Some form of carpet, hardwood, and natural stone, or a combination of these surfaces, covers most of our homes.
Dirt, soil and debris are the largest predators damaging these surfaces. Sand, dirt and tiny pebbles wear carpet fibers thin and can scratch hardwood or natural stone.
Here are 4 steps to help keep your floors looking beautiful and longer lasting.
Step 1 – Doormats
Having a doormat at all doors that enter your home and another right inside those doors is our best recommendation. Doormats help trap loose dirt, soil and debris from shoes before it can make it’s way onto your floors or into your carpet’s fibers. We also suggest placing rugs or mats in your kitchen, laundry and bathrooms. Any place in your home where you’re washing your hands or working with water should have a rug or absorbent mat. Spilled or sprinkled liquid that lands on floors can be easily tracked throughout the home which can cause damage to your flooring.
Step 2- Buy a good vacuum
You don’t have to spend hundreds of dollars on a “the top of the line” vacuum, just be sure your vacuum has great airlift. Airlift is the fancy term for suction. For carpets you will want an upright vacuum that also has a good beater brush (the part that spins on the bottom of the vacuum). This will remove the majority of particles from your carpet. If your vacuum has micron filtration or HEPA filtration this will also help eliminate dust particles from returning to the air, which will improve your indoor air quality.
Canister vacuums are best for hardwood, tile and natural stone floors. This requires a non-moving brush attachment. For smooth floor surfaces, there are a number of mops and mop-alternatives on the market today. Since these options aren’t able to pick up small particles from your floors, be sure to vacuum thoroughly prior to running a mop across the floor.
Step 3-Choosing products
It is important to use surface specific products for wood, tile and natural stone floors. There’s no such thing as a great all-purpose floor cleaner (this is where I’ve been going wrong!). You need a specially formulated cleaner for hardwood floors as well as a non acid-based product that is safe to use on your natural stone. Additionally, you need a safe, yet heavy-duty cleaner for your tile floors.
Some people use vinegar and water to clean their tile and/or hardwood floors, which is great. However, vinegar is acidic in nature and acidic products can degrade the appearance of your natural stone floors. Also be careful of “wood-like” floors. Excess moisture can damage the epoxy (glue) that holds the laminate flooring down.
Step 4-Professional Cleaning
Have your carpets, area rugs, tile and natural stone flooring professionally cleaned on a regular basis. Even with all the fabulous products on the market, nothing beats the power of a professional carpet-cleaning or grout-cleaning machine. Establishing a professional maintenance-cleaning plan for your home will help you maintain a clean and healthy home all year rounds and will protect the beauty of your floors for years to come.