General Floor Care
Carpet
Maintenance | Laminate
Floor Care | Hardwood
Floor Care
Ceramic Tile Care | Vinyl
Floor Care
Vacuum Regularly
Most dirt, and even dust, takes the form of hard particles.
When left in the carpet these gritty, sharp particles abrade
the pile of the carpet. Regular vacuuming not only prolongs
the life of the carpet, but will enhance its appearance as
well. Most soiling in carpet is of the dry, particle type which
can be removed with a vacuum cleaner.Vacuum high traffic lanes
daily, medium to high traffic areas twice weekly, and the entire
house at least once a week.Use a vacuum with a rotating brush
or beater bar. Change the bags often and check the beater bars
for burs and gouges so as not to damage the surface of the
carpet. Some thick loop pile carpets will fuzz if a rotating
brush vacuum is used. In this case we recommend a suction vacuum
only.
Preventive
Maintenance
The use of mats or runners at all home entrances and on uncarpeted
areas adjacent to carpet will reduce soil and moisture in traffic
areas. Clean mats and any other rugs placed over carpet regularly.
The use of furniture coasters to distribute the weight of
heavy items is also recommended, especially for furniture with
wheels. Take care when moving furniture with wheels by putting
a protective barrier between the wheels and the carpet.
To extend the beauty of your carpeting, close drapes or blinds
during hours of direct sunlight.
Exercise extreme caution with all bleaches, tile cleaners,
mildew removers, oven cleaners, drain openers and plant food.
They are strong chemicals that can permanently discolor or
dissolve carpet fibers.
Cleaning
Recommendations
Even with regular vacuuming, soil particles and oily dirt
will cling to the carpet fibers. With foot traffic these particles
and oily dirt are driven deep into the carpet. We recommend
professional hot water extraction every 18 to 24 months. Periodic
cleaning, using the hot water extraction method performed by
a professional cleaner, will refresh carpet appearance.
The most used areas, such as entrances, doorways, traffic
lanes, and in front of chairs will collect dirt faster than
other areas. Clean these areas as they begin to show soil.
This will stop dirt from spreading, and will extend the time
between professional cleaning.
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Laminate Flooring is extremely hygienic and easy to keep
clean. Here are our recommendations to keep your laminate floor
looking beautiful for many years.
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Routine cleaning requires just vacuuming, dusting with
a clean, dry cloth, or a damp mop to prevent loose dirt
or grit from scratching your floor's finish.
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Use non-staining walk-off mats by the entrance of all
outside doorways.
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Use a damp mop to remove footmarks and most stubborn dirt.
Always be sure that your mop has been thoroughly wrung
out. Never wet mop, or use excessive amounts of water on
your the laminate floor.
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Never use scouring substances, abrasive cleaners, paste
waxes or any floor polishes on your laminate floor.
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Marks and stubborn stains can easily be removed with Acetone™ nail
polish remover or other mild, solvents containing alcohol.
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Felt pads should be affixed to the base of all furniture
legs and drip trays should be placed underneath any planted
pots. Movable furniture should be fitted with wide, rubber
rollers.
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The use of "soap-free" cleaners on a regular
basis is all you need to do to keep your floor looking
beautiful for many years.
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Hardened glue left over after your floor is installed
can be removed with Acetone™ nail polish remover or
special glue solvents.
Important Tips Regarding Laminate Flooring:
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Use any non-abrasive, soap-free cleaner on a regular basis.
(NEVER USE: Abrasive pads and cleaners, including nylon
scouring pads, steel wool, Comet™, Soft
Scrub™, etc. which may damage the finish.)
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Footprints and dirt easily wipe away with a moist cloth.
Just wring cloth well before use. · It is recommended
to remove any wet spills immediately to avoid liquid penetration
into the seams.
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Use felt protectors or approved nylon pads under furniture
and replace all hard plastic or metal rollers on furniture
with soft rubber rollers.
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Use caution when moving large appliances such as refrigerator,
ranges, etc.
· Use protective mats at exterior entrances and
in heavy traffic areas.
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Always remove loose dirt by sweeping. Mop using a rinse
free or non-sudsy ammonia mixed with water according to
the ammonia's instructions for normal cleaning. Use only
a slightly damp mop.
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Don't use "mop-and-shine" products. They'll
leave a dull film. Never wax or polish your floor.
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Don't Damp Mop - Water and
wood floors don't mix! Use only the manufacturer's
recommended cleaning products on your hardwood floor.
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Vacuum Regularly - Small stones,
mud and gritty dirt tracked in from outside can play
havoc on the wood floors finish. To help combat this
use long bristle welcome mats placed at all outside
entrances for people to wipe their feet on before
entering onto the floors. Also, vacuum using a soft
bristle brush attachment.
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Use the Proper Chair Glides -
Narrow wheels, sharp wooden legs or metal furniture
legs can scratch and dent hardwood floors. Any furniture
that rests directly on top of a hardwood floor should
have felt protectors, or furniture coasters under
all it's feet. For extremely heavy objects such
as a piano, use wide, non-staining rubber cups. Purchasing
floor protectors is cheap insurance for protecting
your hardwood floor investment.
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Protect from Direct Sunlight -
your wood floor may change color or fade due to exposure
to direct sunlight. The sun's UV rays accelerates
the oxidation and aging of wood so periodically rearranging
your furniture and closing the curtains during intense
periods of sunlight can help avoid the problem.
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Don't Use Oil Soaps - There
are many over the counter oil-based soaps and wax
based cleaning products that may damage or dull the
finish of your wood floor. The best suggestion is
to only use the manufacturers recommended cleaning
products on your hardwood flooring.
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Never Wax a Urethane Wood Finish -
If your hardwood floor has a polyurethane finish
never use a paste wax on the floor's surface. A paste
wax may form a sticky film on your floor and allow
tracked in dirt to stick to your wood finish. Polyurethane
finishes will not adhere to any wax and adding a
fresh coat of polyurethane to your floor will be
very difficult.
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Trim Pet's Claws - Pet's claws
may scratch you floors finish. Regularly trim dog's
claws to help reduce scratching your floor's finish.
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Wipe Spills Immediately -
when accidents happen and some liquid gets spilled
on your hardwood floor, you should use a slightly
damp white cloth, or paper towel to immediately clean
up and dry the effected area. For more difficult
spots, follow the manufacturer's recommended cleaning
procedures.
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Whenever possible place a non-staining doormat
outside each entrance to your home to prevent dirt, sand, grit,
and other substances such as oil, asphalt, and driveway sealer
from being tracked onto your floor. Do not use latex-backed,
rubber-backed or coco-fiber mats on your vinyl floor.
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Sweep your vinyl floor regularly (at least
once a week).
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Vinyl manufacturers recommend the use of
latex-based driveway sealers to minimize the potential
staining from asphalt sealer tracking.
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To avoid sunlight causing your floor to
fade or discolor you should always close your curtains
or blinds where extreme sunlight hits the floor.
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Replace all narrow furniture rests with
wide-bearing ones. Support furniture with wide-bearing,
non-staining floor protectors. It is recommended that all
furniture protectors be at least one inch in diameter,
made of non-pigmented, hard plastic, and rest flat on the
floor. Non-staining felt protectors are also acceptable.
Casters with a minimum 3/4" flat surface width or
floor protectors are recommended for all moveable furniture.
Metal floor protectors are generally not recommended.
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Always use strips of 1/4" plywood
or sheets of underlayment as runways to protect the floor
if you need to move heavy objects, such as your refrigerator,
across your vinyl floor. Runways should always be used
even with furniture dollies, or even if the heavy objects
are equipped with wheels or rollers.
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Wipe up spills immediately to help prevent
stains. The longer a stain sits the tougher it will be
to remove from the surface.
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To prevent dirt build up occasionally mop
your floor with the manufacturer's recommended floor cleaner.
Follow the instructions on the bottle and do not over mix
or your cleaning solution may leave a dulling film. Avoid
soaps, cleaning powders and detergent products as they
will leave a dulling film. Although the no-rinse cleaners
do not need rinsing, rinsing will provide the better shine.
If you do notice a dulling film after cleaning the floor,
try a thorough rinse with warm, clean water.
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To restore the hi-gloss on a urethane vinyl
floor most manufacturer's do recommend the use of a polish.
Do not use paste wax and do not try to buff a urethane
vinyl floor. Be sure the floor is thoroughly clean and
completely dry before applying the manufacturer's recommended
floor polish. (If all the dirt is not removed prior to
applying the polish the dirt will become trapped underneath.)
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Vinyl floors can become slippery when wet.
Use extreme caution when walking on a wet floor.
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Some of the newer vinyl floors have a low-gloss
finish and the use of a floor polish may make the floor
shiny.
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It may be necessary after several applications
of polish to strip the entire floor and reapply a new coat
of polish. This may also be necessary for excessive dirt
and grime build-up. Use the manufacturer's recommended
recommend heavy duty floor cleaner and stripper product.
Once the floor is thorough cleaned, rinse, dry, and then
apply a new coat of polish. High traffic areas may require
more than one application of polish. Allow polish to dry "tack-free" between
coats.
- Vacuum or sweep regularly to remove any dirt or grit.
- Remove spills promptly using a clean, dry terry Microfiber
cloth.
- Use felt protectors under heavy pieces of furniture and
chairs.
- Use protective mats at all exterior entrances.
- Cleaners should never contain acids or ammonia. Acids
can damage the grout and the glazed surface of the tile,
and ammonia can discolor the grout.
- For removing grease, soap scum and mildew stains from
grout joints see us for a professional strength Grout Cleaner.
- Never use oil soaps or wax to clean your tile floor.
- Protect your floor when using a dolly for moving furniture
or appliances. Never slide or roll heavy furniture or appliances
across the floor.
- If you need to remove sealers or waxes from your tile
floor see us for a Tile Sealer & Adhesive remover.
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Stop in today and see why we should be Your Carpet
Centre.
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