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If you are in immediate need of floor care recommendations please
select the floor type provided below. This will give you some
good general floor care procedures to help protect your flooring
investment. For specific questions please feel free to contact
us. See our contact page for specific information on contacting
us.
Carpet Care Guide
Ceramic Tile Care Guide
Hardwood Floor Care Guide
Laminate Floor Care Guide
Vinyl Floor Care Guide
We carry the manufacturer's maintenance products so you can be
sure when shopping with us to get the right floor care product
for your new floor. So why not stop in and let our friendly, knowledgeable
sales staff help you protect your flooring investment.
Carpet Stain Removal
Treatment of the affected area should begin immediately upon
discovery. The more time that elapses before treatment, the more
difficult a stain will be to remove.
First scrape the food spill gently with a spoon or dull knife,
removing as much as possible.
Always work from outer edge of the stain towards the center to
avoid spreading. Blot, do not rub or scrub, as the carpet may
fuzz.
When using a mild detergent, use a clear, non-bleach laundry
detergent. Do not use cloudy detergents as they can leave a sticky
residue. Use only 1/4 teaspoon of detergent to 32 ounces of water.
Follow detergent cleaning with clear water rinsing and then blot
dry as much as possible.
For any stain removal, use a white cloth or paper towel for cleanup.
* Find further advice on stain emergencies by clicking here for
LifeTips
cleaning guide.
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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.
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Preventative 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.
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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.
We carry the manufacturer's maintenance products so you can be
sure when shopping with us to get the right floor care product
for your new floor. So why not stop in and let our friendly, knowledgeable
sales staff help you protect your flooring investment.
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Although glazed ceramic tile requires less floor care than most
of the other flooring types, there are things you need to do to
maintain the beauty of the ceramic tile floor.
- Wash Regularly - Wash the floor regularly
to remove any dirt or grit. Use a mild, diluted detergent solution,
such as Mr. Clean or Spic & Span. If in doubt, call us to
get the tile manufacturer's cleaning recommendations.
- Vacuum Regularly - Sweep, or vacuum your
glazed tile regularly.
Avoid Ammonia-based Cleaners - ammonia-based cleaners may discolor
some types of colored grout.
- Always Rinse - After washing with a mild
detergent you should thoroughly rinse the floor with clean,
warm water.
- Never Wax a Tile - The glazed ceramic finish
should never be waxed.
- Wipe Spills Immediately - If some liquids
gets spilled on the floor you may use an all-purpose cleaner
like Fantastic, or Top Job to clean up the effected area. This
will help the grout joints from becoming discolored from spills
(Non-epoxy grout joints should be treated with a silicone sealer
twice a year to ensure stain protection.)
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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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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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- Vacuum Regularly - vacuum using a soft bristle
brush attachment. Place long bristle welcome mats placed at
all outside entrances for people to wipe their feet on before
walking on your floors
- Light Damp Mop - most laminate floors may
be lightly damped mopped when needed. Avoid standing water as
this may cause the seams between the planks to peak.
- Use the Proper Chair Glides - Narrow wheels,
sharp wooden legs or metal furniture legs can scratch your floors.
Any furniture that rests directly on top of a laminate floor
should have floor protectors, or wide furniture coasters under
all feet.
- Don't Use Oil Soaps - There are many over
the counter oil-based soaps that when used for cleaning your
floor that will leave a dull finish on your floor.
- Trim Pet's Claws Regularly - Even though
laminate floors are durable, pet's claws may scratch the surface
if they are not trimmed regularly.
- Never Wax a Laminate Floor - laminate floors
have a very dense surface and floor waxes will not stick to
the surface.
- Wipe Spills Immediately - when liquids get
spilled on your laminate floor use a slightly damp white cloth,
or paper towel to immediately blot up and dry the effected area.
For more difficult spots, follow the manufacturer's recommended
cleaning procedures.
- Follow the manufacturer's recommendations -
the best suggestion is to only use the manufacturers recommended
cleaning products on your floor.
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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.
- Sweep your vinyl floor regularly (at least once a week).
Vinyl manufacturers recommend the use of latex-based driveway
sealers to minimize the potential staining from asphalt sealer
tracking.
- To avoid sunlight causing your floor to fade or discolor
you should always close your curtains or blinds where extreme
sunlight hits the floor.
- 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.
- 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.
- Wipe up spills immediately to help prevent stains. The longer
a stain sits the tougher it will be to remove from the surface.
- 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.
- 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.)
- Vinyl floors can become slippery when wet. Use extreme caution
when walking on a wet floor.
- Some of the newer vinyl floors have a low-gloss finish and
the use of a floor polish may make the floor shiny.
- 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.
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