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Archive for the ‘Floor Cleaners’ Category

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.

For just about any house, the best kind of vacuum cleaner that you can buy is a floor steam cleaner. But with so many kinds of steam cleaners available, how can you choose which one is right for you?

Here are the top retail cleaners available on the market today.

Hoover Steam Vac Plus Cleaner

This is a floor cleaner with steam that is moderately priced and gives you strong cleaning for your carpets. Very user friendly, it makes clean up a snap. Whether you are cleaning your bare floor, your carpet, or your upholstery and car, the five brush heads give you the power that you need to get the job done!

Power Steamer Pro-heat Plus Carpet Cleaner (Bissell)

What sets this floor cleaner of steam apart from others is the fact that it has a heater that keeps solution warm while you are using it. It also has a nozzle that is extra-wide that cleans in reverse as well as forward and a powerful brush that gets out the dirt that is deep down and will adjust to the height of the carpet automatically. The Bissell also has attachments for auto and upholstery cleaning and will work on bare floors with the exception of hardwood floors.

Big Green Clean Machine Cleaner (Bissell)

This model from the floor steam cleaner collection from Bissell is a canister model featuring a high pressure rotating brush that has a total of forty high-pressure jets. It comes with a tank that has the capacity for two gallons, which is twice the amount of the majority of models. It can also be used for both wet vacuuming and dry vacuuming.

The Clean Machine Cleaner (Little Green by Bissell)

Another top floor cleaner that uses steam from Bissell, this is a great cleaner for carpet spot cleaning and cleaning up splatter on upholstery. One of the features is a high-pressure sprayer that helps loosen up dirt and a brush that is built-in for scrubbing spills and stains.

Dirt Devil Easy Steamer Carpet Extractor
A floor cleaner with steam from Dirt Devil, this model is affordable and light weight. Even though it does not include a brush that is motorized like other models, it cleans well and holds a gallon of solution.

Eureka Altlantis Deluxe Cleaner

This steam cleaner comes with a handle that is looped, making it easier to control. It is also easy to store thanks to its folding handle. This model cleans bare floors, stairs, upholstery, and carpets.

The above cleaners are considered to be the best by the consumers who have tried them. Of course, not all of the amenities of the different cleaners are able to be listed here. There is much more to each of the stories of these cleaners. For those who want to know more, they are encouraged to do some research of their own and find out more. There is a floor cleaner for just about anyone, you just have to research the different cleaners and see what they have to offer.

Throw away your scrub brushes, buckets and mops and buy a bare floor cleaner. There is absolutely no reason why anyone has to get down on their hands and knees to scrub their floors or use a dirty mop. There are many different varieties of bare floor cleaners on the market today that can clean your floors in half the time and give them a sparkling shine.

Hoover, always one of the best names in vacuum cleaners, makes several floor cleaners that are excellent. The Hoover FloorMax is one of the best floor cleaners on the market today. The Hoover FloorMax looks like an upright vacuum cleaner and works hard to pick up any debris on your bare floor. A separate cylinder holds solution and water that effectively scrubs your floor in record time. It is easier to use than a mop but has the cleaning power of a scrub brush. The Hoover FloorMax even dries the floor when you are finished, making it sparkle. In addition, there are several attachments that making even cleaning floor grout easy. Simply use the grout cleaning solution to clean and maintain grout in between tiles.

Hoover also makes the SteamVac, a bare floor cleaner that does not use solution, but steam, to clean the floor. Many people using this product have found that steam floor cleaning is effective in cleaning all stains and go on to purchase handheld steam cleaners to use in bathrooms and kitchens.

Another good name in floor cleaning is Bissell. Bissell also makes a large variety of steam cleaners and bare floor cleaners that work fast to make your kitchen and bathroom floors shine. The Bissell FlipIt cleaner is a modern marvel. This relatively compact device resembles an upright stick vacuum. You won’t believe the power behind this little beauty as it works to vacuum up debris on your bare floor, clean it and then dry it. You will wonder why or how you lived without it. It is so lightweight as well, weighing less than 10 pounds!

Bissell also makes a Steam Mop cleaner. Do not let the name fool you; this is anything but a mop, although it is thin and compact and can store just as easy as a mop. The steam mop uses steam power to remove even the toughest stains on your kitchen and bathroom floors with ease. There is no need to use a solution with the Bissell Steam Mop; the steam is all you need to maintain your floors with ease. Many people are switching to steam cleaning as it is healthier as well as safer for the environment. No chemicals mean no toxic waste flushed into the eco system.

There are many different bare floor cleaning solutions on the market today that work to clean grout, tile, and remove the toughest stains. For those of us who grew up believing that the only way to clean a floor properly was with a scrub brush and bucket, a bare floor cleaner is probably one of the best gifts we can receive.