Floors are the parts of the house that take maximum load and stress on them, quite literally. They are under constant load and friction which might end up causing damage to them. One of the first ways to take proper care of your hard floors is by diligently cleaning them.
It is necessary to clean the hard floors properly and regularly to ensure they give you a long and fine service. The flipside of this need for cleaning is that such hard floors often get damaged due to incorrect ways of cleaning them. No wonder these mistakes need not to be repeated.
Keep reading to know the most common mistakes we make while cleaning our adored floors which result in damage.
1- Not using a proper cleaning product :
There is a wide range of products available in the market to aid you in the cleaning process. Products that are overly abrasive and harsh must be avoided at all costs to protect your precious floors.
Read the instruction manual of the product properly to know exactly which product will suit your floor type and in what quantity it must be used. Oftentimes the steam cleaner which you were using on your old floor is not compatible with the newly fixed floor.
Floor tile cleaning machines are apt for cleaning all kinds of hard floors. Get in contact with the manufacturer of the new flooring to clear any doubts.
2- Not using the vacuum cleaner correctly :
The vacuum cleaner must have the extension/attachment fixed to it which is suitable for that particular kind of flooring.
Also, the suction setting should be maintained at a value that is perfect for your tile or hardwood flooring. Not doing so is one of the most common errors that many people make leading to damage.
The vacuum cleaner or any other aid will only help you in the long run if you use it optimally with the correct settings.
3- Overuse of water :
Water is the most harmless and popular cleaning tool you have at your disposal but it should not be overused in a way that will lead to its absorption to such an extent which might swell up or warp your floors, eventually damaging them completely.
Wetting the surfaces slightly and then using using commercial floor scrubbers by professionals on the hard floors is advised.
4- Fixing damages early :
Any sort of preliminary damage in the floors should be taken care of as soon as possible because these points of initial damage which are often around corners and edges could then lead on to complete disaster.
If you are watchful and act promptly, a stitch in time could indeed save nine.
5- Using inappropriate cleaning products :
We often have a habit of using readily available liquids like vinegar to clean up the stains on floors but it must not be used indiscriminately because often some floorings are not compatible with such chemicals and get totally damaged or discolored when in contact with certain homemade products.
Testing the product on an extra floor piece that you might have left over after the construction might help you know for sure.
It is necessary to keep furniture pads under the legs of tables, chairs or any other furniture item you have to protect it from damage under load. But often dust and moisture get settled around them or under them because it is easy to neglect these places. One should take proper care to clean these spaces.