The floors in our home see plenty of wear and tear, and keeping them clean can be a big household chore. From lesser-used bedrooms to thoroughfares and kitchens, all the floors in our home need regular cleaning to avoid pile-ups of dust and dirt. Whether you’ve got soft carpets or wooden oak floors, each one will need a different approach to keep it looking as good as new.
To avoid dirt becoming embedded in your carpet, it’s important to vacuum it regularly. An accumulation of dust and dirt not only makes the air in your home unpleasant, it can cause damage to the carpet fibres, breaking them down faster. Vacuum once a week at a minimum, although if you have pets, such as cats and dogs, you may need to vacuum more often. Every couple of weeks, remember to vacuum along skirting boards and hard to reach places.
Regular vacuuming will keep your carpets in tip top shape for a long time, but they could also do with a deep clean every now and then. This could be once a year, but will vastly improve the lifespan of your carpet. Rug Doctors are ideal for lifting out dirt that even a vacuum can’t reach, and leave your carpets looking as good as new.
If you’ve invested in attractive and durable hardwood flooring, you really want to make sure it’s well looked after. Routine sweeping with a brush will remove surface dust, dirt and hair, or you could use the brush attachment on your vacuum.
Avoid vacuuming with a beater bar, as this can scratch the floor. You’ll want to give the floor a deeper clean, especially if it’s in the hallway or kitchen and sees lots of muddy shoes. Dilute wooden floor cleaner in warm water, and mop the floor with a rag mop. Avoid using steam cleaners as these put undue heat and pressure on the wood. If you want to really treat your floor, finish it with a suitable wax or sealant.
Sweep your laminate flooring regularly to prevent unsightly piles of dust and hair from building up on the surface. You could use a dry microfibre cloth or a standard sweeping brush. Avoid using the beater bar vacuum as this can scratch your floors. When you want to give your laminate flooring a deeper clean, it’s important to avoid using too much water. This can seep through cracks and skirting boards (no matter how watertight they claim to be!) and will warp over time. Instead, use a damp sponge mop and laminate floor cleaner to wipe away dirt and grime.
Tiled floors are attractive and hard-wearing, and are probably somewhere in your home with lots of foot traffic. They will need regular sweeping to remove dust and dirt and can be deeper cleaned with a rag mop and some soapy water. Avoid using sponge or steam cleaners, as this can push water and dirt into the grout. Seal the grout around your tiles twice a year to keep it from staining with age.
Keep slate tiles free of dust with a regular sweep. Due to the rough nature of the slate, it’s best to avoid using a vacuum with a beater bar. Wash away dirt and grime with a mop and warm soapy water.
