Now that you’ve dusted the ceiling fan and frames, and tidied up shoes by the door, let’s finish off with cleaning your floors. Keeping your floors clean is most homeowners’ biggest cleaning problem.
Depending on what kind of floors you have, you will need special cleaners and tools. Check below for what kind of flooring you have and for tips on how to keep your floors clean with Professional Carpet Systems.
How to Clean Laminate Flooring
Start by vacuuming, dusting, and then wiping with a damp mop. Do not use soap-based cleaners because they will leave a dull film on the floor.
Do not use polish on laminate floors either because they will be left slippery and be a potential fall risk.
To remove stains, mix water, and vinegar and wipe them away. Laminate flooring does not need abrasive scrubbing and harsh cleaners. Using harsh brushes and chemicals will leave your floors scratched.
If you have stains that are to be removed, you can use acetone or other mild solvents. Use caution when using these clears. Protect yourself with gloves and a mask.
How to Clean Quarry and Ceramic Tiles
Ceramic and quarry tiles do not need much maintenance. You can easily sweep and wash these floors with a detergent solution and then rinse them with clean water.
Do not use wax polish on ceramic or quarry because they will become slippery.
Steam cleaning is another great option for quarry and ceramic tiles. It’s quick, effective, and does not require chemicals, just water.
How to Clean Terracotta Tiles
If terracotta floors are new to you, they will mature over the first year. The company that installed your floors will stock their business with specific cleaners, polish, and sealants to use on your floors. Be sure to use what they recommend, prolonging the life of your floors.
How to Clean Cork
Factory-sealed cork tile floors will need to be wiped with a damp mop and a washing liquid solution. You can apply polyurethane or acrylic sealant to add protection in high-traffic areas like your doorway, kitchen, and hallway.
It’s important never to overwet cork floors because it will damage the seal they have and the protective coating. Also, try your best never to drag furniture over the floors because it will cause damage.
How to Clean Vinyl Floors
To clean your vinyl floors, use a vacuum with a soft brush first and then a damp mop with mild detergent. After you have vacuumed and mopped, make sure you rinse the floors well with clean water.
If you have scuff marks on your floor, use a cloth that has been dipped in white spirit or a washing liquid and then rinse that as well.
How to Clean Wooden Floors
To clean sealed floors like wood, they only need to be swept and then mopped with a damp mop period. If you use too much water on the wood, it could swell and split.
If your floors are unsealed and waxed, they should be swept regularly and polished occasionally. When you go to wax your floor, use it sparingly because using too much will leave your floor with a tacky residue that will cause dirt buildup.
Also, keep up on buffing the floors as well. If you start to notice worn-out patches appearing on the surface of your wood floor, apply a non-slip floor polish.
On wood floors that are waxed and polished, dirt will build up over time. Really the only way to clean it is to remove the wax and start over.
You’ll use a moist cloth with white spirit. Let this combination soak in, and the wax and dirt will start to dissolve.
Once you have noticed the dirt and wax dissolving, wipe it away with a crumbled newspaper. Scrub away the other parts by hand or with an abrasive pad attached to a floor polisher.
How to Clean Your Carpet
The best way to clean your carpet on your own is with a carpet cleaning machine. If you do not have one, you can rent one.
To begin the carpet cleaning process, start by spot-treating any stains. Once you pick what cleaner you want to use, follow the manufacturer’s instructions on the back.
It’s always important to remove stains as quickly as they happen, but sometimes, we need to get around to it. The longer the stain has been there, the harder it may be to remove. But having a carpet cleaning machine usually gets the job done.
After removing stains, the next thing you’ll want to do to tackle carpet cleaning is to vacuum. If your carpet is thick, you can use a turbo or power brush to suck up pet hair and stubborn dirt.
After you have gone over the floors, grab the vacuum attachments to clean the hard-to-reach areas like window seals and the crevices of the carpet next to the wall.,
How to Clean Linoleum
You can either vacuum or sweep to get rid of dust and dirt. With a clean mop or a damp cloth, add detergent or floor cleaner, and clean the floors that way. Don’t use too much water, and then rinse after you have mopped the floors.
If you have tough marks on the floor that seem to not come up, they can be removed by rubbing lightly with a damp fine nylon pad.
Ways to Keep Your Floors Clean Longer
Leave Open Spaces- Dust and dirt love to accumulate in places that are piled up. If you have piles of newspapers, magazines, furniture, DVDs, and books, that is most likely where you will find most of your dust lying around. Try to make your home as open as possible by removing things that you do not use.
Clean-Up Food Particles- Picking up food particles, especially in the kitchen, will help keep your floor cleaner and deter insects and pets from getting a hold of the leftover food.
Keep Dirt Outside- the first thing you can do to keep your floors clean is to prevent any dust from entering your house. To help prevent this, put a door mat on the outside of your front door and, as soon as you walk in, in your doorway. Next to your door, you can also keep a shoe rack so that neither you nor the guest is walking around with outside elements on your floors.
Keep Pets in Designated Area- Most furry friends love to be everywhere you are. But if you have extra space, we suggest keeping your pets’ belongings in one area. That will prevent extra pet dander from getting all throughout the house and pet stains on rugs and carpets.
Wipe Up Spilled Water- Bathrooms are breeding grounds for mildew and mold. Try your best to always keep your bathroom floor dry. Use rugs in your bathtub or shower, in front of the sink, and, if you prefer, a rug near the toilet. Rugs are useful for soaking up droplets of water or wet footprints out of the bath or shower. While you’re in the tub or shower, turn on your exhaust fan to reduce moisture in the air.
Mop Regularly- Mop your floors regularly to prevent dust buildup on your floor. This can be simply done with water in a mild floor cleaner.
Sweep Daily- Make sweeping your floor a part of your everyday routine. Use brooms that have short bristles so they will get between the grout and better clean the floor. This will keep an accumulation of dust off the floor and allow for easier cleaning when it comes time to mop.
Keeping Your Floors Clean with Professionals
Professional Carpet Systems of Tampa Bay have been established for over 20 years. After three generations, it remains the number one choice for commercial and residential floor cleaning, replacement floor services, and restorations.
The family-owned business is proud and dedicated to each and every client. They take pride in cleaning and restoring their environment and flooring. Contact us today to request an appointment.