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Get floored by flooring EVER wondered why your flooring lacks lustre despite daily sweeping and mopping? The most obvious reasons are the use of wrong cleaning agents or allowing spills to accumulate, leading to stubborn stains on floors.
Floors that were sparkling clean when the house was newly made slowly begin to look like freckled versions of the originally smooth skinned surfaces. So how do you properly care for your flooring? Take a closer look at the bottoms of your shoes and you'll find oil, dirt and heaven only knows how many tidbits of deposits that you carry on to your floors from outside. Sand and dirt grind away at the surface of your floor causing an early death. Small wonder why your floors stubbornly refuse to come clean. Even if you wear slippers or socks inside, the oil from the bottom of your feet also dirties the surface. Always sweep or
vacuum hard floor surfaces before mopping. |
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Use only warm water on marble floors. The mild acid in vinegar damages marble surfaces. Again, wring out all excess moisture from a towel and damp mop. Immediately follow with a dry towel. Always dry marble floors, they spot easily. Ceramic tile and slate Cleaning stains out of grout can test your patience. The porous nature of grout means liquid cleaners seep right through. First thoroughly spray a 50/50 solution of hydrogen peroxide and water directly on the spot. Let that set 15 minutes and repeat. Do not use this mixture on coloured grout. Peroxide is bleach, safe but nonetheless bleach. It removes the colour from coloured grout. If the stain refuses to budge, soak a towel with straight peroxide laying the towel on top of the stain. Cover the towel with plastic wrap to prevent the peroxide from drying out quickly. The towel holds the peroxide on the surface giving it time to dissolve the stain. If that doesn't work, mix a paste of straight peroxide and baking soda. Allow the bubbling to subside. Apply to the stain and let it set. Re-spray with peroxide as it dries out. Shaving cream sprayed on stains also does a good job removing them. If your grout is coloured, test an inconspicuous spot first. After you remove the stains from the grout, seal them. Terrazzo floors Traditional terrazzo is made of cement and marble with extra marble chips on the surface. The cement portion is porous and quickly absorbs stains. A more modern form, made with synthetic resins such as urethane or epoxy as the "binder", in place of cement do not stain as readily. Clean as often as needed to keep grime and sand removed. Soil acts as an abrasive and damages the floor. Use only neutral liquid cleaners (meaning those which are neither acidic nor alkaline). For best results, use a commercial cleaner made especially for terrazzo. All-purpose household cleaners, soaps, detergents and wax removers usually contain one or more alkalis, and so should not be used on terrazzo. For general cleaning, use one cup of mild cleaner with each three gallons of water or follow manufacturers directions. Wet mop the solution onto the floor, and allow the solution to remain several minutes. Then mop up the dirt-filled solution, changing rinse water often. This helps to remove all soil and also does away with unsightly "mop lines". Keep the floor wet at all times during the cleaning operation. Otherwise, dissolved soil dries back onto the floor. To remove stubborn soil, periodically use an electric scrubbing machine with a stronger cleaning solution . Daily sweeping or dusting will mean easier weekly care and more attractive floors. Do not use an oiled mop or oily sweeping compound. Oils in any form can penetrate the surface and permanently discolour terrazzo floors. Wipe up spilled materials quickly so staining has no chance to occur. — Compiled by Chetna
Banerjee |
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