General Cleaning Tips
If you want your floors to look good and last longer, it all starts with a broom or vacuum. As often as you can, simply remove the surface dirt. This simple act will help prevent the dirt from being ground in.
Here are some helpful ideas for an effective and sustainable floor cleaning schedule.
- Wipe up spills as soon as you see them. It saves time in the long run.
- Sweep door mats often to prevent dirt from traveling to other parts of the house.
- Sweep the kitchen and entryways every day if possible. A robot vacuum can be very helpful in rooms where no water or wet food is present.
- For areas that see regular use, make sure you sweep or vacuum them weekly. For areas that seldom see use, sweep or vacuum bi-weekly.
- Every week mop the kitchen floor and other places where messes have been made. Before mopping with an appropriate cleaner, do some extra sweeping under furniture and in corners. Every other week mop areas that aren’t as heavily trafficked.
- Every week vacuum all carpets and area rugs. Focus extra attention on corners and under or around furniture where the vacuum attachment is needed.
- Every other week sweep or vacuum under area rugs.
- If you have pets, you should act to reduce fluff and dander from spreading. To do this, vacuum or clean their favorite spots every few days and wash their bedding or blankets every week.
This routine actually makes it easier to clean the next time. Regular maintenance prevents dirt buildup and damage. Plus it brings problem areas into focus, keeping you aware of places that may need extra attention.
Hardwood Floor Care
Wood floors require a careful touch. Abrasive cleaning supplies are a big no-no for Hardwood floor care. Unless the cleaner says it is safe for hardwood floors, you don’t want to use it. Furthermore, you want to make sure any scrubbing pads are safe for the wood’s finish.
To preserve the wood’s beauty, you must minimize scratches. This means you don’t clean up a sticky spot with a hard-bristle brush. It requires a more delicate hand.
When you move furniture, you need to be especially careful not to leave scratches or grooves. Every little dent is a place where the finish is weakened and discoloration can take hold.
If you have hardwood floors in the busiest rooms in your house, you may want to use area rugs strategically. Put rugs at entrances or exits to catch dirt. Use rugs or pads under furniture to prevent scratches when moving it. Lay down a larger rug to handle an area where children play or people gather.
Be aware that dirt particles accumulate under rugs and often get ground into the hardwood as people walk over them. That’s why it’s a good idea to vacuum or sweep under those rugs every other week or so.
You want to keep the wood free of condensation and clean up any liquid spills quickly and thoroughly. When you mop, dry it afterwards or run a fan to speed up evaporation.
Lastly, make sure hardwood floor areas are well-ventilated and climate-controlled. Natural hardwood is porous and may shrink or expand with temperature extremes.
Engineered hardwood floors are much easier to maintain. You need to follow many of the same steps as you would for hardwood, but the manufacturer’s special finish is generally made to be water resistant. When shopping for wood floors, look for the products that are moisture-resistant. Check out your wood floor choices in our catalog.
How to Protect Floors: Top 7 Things to Avoid and How to Avoid Them
All of these ways to protect floors apply to hardwood. Some are less necessary for today’s engineered wood or luxury vinyl planks. When high quality, these flooring types are less likely to be affected, but it’s always good to protect the surface.
- Dents from heavy objects: keep a blanket or drop cloth underneath to protect the floor when moving heavy objects
- Dents from high heels: put down area rugs for fancy parties or have a no-shoes policy
- Fading: add tinting to your windows or use drapes to block the strongest rays of the day
- Scratches from furniture: put down area rugs or furniture pads
- Stains from spills or pet accidents: clean up immediately and make sure area is dry
- Excessive humidity or dryness: discuss climate control with an HVAC specialist
- Water damage: use strong fans, consult a flooring specialist to find out if more needs to be done
Luxury Vinyl Flooring Maintenance
Luxury vinyl has become a major flooring choice. As such, you will find luxury vinyl planks or luxury vinyl tiles in many homes. You should check your cleaning products to make sure they are suitable for LVP and LVT.
Less fussy than hardwood, luxury vinyl cleans up as easily as laminate flooring. You still want to avoid scratches by putting out rugs or using furniture pads. However, high quality LVP is very sturdy. Clearly it is made for modern living.
You really can’t go wrong with this remarkable material. Plus it can look like wood or stone at a much lower price point.
Homeowners who want porcelain or ceramic tile are often delighted to get LVT instead. It has the same look but it cuts cleaning time to a minimum. Likewise, LVT is much easier to keep clean than stone flooring.
Since luxury vinyl planks may take the place of hardwood in the bedroom and living room, the entire house can be much easier to clean. That’s why homeowners keep choosing it, even for high-end homes where style is paramount.
Our staff can help you decide which flooring material is right for your Dallas home. If shopping, ask for LVP or LVT that is specifically kid-friendly, pet-friendly and moisture-resistant. Check out our catalog.
Carpet Cleaning Tips
If you have carpeting, it is essential to do regular vacuuming. It is probably worth having a robot vacuum on every level of your home to make life easier.
Heavily trafficked areas will look better longer if you focus your attention on them. This may mean vacuuming every few days in a child’s bedroom. It may mean watching the edge of the carpets nearest the kitchen and catching spills as quickly as possible.
The high quality carpeting in our showroom generally has been treated to prevent stains. It is remarkable how easy it is to clean up even the worst spills when the carpet fibers resist penetration.
Spot cleaning is important to the carpet’s beauty. Any time you remove dirt from the surface you prevent it from being pushed further into the pile.
You may want to put a mat on a solid floor that leads into a carpeted room. This should catch dirt before it has a chance to burrow into the carpet. In fact, family members may learn to instinctively wipe their feet on the mat before entering the carpeted room.
To avoid needing professional cleaning services every year or so, you simply need to follow the guidelines already discussed. Of course, it’s much easier with stain-resistant carpeting.
Carpet shoppers should look at different carpet fibers and pile heights. It’s easier to maintain carpets when the right one has been chosen. Our staff can help you determine what’s best for the different areas of your house. Find carpeting that is easy to clean in our catalog.
Tile and Grout Cleaning
Ceramic tile is one of the most time intensive when it comes to cleaning. In addition to regular sweeping, it generally needs to be mopped every week or more. This schedule will depend on how heavily trafficked it is. Naturally porous, dirt is absorbed by the ceramic if left unattended.
You want to use products that are specifically made for this material. Definitely avoid bleach and other astringents that will strip off the protective glaze.
If the glaze is wearing off, it needs to be glazed again, or you will soon be replacing the floor. Untreated ceramic tiles absorb moisture and become softer and more susceptible to breaking.
Porcelain tile is less time intensive and has a reputation for longevity. It can be swept as needed. Wet-mopping may be all it needs unless it is in the kitchen. When you do use a cleaner, make sure it is safe for porcelain. Unlike ceramic, porcelain tiles can maintain their glaze if it has been baked into the tile.
Grout is the biggest collector of dirt and stains. Regular tile and grout cleaning should help prevent discoloration. When you see some kind of discoloration, there are special products that can bleach the grout clean.
Keep in mind that cleaning is harder when tiles weren’t laid properly. Professional installation is key if you want tile floors in your home. Please talk to the experts at Dallas Flooring Warehouse about your options.
Shoppers who want the hassle of extra cleaning can find Luxury Vinyl Tiles in the perfect pattern. Then you have the look without worrying about such things as cleaning the grout or reglazing the tiles. Plus LVT is made to be moisture-resistant, making it perfect for the bathroom, kitchen or entry way. Find LVT or LVP in our catalog.
Contact Us for Personalized Flooring Maintenance Advice
If you want advice from people who really know floors, talk to our staff. At Dallas Flooring Warehouse, we have years of experience with the many different types of flooring materials.
It is our pleasure to assist homeowners with classic homes. You can consult our team to find out about tile reglazing or hardwood refinishing. We can help restore your floors to the look you love.
If it’s time to replace a floor, we’ve got materials at many different price points. You can surely find the look and style you want. Plus you can pick something that is low maintenance with incredible durability.
Please contact us with your questions about flooring. Our team is available for in-home estimates for your convenience.