Carpet

Maintaining the cleanliness and quality of your carpet is the product of proper care and maintenance. Unlike other floor surfaces, carpet is very prone to locking in dust and germs that can be hazardous to one’s health. Following these maintenance tips can ensure that you and your family will be safe and that your carpet will last for years to come.

- Regular vacuuming is very important. It is recommended that this is done weekly if possible. Sprinkling salt on the carpet before vacuuming keeps the carpet looking and smelling fresh.

- Steam clean your carpet at least twice a year to rid your carpet of dust and germs that are not removable by vacuuming. Never steam clean silk carpet. Silk carpet has to be dry-cleaned only.

- Do not wear shoes on your carpet as this will bring dust and dirt from the outside and put them in your carpet. Leave shoes at the door.

- Clean up spills immediately. Do not scrub stains or spills as this will cause the stain to spread and make removal harder. Instead, try blotting or pulling out the stain instead. Club soda is a good agent in cleaning up fresh stains and spills.

- If gum is stuck on the carpet, ice the gum until it hardens. Then pick it out. Do not user razors or scissors on your carpet as this will cause irreversible damage.

- If you spill grease or oil, put baking soda on the spot for a day and then vacuum. The baking soda will soak up the spill. Repeat as necessary.

- Do not use any cleaners not designed for carpet. If you are trying a cleaning solution for the first time, try it in an area that is out of view.

These are just a few maintenance tips for your carpet. Your carpet will last a life time if you keep up with proper maintenance. Feel free to look within this site for more articles directly aimed at keeping carpet clean and looking like new.

Wood Floor Maintenance

Hardwood floors look absolutely beautiful in the home and will last you for years to come when care is given to proper maintenance. One of the advantages of hardwood floors is that hardwood floors are low maintenance surfaces. So little has to be done has to be done to keep them shining for years. At the same time, lack of care can lead to damage that will shorten the life of your floors dramatically. Following the following steps can go a long way in guaranteeing floors that will last a lifetime.

Chemicals

Do not use products designed for tiles, carpet, or other surfaces including ammonia and bleach. This will damage the floor as they contain chemicals that will strip the floor of its finish.

Hardwood floors are a no wax surface. Do not use wax or wax-related chemicals on your floors. Initially it will look like your floors are shiny when using wax. However, wax creates another layer that darkens your floors, dulls over time, becomes slippery, and makes it very hard to re-sand. Do not use wax.

To clean your floors, a dust mop and an occasional damp mop will do. If you want to use a chemical on your floors, look for a non-wax product specifically designed for hardwood floors. A good product is Polycare Hardwood Floor Cleaner. It comes highly recommended.

Shoes

Wearing hard soled shoes on hardwood floors is not a good idea. For one, it dulls the finish over time. More importantly, hard soled shoes will create dents on the floor. Avoid walking on your wood floors with cleats, sports shoes and high heels. A 125-pound woman walking in high heels has an impact of 2,000 pounds per square inch. An exposed heel nail can exert up to 8,000 pounds per square inch. This kind of impact can dent any floor surface

Spills

Wipe up spills immediately as this can stain floors and warp the wood. If the spill is from a sugary drink, use a damp towel to remove the spill and sticky residue. If you have flower pots on the floor, make sure that water does not leak from the pots onto the floor.

Pets

Pets can be a hardwood floor’s worst enemy. Make sure that pet nails are trimmed so they do not scratch the floors. Urine from pets will stain your floors. If pets urinate on your floors, clean them immediately. Allow urine stains to settle will definitely stain your floors.

Furniture

Lift and place heavy furniture. Do not drag. Put leg gliders on the legs of your furniture so they these wont scratch or dent the floor surface.

Dust and Dirt

Dust and dirt scratch floor surfaces easily. It is important that these are not brought from the outside. Leaving shoes near the door is a good way to make sure this does not make its way around your home. Having a runner or area rug near the front door is a good idea. Make sure to sweep and dust your floors regularly.

Conclusion

Solid hardwood floors repay a little care with a lifetime of value. They are absolutely beautiful and give a rich feel that is unparallel. Because of this, protect your investment by taking the needed care and maintenance to keep your floors looking like new.

Engineered Hardwood

Caring for engineered flooring is a very simple and trouble-free process as long as it is a part of your regular cleaning routine. Keeping the floor as free of dirt, debris, grit and spills as possible will maintain and retain the original look of your flooring for the longest period.

In this, engineered flooring care is almost the same set of processes as the care of any other wood flooring. Here is a step by step guide for taking care of your engineered floors:
- Keep the engineered flooring swept, clean, and dry on a daily basis.
- For vacuum, use a vacuum cleaner with a soft flooring attachment, or a broom.
- A damp mop can be used and the floor should be dried immediately after the mop.
- Similarly, spills must be wiped off as soon as they occur. Engineered flooring is quite resistant to moisture but excessive water or liquid can cause damage to any flooring including engineered floors.
- You can also keep pebbles, dirt, moisture, grains of sand, and fragments of glass and debris away by keeping floor mats and rugs at the entrances. This how the upper wear layer and the finish of the floor will be safe and intact for a longer period.
- High heels, hiking shoes, cleats, or hard-soled shoes can cause severe damage to the upper wear layer of the floor. This should be avoided.
- Wax-based cleaners, harsh detergents, or steel wool should not be used to clean engineered hardwood flooring.

Cork Floors

Cork is a soft surface. Cork Flooring, however, is a durable surface and the maintenance is very simple. With periodic vacuuming and damn mopping, your cork floors will stay in good shape.

Maintenance
- Sweep or vacuum floor frequently in order to avoid build up of abrasive particles.
- Use only cleaners specified for use on pre-finished hardwood available from your local retailer or home center. WET MAINTENANCE IS ENTIRELY FORBIDDEN!

Protection
- To help eliminate fine particles of dirt/grit that act like sandpaper and will scratch any floor, vacuum or sweep as needed.
- Spills should be wiped up immediately.
- Use walk-off mats at entrance doors and in front of kitchen sink. Avoid rubber backed or other non-ventilated mats or rugs.
- In the kitchen, use a rug in front of the working areas such as in front of the stove and sink to prevent local premature wear.
- Install proper protectors under “feet” of furniture.
- Caster wheeled chairs should have wide casters. A protective mat should be used under office chairs.
- Maintain a minimum humidity of 50% in the room. If necessary, use a humidifier.
- Periodically check floor for signs of wear.
- Weight distribution is a key factor in preventing indentation.

Fading
- Cork will fade and should never be exposed directly to sunlight. Where possible, use drapes or other systems to protect your floor from excessive light. Cork will yellow when fading.

Conclusion
As you can see, there are numerous factors to be aware of when you have cork floors. However, they prove to be very durable if proper maintenance is followed.

Vinyl Floor Maintenance

There are a large variety of tile floors. Let’s focus on vinyl floors. Vinyl is a low cost, high reward floor covering that is used in many homes. They are relatively easy to maintain. The following tips are useful for vinyl floor maintenance. To get more detailed advice for specific tile care and maintenance, look within the site for more articles.

- Vacuum, sweep, and dust mop regularly.

- Immediately wipe up spills. Allowing spills to sit can stain your floors and damage the tiles.

- Tile floors are slippery when wet. Be careful.

- Use clean warm water to rinse tile floors. If you choose to use a cleaner, use a pH neutral cleaner. Be sure to read the contents of such cleaners. Do not use cleaners that are designed for other floor types.

- Do not let dirt sit on the floor for long periods of time as this will eventually scratch the surface.

- Hard-soled shoes can damage tile floors. Refrain from wearing hard-soled shoes, high heels, and spikes on tile surfaces.

- When moving appliances, lift and place. Do not drag appliances as this can severely damage the vinyl floor.


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