Rejuvenate Professional Wood Floor Restorer

How to clean the floors

Surprisingly, even in such an ordinary case as wiping the floors, there are some nuances and secrets. In this article we will tell you how to clean the floors in the apartment, what approach to use for different types of flooring, as well as consider the effective folk recipes of detergents.

 Cleanly washed floors are the basis of order in every home.

General recommendations
Starting to clean, familiarize yourself with the general rules of floor cleaning, which will help you to clean any type of flooring quickly, efficiently and without extra effort. Practice shows that these tips really work:
before you wash the floor, remove everything that is unnecessary from it (roll the carpet into a roll, lift chairs and stools so that nothing will disturb you);
Before washing, the floors must be swept or vacuumed. Do not forget to look under the sofas, chairs, beds, wardrobes and other furniture - in these places accumulate dust and small debris that will fly out from the draft and spoil the induced order;
start cleaning the floors from the far corner (as viewed from the front door). Wash near the walls and baseboards, move to the center of the room and finish near the threshold;
To avoid any stains on the floor, wipe the surface with a well-wrung cloth or mop. If necessary, do not be lazy to wash the floors several times;
Be sure to wear gloves to save manicure and skin.

Floor type
An important criterion in choosing a detergent and a method for cleaning floors is the type of coating. Linoleum, tile flooring, parquet, cork, wood and marble are cleaned in different ways. Let's find out how to clean the floors depending on the type of flooring.

Parquet
Parquet does not like moisture, so it can not be very wet. To remove dust, it is enough to vacuum or sweep the parquet with a soft brush, and then wipe it with a damp, well-wrung mop. This procedure can be carried out several times a week.
 Parquet is the most environmentally friendly and durable type of flooring. He does not like moisture, so it can not be abundantly moisten
It is recommended to resort to more thorough cleaning no more than 1-2 times a year so as not to damage the coating. For such cleaning, use cool water and special waterproof and polishing products.
 Parquet cracked from the water (there was a big pot with a flower in this place; the owners did not immediately notice that the floor was suffering from over-irrigation)

Laminate
Laminate, like parquet, does not like water. And although today there are moisture-resistant types of laminate, they also can not be poured plenty of water. Properly wash the floor from the laminate to a well-wrung cloth. During the general cleaning, you can use a special tool for this coating or liquid soap.
 Remember: excess water is absorbed into the flooring and leads to swelling and deformation of laminate boards. Wipe laminate only with a damp cloth.
Laminate, unlike parquet, is much easier to keep clean - it does not need to be polished or rubbed with mastic.
The following video will tell you how to clean the laminate:

Linoleum
Linoleum - one of the most picky types of coverage. It can be washed with warm water using ordinary detergents. It is recommended to clean the linoleum once a week with a solution of soap. The most important thing is not to use ammonia.
 Well washes dirt from linoleum with a warm solution of soap and soda.
If you want to give a shine to the floor and remove stains, wipe it with a soft cloth dampened with milk. Once every 3-4 months, linoleum can be treated with linseed oil and polished with a rag - thanks to this care, the floor will always look like new.

Tile and marble
Tile (tiled floor) - unpretentious type of flooring. She is not afraid of water and detergents. The tile can be cleaned with a soap solution or alcohol, vinegar and chlorine-containing agents can be added to the water.
 To make the tile sparkle, add lemon juice to the floor washing water (1-2 tablespoons of juice for 3 liters of water)
Marble floor is best washed with an alkaline solution - it easily removes dirt and does not damage the surface. Another effective cleaning solution is a mixture of water, hydrogen peroxide and a few drops of ammonia.
Granite and marble flooring can be spoiled by using acid-containing products.
 Use a stiff brush and an alkaline solution to clean a very dirty marble floor.

Painted floor
Painted floor is unpretentious in the care, but requires regular washing. It is recommended to wipe it daily, especially in rooms where dirt is quickly accumulated (entrance hall, kitchen). Properly washing the floors with a rag dipped in a weak solution of ammonia or vinegar will make the paint shine. Just dissolve 1 tbsp. l selected means in 1 liter of warm water.
 To make the floor shine, after drying, coat it with a thin layer of linseed oil.
If in some places the paint has worn off, use a suitable shade mastic for parquet.
Grease stains on the painted floor should be moistened with soapy water and left for the night - in the morning, the contaminations can be easily washed off with warm water.
We offer to watch a video of where one of the units of the company "Kercher" easily handles the washing of a wooden terrace:

Unpainted floor
For washing unpainted floors use hot water and a stiff brush. Wooden boards can be rubbed and bleached.
Properly clean the floors of this type, preferably with soap and alkali: moisten the floor with a solution and rub with a stiff brush. You can add a little turpentine to the water.
 If you save unpainted wooden floor (walk on it in slippers, not in dirty shoes), then one wet cleaning per week will be enough
Cork floor
Properly clean floors of this type should be a soft damp cloth, without the use of chemicals and abrasive detergents.
 Cork, like parquet, can not be wetted abundantly
Do not use metal brushes; pollution is better to remove with a sponge or sandpaper.
If the cork floor is covered with a vinyl surface, it must be periodically lubricated with special mastic, after cleaning the old layer with a solvent.

How to clean the floors after repair
It is most difficult to clean the floor after repairs: traces of whitewash, stains, stubborn stains and various debris remain on it. It is recommended to wash floors in 3 stages:
First, clean the floor with clean, warm water to remove contamination and identify any stains to be wiped off;
remove stains after painting, wash away traces of whitewash, putty and glue;

Wipe the floors with a damp cloth, removing any remaining dirt.
 There are various ways to clean the floor from stains after repairs. For each coverage, you need to choose the appropriate methods and tools.
Starting to repair, do not be lazy to cover the floor with film or paper - this will save you from the time-consuming process of cleaning floors and help save time and money.
Previously, when cleaning the floor after repair, the hostess added kerosene to the water, and completed the cleaning with water and vinegar. Today, you can use acetone, white spirit and other solvents - they wash latex and nitro-paints well. Aqueous emulsion paint and whitewash can be cleaned with water or soapy water: it is enough to wash the floors several times, carefully rubbing the polluted areas.
Ordinary table salt will help to get rid of whitening traces. Wash the floors with clean water to remove the main dirt, and then add salt (1 tbsp. To 1 liter of water) to the bucket. Finally wipe the floors with a weak vinegar solution.
Wash whitewash can be potassium permanganate. Simply dissolve a few crystals in a bucket of water and wipe the floors.
Hardened lime should be carefully removed with a spatula, and then rinsed the floor with hot water with 100 ml of vegetable oil (in a bucket of water). After cleaning, wipe the floor with water and vinegar.

Folk cleaners
Today, there are many different products for cleaning floors of one type or another. But if you are allergic to household chemicals or you are simply an opponent of such means, there are quite a few popular recipes that are equally effective and safer.
The easiest recipe is to add water to a bucket in a cup of soap shavings (or liquid soap) and table vinegar. This tool cleans and disinfects the floors.

 Oil stains are first sprinkled with adsorbents (salt, soda or starch), and then cleaned with water with the addition of dishwashing detergent.
Boil several spruce branches in 2 liters of water. Strain the broth, add 3-4 tbsp. l salt, soda and soap chips. Stir and simmer over low heat for about 15 minutes. Add the cooled mixture to the water for mopping at the rate of 6-7 tbsp. l 10 liters of water.
To clear the floor of dirt and grease stains, prepare the following remedy: mix 1 cup of water, 0.5 cups of vinegar and 0.5 cups of vodka (or diluted alcohol). For flavor add 0.5 tsp. essential oils, such as orange. This blend removes dirt, bacteria and mold.
Scrub off the floor brilliant green will help nail polish remover (if the floor is not varnished).

How to mop the floor properly
Each hostess independently decides how to clean the floors. However, it is worth noting that with the help of a mop, this process is much faster and more efficient than hand washing.
 For a comfortable cleaning of the floors, it is preferable to have a good spinning mop.
 Mops are different in shape and method of extraction. You have to choose the right one by trial and error

Here are some guidelines on how to properly mop floors with a mop:
Before washing, thoroughly moisten the mop, slightly squeeze and evenly distribute the cleaning solution over the surface. Complete cleaning with a well-wrung mop;
in places of severe contamination rub the floor strongly with pressure;
wash narrow rooms (such as a corridor) starting from baseboards and side parts, and only then go to the central part;
when washing a textured floor (for example, a rough tile), mop up such movements as if you were drawing a figure eight. This will help to thoroughly clean the dirt from the surface;
hardwood floors with polyurethane coating wipe smoothly in the direction of the wood fibers;

After cleaning, rinse the mop thoroughly in clean water, squeeze and set to dry upside down.
Once every 2-3 months it is recommended to wash the mop head in a typewriter at a high temperature; change it every six months (or as wear).
Finishing the cleaning, wait until the surface of the floor is completely dry, and only after that arrange the chairs, lay carpets, etc.
We offer a video that will tell you how to choose the right mop and care for it.


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