Proper care of your floor prevents damage, extends its life and keeps it looking new for years. How do you properly care for your flooring?
If you enjoy going barefoot or even if you don't, kick your shoes off at the door. Why remove your shoes? If you have a rough board that needs smoothing you grab a sheet of sandpaper for the job. Guess what's on the bottom of your shoes? Sand and dirt grind away at the surface causing them an early death.
A closer look at the bottoms of those shoes and you'll find oil, dirt and heaven only knows how many tidbits of left over dog deposits. Small wonder why your floor stubbornly refuses to come clean. Do wear slippers or socks inside. The oil from the bottom of your feet also dirties the carpet.
Always vacuum or dust hard floor surfaces before mopping.Linoleum floors generally require only warm water for cleaning. Most detergents won't rinse clean leaving behind a sticky residue. That residue becomes a magnet, attracting dirt off the bottom of your shoes. It builds up, deteriorating the sealant and leaving you with the hard job of stripping and waxing.
If you find your floor requires a cleanser, use Ivory Liquid dish soap. Fill your sink with suds, mop away then rinse with a clean towel. Ivory rinses clean so the sticky buildup never causes problems. Other detergents can be too harsh for the floor so stick to Ivory. Mix Ivory in a spray bottle of water as a floor prespray or all-purpose cleaner. It's inexpensive and quite a good cleaner.
Some linoleum floors have grooves so deep you can sink a submarine. Grab a nylon bristle brush other brushes might scratch fill your sink with warm water add a good squirt or two of Ivory dish soap and scrub the floor. Rinse with a clean towel. Your floor needs this deep cleaning only twice a year.
Black heel marks? Not a pretty sight. Spray a little WD40 on a towel, lightly rub and they disappear without scrubbing. Rinse thoroughly with sudsy water or the floor might be slick.
If your floors still don't pass the white glove test, it may be time to strip and wax. Open the windows, turn on the fan, put on some marimba music and prepare for a good workout.
Use straight ammonia and a towel. Pour the ammonia in one area and spread around with a dishtowel. Let that set 15 to 30 minutes. After 15 minutes treat the next area. Go back to the first spot and scrub with a nylon brush. Repeat until you finish the floor. Mop up the ammonia with a clean, damp terry towel. Then rinse with 1/2 cup of vinegar per gallon of water. The vinegar removes any lingering ammonia.
Good floor wax can be found at janitorial supply stores. You pay more, but the finish lasts a long time without yellowing. Apply the wax with a clean dishtowel. Let the first coat dry several hours, then apply a second coat. Do not machine wash a towel you have used to apply wax. The wax sticks to the side of the washer and can damage future loads of clothing.
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