Tuesday, May 11, 2010

All About Hard Floors

Cleaning your hard floors can be a tough job sometimes. Truly my least favorite cleaning task. There are so many different types of flooring and types of finishes that it can be a bit overwhelming trying to figure out what is best to use. I suggest following any manufacturer’s guidelines but do not believe for one second that you have to buy the exact product that they recommend.

If you are unsure what the specific floor type is, do your homework. If you are renting, the owner should know. If you are the owner, and you never bothered to find out, well…you could try looking in any original documentation you received when you purchased the home. Also, do not always believe what real estate agents tell you. I have heard several real estate agents telling potential buyers that there floors are hardwood when they are really laminate, or natural stone when it is synthetic.

So with this post I am going to go over some basics about different floor types as well as give a few generalized tips to help with the tedious task of cleaning the floors.

Ceramic Tile and Grout
OxiClean Versatile Stain Remover 14 lbs by Church & Dwight Co.Many people think that ceramic is difficult to take care of, but I disagree. The grout is difficult to take care of. Ceramic tile floors are easily cleaned with just a little dish soap and water. Grout on the other hand, is a porous substance, so any liquid cleaner you use will seep through and will not take care of any unsightly stains. If you have white grout, hydrogen peroxide makes an excellent cleaner. Spray a mixture of half and half hydrogen peroxide and water and spray directly onto to the stain. Let it set for 10 to 15 minutes then repeat. If the stain is being stubborn (as we all know stains are) soak a paper towel or napkin in full strength hydrogen peroxide and set it over the stain and let it set for awhile, if the paper towel dries out, add more peroxide. If that still doesn’t work (oh boy, those stains just kill me) make a paste of hydrogen peroxide and baking soda. Wait for the bubbling to subside (you get the same effect from mixing baking soda with vinegar or lemon juice, but we will discuss those combinations later) then apply the paste to the stain and let it sit. Spray with additional peroxide as the paste dries out. After you have gone through all of this, if the stain is still there, I say get an easier floor to clean. Make sure you rinse the floor thoroughly after using hydrogen peroxide on it. I must stress that you should not ever use hydrogen peroxide on colored grout, it is a bleaching agent, after all. You can use oxygen bleach, such as OxyClean, as well. Mix a quarter cup with a half gallon of water. Working in sections, wet area to be cleaned, allow to set 10 to 15 minutes. Scrub the grout with a grout brush, a toothbrush is ok too, but a grout brush is better. Rinse area, then repeat if necessary. I have personally used OxyClean on my own grout in my bathroom. My grout is dark brown and not because it is dirty. I did not have any problems with OxiClean damaging my grout’s color, but I would recommend testing a very small area before going crazy on the whole floor.

Another option is shaving cream. Your average, run of the mill shaving cream. In fact you might want to try that first, before resorting to bleaching. Shaving cream can be used on colored grout, but test it first in an inconspicuous area just to be safe.

Citric Acid (Lemon Salt) 5 Pounds Bulk




A slightly safer alternative for colored grout is crystallized citric acid also known as lemon salt. Mix about ½ cup crystals to 1 gallon of water. You can strengthen the solution to 1 cup to 1 gallon if your grout is exceptionally filthy. Again, working in sections apply solution to the area and allow to set for 10 minutes. Scrub with a grout brush, rinse and repeat as necessary.

Hardwood
This is pretty basic. Avoid large amounts of liquid. Use a very damp mop, or spray your floor cleaner directly onto your mop or floor. If you do end up with too much water on your floors, dry them immediately. Never used acid or citrus cleansers on your hardwood floors as these will damage your finish. With so many options out there for hardwood floor cleaners just use your best judgement. It helps to know what kind of finish is on your hardwood floors before you select what cleaner is right for you. Find out what the manufacturer’s recommendations are and find a cleanser that best matches those recommendations.

Laminate
Ok, some people treat laminate like any basic flooring, but it isn’t. Even laminate has a couple of special rules. The absolute best thing to use on laminate, in my opinion, is vinegar and water. Most floor cleaners will leave streaks on laminate flooring. A solution of 2 cups vinegar to 1 gallon of water is ideal for this type of flooring. The big rule about laminate floors is never leave them wet. Dry them immediately. I just put a big towel under my feet and go to town. Great exercise for the legs. If laminate floors are left wet, the water will seep into the cracks and cause the edges to start curling up. It’s not a pretty sight, and trust me, it’s easier to dry the floor than it is to replace those planks.

Specialty Floors: Terrazzo, Travertine, Slate, Marble, Granite
Always, always find out care instructions when you have these types of floors. These floors are much more expensive to get than any other floor type, so damaging them is never in the best interest of your wallet. Marble, slate, travertine, terrazzo, and granite are all specialty stones. You can use just dish soap and water or a ph neutral natural stone cleaner. I would recommend drying these types of floors immediately. Do not use acidic cleaners as these my damage the finish and cause etching.

General Tips
  • Vinegar (which is an acid based substance) can be used on several floor types including linoleum, vinyl, and laminate. It will restore shine, clean, and disinfect your floors.
  • Procter & Gamble #30942 Swiffer Starter KitSwiffers are one of my favorite handy tools, but the cost of buying all of those cloths can add up fast. Instead, I use dryer sheets that have already been used in the dryer or a microfiber rag for catching dust and pet hair (which there is a great deal of in my house). I use small towels or rags for the wet mopping. If you don’t want to hassle with wringing out those rags, then place your floor cleaner in a spray bottle and spray directly onto the rag or floor. If you have pet shedding problems, like I do, you know that keeping the furballs (balls of fur on your floor, not your animals themselves) under control can be a chore. I have 3 cats and 2 dogs, all of which shed on an hourly basis. At least it seems like it. I prefer vacuuming to sweeping, but not everyone has a vacuum suitable for hard floors. If you use a broom, then you probably do constant battle with the hair flying around as you try to sweep. I use a Swiffer in a continuous motion, without lifting the Swiffer off of the floor (as much as possible). It helps to prevent the little furballs from flying around the room while I am trying to round them up.
  • Scrubbing grout can be hard on your knees and back. So I only do it about once a year. For in between scrubbings I use a cheap, stiff broom. Put a little cleaning solution on the grout and scrub away. It isn’t as thorough, but it saves my back a ton of grief.

2 comments:

  1. I have vinyl floors in my kitchen and bathroom, you mentioned the swiffer sweeper but what about the swiffer wet jet? Do you think it works good on vinyl? And does it really clean and disinfect or is it just spreading the dirt around on the floor?

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  2. Swiffer WetJets are excellent alternatives for regular mopping. The solution evaporates quickly so there would be no problems with over saturating your floors. Swiffer now has an anti-bacterial solution for the WetJet, so if you want it to disinfect I would buy that particular solution instead of the basic one. I will cover WetJets in a seperate post. Thanks so much for your comment.

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