Floor vacuuming and cleaning made easy

Floor Cleaning Made Easy

The ultimate cleaning guide to take care of your

hardwood, carpet and tile floors

By S.R

http://thebestvacuumforhardwoodfloors.com

1 http://thebestvacuumforhardwoodfloors.com

From the Author’s Desk

You have a wood floor and you do not want its finish to look dull ever. You also want your

carpet to look as clean and brilliant as it was in its early days. Your tile kitchen and toilets do not

look as sparkling as they did once. No more worries. Like there is always a solution to every

problem, this e-book comes with extremely useful tips to help you easily clean your floor –

whatever type this may be – a hardwood floor, a tile floor or a carpet floor.

This e-book will also contain useful links to help you pick vacuums from upright vacuum or

canister vacuum choices from a short list of best vacuums for hardwood floors and other

surfaces. If you need help in your buying decision making process, there is a link to follow. I

believe that after reading this e-book, the job of picking the right equipments and cleaning your

hardwood, tile or carpet floor will be easy and fun.

http://thebestvacuumforhardwoodfloors.com/upright-vacuums/

http://thebestvacuumforhardwoodfloors.com/canister-vacuums/

http://thebestvacuumforhardwoodfloors.com/


Table of Content

Topic

Page#

1.0 Hardwood floor cleaning

3

2.0 Carpet cleaning and vacuuming

7

3.0 Tile floor cleaning

10


1.0 Hardwood floor cleaning

Mop, brush, and drench in water or cleaning solution – you do not have to worry at all about how

these cleaning methods will affect your tiled floor. But if you have a hardwood floor with a good

finish, cleaning may not be as easy for you as it is with tile floors. Rather there are chances that

careless cleaning will make the finish of your wood floor look dull and leave permanent scuffs

and marks on the floor. But of course there is a solution to every problem. By following just a

few easy guidelines, cleaning wood floor can be made a cinch too.

Rule 1: Vacuum regularly

Only the best vacuums will remove dirt and fine debris from the cracks and crevices of a wood

floor to end your search for perfection. Grab a model from upright vacuum or canister vacuum

types that has a long, oval floor brush attached. The upright models usually have a switch to turn

off the rotating brush that will keep the bristles from scratching your floors. So make sure you

turn the switch off.

Things to remember before vacuuming:

Get a good vacuum cleaner that is the best vacuum for hardwood floors.







Observe the area to be vacuumed and pick up any objects that are large enough to cause

clogging.

Make sure your vacuum cleaner is not already full. If it is full, you either have to replace

the bag or empty the dirt container, which will let your vacuum work at its maximum

capacity.

In case you have run out of bags, you can reuse it by simply cutting off the end with

scissors, emptying the contents and stapling the bag shut. But practice this in

an emergency only.

You also need to check the bottom of the vacuum to be sure that there is no strong string

wrapped around the bristles of the brush. If there is, unwrap the strings.

Rule 2: Don’t’ forget to take your shoes off

When we come back home after long working hours outside, we tend to go straight to the bed


room with our shoes on and rest for 5 minutes at least. But the simple act of taking shoes off

goes a long way to eliminating virtually all of the tracked-in dirt that can wreak havoc on a wood

floor's finish. Dirt over time leaves behind fine scratches that make your floors to look dull.

Rules 3: Take care of spilled floor promptly

Spills will happen – be it by us or our children. But if we allow spills to dry, they will make the

floor finish look dull. To avoid this, you should blot spills immediately with an absorbent cloth.

Then dampen a paper towel to remove any residue and buff dry. If you find it scuffed or

scratched, apply a little baking soda to a damp cloth and gently rub the scuff until it disappears.

Then wipe with a damp and soft cloth and buff dry.

Rule 4: Never over wet your floor

Never too wet your floor in an attempt to clean traffic aisles or brighten dull areas. Instead you

may use a product formulated specially for hardwood floors. Spray the cleaner and go over it

with the microfiber mop to pick up the dissolved dirt. In case you have to wet-clean, do not do

that more than once in every one to two months. Instead, keep your wood floors well-vacuumed

regularly and attend to individual marks as needed.

Rule 5: Do not flood the floor with cleaner either

To respond to consumer demands, manufacturer of wood flooring finish are increasingly making

these products much more water resistant than those available in the past. But cleaning solution

may affect the finish badly. So, when you need to wet-clean, clean a small area at a time with a

damp mop or cloth and buff dry.

Rule 6: Exercise caution with objects that have sharp edges

If the lady of the house is fond of high-heeled shoes and if you have a pet with untrimmed claws

– beware! These will leave ugly marks on the finish of your wood floor. So, to solve this


problem, keep your pets’ nails trimmed, and leave your shoes at the door.

Rule 7: Avoid vacuuming with a rotating brush

Turn off the brush roll or use a floor brush attachment instead as rotating brush can be very

abrasive to wood floors. You possibly know that gritty dirt and dust particles can scratch your

floor when they sit for too long. To avoid this, vacuum as often as you can.

Rule 8: Avoid using steam cleaning

In case your floor has a wax finish or if its finish is old and worn, avoid steaming. For other

finishes, make sure the floor is intact before breaking out the steamer. Exercise caution when

using steam cleaners and do not forget to use the lightest level of steam your appliance offers.

Keep it moving across the floor and do not target one spot for too long to prevent discoloring.

Rule 9: Do not let your wood floor sunbathe

Sun exposure can fade the color of wood floor. So, protect your floor and its finish when the sun

is at its strongest to limit discoloring and drying


2.0 Carpet cleaning and vacuuming

Any floor looks marvelous during the

first few days of installing a new carpet.

Then gradually dust builds up requiring

us to clean the carpet regularly to bring

back that clean and gorgeous look at the

cost of our time and energy. The job of

cleaning however can be made easier

and less of a hassle by following a few

basic things:

Rule 1: Get the right equipment

Grab the best vacuum cleaner that is efficient on carpets and that also comes with a hose

attachment. You may want to see our BUYING GUIDE for a confident buying decision.

Rule 2: Keep your carpet dry

On the day of vacuuming, the carpet must be fully dry. In case you had your carpet steam

cleaned recently or got it spilled with any liquid stuff, dry it completely to experience a safe

vacuuming.

Rule 3: Scan the area to be vacuumed

Before you start vacuuming, observe the area to be vacuumed and pick up any objects that are

large enough to cause clogging. Remove any electric cords, drapery cords or string that can

wind up around the brushes in your vacuum cleaner.

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Rule 4: Examine the Vacuum

Make sure your vacuum cleaner (be it an upright vacuum or a canister vacuum) is not

already full. To know this you need to check the vacuum bag or dirt container. If it is full,

you either have to replace the bag or empty the dirt container before you start vacuuming.

This will let your vacuum work at its maximum capacity. Users need to know that the

suction power and overall performance of the unit is significantly reduced if the debris

container is more than half full. So do not forget to empty the container or change out the

bag for the best performance.

In case you have run out of bags (for a model with a bag) you can reuse it. Simply cut off

the end with scissors, empty the contents and staple the bag shut. But practice this in a

vacuum emergency only.

You also need to check the bottom of the vacuum to be sure that there is no strong string

or twine winded around the bristles of the brush. If there is, use a comb to quickly

unwrap the strings. Alternatively you might want to use a knife or a metal stick to pull the

wrapped stuff. Repeat the task of rotating the brushes until the bristles of the brushes look

absolutely clean.

Check if your vacuum is set for carpet and has the right height to suit the height of the

carpet. Some models are engineered with the feature of automatically adjusting for carpet

heights. In case yours do not have that feature, make sure it is set to carpet, not floor and

that the carpet depth is correctly set to ensure proper suction.

Rule 5: Know how to vacuum hard to reach spaces

Now sometimes, you may have small spaces that are tight or hard to reach but badly in need of

vacuuming. For such areas, use the hose on your vacuum with a tool attachment to get into those

tight corners and edges around these small spaces, and then simply stroke the largest area of the




carpeted area with the underside of the vacuum cleaner to suck up the rest of the dirt.

And there you get that beautiful look back again!

Rule 6: Empty your dirt

Every time you vacuum, take the entire

vacuum outside and dispose of the vacuum bag

(empty the debris container) in a sealed plastic

bag. Also do this outside - just in case a bed bug

escapes while changing the bag, you surely

don’t want that to happen inside.


3.0 Tile floor cleaning

Many of you prefer tile flooring for kitchens, bathrooms, and even the entire house for the shine

and sparkle that these floors offer. But if proper care is not taken, tile flooring will lose its beauty

over time. We suggest you a few basic yet deep cleaning techniques to clean stained grouts and

keep tile floors as shiny as new. By following five steps maintaining tile floors can be a cinch.

Step #1: Empty the floor to be cleaned

Empty the floor by taking all floor mats outside.

Step#2: Sweep and Vacuum

Use both a vacuum and a broom to clean the entire floor as well as to get into corners and

crevices. This way you can remove loose dirt, food crumbs and other pieces of debris that can

accumulate on tile floors. Dirt that stays for a long time in wet areas can turn into hard-to-remove

grime. For best performance try to get the best model from the upright vacuum or canister





vacuum choices available in the market. You may find our BUYING GUIDE useful to pick the

right fit very easily and quickly.

Step# 3 : Clean your floor

i) Everyday cleaning:

a) Mop the floor with warm water: In case your floor doesn’t have stains, running a damp mop

over the floor will be sufficient to keep it clean. Do not forget to clean the mop in fresh warm

water after mopping one section of the room, and keep cleaning this way until the entire floor is

mopped. If you repeat this every day, your floor will smile back at you every day.

b) Deep cleaning to remove stains, mildew, grouts and bring back lost shine:

Remove stains from tile floors:

If there is any spill, making a paste immediately to spot clean the area. Do not let it sit to avoid

staining your floor. You can prepare the paste using a 50/50 mixture of scouring powder and

warm water. Allow the paste to stay for 20 minutes and then scrub with a brush until the stain is

gone. Wipe away the paste with a cloth and rinse with warm water.

Remove mildew:

Mildew easily grows in areas of tile floors that get wet every now and then. Bathroom is one such area.

To avoid mildew from growing, clean bathroom floor everyday and also let air and sunlight in for a while

every morning. In case you do not have a ventilation option, buff dry after cleaning with a mop or a cloth.

Still, if you see mildew has built up, make an ammonia and water solution (1:1), apply. Let the paste stay

for a while, scrub and rinse. It will do the trick.

Clean grouts for a perfect look of your floor:

Remover 1: Paste of baking soda and water

Apply and scrub. To get inside, use a narrow brush.

Once finished, wash the grout with warm water and buff dry

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For stubborn stains, repeat the process for a second time. Make sure you let the paste sit

for some time into the grout.

Remover 2: Pencil eraser.

Grab a pencil

Run the eraser over the stain until it is gone.

Do not use black eraser. White erasers should be able to do it neatly.

Remover 3: Bleach Solution.

Make a solution of bleach and water (3:1)

Put your gloves on and apply the paste into the grout

Leave for some time and scrub with a brush.

Rinse the floor to remove residual bleach and then dry with a clean cloth. .

After the floor is completely dry, consider applying a coat of grout sealer to the grout

between the tiles, which will prevent your floor from absorbing dirt in the future.

Make floor shiny:

Tiles around your sink, bathtub and other areas of floor may become dull and spotty by soap

scum or runny water. You can bring back the brightness by doing the following:

Scrub that area with ½ cup white vinegar, ½ cup ammonia, and ¼ cup borax mixed in

about 4 litres of warm water.

Rinse well with cool water after the stains are gone and let air-dry the area.

If you want it to shine even more, use detergent in water. Repeat mopping with fresh

water to remove that slippery feel of detergent, which may cause someone to fall and also

can attract and hold dirt.

Step # 4: Mop the Floor

Dip the mop into the bucket half full with warm and plain water. Wring out any excess water. Work the

mop across the floor in a back and forth motion starting with the far corners first and working your way


towards the door. This way you won't be mopping yourself

into a corner.

Mop your floor with warm and plain water. By now

your floor should look clean, shiny and sparkling. Let it

air-dry to get a smudge-free finish or alternatively you

may wipe away with a dry cloth.

Step# 5: Vacuum your floor mats and put those back on place

Your floor mats and other coverings will hold plenty of dirt, so be sure to vacuum them well

before you return the rugs and mats to places. Rest in your home sweet home!

Additional Tips: DOs & DON’Ts

Apply correct products and methods to get that sparkle back on your tile floors

Double check manufacturer’s instructions in cleaning a tile that is made from natural stones or

rocks.

Products containing citric acid may not be as safe on such surfaces as soap-based products can

be. So, don’t apply likely unsafe solutions.

Emphasize on the heavily trafficked areas

Try not to walk in with shoes on when you and other members get back home

Do not let spills stay at all and clean immediately

Reseal tile and grout as recommended to protect the floors.

We believe that you will find our recommended suggestions helpful to get that sparkle back on

your tile floor. Just apply the cleaning methods suggested and you no more have to worry about

stains, grouts, mildews and scum. If yours is a hardwood floor, our tips will certainly help you to

keep its finish look as good as you want. Carpet cleaning will be a cinch by following the rules

that have been suggested. So just relax!

Floor vacuuming and cleaning made easy

Devices & Hardware

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