Caring for your floors
Caing for your carpet
New carpeting can be elaborate and elegant, cool and contemporary or tasteful and traditional. It's one of America's most popular floor covering choices, enhances virtually any room and it can add value to your residence. Keeping that feeling, and your carpet in beautiful condition, is a challenge if you don't know the proper steps of maintenance.
We want you to know that with the care guidelines below, your new carpet can stay attractive for many years, and many bare-foot crossings to come.
- place walk-off mats wherever there are entrances to your home
- buy a quality vacuum and use it regularly
- use a machine with a good beater bar and maximum suction
- if your vacuum uses bags, be sure to change them frequently
- Carpet cushion plays an important role in preserving the look and feel of your carpet
- don't vacuum over loose yarn or try to pull out the snag
- rearrange your furniture periodically
- treat stains as soon as possible
- cleaning by a reputable, professional cleaner is suggested approximately once a year to protect your investment
- read the care and maintenance literature provided by the manufacturer because different fibers, styles and finishes can each have their own unique guidelines
Caring for your wood/laminate flooring
One of the main benefits of hardwood flooring is that they are low maintenance floors that require only a little more maintenance than sweeping on a regular basis to remove dirt. Cleaners are only needed when cleaning spills, removing scuff marks or major cleanings like spring cleaning.
- place walk off mats at every door that are regularly maintained
- you can and should vacuum your floors daily
- use the correct floor cleaner
- don’t asume that any household cleaner should be safe for your hardwood floors
- cleaners should be applied with a terry cloth head mop
- Less is more use only a small amount of cleaner
- only use wax on floors with a wax finish
- wipe up spills immediately
- for stubborn stains like chewing gum or candle wax try using a credit card
- use technical support
Caring for your tile
Sooner or later time, traffic, life and living will take its toll on any floor covering and ceramic tile is no exception. But take heart, keeping your tile as clean and beautiful as its first days in your home just takes know-how. In fact, understanding the best methods to care for your ceramic flooring will help maintain its beauty and keep it close to its original condition. Plus, knowing what’s expected of you regarding upkeep can be a determining factor in which type of ceramic tile to purchase. Knowing how to care for and maintain your ceramic floor will help keep your investment beautiful, durable and a source of pride for years to come.
- it’s important to sweep a tile floor regularly
- use walk-off mats at all exterior entrances
- remember to shake the mats often to remove the dirt
- ceramic tile floors should be damp-mopped regularly using the manufacturer’s recommended grout and tile cleaners
- textured tiles may require mild scrubbing with a soft brush or electric polisher/scrubber
- for soft water situations you may need to use an all-purpose cleaner
- use cleaning products available from your local grocery store or flooring retailer for heavier cleaning tasks
- consult the cleaning products instructions to make sure the cleaning product is compatible with your type of tile
- after cleaning, rinse well and wipe dry
- avoid using steel wool, scouring powders, or other abrasives
- don’t use bleach or ammonia based cleaners
- do not clean glazed tile with oil-based cleaners
- try to clean up spills as quickly as possible
- tile can crack under extreme force or pressure
- take the proper precautions when moving heavy objects across your tile floor
- cover furniture and table legs with protectors
- keep extra tiles after the installation
- areas exposed to water need to be caulked on a regular basis
- seal your grout for added protection
- grout colorants are available for stained, damaged or undesired colored grout
- consult the manufacturers’ recommendations