Its almost spring time here in Florida and before you head outside to enjoy the magnificent weather, you need to check a few maintenance tasks off your to-do list. Your home (and floors) need a good cleaning. Here are some tips on how to care for your new floors and get them looking like the day they were installed.
Hard Surfaces
There are a lot of elements that quickly cause damage to the surface of your floors. Small particles of sand, salt and dirt will dull and scratch the surface of even the most durable floors, and the chemical debris can actually strip protective finishes and leave unsightly residue behind.
Following proper floor maintenance procedures will go a long way toward preserving and protecting your floors, but once the worst of the weather has passed, you’ll want to perform a deep clean to repair and restore them to their former glory. Here’s how.
How To Clean Tile & Hardwood
There are many types of tile and hardwood floors that can require slightly different cleaning techniques. This section offers a general guide to clean and maintain most hard floors.
- Sweep away visible debris to remove larger particles from the floor’s surface.
- Use a semi-acidic floor cleaner or mix vinegar with water to neutralize and dissolve any remaining salt residue. Refer to product instructions for dilution ratios.
- Once the salt residue is suspended in the cleaner, use a mop to absorb the liquid.
- If your floor’s finish has been damaged, use a stripper solution to cleanly remove it. Apply the solution and let it sit for about 15 minutes. Add more as needed. Refer to the specific stripping product’s label for exact instructions. Safety Tip: Use floor fans and open windows to improve ventilation when working with harsh chemicals.
- Use a little elbow grease and a scrubber to agitate the surface and strip the remaining finish. Then, mop up the liquid.
- Mop the floor again with clean water to remove any lingering chemicals from the cleaner and stripping solution.
- Let the floor dry completely.
- Finally, apply two coats of sealing and a few fresh coats of finish for a floor that looks as good as new.
Soft Surfaces
Soft surfaces are equally affected by salt, sand, and dirt – if not more so. Salt residue will leave its characteristic white powdery residue on carpet surfaces, while melting snow and chemicals can soak deep into the fibers and even the padding. If water damage goes untreated, mold and mildew can easily grow and spread, leading to much bigger problems in the long run.
How To Clean Commercial Carpets
Add absorbent doormats, umbrella stands and coat racks to your building’s entrance to reduce the amount of water that can reach your carpeted areas during the winter season. When the weather warms up, follow these steps to give your carpets a complete post-winter cleaning.
Vacuum visible dirt particles and debris.
Use water and a residue-removing cleaning solution to deeply clean your carpet. Let the solution soak into the carpet for approximately 15 minutes. Refer to the specific product for dilution ratios.
Use a wet vacuum to remove the solution, oils and dissolved residue.
Rinse with clean water and suction it out with the wet vacuum. You may find that you need to repeat steps 2-4 depending on the amount of damage.
Use carpet fans to completely dry the floor.
The time, energy and heavy equipment required to effectively clean commercial carpets can be a burden for any business owner. If you need spring carpet cleaning or hard floor maintenance, let the Carpet Man Service Team do the dirty work for you. We’ll design a custom commercial floor maintenance program to suit your unique needs and budget so you can get back to business – and enjoy the beautiful weather while you’re at it.