Terrazzo is agglomerate set in a base of either epoxy or cement. The agglomerate can be chips of marble, granite, or other natural or man made material. You will only get them as white as they originally were. The same holds true for the base. Terrazzo (for the most part) you can throw the kitchen sink at EXCEPT you will want to avoid acids if it is a natural stone. If you plan to use anything stronger than stripper or another moderate alkaline, test it first. We have done lots of terrazzo where we just strip, seal, and finish it. Bear in mind that just like a concrete driveway, the natural stone and cement base can accept and retain many stains. This can make it difficult to get some stains out.
We usually just strip them, and then seal with Spartan's Terraglaze. The Terraglaze can be burnished and maintained like a finish, or you can put your favorite floor finish over it. The main reason I like the Terraglaze is because it is VERY durable, and it is not a nightmare to strip. If you choose to use Johnson's Plaze, just be aware that it will be a booger to strip.
This is a 50+ year old drug store that we have Terralgaze and I-Shine on. The one good thing about it is that you can scrub and re-coat and buff to keep it pretty. Of course the
proper or prefered way is to grind, hone and polish. This is cost prohibitive for most though.
Here is a picture of the drugstore with the Terraglaze and I-Shine.
