Archive for June, 2010

Wood floor cleaning – maintenance tips

Hard wood flooring is becoming increasingly popular in both domestic and commercial environments due it its attractive natural appearance, longevity and natural resistance. It is, unfortunately, not the easiest type of flooring to keep in pristine condition, but there are several tips to help you maintain your floor in good condition, and to identify what type of action is necessary should your floor begin to dull and have an unsatisfactory appearance.

One of the problems with hard wood is that it is extremely susceptible to staining from any type of spillage. Natural, unprotected, wood will stain very easily, whilst even liquids such as water can seep into the joints or spaces between wood and slowly cause damage over time. To counter this, the first step to protecting and maintaining your floor is to have a good quality sealer professionally applied.

Once the floor is protected, there are several general maintenance tips to help protect the floor:

-Clean spillages immediately
Although a sealer will help protect the wood, any spillages can cause a build-up of staining and bacteria which will, over time, become increasingly difficult to clean. It is recommended to clean any spillages as soon as possible.

-Use doormats and sweep regularly
Walk in dirt is one of the primary causes of surface scratches and abrasions which can damage the wood directly or remove a sealer. Leaving the surface of the wood exposed. These two simple steps can help keep about 80% of all grit and dirt away from the floor.

-Take care moving heavy objects
Heavy objects can mark, dent or scratch the surface of any floor, which will again expose the wood to staining. It is advisable to place felt tips on the legs of chairs and under the corners of furniture or any sharp objects.

If, over time, your floor has an unsatisfactory or dull finish, you may wish to consult a wood floor cleaning company which can advise on the best course of action. It is important to know what has previously been applied to the floor and what state it is in.

If the floor has a good sealer, it is possible that any dullness is simply the result of surface build-up of bacteria and staining and that professional cleaning plus buffing is all that is required. If the sealer has worn down to the point where the surface of the wood is exposed, it is possible that the wood itself has become stained. In this scenario a professional wood floor cleaning company would need to sand the floor, clean and re-seal to restore the floor to its original condition.

Vinyl floor cleaning – Tips

Vinyl floor cleaning – Tips

Vinyl flooring comes in a variety of designs and colours, is relatively easy to install and scores highly in terms of cost durability. Combining these factors makes it easy to see why it has become a popular choice in both domestic and commercial environments – and especially in areas where spillages are likely, such as kitchens and washrooms.

Whether or not Vinyl is chosen as flooring will depend greatly on the ambience, but there really is a type of material to suit all situations and vinyl is very much a case of you get what you pay for. In domestic environments, and suitable vinyl flooring will not be expensive, and can be perfect for bathrooms or kitchens, are relatively easy to clean and maintain, and as a house will be relatively ‘traffic free’ should also offer longevity.

In a commercial environment in general there will be more transiting and a highly quality vinyl or altro material will probably be required, offering the same benefits but being a more durable substance more suited to a commercial environment.
Vinyl is one of the easiest types of flooring to clean and keep clean, but it is still important to maintain the floor properly, and there are several tips as to how to do this:

-Avoid walk in dirt
Walk in dirt can cause surface scratching and abrasions can ‘scuff’ the surface and provides an area for bacteria and can cause staining over time. Doormats should be placed at entrances as up to 80% of dirt and grit introduced into an environment comes from shoes, take a look at the soles of your shoes now and that figure may not seem so surprising.

-Sweep and mop as often as possible
Regular sweeping will remove loose dirt and grit on the floor and make the surface easy to clean. Cleaning should be done with a mop and water, with a little detergent. Regular cleaning will prevent stains or bacteria from building up.

-Take care when moving furniture
Heavy furniture and other objects can mark the floor and affect the surface. Pads can be applied to the legs of chairs and corners of furniture, and simply taking care when moving these objects, as opposed to banging and sliding them will add longevity to the floor.

If a floor becomes visibly stained and cleaning efforts cease to be effective, it may be necessary to call a professional floor cleaning company which specializes in vinyl floor cleaning, which should be able to restore the floor to its original state.

A vinyl floor cleaning company will be able to utilized modern equipment and technology to clean and restore the original appearance of the floor and offer advice on further cleaning and maintenance.

Commercial floor cleaning – hints and tips

The choice of flooring in a commercial environment can depend on the type of area being floored, and can differ from domestic flooring. Generally speaking, a commercial environment will experience more ‘traffic’ than a domestic one, from a mixture of employees, furniture and equipment being moved or placed and often from visitors.

Many commercial floors are chosen as a result of their durability and that is usually the case with slate and stone floors, which offer a high level of durability and often a slip resistant finish. The durability generally means that the floor doesn’t mark and scratch as easily as other surfaces, which can help it looking clean.

As stone and slate are not cheap alternatives it is highly recommended to have them professionally installed, and the way it is installed and finished can also have an impact on the maintenance of the floor. Generally slate needs to be cut, and can often break during this process. It is important that the finish is of a good quality, and that the grout is correctly finished.

Once the installment has taken place it is recommended to have it sealed with a good sealer. Slate and stone often have a smooth yet slightly rough finish which lends it its slip resistant quality and unique aspect. It does however make it slightly more prone to staining from certain foods and drinks. The grout is often recessed lower than the level of the tiles and it is here that any spillages will immediately flow.

A good sealer will make the tile and grout more stain resistant and aid cleaning efforts. It is best not to go for a waxy based sealer which can change the appearance and make the floor slippery. A commercial floor cleaning company will be able to recommend a good sealer for your floor type.

Surfaces can be marked and scratched by dirt and grit introduced into the environment, generally by shoes. These scratches and abrasions on the surface can make the floor more susceptible to staining and also damage any sealer that has been applied. Taking simple steps such as placing doormats and regular sweeping can help reduce the risk of exposure.

If the floor does get visibly stained it is possible that there are layers of staining and bacteria that have built up over time. In this case it may be better to consult a commercial floor cleaning company that will be able to restore the floor to its original state.

Grout cleaning and sealing

Grout cleaning and sealing

Slate and ceramic tile flooring are very popular choices in both commercial and domestic environments for a variety of reasons. When professionally installed, slate or tile flooring can look aesthetically pleasing as well as being durable, cost effective as well as coming in a variety of designs and colours to give a floor that personalized look.

However, one of the main reasons for the choice of slate or tile is the apparent perception that it is easy to clean and maintain. A quick wipe of a damp cloth would seem to clean the tile and leave the floor looking like new, but over time a tiled floor can become dull and have an unsatisfactory appearance.

The reason for this is the grout used in the installation process.
Grout is a construction material used to fill voids and seal joints, and is composed of a mixture of sand, cement and water. As a substance it is relatively porous meaning that it is susceptible to staining and can lose its colour quickly. A quick look at your shoes will reveal why walk in dirt is a problem, while spillages and general traffic in kitchen and washroom areas, particularly in commercial environments, will give you an idea as to how a floor can lose its previous eye pleasing appearance.

As grout is a porous substance, it stains easily. By the time a stain is noticeable, layer upon layer of bacteria and dirt may have built up to the point where traditional cleaning methods cease to be effective. When this happens you are well advised to consult a professional tile grout cleaning and restoration company which will be able to restore your floor to its original appearance.

Tiled flooring, and grout especially should always have a quality sealer to aid the maintenance of the floor. As unsealed grout is extremely difficult to keep clean, a sealer is always recommended and a professional flooring cleaning company will be able to offer you two different options – to apply a clear floor sealer after the tiles and grout have been cleaned or to apply a colour grout sealer.

A colour grout sealer will restore the look of tile grout and offer long term protection which facilitates future cleaning and maintenance. It is available in a wide range of colours to match the original grout or to change it if desired. This will offer a certain amount of uniformity as grout discoloring certainly isn’t uniform explaining tone and colour variations affecting the aspect of your tile floor.