The floors of your home are a significant component that needs proper care and maintenance. Irrespective of the type of flooring installed in your home, good care and maintenance can enhance the floor’s appearance and prolong its lifespan. 

Without proper flooring maintenance, the accumulation of sand, dust, dirt, and other debris can damage your floors and take away their aesthetic value. Routine cleaning and other primary care practices can go a long way to preserve your flooring. 

This post has compiled some flooring maintenance tips to help you get the best from it and prolong its existence. Read on to learn more. 

1. Clean Up Spills Right Away

You can only do little to control or prevent spills – your home has all sorts of liquids that can accidentally spill at any time. If you spill any liquid on the floor, clean it immediately to prevent damage. If you wait longer, the spills can soak in and contaminate your floors, resulting in mold growth and other damage.

For minor spills, an absorbent material like a clean cloth can effectively contain the situation and prevent stains. However, for large spills, especially on your carpet, you may need to call professional help to minimise wet carpet damage. In case of chemical spillage, you should also hire experts with the right equipment to avoid injury and minimize potential damage to the floors. 

2. Refrain From Using Abrasive Scrubs And Cleaners

Using abrasive scrubs and cleaners to clean up floor spills can harm your flooring. If the scrubs used are too rough for your floor’s surface, they can scratch and damage your floor’s surface instead of cleaning it. To avoid this, use non-abrasive brushes, sponges, or other softer materials to mop and clean your floors.

And abrasive cleaning products, such as bleach and ammonia, can severely damage most floors. Look up the best cleaning products to use for your type of flooring to avoid irreparable damage.

3. Schedule Regular Professional Cleaning

Lots of dirt, grime, and other debris can accumulate on your floors. With all that, many homeowners sometimes feel like floors never get clean. If you ever reach that point, consider hiring cleaning services to help keep your floors in good shape. In fact, experts recommend scheduling professional floor cleaning every six months.

4. Sweep The Floors Daily And Vacuum Weekly

It’s a no-brainer that sweeping dirt, dust, and debris is essential for the appearance of your floors. Yet lifestyle practices can get in the way that you forget to embark on such simple chores. Fortunately, creating a good routine of sweeping your floors can go a long way to prevent damage. Experts advise vacuuming low-traffic floors at least once a week and twice in high-traffic areas to remove dirt and dust left after sweeping.

5. Move Your Furniture Carefully

Avoid dragging your furniture along the floor. Instead, lift and carry it to avoid scratching and damaging the floor. For heavy furniture that isn’t easy to lift up, install floor protectors to ensure it doesn’t scratch the floor.

6. Invest In Window Treatments

Window treatments are more than just decorations in your home. They also help protect your flooring from outdoor light and sun damage. 

If your floors, mainly hardwood and vinyl, experience prolonged sun exposure, they fade or discolor. Therefore, if your home gets a lot of direct sunlight, bring down the curtains or blinds during the day. However, if you need more light, use area rugs to cover your floors or choose a flooring option resistant to fading and discoloration, such as laminate. 

7. Remove Footwear Before Entering The House

While it may seem like a normal thing to do, many people step on the floors with dirty shoes. With time, this can be detrimental to your flooring as it increases the presence of harmful bacteria and chemicals on your floor, potentially damaging it. Henceforth, make it a habit to remove your shoes for the safety of your flooring. If this seems challenging, invest in entrance mats to use for wiping shoes before entering.

8. Damp Mop Your Floors Regularly

Damp mopping helps remove soil particles and other debris, thus preventing your floors from yellowing or darkening. 

Damp moping should be conducted daily or often, especially on floors accessing excess soil particles. This procedure is crucial as it removes soil particles that cause the most damage to your floors. Nonetheless, when damp mopping, remember to use a clean mop to avoid contaminating your flooring. And use clean water and change the water when it becomes dirty.  

Conclusion

Routine care and maintenance of your flooring keeps it in good shape, reduces potential damage, and boosts the value of your property. For this reason, consider adopting the above tips to enjoy the benefits of well-maintained floors.