No matter what kind of flooring you have in your home, it is important to know how to properly maintain them. In this article I will attempt to explain the various types of floors and how to care for them. For simplicity sake, I will cover the maintenance of hardwood, laminate, tile, natural stone and carpet. There are many different types of flooring to maintain, however these are the most popular.
Laminate floors are gaining popularity, because they are easy to maintain, very durable and are cost effective. To take care of laminate properly you first need to vacuum the floor regularly and clean the floor with a laminate floor cleaner. Gently spray the floor cleaner over the floor, in a four by four foot section. Next, take a swiffer mop and remove the cleaner. If there is any gum or other contaminates on the floor remove them first before cleaning. Laminate floor cleaner is widely available through your local flooring retailer. I suggest using the cleaner that is recommended by the manufacturer of the floor. Do not ever attempt to wet mop any laminate floor. Doing so will most likely ruin your floor. This is the only maintenance the laminate will require.
Tile and natural stone is a little more difficult to maintain because of their porous nature. Once tile or stone has been installed in your home, it is highly recommended to use a penetrating water based sealer, to protect from staining. Use pH neutral cleaners such as Bona Kemi's stone, tile and laminate floor cleaner. Do not attempt to use any type of acidic cleaners as the will eat away at the grout and the natural stone. The method for cleaning tile or natural stone is the same as cleaning a laminate floor. If you have spills clean them up immediately. Do not wipe the floor with a rag, it will smear the fluid and possibly spread the stain, instead blot up all spills with a paper towel. If you have polished marble do not attempt to wet mop the floor. Wet mopping over a long period of time will cause mineral buildup, which dulls the surface. Occasionally natural stone will require some resurfacing, due to wear and tear. This is done using diamond plates and aggressive compounds and should be done by a professional. If you are considering purchasing natural stone for your home and do not like the word maintenance, you might consider ceramic or porcelain tile. Ceramic tile and porcelain require less maintenance and are also less expensive to buy.
Hardwood flooring is relatively low maintenance. It is however recommended to use walk off mats at both the front and back doors, to avoid scratching the urethane finish. First vacuum the floor to remove any dirt before cleaning. Next spay the floor with a hardwood floor cleaner over a four by four foot section and remove the cleaner with a swiffer. Over time, scratches in you hardwood floor will begin to appear. In order to remove the scratches the floor must be screened and re-coated or sanded and refinished by a professional. Do not attempt to use any oil soaps or waxes to clean your floor. This will contaminate your floor making it almost impossible to refinish. Also, do not use orange glow as it will often times leave a cloudy haze. Use only a recommended cleaner by the hardwood manufacturer such as Bona Kemi's hardwood floor cleaner. This cleaner can be purchased as a kit from a local flooring store. Do not ever attempt to wet mop any hardwood floor. Doing so will only damage the floor which will then most likely need to be replaced. Hardwood floors can be very expensive, so make sure you are using the appropriate cleaner for your floor.
If you have carpet in your home, it is recommended by the manufacturer to vacuum, two to three times a week. Vacuuming regularly will increase the life of the carpet and will extend your investment. Each time you vacuum, you are bringing the fibers in the carpet back to life, which also extends the life of the carpet. Before entering your home take off all shoes and leave the dirt outside. Dirt will eat away at the fibers of the carpet and can ruin the floor. Annual cleaning should be done by steam cleaning the carpet which should be done by a professional. Do not steam clean your carpet more than twice a year. Over-cleaning will destroy the carpet by causing the latex backing to separate from the fibers. If you have small spots that need to be cleaned try resolve. This product works fairly well on most dirt and food stains. Do not attempt to use resolve on grease stains, as it will seal the grease into the carpet.
As with all cleaners make sure they are put away in a safe place. Knowing how to properly maintain your floor will save you money and help extend the life it. If you keep a maintenance schedule, you will get your money's worth out of your floor. Poor maintenance will destroy floors and can cost a lot to repair. I hope this helps. If you have any other questions, leave a comment
Thanks,
the Floor Man
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