My mother always told me that the sign of a clean house was clean floors! Flooring is the largest surface in your home and often times the first thing that is noticed, if it is dirty. The problem with proper floor cleaning is in the variety of flooring offered in todays marketplace! However, there are some basic rules to follow that will help avoid some of the normal annoyances like only using products that actually clean your floors rather than polish your floors. It can be a bit confusing when you stand in the cleaning aisle at the grocery store so lets clear up some of the confusion!
Often times people will confuse products that have the word “glo” in the name as floor cleaners. If you are working with Laminate or hardwood floors it is really simple just to grab the bottles that squirt right onto the floors and with a swipe of the mop everything looks brand new, but what they do not tell you is that these products are essentially waxes and will build up over time trapping the dirt and other harmful particulates in the flooring. These products are intended to be used on occasion to help restore shine, not with everyday cleaning.
There are a few products and steps that provide the best way to go about getting your floors truly clean. First, get yourself a microfiber dust mop. These kind of mops attract all kinds of lovely things including animal hair, dust, dirt and all kinds of other particulates. Use this first and frequently, everyday if you can. Using this instead of your standard broom you will have a much easier time keeping your floors clean and it probably will reduce the frequency of the following couple of steps.
Next step is to get yourself a microfiber mop and use a cleaning product that is really a cleaning product. Apply your cleaning product directly to the mop rather than spraying your floor and start with the baseboard areas. Once you have covered all of the baseboard areas, use a large sweeping motion like you would with a regular mop on your larger open areas. Continue to apply your cleaning agent as needed. Once your floors have dried a good trick I found was to run back over them with your dry microfiber dust mop. This will help clean up any streaks and give your floor a good shine.
If you are cleaning laminate floors there are a couple of things to keep in mind. First, laminate floors usually have pressed particle board underneath them so saturating the floors in any kind of liquid can and probably will cause these boards to swell. This will damage the look of your floors and will overtime give them a warped look. So make sure to place your cleaning solution directly to your microfiber mop, not the floor! Secondly, use caution when using a vacuums as a substitute to a microfiber dust mop. Laminate is only pretty on the surface and if you scuff or damage that surface that section of flooring will become an eyesore until you replace it.
To find the best cleaning solution always refer back to the manufacturer recommended products first. If you are trying to cut costs and don’t have the luxury of waiting for your manufacturers to ship the cleaners out to you make sure you do not not purchase cleaners that are wax, polish, oils, soaps, detergents, shine enhancers, varnish, silicon or ammonia based. Also avoid cleaners that are 2 in 1 cleaners. These usually boast that they leave a nice polish behind but they also contain urethane and or acrylics that cause that nasty buildup I spoke about earlier!
If you are still struggling to restore your floors back to that “brand new” look and feel, it might be time to call in the professionals! It might be time to do some refinishing or possibly just a good thorough cleaning. At ASJ Emergency Restoration & Cleaning we have certified technicians and all the tools needed to provide superior floor cleaning services! With 23 years of service we pride ourselves on providing superior service and making sure that our customers come first! Give us a call if you are looking for some help with those floors!
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ASJ Emergency Restoration & Cleaning
- by: Matthew Smith
- Posted in Cleaning & Floor Cleaning
- December 30, 2013
