11 Simple Floor Care Tips
Keeping your floors clean can be a full time job, especially if you have children or pets. If your home is like mine, with people coming and going constantly, and no one person dedicated to cleaning, the job can become overwhelming. These 11 simple tips will help you stay on task.
- Trevino Flooring Company has cleaning solutions for your hard surfaces, wood floors, and carpets.
Leave your shoes at the door to keep dust and pollutants off your floors.
1. Leave your shoes at the door. If you have children, start early and establish a “no shoes in the home” rule. Shoes can track in dangerous chemicals and pollutants from outside, not to mention lots of basic dirt. It’s probably best not to guests to take their shoes off, but consider leave a basket by the door with shoes in it as a subtle hint that they should take their shoes off. Maybe even have fresh slippers in the basket for your guests.
2.Buy a heavy duty doormat. Since not everyone will take their shoes off in your home, at least have a great doormat outside. Place a doormat with stiff bristles at each entrance to your home. Fine dirt and debris act like sandpaper on the bottom of shoes, scratching and removing the finish of your flooring with every step. Be sure to shake or hose off the door mat frequently.
3. Sweep your wood, laminate or vinyl floors often. Daily use of a soft broom or floor cleaning cloth helps keep dirt and grit from grinding into the surface. If you have pets, a quick once over at the end of the day helps prevent excess pet hair and dust from forming pesky dust bunnies.
4. Daily dry mopping or sweeping is fine for your floor, but you still need to damp mop with the right cleaning product on a regular basis. Even wood and laminate floors need occasional deep cleaning. A common myth is that wood and laminate floors should never be cleaned with a liquid product. While you should never directly apply water to your floor, a thorough cleaning with the correct product for your type of floor will help keep it in tip-top shape for years.
Sharing your home with furry friends? You’ll have to sweep more often.
5. Moisten a mop and run it over your low pile rugs or carpet. You’ll be amazed at how much hair and dirt your mop will pick up.
6. Floors made of textured materials; ceramic, tile, marble, granite, terrazzo, slate and stone, need routine daily maintenance just like your other floors. Because these materials are porous, they are especially prone to damage from the use of improper cleaning solutions that can lead to fading, discoloration or dulling of the stone surface. Always ask your floor installer for a list of recommended cleaning products.
7. When mopping, apply the cleaning solution according to package directions. Be careful to use a product designed for your specific flooring. Dampen a mop or sponge with the cleaning solution, apply to the floor with just enough rubbing to loosen the dirt. Rinse with clean, cool water—no matter what the soap label says about not needing rinsing— otherwise you’ll leave a residue on the floor. If you have an older vinyl floor that is coated in traditional floor wax, don’t be too aggressive with the rubbing or you’ll need to re-wax the floor.
8.Rinsing the floor is just as important as mopping, maybe even more so! A left over soapy film on your floor attracts dirt. We suggest using 2 mops for heavy duty cleaning; one for soapy mopping only and one for clear water rinising.
9. Is your bathroom floor yellowing and feeling sticky? Hairspray might be the culprit. Although you probably don’t see it, over-spray from hair products can quickly build up on a tile floor. Mop the floor weekly with a mild cleaning solution. Don’t forget to clean the wall around the mirror and behind where you stand to do your hair too!
Your floors will gleam for years with proper care.
10. Preserve the beauty of your floor by ensuring that furniture and large, heavy appliances have protective feet that allow them to glide on the surface when moved to avoid scratching the floor. Heavy furniture or appliances that are stationary, such as your refrigerator, also need protective feet to help prevent denting or other damage to the floor surface.
11. Vacuum often. Carpet can be like a magnet for dust. Carpets should be deep cleaned every 12-18 months. Trevino Flooring Company has expertly trained staff to deep clean your carpet.
