Hard flooring is an easy solution for high traffic and wet areas but they can require a bit more time and effort to care, then carpet (see our carpet cleaning tips) which would just require a vacuum and a carpet clean every month.
Here are a few things to watch out for when looking after hard floors:
- Only use a heavy-duty cleaning machine occasionally – not for everyday use – once a month is ample
- Spot clean grease stains and spills immediately to avoid discolouring or long-lasting stains (do not us a solvent)
- Avoid solvents as this can damage hard floors – solvents are things like turpentine, nail polish, some spot removers, some detergents, and oils
- Use floor protector on bottom furniture to avoid discolouring and marks
- Light colour flooring may require more cleaning then dark
Fun fact from one of our flooring suppliers:
“About 80% of surface soiling that has to be cleaned off is brought in from outside.
And 90% of that soiling can be avoided using an effective and correctly dimensioned entrance mat.
The less dirt that comes in through the entrance, the lower the maintenance requirements.”
Daily and regular cleaning –
To clean hard floors on a daily/regular occurrence for a small space
- Vacuum for dust and dirt
- Use a damp mop (shouldn’t be soaked) with a diluted neutral floor cleaner, usually pH 7-10 (different floor cleaners have different instructions for dilutions which you should follow). Once you have used the solution, wipe and rinse with clean water
For special wet rooms acidic cleaners may be required:
- General wet rooms: use pH 3-5
- To remove limescale – use acidic cleaner (pH 2-4)
For larger areas – you can use a machine but make sure it’s at a slow speed.
Machine cleaning
As mention above you don’t want to use a high-speed heavy cleaning machine daily, when you do use this it can be either a
- Buffing- for light cleaning which will just make the top layer shine
- For a deep clean – using a denser pad on high-speed cleaning machine (500-1000 rpm) and strong pH solution, usually between pH10-11, you will then need to vacuum the water and then once dry you could buff if you wanted
For more information on hardfloor cleaning or if you would like one of our team to to help you with your business premises. Phone us on 1300 363 423 or contact us here