Scratch- Imperfection in the smoothness of a polish film caused by a scraping action.

Scuff- Damage to a polish film caused by the frictional heat and mechanical action from a high-speed impact of shoe material.

Scuffing- Scratches or marring of the finish due, primarily, to foot traffic which appears dull as compared to unscuffed areas.

Sealing- Application of a coating to a bare substrate and to fill pores to prevent excessive absorption of the finish coats.

Self-Polishing- A floor finish or furniture polish that dries to a shine and needs no further effort to bring about a shine. Most modern polishes are of the self-shine type. Other terms use to describe this type of polish are Dry Bright and Non Buffable.

Sheen- Term applied to low angle gloss.

Slip Resistance- The drag noticed when walking on a floor that results in safer footing; the amount of resistance to slipping usually with reference to the sole or heel of a shoe on a floor.

Sodium Hydroxide- Caustic used in the manufacture of detergents and soap. Sodium Metasilicate- Base for detergent formulations.

Sodium Silicate- Catalyst for soaps and detergents. Sodium Xylenesulfonate- Water softener used in detergents.

Solids Content (Non-Volatile)- That portion of the product (floor finish, sealer, cleaner, etc.) which remains as the film or residue after drying has occurred. The solids content is usually expressed as percent by weight of the total product. Often, solids is considered as a measurement of the quality, durability and performance of a product. This is false logic and can be very misleading as a measure of any product performance property.

Solvent-Based Buffable- A liquid or paste composed of waxes, synthetic or natural, dispensed in an organic solvent. When applied and allowed to dry, solvent based buffable polishes haze and must be buffed to achieve gloss.

Spore- A thick resistant cell coat which forms within the cell wall as a resting stage. The spore is very resistant to disinfectants and germicides and is usually destroyed only by sterilization procedures (autoclaving, ethylene oxide, etc.).

Spray Buff- To renew, touch up or maintain a floor by spraying an approved spray buff product followed by machine buffing - restores worn floor coatings.

Spray Buffing- A maintenance procedure used to restore a worn dull floor finish to a glossy appearance with a floor machine, special buffing pad and special product. A typical spray buff operation consists of spraying a fine mist of product onto a section of floor, then using a floor machine equipped with a buffing pad to buff the floor finish to a gloss.

Stability- Ability to resist change in physical or performance properties due to time or environmental stresses such as freezing and thawing, heat or microbial attack. Emulsion floor care products are considered stable if changes caused by aging under expected environmental extremes will not affect product safety, product performance or be detectable by the consumer for the duration for the products expected shelf life.

Sterilization- The act or process, physical or chemical, which destroys or eliminates all forms of life, especially microorganisms.

Streaking- A non-uniform appearance left in a floor finish film by the application process.

Stripper- A product used to remove coatings from floor substrates. Specific types are needed for water based coatings; other types are needed for solvent based coatings.

Stripping- A maintenance method for removal of floor finishes. After the stripping operation, the floors are rinsed thoroughly before applying a fresh coat of floor polish. A monomer or building block used in the preparation of emulsion polymers and resins used in floor finishes and sealers. Styrene imparts very hard, glossy, water-resistant properties.

Surface Tension- That property, due to molecular forces, by which the surface film of all liquids tends to bring the contained volume into a form having the least superficial area.

Surfactant- A contraction of the words “surface active agent”. This is the general name given to the type of surface-active agents used in cleaners. The surfactant reduces surface tension and provides improved wetting, emulsifying, penetrating and dispersing properties. There are three types of surfactants: anionic, cationic and non-ionic.

Synergist- An ingredient that, by its nature, multiplies the effectiveness of the product. For example, an insecticide plus a synergist does not add up as 1 + 1 = 2, but rather 1 + 1 = 4 or perhaps 8, when property balanced.