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Tips on how to maintain your flooring: the ultimate floor care guide
Give the flooring in your home a new lease on life with these floor maintenance tips. From natural stone floors to carpet, from hardwood to tiles, this guide covers it all
Flooring Maintenance
Like any other part of your home, the flooring also requires some TLC to preserve its look and extend its life. Routine cleaning with floor material-specific products can go a long way. Depending on the type of flooring, regular polish and sealant maintenance too can help immensely. We have collated some essential home floor preservation and cleaning tips to help you make the best of the floors you have invested in.
1. General Tips to Care for Home Flooring
- Using higher quantities of cleaning products to clean floorsmay be counterproductive. This is because harsh chemicals can ruin the finish of the flooring. This can ultimately lead to severe damage. Instead, you should increase the frequency of cleaning to ensure better results and longevity of the flooring.
- Sweep regularly and mop using a damp mop. Excessive use of water when mopping may also cause damage to the floor. Mainly if the floor material is porous or holds water, make sure that you use as little water as possible when cleaning.
- Basic cleaning products: A broom, a dustpan, a mop or cleaning towels, and vacuum cleaners are, of course, the obvious tools you need to care for flooring. When it comes to cleaning agents, choose those specifically formulated for the type of floors you have.
- Constant exposure to direct and harsh sunlight can damage the finishing of your floors. Shut your blinds or curtains when your floor is exposed to direct sunlight to avoid fading and discolouration of the floors.
- Use precautions when moving heavy objects to avoid severe and permanent damage to the floors. Use trolleys to move heavy furniture or appliances. Do not slide or roll them across the floor. Most hard flooring is not resistant to consequent wear and friction.
- Use floor protectors to support furniture to avoid dents and stains on the floors. The heavier the furniture, the wider the protector should be. Ensure that the protectors are non pigmented to prevent discolouration. The protectors should be at least 1” in diameter and lay flat against the floor.
- Blotting is the best practice to clean any spills. For cleaning oiled floors, wine spills or splattered paint, blot using paper towels and clean immediately to avoid stains. Make sure to start at the edges and then move inwards to not spread the spill. Dry the area after cleaning to prevent it from becoming slippery.
- To avoid the spread of dirt and debris and prevent extra tile wear, place mats and carpets in areas that see heavy movement.
2. Tile Care:
Tile is one of the most durable and low maintenance flooring options. Even so, here are some flooring cleaning and maintenance tips to prevent any damage and guarantee longevity in terms of looks and slip resistance.
- When it comes to tile maintenance, you must prevent any kind of build-up, be it debris, water, cleaning product, etc. If not cleaned regularly, it can easily stain and even become slippery. This goes for both porcelain and ceramic tiles.
- Clean tiles with pH neutral cleaner, followed by clean water to avoid film formation.
- Wax and oil-based cleaners are known to damage the slip resistance of tiles. Steer clear of such cleaners.
- If the tile is textured or coarse, you might need to agitate the floor with a mop or scrub and change the water more frequently for the last wipe.
- Since tile is installed using grout, you should also pay attention to grout maintenance. For this, avoid cleaning solutions with acids and ammonia. Instead, opt for ones formulated explicitly for grout. Always make sure to thoroughly dry the tiles after cleaning.
3. Stone Floor Cleaning and Maintenance:
Stone floors can last a lifetime with proper Flooring cleaning and care.
- Do not use acidic or alkaline cleaners for natural stone surfaces. Instead, opt for ones developed for stone specifically.
- Use the cleaning solution per the manufacturer’s guidelines and recommendations. Allow it to sit for a while before agitating it.
- Use a sponge or scrubs with soft bristles to agitate the cleaning solution.
- Make sure that the attachments of vacuum cleaners are not worn. Worn metal and plastic can easily cause the stone floors to scratch.
- Use heavy-duty stone cleaners to effectively remove grease, wax, or debris from stone floors. Wipe with a soft material like a sponge and buff it dry.
- Use stone specific poultice to remove stains. If it causes dullness in polished stone, you might use stone polish to restore the shine.
- All stones, be it marble, granite, or something else should be sealed for maximum protection against stains. Make sure to re-seal stone floors every couple of years for maintenance and to avoid stains and etchings.
4. Caring for Carpet:
Carpets can easily stain and get filthy. A large part of maintaining carpeted floors is cleaning them regularly and correctly.
- Since you cannot wipe or sweep carpet, establish a regular and frequent vacuuming schedule. Once a week is a must. Twice a week for areas with heavy traffic is recommended.
- Blotting is the best way to clean up stains and spills on carpets. Make sure that you do not saturate the stain with excess water. After blotting, cover the damp area with a soft cloth until completely dry to protect it from dust and further staining. Do not scrub carpets since that will lead to the liquid sinking deeper into the carpet.
- Professional deep cleaning every 15 to 18 months is a must for carpet care. This will ensure that dirt and debris don’t settle into the carpet.
- At the very least, thorough steam cleaning every few months is recommended to avoid the build-up of pollutants and microbes that can lead to sickness.
- Regular detergents require a lot of water to rinse off thoroughly. Avoid using these to clean carpets as they can act as dirt magnets if not removed completely. Instead, opt for absorption friendly cleaners made specifically for carpet cleaning.
5. Hardwood Flooring Cleaning:
Regular cleaning and maintaining your hardwood floors per the manufacturer’s instructions is the perfect way to minimize wear and keep it looking beautiful.
- Cleaning a real hardwood floor with water or steam is a big no-no. Any cleaner that requires water as a solvent can damage floors. Use only dedicated hardwood floor cleaners and follow the manufacturer’s instructions about how to use them. This is because moisture can cause severe damage to the wood and dull its shine.
- To keep the floor dirt and debris free, sweep or vacuum daily. If you choose to vacuum, make sure that the wheels of the cleaner are clean and use the brush or felt attachments to prevent scratches.
- Use dollies or protective plywood sheets or mdf sheets to move heavy furniture or appliances. This will protect the floor from scratches dents. Check out mdf sheet vs plywood sheet material is best for your home.
- You must maintain the humidity levels in the house to protect the floors against excessive expansion or shrinkage. If you live in an area with low humidity, use humidifiers to increase humidity. If you live in a region with high humidity, use air conditioners, heaters and dehumidifiers to maintain the temperature and humidity in your home.
- Constant exposure to sunlight causes the hardwood floors to age. This means that the wood is susceptible to discolouration and fading. To make sure that the wood ages evenly, periodically move the furniture and rugs in the room.
6. Total Floor Care for Vinyl Flooring:
Vinyl flooring might be relatively durable and low maintenance, but it is also susceptible to discolouration and damage if not cared for regularly and as well as possible.
- Routinely care for it by sweeping, mopping and vacuuming. This will ensure that there is no scuffing due to debris and grit.
- Clean spills immediately to avoid staining and discolouration.
- Avoid vacuums with beater bars to prevent scuffing.
- Make sure that the cleaning products you use are safe for vinyl, lest they lead to discolouration and fade.
- Use rugs and mats made of breathable material and are slip-resistant. Avoid mats backed with rubber or latex, as they can leave permanent stains on the floor.
- To move furniture without worrying about scratches, use rubber casters or glides under the legs of the furniture.
At Asian Paints Beautiful Homes, we have a team of experienced interior designers and professionals who understand what you want and provide personalized solutions.
You can visit our website to check various options offered and projects executed by us so far. If you wish, you can book your 3D consultation call to understand the project’s process, design, home renovation and execution or walk into any of our stores across India. Our current stores are spread across Amritsar, Tumakuru, Raipur, Jaipur, New Delhi, Kochi, Karur, Coimbatore, Bengaluru and Nashik. In addition, we are in the process of opening up state-of-the-art stores across several cities.
