A restorer polish for spray-buff maintenance

Multi-surface cleaners, bleach, vinegar and heavy-duty degreasers should never be used on marmoleum as they weaken the finish and damage the surface.

A local floor cleaning company in Dublin or any experienced floor cleaning contractor will always test the product PH before applying it to marmoleum.