Keeping your Hardwood Floors Clean in Three Easy Steps

Copyright (c) 2009 Wes Fernley

Hardwood floors are one of the easier types of floors to clean, even if you have pets and children running in and out of the house. In fact, cleaning does not have to be a hard job. If you regularly clean your floors every few weeks, then you can ensure that your hardwood floors stay sparkly and new-looking, even if they are not.

However, many people let their hardwood floors stay dirty for a little longer than usual. If you need more than just a quick rub down to return your floors to shiny and new, then you’ve come to the right place. Below we’ve listed a few pointers to help ensure your hardwood floors get, and stay, clean from now on.

First of all, you will need to remove all the dirt and debris from the floors. This may include dog hair, gravel from outside, cookie crumbs and anything else that accidently made its way to the floor. Either use a broom or a vacuum cleaner and give your hardwood floors a quick brush over. This will take only a few minutes and will ensure that the next steps run smoothly. If you leave the dirt and debris on the hardwood floor, then dirt and grit can scratch and ruin your floors during the next few steps.

The next step when it comes to cleaning your floors is to use a floor cleaner on them. A floor cleaner will ensure that your hardwood floors stay shiny and new looking. Many people choose to spray the floor directly with the floor cleaner; however, you can also spray the cleaner onto a soft cloth and clean the floors as this is easier.

One very important tip to remember is to never spray water on the hardwood floor- although it makes sense to mop with water this is not the case with hardwood floors. Water can cause the wooden tiling to warp and bend if it seeps into the cracks. This is most certainly not the look you are going for.

With your floor cleaner and soft mop, mop the floor in sections. Make sure you mop the sprayed section first and then move onto another section, spraying as you go. You can continue to spray directly onto the floor or onto the mop. Move the mop lengthwise until there is no moisture left on the hardwood floors.

That’s it! You’re done.

Now onto the hard part- keeping the hardwood floors clean. The best way to ensure that your floors stay clean for the longest amount of time is by setting up some ground rules- no shoes on the floor, clean up after spills, and no letting the muddy dog into the house!

Hardwood floors can add a touch of elegance to any room, as long as they are kept clean. So, next time you notice your hardwood floors looking a little worse for wear, follow the above tips. In no time your hardwood floors will be looking professional and shiny once again.

A Brief Guide to Floor Cleaning.

Cleaning floors is one of the most important aspects of any cleaning programme and an essential element of any property, also depending on what kind of surface you have in your house; it will require different specialist equipment and techniques. Some general tips for keeping floors clean are to employ a proper selection of mats at doorways, often an entrance area with easy to clean floors (for example laminate flooring) and a dedicated area to store shoes. Just some of these simple techniques can make a dramatic impact on the cleanliness of a house that doesn’t have these ideas properly implemented.

Carpet Cleaning & Care

It is always a good idea to regularly vacuum the surface of carpets, this helps remove dirt that can cause permanent damage to fibres and also try to deal with spillages as soon as you can, the longer a spillage stays on a surface the more damage it can do. Often people look to get carpets or rugs cleaned professionally but there are various ways in which carpets can be cleaned to a very high standard without hiring professionals. Always use recommended or qualified products that are specified for use on the surface that you want to clean and so it is a bad idea to use generic cleaning products such as soap or dish washing liquids, these will often damage the surface far more then they clean it (for example the colour will bleed). It is a good idea before any new cleaning is done to a carpet to test the quality of the finish in inconspicuous areas, but always make sure you use a quality carpet cleaning machine.

When it comes to specific floor types, each different surface requires different cleaning techniques and products, some of these include,

Marble Floors

Marble and limestone flooring is surprisingly delicate to clean, these surfaces are very tough and will last for a very long time but in order to keep the best possible surface there are some techniques that can be employed to ensure its lasting quality. Due to the nature of the surface it is a bad idea to use strong acids or alkalis that are often used to attack dirt as this often damages the quality of the surface. It is also a good idea to not scrub the surface of marble or limestone floors, especially with coarser cleaning equipment such as scouring pads, this also includes buffing or scrubbing machines as these can leave visible marks on the surface which can only be removed with polishing. Marble surfaces will clean efficiently with dilute detergent solutions and should be well rinsed after washing and left to dry, often surfaces such as marble are polished professionally but can be polished with a dry cloth.

Wood Floors

Often wooden floors are polished so this has to be taken into account when cleaning; it isn’t a good idea to use detergents, bleach, vinegar and ammonia. It is always a good idea to purchase wax based detergents to maintain wax flooring, and use a damp cloth to remove scuff marks, which should be removed quite easily with a bit of water and some scrubbing. You should always remember that the majority of normal detergents remove wax from flooring, always be careful when cleaning waxed floors as water can make them very difficult to stand on. After wooden floors have been cleaned it is a good idea to fully buff the finished floor, and it always a good idea to regularly re-wax wooden flooring to ensure that it keeps the quality of shine that it had to start with.

Laminate Flooring

Often a good idea for houses that want a low maintenance solution, it is often considered as an alternative to genuine wood or stone surfaces. Often have a greater adaptability then genuine surfaces such as wood and stone, for example they react far better to water so can be used in kitchens and bathrooms. The first cleaning required on laminate flooring is the simple sweeping and vacuuming of the entire area, always clean the flooring with solutions specified by the manufacturers and use a simple flat mop and use smaller quantities of cleaning solutions then perhaps you would use on normal carpets. It is a good idea to never polish or wax laminate floors; these will damage the current finishes and make the flooring appear patchy, and also never clean with abrasive cleaning products such as scouring pads or steel wool.

Concrete Flooring

Often cleaned using mild cleaner or dish soap, never using ammonia or vinegar, concrete floors are often quite easy to maintain and obviously have a high resistance to stains and ware. Always make sure to remove any remaining soap residue with warm water after the area has been cleaned and always wring the mop thoroughly during cleaning, too much cleaning solution or water may degrade the finish and generally only small amounts of water are needed to clean concrete.

Laminate Floor Cleaning Tip

Laminate floors are quickly becoming the new fad with homeowners. For those who are still unaware of what laminate flooring is, it is layers of materials compressed together to create flooring. It is capable of taking on any effect and being any color desired.

You can purchase laminate flooring that looks like wood or stone tiles, in a variety of shapes. Not only is laminate flooring easy to clean, it can save you hundreds of dollars in the long run. In fact, you don’t have to empty your savings account any longer to get that beautiful hardwood floor. You can purchase a laminate look alike, which is just as durable as a wood floor if not more. For these reasons and more, laminate flooring is gaining in popularity.

Cleaning Laminate Flooring

What is the best way to keep your laminate floors clean? Due to the fact that laminates have several layers, the first layer or the surface protects the laminate floor. With this protection, keeping your laminate floor clean has just become easier. The best tip for cleaning your laminate floor is to purchase a cleaner that is safe for laminates. Do not use wax cleaners, polishes or abrasive cleaning products on your laminate flooring as they can damage the finish.

Along with using the proper cleaner, there are other tips to assist you in maintaining the natural beauty of your laminate flooring. Unlike hardwood floors you can use warm water to clean your laminate flooring. It is suggested to use a good mop and ring the mop out twice as excessive water will damage your laminate flooring. Do not allow spills to stand on your laminate flooring, wipe them up immediately to keep the quality of your laminate floors in tact.

Protecting Laminate Flooring

As with any hard flooring, using carpet rugs in high traffic areas is also a must with laminate floors. You should also consider using rugs in areas of high use, such as in the kitchen and near all sinks. Carpet rugs help to trap dirt and debris brought from outside your home. Along with providing rugs, you should also sweep your laminate floors often. If time permits, sweep your floors daily. This will help to ensure that your laminate floors remain beautiful.

With so many choices in laminate flooring, it’s hard to go wrong when making laminate the floor of your choice. With its easy maintenance and low cost, you’ve saved both time and money. Remember, to keep those laminate floors looking beautiful, use a product designed to clean laminate floors. If it doesn’t say “safe for laminate floors” then don’t purchase it. Most laminate floor cleaners are cost effective and save time in the cleaning process. Using a cleaner that is not designed for your laminate floor can lead to disaster. Repairing or replacing a laminate floor takes much more time then reading the labels of the cleaning products available to you.

Author Vincent Platania represents the Fuller Brush Company.

Fuller Brush has been in business since 1906, and offers safe, environmentally friendly products for keeping your home and your body clean.

Visit http://www.fuller-brush-products.com

Tile Floor Cleaning Machine Tips

In the world of electronics and robots, we often tend to find a machine to do the work for us! Of course there is a cost that comes with this, and sometimes it’s a huge cost. Your decision to make the job a little bit easier for yourself does come with a price tag. There is a multitude of floor cleaning machines that will and can make the job of cleaning your tile floors that much easier. It all depends on the price you are willing to pay.

Most floor cleaning machines are commercial. These machines are not only big in size but also big in price, ranging into the thousands of dollars. However there are some tile floor cleaning machines designed for the individual consumer. These machines range from $250.00 up to $1000.00. So it all depends on the amount of money you want to put into purchasing a machine.

Probably the most popular home cleaning machine is the Oreck Orbiter. This machine is fairly compact and will perform a multitude of tasks in your home from cleaning your tile and grout, to dry cleaning your carpets. Along with these features it also sands, polishes, strips, scrubs, waxes, and cleans almost any floor surface in your home. And it comes with a price tag of around $399.00.

Your decision is should you invest in a machine to professionally clean your tile floors or not. However there is another option! That option is to maintain your tile flooring from the get-go. Maintaining your tile floors is very simple as long as you provide constant and consistent care to the tile and the grout.

Providing daily and weekly preventative maintenance to your tile flooring will result in never having to hire a professional, or even purchase a tile floor cleaning machine. Daily sweeping or dusting your floors is the first step. By keeping debris off of the tile flooring that can harm the floor or the grout is most important. Using a broom or a dust mop daily will result in extending the lifetime of your tile, keeping its natural beauty at its optimum.

Along with the daily maintenance you will want to clean the tile and grout on a weekly basis. Using a cleaning product designed to clean both the tile and the grout will combine the process into one step. To also enhance your tile flooring and to ease the cleaning process it is recommended that you use carpet rugs in high traffic areas of your home and at all entrances to catch the dirt and debris brought into your home. Also, providing carpet rugs in your kitchen around the sink, dishwasher, stove and refrigerator will also ease the cleaning process. Paying special attention to the grout, which is a dirt magnet, will also result in beautiful tile flooring.

Whether to purchase a tile floor cleaning machine all depends on the depth of your pocketbook, and the effort and commitment you want to put into keeping your tile floors looking their very best.

Author Vincent Platania represents the Fuller Brush Company.

Fuller Brush has been in business since 1906, and offers safe, environmentally friendly products for keeping your home and your body clean.

Visit http://www.fuller-brush-products.com

Wood Floor Cleaning Product Tips

How many times have you entered a store searching for the perfect wood floor cleaning product and once you arrived at the proper aisle, you were floored to see the vast selection of products on the market for cleaning your wood floors? Which should you pick, the cheap one, the expensive one? Who knows?

The Evolving Wood Floor

Wood flooring was made popular a long, long time ago. Around the turn of the century wood flooring was just about the only type of flooring found in homes. There is nothing better than to purchase an older home, rip up the carpeting, and only hope that beautiful natural wood floors are beneath it. So many consumers are searching for that perfect wood flooring, whether it is a natural wood, or laminate wood flooring.

What to Avoid When Cleaning a Wood Floore

The secret to a beautiful, wood floor is never, ever use water on the floor. If water is spilled it should be wiped up immediately to prevent damage to your wood floor. There are hundreds of wood floor cleaning products. Your job is to read the label. Find out what’s in that product. Most wood floors have a finish on them, usually a urethane coating. Never use a wax or waxed based product on your wood floor. You can use a cleaner/polisher to enhance the finish of your wood flooring. Using a polishing mop with a soft material such as terry cloth is recommended to ensure a polished look to your wood floors.

Taking Preventative Measures

Of course the first step in floor care is preventative maintenance. To maintain your wood floor’s natural beauty and finish you should use carpet rugs in high traffic areas and around sinks. These rugs will need to be vacuumed often, so that dirt does not collect beneath them onto your wood floors. High heals should not be worn on wood floors as they could potentially dent them. Keeping your pets nails trimmed will also result in less scratching. Along with this, never slide furniture across your wood floors when moving your furniture around. Place a carpet rug underneath the legs of the furniture before moving. It is also recommended to place protector pads underneath legs of all furniture.

The best preventative maintenance is to keep your floors clean of debris. Whether you sweep, dust or vacuum your wood floors, keeping them dirt free is the key. Using a soft duster is one of the best options for keeping a wood floor clean. Dust mops are perfect for pet hair, lint and dust and should be used daily on your wood floors, along with a gentle cleaning product that will clean your floor as you dust. A clean floor leads to a happy home owner. Keep the overall beauty of your wood floors by taking the time to find out exactly what it is you are putting on those beautiful wood floors.

Author Vincent Platania represents the Fuller Brush Company.

Fuller Brush has been in business since 1906, and offers safe, environmentally friendly products for keeping your home and your body clean.

Visit http://www.fuller-brush-products.com