Keeping Your Floors Clean
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When choosing flooring materials, one of the issues that you need to keep in mind is whether the option you are looking into is easy to clean. After all, to give a different example, we can buy an item of clothing that looks absolutely beautiful on the rail. But once we have worn it once or twice and discovered that it cannot be washed in the machine and needs specialist care of some sort, we invariably regret our decision. The same can be said of flooring, but unlike a piece of clothing a floor cannot simply be replaced.
Several Types of Flooring
Let’s look at several types of flooring and see how easy they are to clean. By understanding this, it will make your final decision a lot easier:
- Wood flooring – Wood can look absolutely beautiful, with a certain Old World charm and elegance that you don’t get with other materials. But it is not very durable, and if water falls on it, this can damage it irreparably. Therefore, you would clean your wood floors by sweeping them regularly to banish crumbs, and vacuuming, though you would need to make sure you have the right kind to prevent scratches. Never use ammonia-based cleaners or oil soaps. Stick to specific wood cleaners and mop with a tiny amount of water. If the dirt has seeped right into the wood, you may need to sand it down and reapply the sealant.
- Carpet flooring – Whether you are using carpet tiles, wall-to-wall carpeting, or area rugs, vacuuming on a regular basis is a good way to keep your carpets clean. If your carpet is heavily soiled, you may want to call in a professional carpet cleaning company, who will use materials that have been especially manufactured and adapted to this purpose. Other methods that you could either do yourself or bring in a company for are steam cleaning and using carpet shampoo.
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- Resilient flooring – Within this category are vinyl, linoleum, rubber, and cork. All of these kinds of flooring are referred to as “resilient” because they are particularly durable and hard wearing and also tend to be resistant to water. This affects the way in which they are cleaned, making it far easier to look after them. In most cases, this kind of flooring simply requires constant sweeping and mopping with warm water and a bit of detergent. It really could not be simpler.
- Stone floors – This includes marble, granite, and natural stone. Natural stone is affected by too much water, and general dirt and grease can also cause staining and marks. Be careful with the cleaning materials that you use – avoid anything based on lemon juice or vinegar. Ammonia and abrasive substances are also out. Use very mild detergent with a neutral pH (as opposed to acid) or pure soap. Try to clean up all spillages immediately. Apart from the hygienic reasons, this will also prevent staining and permanent damage. Too much soap in the water that you use can also cause unsightly streaks, so only use a small amount.
