The best cleaning method for your flooring depends on the type of flooring. Whether it’s hardwood, laminate, linoleum, vinyl, or carpet, each material has a unique way to treat it that will keep it undamaged and resilient over time. Keep in mind: some of these methods can be implemented on a weekly basis, while others may only be needed a few times per year. Find out how flooring companies recommend you clean and care for your floor.
What to Know About Floor Cleaning
Hardwood Flooring
When cleaning your hardwoods, you want to make sure you’re using the right tools for the space. This means using a soft-bristle broom instead of one from the garage or back porch that will scratch up materials, such as oak hardwood flooring. You also want to make sure the nozzle on your vacuum is hardwood, not carpet, friendly. Utilizing the right apparatus can make your job a lot easier while saving you time and preventing long-term damage.
What to Avoid
Mops or devices with microfiber padding are your friend! However, you have to make sure that the head is damp and not wet. Mop heads with too much water can often oversaturate your hardwood floors and cause water damage. Remember to tackle sticky spots and debris as soon as they happen with a damp cloth or mop. This will save you from having to use harsh, damaging products when you’re deep cleaning. Avoid vinegar or baking soda solutions, as they can also cause damage and dull your hardwood flooring, and under no circumstances should you steam clean your hardwood flooring. Save that for the other materials, such as tile and carpet.
Laminate Flooring
Laminate can be treated with a similar approach to hardwoods because both can experience water damage and warping when treated improperly. You can use a broom and vacuum just as you would for your hardwood flooring. When vacuuming, use the hardwood floor attachment, instead of carpet, to ensure a gentle yet effective clean.
Just as you would with hardwood flooring, you want to avoid standing water on your laminate floor. Steam cleaners and wet mops can cause irreparable damage to laminate flooring, so it’s best to avoid those all together. For hard to clean spots, you want to utilize a damp cloth with water or gentle cleaning solution to avoid damage from harsh chemicals. Your laminate floor will thank you!
Vinyl Tile or Plank Flooring
Vinyl plank flooring is among the easiest materials to clean. Pick a broom, vacuum, or mop you trust, and that will do the trick! All you need to do is make sure the appliance isn’t too harsh on your floor. You don’t want to run the risk of scratching or dulling your vinyl flooring. Avoid letting dust and debris linger on your floor because over time that can take a toll on vinyl and leave a nasty mark––literally. Even if your vinyl plank flooring is waterproof, don’t test it by steam cleaning.
With vinyl tile, you can use stronger cleaning solutions as needed without running the risk of dulling or damaging your floor. Continue to avoid abrasive materials to prevent scratching, and make sure that if you mop, you need to dry the tile thoroughly to avoid trapping debris on the surface or along the sides.
Carpet Flooring
Sometimes, your carpet needs a deep clean. Luckily, you have a few options to choose from based on the type of carpet flooring you have. Each is suitable; it mostly depends on your preference and the needs of your carpet. You can use steam cleaning, which combines hot water and high pressure to eliminate debris, odor, etc., in your carpet fibers. There is also carpet shampooing, which is similar to shampooing your hair, in which you massage the solution into your carpet fibers before “rinsing” it out with water. Carpet dry cleaning using a powder solution and little water to free your carpet of dirt and debris.
When implementing these practices, it is imperative you remove chemicals fully from your carpet fibers when going through with your “rinsing” water. This will prevent long-term damage to your carpet. With every deep clean, you want to ensure fresh water is used and not old water from the last time you cleaned. Make sure you don’t walk on wet carpet to avoid damaging the carpet fibers, and always remember to ventilate the space as much as you can. Trapping the moisture in the carpet can lend itself to spurring mold and other water-borne fungi that are best to avoid.
Excited to start cleaning? Try a few of these methods on your floor at home or at work to learn what works best for you and your flooring. Curious for more? Don’t hesitate to contact Ozburn-Hessey Company. With decades of experience, they’ll know exactly what your floor needs to thrive for years to come!
