You might not think of your floors as a focal point, or something people really take note of in your home, but that is a big mistake. Floors are some of the most impressionable features of any space. Filthy scratched, and scuffed floors can make even the most beautiful of homes look dreadful. Maintaining your floors prevents people from slipping, tripping, and falling as a result of poorly maintained surfaces. Let’s take a closer look into why it is so important that you take proper care of your floors and a few tips on how to go about it.
Why Maintenance is Important
As we said, your floor says a lot about your home. Maintaining your floors doesn’t only make them look good, but it extends their lifespan. Floors made of and covered by a certain material have different ways they need to be maintained. Some need a simple sweep and vacuum, while others need more intense cleaning and regular polishing. You can largely prevent excessive dirt from entering your home by placing floor mats at the entrance as well as any doors that lead in from the outside. This can make maintaining things a lot easier and keep your home looking better for longer. Replacing neglected flooring can get extremely pricey, which is why maintenance is the best course of action.
Every type of floor should be treated differently, and what works for one might be damaging to another. Let’s take a closer look at how to maintain different floor types.
Carpeted Floors
If you have carpeted floors you’ll 100% need to own a vacuum. You’ll need a vacuum that is easily maneuverable. This will ensure that you can use it more frequently because it will be less of a struggle to lug around. You’ll need to vacuum at least once a week in order to keep away unwanted dust and particle build-up. For a deeper clean, On Time Steam Cleaners Brooklyn recommends hiring a professional cleaning service. You should do a nice deep cleaning of the rugs and carpets in your home at least once a year. People typically do it when they spring clean, but the when is really up to you.
Wooden Floors
Wooden flooring can be tricky. Wooden floors require a fair amount of maintenance. Unlike tiled floors, they are soft and easily damaged. The two main sealing techniques are as follows: surface-sealed with varnish and the other is penetrating-sealed, done with oil. Oil-sealed flooring is a lot less common these days, but can still be found in older homes. A trick to test what you have is to run a finger across the floor. If it leaves an oily smudge, your floor is likely oil sealed. It is important that you take care when cleaning wooden floors.
Surface- and penetrating-sealed wooden floors need to be cleaned in a specific way. For varnish-sealed floors, you need to start with a bucket of warm water. Add a wooden floor cleaner (and a feeder if you like) to the warm water. Alternatively, you can use white vinegar, or diluted dish soap to clean. With a moderately damp mop, apply the solution to the floor and mop. For floors that are oil-sealed, avoid water. Cleaning with a broom and a vacuum is more than sufficient. Spot clean with water if and when necessary. Do not use anything with water-based wax as this will ruin the oil seal.
You can protect wooden floors from getting scratched up by using protective fabric pads under the feet of tables, chairs, and other pieces of furniture that you might need to move around. This makes it really easy to move furniture around while cleaning, too.
Laminate Floors
For tons of people the hassles of real wood far out way the desire to install it. Laminate flooring is a great substitute for wood. It looks like wood, but it is a lot easier to maintain and a much cheaper option. You can clean laminate flooring with a damp mop and a laminate floor cleaner. Don’t use soap, as this is abrasive and eats into the laminate.
Tile and Natural Stone Floors
Most floors are tiled these days. This is largely because they are more cost-effective and are easier to clean than most other types of floors. It’s more the grout you need to worry about than the tiles themselves. Lighter grout tends to show more dirt and because of the porous nature of grout, it absorbs all manner of messes. You’ll want to ensure that you clean any mess up quickly to avoid stains. Porcelain and ceramic tiles can be cleaned using diluted bleach or a diluted dish soap solution.
Natural stone tiles, on the other hand, are not as simple. Natural stone can get scratched or even cracked when cleaned with incorrect tools. Vacuums with roller brush attachments can damage natural stone irreparably. Marble and granite flooring needs to be cleaned by a professional cleaner at least once every 6 months to ensure that they keep their shine and get the food they need to avoid cracking.
Concrete Floor Maintenance
Concrete floors are modern, beautiful and quite the statement piece in any home. Like most other floors, they require regular sweeping, mopping, and vacuuming to keep dust at bay as well as to prevent any permanent stains. Depending on the finish, you can deep clean the floors with a mild all-purpose cleaner and a microfibre mop. Regular cleaning will prevent the floors from cracking.
Linoleum Floors
Linoleum has been around for quite some time. It is a great alternative to tiles and wooden floors. You should under no circumstances be cleaning your linoleum floors with boiling water. This will eat into the material, weakening it and lessening its lifespan astronomically. Avoid bleach and other abrasive products. A damp mop is all you need.
Your floor is an important part of your home. If you do not take care of your floors, it can make your home look uninviting and even decrease the value of your home. The type of material your floor is made from needs to be cleaned properly in order to ensure that it is well maintained so that it lasts for years to come.