You may have once heard that good skin is pallet on which you can build beauty. Well, beautiful floors and walls are the clean slate onto which you can build a beautiful home. Good flooring–both wood and carpet–can cost a pretty penny, but when it is maintained properly, good flooring can last for many years. Here are some tips for keeping your wood floors and carpet in excellent shape.
Place a Floor Mat by the Door
Have you ever cleaned the floors in your home and wondered incredulously “Where does all this dirt come from?” The answer is that it comes from you: on the bottoms of your shoes right through the front door. A simple and foolproof way to protect your carpet and wood floors (and make less cleaning work for yourself) is to place a mat at the front door, and get into the habit of wiping your feet.
If you really want to reduce the amount of dirt and debris that makes its way into your household, elect to go shoe-free. Place a shoe rack near your door and inform guests of the house rules as they arrive.
Use a High-Quality Vacuum
If there is carpet in your home, there is probably a vacuum in the closet. However, in order to maintain carpet effectively, you must use a higher-end vacuum. Make sure that your vacuum has a suction power of 245 air watts or higher.
As an added benefit many high-end vacuums work well on wood floors too. Before using a vacuum on your hardwood floor, make sure there is an option to disable the vacuum’s beater bar. This is the bristly part of the vacuum that spins, and can scratch wood floors.
In addition to upgrading your vacuum cleaner, you might also need to run it more often. Although you are likely already vacuuming once a week, you should really be vacuuming high-traffic area–like entryways and hallways–daily.
Clean Wood Floors with a Microfiber Dust Mop
Most of us grew up using traditional brooms on wood floors. That’s just the way we were taught. The problem is that brooms stir up dirt and dust, causing it to circulate through your house, and land right back on your floor. Modern technology has given us a better tool for maintaining your wood floors throughout the week: this tool is a microfiber dust mop.
These handy little mops absorb dust and dirt must better than old-school brooms. If your vacuum works well on wood floors, this is a great option too. Plan a quick sweep around 1-2 times per week. Do it more often in heavy traffic areas.
Hire a Professional Carpet Cleaner
Regular daily and weekly maintenance can keep your floors healthy and fresh. However, just like brushing your teeth, there is only so much you can do without professional backup. Have a professional floor cleaning company come in around once a year (or closer to every six months if you have pets or little kids). A company like Chem-dry, for instance, will have your carpeting looking, feeling, and smelling like new.