Floor Stripping & Waxing · Warren, OH
Floor Stripping and Waxing in Warren, OH
Dull, yellow, scuffed tile back to a hard, clean shine. We strip off the old finish, lay down fresh coats and burnish it, overnight, so you open to a floor that looks new.
Request a Free Walk-ThroughCall (330) 219-7916
Prefer to talk it through? Call (330) 219-7916, Monday to Friday, 9 to 5.
- Insured and bondedLocally owned in Warren since 2012, with the owner a phone call away.
- Days, nights and weekendsWork is scheduled around your hours, not ours.
- Free walk-throughYou get a written checklist and a flat price before any work starts.
Phillips Care Cleaning does floor stripping and waxing for businesses in Warren, Youngstown and across Trumbull and Mahoning County. We remove every layer of old, dirty finish down to the bare tile, then put down sealer and fresh coats of floor finish and burnish it to a shine. Most of what we strip is VCT in hallways, lobbies, classrooms, break rooms and church halls. We work nights and weekends, so your floor is done and dry before anyone walks on it.
When mopping stops making a floor look clean, the dirt is not on the floor anymore. It is trapped inside the finish. The only fix is to take that finish off and start over. The before and after on this page is a hallway our crew refinished.
Floor Stripping & Waxing
What Floor Stripping and Waxing Does
Hard floors like vinyl composition tile are protected by a clear coating most people call wax (the industry calls it floor finish). Every day, foot traffic grinds dirt into that coating and wears it thin. Regular buffing hides some of it, but over time the finish turns yellow, dull and patchy. To strip and wax floors means a chemical stripper dissolves the old finish, the floor is scrubbed and rinsed down to bare tile, and new coats go down clean. Floor stripping and waxing resets the floor, protects the tile underneath and gives you a surface that is easy to keep clean again.
How it works
Our Strip and Wax Process, Step by Step
This is how our crew handles floor stripping and waxing on a commercial floor. Skipping any of these steps is why some strip jobs look good for a week and then go cloudy.
Move furniture and protect edges
Chairs, tables, mats and anything on the floor come out. Baseboards and doorways are protected so stripper does not splash on walls or carpet.
Dust mop
We dust mop the whole area to pick up grit and debris. Loose sand under a machine scratches the tile.
Apply stripper solution
Floor stripper mixed to the right strength is laid down in small sections with a mop, wet enough that it never dries on the floor.
Let it dwell
The stripper sits for about 10 to 15 minutes to break down the old finish. Rushing this step leaves finish behind.
Machine scrub with a stripping pad
A floor machine with an aggressive stripping pad scrubs the softened finish loose. Edges and corners are scraped and hand scrubbed so the old wax line at the wall comes off too.
Wet vac the slurry
The dirty slurry is picked up with a wet vacuum right away, before it can dry back onto the tile.
Neutral rinse
We rinse the floor with clean water and a neutralizer, then pick it up again. Stripper residue left on the floor keeps new finish from bonding.
Seal
Once the floor is dry, a sealer coat goes down where the tile needs it to fill pores and give the finish a solid base.
Lay 3 to 5 coats of finish
Thin, even coats of floor finish go down with a clean mop, with about 30 to 45 minutes of dry time between coats. Thin coats dry hard. Thick ones stay soft and scuff.
Burnish
After the last coat cures, a high-speed burnisher brings the floor to its final shine. Then furniture goes back where it was.
At a glance
How Often to Strip and Wax Floors
How often you need floor stripping and waxing depends on foot traffic and how well the floor is kept up between visits. A floor on a regular buff and scrub-and-recoat schedule goes much longer between full strips.
| Traffic level | Examples | Full strip and wax |
|---|---|---|
| Heavy | Grocery and retail entries, school hallways, busy medical lobbies | About every 6 months |
| Moderate | Offices, church halls, daycares, break rooms | About once a year |
| Light | Low-traffic offices, storage rooms, back hallways | Every 1 to 2 years |
Between strips, most buildings get a scrub and recoat (a deep scrub plus one or two fresh coats, no stripping) once or twice a year, and regular floor buffing and burnishing to keep the shine. We tell you which one your floor needs at the walk-through.
Floor Stripping & Waxing
Floors We Strip and Wax
Floor stripping and waxing works on resilient floors that carry a clear finish:
VCT (vinyl composition tile), the most common commercial floor we strip
Sheet vinyl and vinyl tile in kitchens, break rooms and restrooms
Linoleum in older schools, churches and offices
Terrazzo and sealed concrete that carry a floor finish
Rubber-backed and resilient floors that take a commercial finish
Not every hard floor should be waxed. Luxury vinyl plank with a factory wear layer, porcelain and ceramic tile, natural stone and hardwood do not get stripped and waxed the same way. They get scrubbed and cleaned with the right method instead. We check your floor type before we quote.
Scheduling
After-Hours Scheduling
A floor being stripped is a wet, closed floor. That is why we schedule floor stripping and waxing after you close: overnight, on weekends or on a holiday when the building is empty. A typical hallway or office floor is stripped, coated and burnished in one night. Plan on light foot traffic once the last coat is dry to the touch, and keep heavy carts and furniture dragging off it for about 24 hours while the finish hardens. Bigger buildings can be done in sections over several nights so you never lose the whole floor at once.
Pricing
What Floor Waxing Costs: The Factors
We price every floor waxing service in writing after we see the floor, never by the hour. These are the things that set the price:
Square footage of floor to strip and refinish
How many layers of old finish are built up, and how dirty it is
How much furniture has to be moved and put back
Number of coats of finish your traffic needs
Edges, corners and tight spaces like restrooms and closets
Whether it is a one-time strip or part of a recurring floor care plan
Buildings that add floor care to a recurring janitorial service get the strips, recoats and buffing scheduled for them, so the floor never falls that far behind again.
Why Phillips Care
Why Businesses in the Valley Choose Phillips Care for Floor Stripping and Waxing
See everything we do for hard floors on our commercial floor care page. Carpeted offices next to the tile? Add commercial carpet cleaning on the same visit. Just finished a remodel? Book post construction cleaning before the floor gets its first finish.
- Insured and bonded
- Owner Fernando Phillips, in Warren since 2012, still answers the phone
- Strips scheduled for a closed building, with finish cure time planned in before carts and furniture return
- Real floor refinishing results, shown on this page
- A written quote before we start, based on layers of old finish and furniture to move
How it works
How It Works
Call (330) 219-7916 or use the form to book a free walk-through. Office hours are Monday to Friday, 9 AM to 5 PM.
Building Walk-Through
We walk your building with you: entrances, offices, restrooms, break rooms and floor types. We note square footage, traffic and the problem spots your last cleaner kept missing.
Cleaning Plan
We write a room-by-room checklist, pick the nights and the time window that fit your hours, and assign the crew who will own your building.
Written Proposal
You get a flat monthly or per-visit price in writing, with exactly what gets done each visit and what rotates weekly or monthly.
Keys and Start Date
We set up keys or alarm codes, line up a start date so there is no gap after your old cleaner, and check in after the first week.
Last updated October 16, 2026 by Phillips Care Cleaning, Warren, OH.
Before and After
Real floor stripping & waxing jobs by our crew. Drag the slider to compare.
Frequently asked questions
Floor Stripping & Waxing FAQ
How much do you charge for stripping and waxing floors?
We quote floor stripping and waxing in writing after a free walk-through, because the price depends on the floor itself. The main factors are square footage, how many layers of old finish are built up, how much furniture we move, how many coats your traffic needs, and how many edges and small rooms there are. Floors on a recurring floor care plan cost less over time because they never get as far behind. Call (330) 219-7916 to book the walk-through.
When waxing a floor, how long does it take to dry?
Each coat of floor finish usually needs about 30 to 45 minutes to dry before the next coat goes on, depending on humidity and temperature. Light foot traffic is fine once the last coat is dry to the touch, often an hour or so after. The finish keeps hardening for about 24 hours, so keep heavy carts and furniture dragging off it that first day. We do the work overnight so the floor has that time before you open.
What is used to strip floor wax?
Floor wax is removed with a commercial floor stripper, a chemical solution that dissolves the old finish. It is mixed with water, spread on the floor, left to dwell for about 10 to 15 minutes, then scrubbed with a floor machine and a stripping pad. The slurry is picked up with a wet vacuum, and the floor is rinsed with a neutralizer so no residue is left to stop the new finish from bonding.
How many coats of wax should a commercial floor get?
Most commercial VCT floors get 3 to 5 thin coats of floor finish after stripping, sometimes over a sealer coat. Heavy traffic areas like entries and school hallways get the higher number. Thin coats matter more than thick ones. A thin coat dries hard and holds a shine, while a heavy coat stays soft, scuffs and can peel. We decide the coat count at the walk-through based on your traffic.
What is the difference between strip and wax and scrub and recoat?
A strip and wax takes every layer of old finish off down to bare tile and starts fresh. A scrub and recoat deep scrubs only the top layer of finish, then adds one or two new coats. Scrub and recoat is faster and cheaper and is the right call when the finish is worn but not yellowed or built up. Most floors need a scrub and recoat once or twice a year and a full strip less often.
Can you strip and wax floors without closing my business?
Yes. We schedule floor stripping and waxing at night, on weekends or on holidays when your building is empty. A typical hallway or office floor is finished in one night. Larger buildings are done in sections over several nights, so only part of the floor is closed at a time. Your staff and customers come in to a dry, finished floor and do not have to work around us.
Related services
More from the same crew
Floor Buffing & Polishing
Machine scrubbing, buffing and high speed burnishing that bring back the shine between strip and wax jobs.
Explore serviceCommercial Floor Care
Scrubbing, stripping, waxing and burnishing on a schedule that keeps VCT, vinyl and tile floors shining.
Explore serviceJanitorial Services
Recurring janitorial contracts: restrooms, trash, dusting and floors on a written checklist, nights or weekends.
Explore serviceRequest a free quote
One walk-through, one written price, one number to call: (330) 219-7916.
Start the conversationWarren, Youngstown and the Valley
Get floor stripping & waxing built around your building
Tell us about your building, your schedule and what bugs you most about the current cleaning. We start with a free walk-through and a written plan.
Get Your Free Quote
Call or send the form. We will set up a free walk-through and send you a written quote. No charge and no pressure.
Email: phillipscare1@hotmail.com
375 N Park Ave
Warren, OH 44481
Serving Trumbull and Mahoning County
Office hours Mon to Fri, 9 AM to 5 PM
Cleaning days, nights and weekends
Insured and bonded