Hardwood floors seem simple to clean when you are considering installing them in your home. You don’t have to worry about the dirt sticking to the floor, stains from food and drinks, and other issues you have with carpet. Carpet tends to lose its luster after a few years and can be irreparably stained. While it is more difficult to damage hardwood flooring, it is still possible. You will want to have the proper cleaning supplies when you consider your hardwood floor. Some chemicals can actually be too harsh stripping away the floors finishing. Scraps in the floor can be difficult to repair, and of course pet stains on hardwood flooring are difficult to remove.

A very simple hardwood floor cleaner recipe is taking 1 teaspoon of vinegar, 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil and one quart of water. You will combine these ingredients in a bucket and either use a mop or a washrag to rub over the floor after you have swept the area. Once you have applied the cleaning recipe to the floor you will want to go back over the floor with clear and clean water. It is also best that you take a rag and clean in the corners to help get the dust out of the corners before you begin the treatment.

If you have any scratches on the floor that are not deep you will be able to use a finishing lacquer to cover the scratches. More involved scratches will need to be sanded and refinished. If you have a deep stain you can still use the simple floor cleaner above. It may take a little extra work or you may have to sand the area first to remove the uppermost part of the stain.

When you have hardwood floors you need to deal with spills quickly. While the finishing is supposed to protect the floor from damaging water can still get through. Most importantly you need to know the type of hardwood flooring you have. Some of the newer floors are so simple to put in that the sealer is not applied so the grooves are protected. This means that a spill can leak through the grooves and damage the flooring beneath. On this type of floor it is best to use small amounts of the recipe above and water on the stain and to clean the floor to avoid damaging it.

Another great recipe to use on hardwood floors is using a vegetable soap or Murphy’s oil soap to create a watered down mixture that you can apply to the floors. The same rules apply as above. You do not want to use excess moisture when cleaning the hardwood floors as it can warp the wood or cause more severe damage. You may use a spray bottle to make sure that you have the correct amount of solution come out. A rag or the new Swiffer mops are great for getting your hardwood floors clean because they don’t require the pads to be soaked.

Many house holds are moving to steam cleaners for floors nowadays and ditching the old bucket and mop eliminating those detergents. Do you ever wonder why this is becoming a trend with U.S.A households? Let’s quickly look at some of the pros and cons aye?

The Bucket and Mop, plus Detergents and Disinfectants.

Okay so you get this hot and soapy water which after 5 minutes will no doubt be as dirty as the floor you’re cleaning right? you bet. It won’t be long before all you’re doing with the bucket and mop is spreading the germs evenly over your Vinyl, Tiled or Wooden floors.

To effectively clean your floors with a bucket and mop you actually should be change the water and cleaning the mop of dirt and germs two to three times per room. That’s right, could take you all day to do your house right? You bet!

Then there’s the Detergents and Disinfectants. How safe are you really going to be leaving these chemical residue all over your house hold floors? Over time how cost effective is it really? Hmm now there’s something I didn’t think about, till now that is…Cost! Now let’s look at the alternative shall we?

The Steam Cleaner For Floors.

A steam mop as some people call them, is eco-friendly, environmentally friendly as you only use water and the steamer without any chemicals. You’ll only need to clean the floor once as the hot steam will remove any kind of stain easily. It will eliminate dust mites, most of those other organisms that end up in your home and, definitely kill the germs on your floor. Now lets look generally at the costs shall we?

The Bucket and Mop.

Now I don’t know for certain what the cost of detergents and disinfectants are but for this article let’s say you might spend $8.00 a month on floor cleaning chemicals shall we? Why not.

So, on a yearly basis let’s say spend $8.00 times 12 months total annually equals $96.00 and you could spend the same amount again the following year. Then there is the electricity used to provide you with hot water, okay it’s not major but it counts.

The Steam Floor Cleaner.

You can get your hands on a steam cleaner for less than say $90.00 even cheaper if you know where to look. That could be good for say two years maybe three. Then there’s the electricity you would use when cleaning.

Okay common sense tells me that the steam vacuum is definitely the more economical of the two methods of cleaning hard surface floors. Whatever your conclusion after reading this, if you have young ones crawling around on your floors seriously think about their health and safety.

Just like everything else, laminate flooring does have to be cleaned every once in a while. There will come a time when, even if you don’t have a horde of children invading your home all day, you’ll need to do some cleanup. Before you go buying expensive laminate floor cleaner, though, read through some of these tips, and maybe save yourself some time and money.

A Clean Sweep Is Usually All That Is Needed

Laminated floors and linoleum kitchen floors are different animals entirely. Laminate does not need expensive cleaners to look its best. The vast majority of the time, your laminate floor really only needs the dirt and dust swept away, and it’ll look brand new. For faster results, you can also use a vacuum cleaner. Be careful that the vacuum either has no beater bar, or that it is disabled, or it will damage both the vacuum and the floor. A vacuum that has a hard floor option works, too, since that also disables, and sometimes retracts, the beater bar.

A Little Warm Water Sometimes Does The Trick

Even if you do find yourself with a stain or something stuck to your lovely flooring, laminate floor cleaner may not be necessary. First, try cleaning it with a warm wet cloth (using water only) and scrubbing it a little. Remember, laminate floors are designed for the traffic and the cleaning they receive. Meant for deflecting stains, the upper layer of the laminated flooring should keep things from sticking to it. Most times, the flooring just needs your help.

When To Use The Commercial Cleaner

When you have tried with all your might and the warm water on the cloth just will not get your floor clean, it is time to get that laminate floor cleaner. This can be an expensive and confusing process. The manufacturer of your particular flooring usually suggests certain commercial laminate cleaner and it is important to stick to their recommendations. This is all because of the top coat on your laminate. Each manufacturer uses a different process to make this coating and the chemicals in the cleaners can react in different ways. If you use just whichever cheap laminate flooring cleaner that you come across, you might end up with damaged or dulled flooring.

Do Not Soak Laminate Floors

Soaking dishes to remove tough stains is a great idea. However, soaking your laminated floor can be disastrous. Be it just water, or any type of cleaner, never leave standing water for any length of time. Laminated floors are notorious for warping due to exposure to too much water. If you think it might be too much water or cleaner, it is. Use only as much laminate floor cleaner or water as you absolutely need. After all, it’s much easier to add a bit more cleaner or water then it is to swap laminate flooring planks.

With the current popularity of laminate flooring it is no wonder that so many cleaning products are being introduced specifically to clean them. Not all of these products are actually what they claim. Be very careful when choosing a cleanser for your laminate flooring. To choose a safe laminate floor cleaner there are some things you must know. First and foremost never use any type of cleaner that works by excessive amounts of liquid or uses steam.

Liquids and steam will damage your flooring beyond repair. At first your floors will look beautiful. The shine created by these products will amaze you, but what is underneath is terrifying. When you use these kinds of cleaners they soak through your flooring. Because laminate flooring does not breathe like real wood the liquid stays inside the floor. This eats your flooring from the inside out, slowly rotting the inside of the floor. Eventually the flooring will not only become weak and damaged but it will also be a breeding ground for mold and bacteria. For this reason never apply cleaner directly to your floor, always use a mop that is barely damp, and avoid close or prolonged contact with liquid and steam.

Another type of cleaners to avoid is any that claim to leave a protective coating on your floor. This includes, but is not limited to, wax. Laminate flooring is not wood. You do not need to polish a laminate floor because it has its own shine. These cleaners and waxes will look nice for few uses but after 2 or 3 months they begin to change to a gray or yellow color. This forms a film that makes your floors look dirty and dull. The film caused by these cleansers can be difficult to remove and ruin your investment. If this type of build p occurs on your laminate flooring find a cleanser that will strip the layer off. Do not try to refinish your laminate floor. You will not be pleased with the results that sanding will bring.

The best way to choose a laminate floor cleaner is to look for a product that when applied by a damp, but not wet, mop will lift dirt with out actually polishing the floor. By following these simple rules you will preserve your flooring for years to come. Protecting your investment will give you peace of mind and allow you to enjoy your floors more freely. They really are the easiest type of flooring to care for know that you know the proper treatment they require.

There is always a room for mistakes as they say. No matter how careful you are of the processes that you implement, there is always a possibility of committing error though it may, at times, be unconsciously. And as one of those processes, mistakes are also inevitable in cleaning marble.

However, though there can be no perfect marble cleaning process, you can at least minimize the number of mistakes that you might commit while implementing it. Surely, there are things that you can gain out of it. That speaks not just of the money that you can spare from having to correct all the possible damages but also of the time and energy that you can save which can be used to other productive tasks and activities.

Partly, those good things that you can get from preventing mistakes are because of its connection to marble floor cleaners. If you can keep yourself from committing those errors, you can also keep them from blocking your cleaners to take full effect. And that means you will be able to squeeze out all of its possible benefits.

But basically, before you can avoid those mistakes, you need to know them first. By knowing them, you will be able to identify the wrong practices that you are now implementing and so you will be able to correct them. It will also give you the knowledge of the things that you should not be doing in the future.

Some of those mistakes are the following:

Applying marble floor cleaner without reading the instructions. This can cause serious damages to the marble surface. For example, applying your marble floor cleaner in greater quantity than recommended can be too strong to cause dullness on the surface. Using a low quality product or a wrong cleaning alternative. The number of available marble floor cleaner is increasing in number. However, not all of them is capable of delivering good effects so you must be careful of the one you intend to purchase. If you plan to use cleaning alternatives, make sure that they are safe and effective. Vinegar, for instance, is an effective cleaning alternative to many cleaning processes but to cleaning marble, it must be avoided. Along with lemon juice, it is too acidic than it can cause etching. Not using pads under furniture and mats on the doorway. Both pads and mats help in preventing scratches. Especially that doorways are heavily trafficked part of the house, door mats keeps sands and grits from entering thus maintaining the shine of the marble floor. Not immediately cleaning off stains. Leaving stains unattended for a long time will make them seep deeper into the marble surface. Because of this, it will be harder to remove them which can cause discoloration and dullness on the process. Cleaning irregularly. Daily cleaning keeps the accumulated dirt of the day from sinking deep into the marble surface just like the unattended stains. If you fail to clean your marble floor daily, its shine will eventually diminish.

In cleaning marble, the mistake that you might commit can have a negative impact to the entire process. It can render your marble floor cleaner less effective than it usually is. So, for your marble floor to be maintained, avoid making mistakes in executing the marble floor cleaning process.

Marble floor cleaners play a huge part in keeping marble flooring clean. Without them, the process of cleaning marble will surely be long and exhausting. And that makes them essential in every way to effectively maintain the marble surface in the good condition that it is in.

However, the more effective your marble floor cleaner is the better. Generally, it can make the whole marble cleaning procedure more effective as well. But then, that effectiveness does not just depend on the nature of the cleaning product that you have chosen. A part of it depends on you.

In a more profound point of view though, that part refers not only to your choice of marble floor cleaner. It also points out to what you can do to make that product more effective. And with some steps, that can surely be done. But what are those steps?

Before we go on knowing them, you must first know that these steps can serve as your guideline in making your marble floor cleaner to perfectly work. You must also know that they need to be efficiently implemented to bring the best effects. They may add more to your work list and may consume more time than the usual but they should be executed as they can bring many positive marble cleaning effects by making your marble floor cleaner even more effective.

Now, here are those steps:
Use green marble floor cleaner – Green cleaning products always exude safety for both humans and the environment. They contain no harmful chemicals that can be inhaled or released as pollutants. And in contrast to what others believe, they are never inferior to chemical based products when it comes to effectiveness. In fact, their being “gentle”, in a different way, makes them produce more benefits which in turn make them even more effective. Follow Instructions – Instructions for whatever process or product, always promotes safety. So basically, if you follow the instructions of how to use or apply your marble floor cleaner, you can make it perfectly work. Dry the Surface after the Process – Drying the surface after cleaning removes residue of your marble floor cleaner. If you used a chemical based product, this will prevent the remains of the strong ingredients from causing damages to the surface. Even if you used a green cleaning product, you need to wipe the marble surface to avoid slipping accidents. Get all the Tools Needed – Making sure that all the tools needed are gathered before you start the process can also help in making your marble floor cleaner effective. With it, you can apply the product on the surface just as instructed. Apart from that, because you don’t have to go back and forth, the process can be executed continuously adding more assistance for it to be more effective.

Part of what makes a marble floor cleaning effective is a marble floor cleaner. However,it must also be effective in order to be a good influence to the process. And certainly, there are steps that you can take to make that happen.

Restroom cleanliness is one of the most common complaints cleaning companies receive. When cleaning restrooms, keep in mind that they should not only look clean, but that they should feel and smell clean. An important part in maintaining a high level of cleanliness is making sure the floor grout is clean. Grout is porous, so over time, moisture, contaminants, and even dirty mop water can discolor it. These circumstances can lead to staining, odors, and aid in the growth of bacteria, mold, and mildew.

There are several reasons is it so difficult to clean floor grout:

* Using a cleaner that doesn’t float contaminates to the surface.

* Using a cleaner that contains detergents that settle into the grout with dirt and oils.

* Sealers may have been improperly used in the past. Instead of keeping out dirt and oils, these may now be trapped in the grout.

* Acidic or high pH cleaners make grout more porous and fragile with the result being the grout re-soils faster.

* Cleaners used in the past may have left residues that become dirt magnets.

Before starting to clean tile and grout it is important to analyze what dirt and contaminants you’re dealing with. Then based on that information, select a cleaner designed for cleaning that type of soil and is suitable for the flooring being cleaned.

Using the right cleaner and using it correctly are important steps to keeping grout clean. To avoid soap scum, daily cleaners must be salt free. When deep cleaning, the cleaner needs to be free of high levels of potassium and sodium salts. The cleaner you use must be able to float contamination up as well as transfer it to the mop so the grout comes clean. Carefully consider the pH of the product you are using. Acidic based cleaners (low pH) bleach rather than clean and basic cleaners (high pH) tend to be high in salts. Be cautious about the use of citrus products. Many of these products leave unwanted residues that make floors feel sticky. It is important to use the right chemical as bacteria can get trapped into grout and tile. It may be necessary to use a germicide cleaner, especially around toilets and urinals, to kill bacteria and remove any urine that has dried into the grout or tile.

Cleaning grout is often labor-intensive at times even requiring scrubbing by hand, which may not be practical in a large restroom. There are procedures you can follow to help keep grout clean. First, use a chemical proportioning system to dilute chemicals accurately. When you use too much chemical, sealants break down faster. Second, have adequate ventilation to help prevent the build up of odors and speed up drying. Frequent changing of mop water and mop heads helps to make sure that contaminants are picked up and not pushed back into the grout. Consider switching to microfiber mops as they have proven to be the most effective at removing contaminants from floor surfaces.

When cleaning, liberally apply chemicals and don’t allow the floor to dry before scrubbing. Always allow proper dwell time, which is typically between 5 and 10 minutes. The next step is to use the right tool to scrub the floor surface. To effectively clean the surfaces use floor brushes. After thoroughly scrubbing the floor, remove the excess liquid. A wet vacuum works well as it will pick up the excess water, dirt, residue and cleaning chemical used on the floor.

New and innovative equipment can also make cleaning grout faster. High-pressure water systems (up to 1200 psi) can effectively deep clean, loosen, and remove soil. Some systems also heat the water, which aids in the cleaning process. Grout cleaning systems also have auto-feed/auto-dump capabilities so you can use them continuously without stopping. The machines pick up loosened soil and leave no residue. Another option is using cylindrical brush technology. These machines do not use pads like rotary buffers, but instead use rotating brushes. These brushes penetrate and loosen the dirt in grout and tile.

To keep grout and tile looking their best it is important to train your staff and make sure they continue to follow the proper procedures when cleaning grout. Having written procedures and checklists can help to assure the proper cleaning techniques are always followed.

Lack of attention, carelessness, and the wrong types of cleaners used will lead to dirty grout and the entire floor looking dull and dingy. Paying attention and spending a little extra time when cleaning grout will keep not only the floor, but the entire restroom, looking and smelling clean.

Copyright (c) 2006 The Janitorial Store

Hard-surface floors can be tough to clean with all the traffic they get, and finding the right floor cleaner could sometimes be a challenge. Commercial cleaning solutions could be expensive and their effectiveness would depend on their correct application and if suited to clean particular types of floors, whether wood, tile or concrete. Nevertheless, there are some homemade floor cleaner solutions that are worth trying.

One such recipe addresses the extra-tough grime and dirt from glazed or unglazed ceramic tile, concrete, asphalt, slate and flagstone floors. The mixture consists of one-half gallon of cold or cool water, one cup ammonia and one-fourth cup low-sudsing, all purpose cleaner. You should be wearing rubber gloves when mixing these ingredients and work in a well-ventilated or open area. The solution is then applied with a sponge mop on the floor, putting pressure for heavily soiled portions. Then, the floor is rinsed with clear, cool water and dried with a soft cloth.

There’s another homemade floor cleaner recipe that is not expensive or laden with chemicals but effective. And what’s even better is that this works as an all-purpose cleaner, and is easy to make. You can have this cleaner by mixing equal parts of white vinegar and water in a spray bottle. Shake up the bottle and the mixture is ready for its all-purpose application.

The white vinegar contains acetic acid which kills germs, viruses, mold and bacteria. Tough stains and mineral deposits are also dissolved by the vinegar’s acetic acid. This floor cleaner solution, however, should not be used on marble surfaces, and should be tested on a small area before applying on tile or finished wood.

Cleaning hardwood floors with vinegar is definitely not the best approach. Installing hardwood flooring is typically an expensive proposition and you want to make sure that you take care of it so that it looks fantastic for many years to come. Thus it’s important to learn a few do’s and don’ts to protect your investment.

There are three basic enemies of polyurethane finished hardwood floors, vinegar is only one of them.

Wax, Oil or Perfumed Hardwood Floor Cleaners:

The largest misconception in the industry is that floor cleaners can restore a dull polyurethane finish to its original shine. This is just not true. It is possible to remove a layer of grime or whatever that has built up over time and reveal the original shiny finish if it is still in good shape. But proper hardwood floor cleaners are designed to leave NO residue on the floor, thus you can only work with what you have in the first place.

Any floor cleaner that suggests it “shines” your floor must be leaving behind an oil or wax. It looks great on the day of application but leads to future problems. It is difficult to remove and prevents the adhesion of new finishes if you do in fact get to a point that you want to refinish to your hardwood floor. It forces you into a labour-intensive waxed floor maintenance regime that your mother was always trying to get away from.

Water, Your Floor’s Worst Enemy!

Most floors today are factory finished. That means that the finish starts and stops at the edges of every board. In the dry seasons of the year your wood floor shrinks, leaving pathways between boards allowing water penetration. Thus it is highly recommended NOT to wet mop a floor and risk leaving a puddle of water sitting in these cracks that will cause your floor to swell and discolor. It is much better to use a terry cloth mop and spray a light mist of cleaner or water onto the mop or the floor.

Vinegar, To Do or Not?

And lastly should you use vinegar? Remember that cleaning a hardwood floor is all about cleaning NOT WOOD, but rather the chemical finish on the wood. You know by experience that anything acidic will etch chemical finishes. Now I’ll agree that vinegar is a very mild acid and floor finishes today are extremely tough, but when cleaning hardwood floor with vinegar, used weekly, over years of application it will leave microscopic surface scratches that cause the light to deflect in strange ways and reduce overall shine. If there are better “neutral” cleaning products available why take the chance?

Read more about the 7 essential maintenance issues on how to clean hardwood floors so that they stay looking beautiful for your lifetime.

The iRobot Romba 560 takes cleaning to a whole new level. Equipped with dirt sensors, it can easily maneuver around the house, automatically adjusting itself to hard surfaces and carpeted area. With its anti tangle mechanism, iRobot Romba 560 will never get tangled in cords, wires, or carpet tassels. In fact if a tassel or cord does get in the way, the reverse mechanism helps expel them, leaving the vacuum cleaner clear.

The sensors installed in the cleaner are also capable of identifying obstacles in the way. On encountering an obstacle, Roomba 560 quietly changes its course. Talking about its sensors you could not be more delighted to know that this little cleaning equipment can very successfully avoid stairs and similar drop off areas. Thus, you need not panic if you find your new and improved iRobot Roomba 560 approaching the staircase area.

When it comes to doing its job you could not find a more professional cleaner than the iRobot Romba 560. Moving around the house it can easily identify and collect dirt, debris, pet hair and dust. Excessively dirty areas are given extra bit of attention and taking time to clean the dirt gradually leads to remarkable result. Imagine yourself on one hand rubbing and scrubbing an area and on the other hand Roomba going back and forth cleaning. You sure would prefer the latter case. You can say that the iRobot Romba 560 works like magic. When pre-scheduled for cleaning, this trusted vacuum cleaner will do its job perfectly on time, whether you are at home or not. You might go out shopping and return to a clean and sparkling home.

Cleaning on the edges is not always easy. However with its well placed brushes, the iRobot Romba 560 comfortably and efficiently move along the edges and gathers up the finest of dirt particles. All the dirt is collected in a bag less collector which needs to be emptied once it is full.

A virtual wall lighthouse device comes with the vacuum cleaner. Set up at the doorway this device creates a virtual wall with the help of a red light. This prevents Roomba from leaving the room until the cleaning is complete. Once the job is done, the light is switched off automatically and the cleaner proceeds towards the next room.

Using the iRobot Roomba 560 is as easy as child’s play. Give it a complete charge before using it for the first time. Pre-set a cleaning schedule for an entire week and then you can rest at peace as far as floor cleaning is concerned. Only once a week will you have to set a schedule – that’s all is required and you need not even bother about its charging time. When the cleaning is done or the battery is running low the vacuum returns to its base dock for a recharge. On one complete charge it can comfortably cover four decent sized rooms or run for a period of three hours.

When you purchase an iRobot Roomba 560 you will get a host of accessories along with it. This will include two virtual wall lighthouses (2 C batteries not included), a self charging home base, one power supply, one rechargeable battery and an extra filter. Get a Roomba and get a complete floor cleaning solution.