Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Flooring - Keep Your Kitchen Floors in Tiptop Shape!

Take a good look at your kitchen floor. Does it show the scars from all the beating it gets? Undoubtedly, no other part of your house goes through the same amount of abuse as the flooring of your kitchen normally endures. Day in and day out, your kitchen flooring tolerates high amount of foot traffic, scratches from dropped kitchenware and dragged in dirt, splattered sauces and juices, grease and sunlight. Considering these factors, isn't it high time to give your kitchen floor the attention it deserves?

Giving your kitchen floor the proper care it needs can definitely save you from a lot of trouble and headaches in the future. Taking care of it can significantly extend its life and keep it looking like the first day it was installed. So that your kitchen floor will look like new for the years to come, just follow these basic guidelines.
Cleaning Tips for Hardwood Flooring.

Dirt, grit and sand are the primary enemies of any hardwood floor. They can easily scratch, dent and dull the finish of hardwood floor so make sure that you sweep it or vacuum it regularly. For best results, make sure you use a fine bristled broom, a mop with a 12 to 18 inch long cotton head or a vacuum brush attachment.

Wipe up spills immediately. Do not let any liquids to have the opportunity to penetrate the floor's finish since this may cause undue discoloration and buckling. It would be best to use a cleanser with a neutral pH in cleaning up spilled liquids.

To avoid clouding, do not apply waxes or conditioners and do not use steel wool in cleaning a polyurethane-finished floor. Also avoid using ammonia-based cleansers, oil-based soaps and detergents when cleaning these types of floors.

Cleaning Tips for Laminate Floors
.It doesn't take much to keep laminate flooring looking immaculately clean. All it needs is an occasional damp-mopping and vacuuming. In cleaning laminate floors, it would be best to use non-abrasive cleansers and scouring pads to keep the flooring's special protective coating from being damaged. Do not attempt to wax, sand or apply lacquer for it will only ruin the floor's ability to resist wear.
.Are you having trouble with the stains left by grease and red wine in your laminate floor? Simply use warm water and a mild soap-free detergent and your troubles will be gone in a jiffy!
Cleaning Tips for Ceramic Tile Flooring
.To maintain the beauty of your ceramic tile flooring, you should damp-mop it from time to time. For this purpose, you can use a cleanser with a neutral pH or a non-abrasive all-purpose cleanser. Please avoid using powdered cleansers and steel wool because these may scratch your floor's surface. Don't forget to rinse the floor thoroughly with water after you mop it.
.To prevent water stains, buff the tiles with a dry cloth mop after damp-mopping it.
.Having troubles with molds, mildew and dirt along the grout lines? Well, you are not alone. Almost any household with ceramic tile flooring encounters this problem. To solve this, use a mildew stain remover or mix ¾ cup of liquid household bleach with 1 gallon of water. This will take care of these pesky rascals for good!

Michael Russell
Your Independent guide to Flooring

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