home sweet home December 2013 AN ONGOING SERIES OF HOUSEHOLD TIPS AND INFORMATION Caring For Your Flooring – Vinyl HOUSING Maintaining your vinyl floor will enhance your home and contribute to your health. Allergy sufferers are often told to sweep flooring every day to remove to dust mites. Preventative maintenance is key to maintaining the quality and extending the life of your vinyl floor. Here are some tips from Experts in the flooring industry: Cleaning: • Wipe up spills as soon as they occur. • Sweep the floor thoroughly with a soft broom to remove all dirt and grit. • Damp mop the floor using a clean mop or cloth. Frequently rinse in clean water. • Do not use a beater-bar vacuum cleaner on the floor. Doing so will damage the floor surface. • When necessary, mop the floor with a solution of clean water and hard surface cleaner. • Rinse thoroughly with clean water. What not to use when cleaning your floor: • Wire or nylon scouring pads • Furniture polish • Power or liquid abrasive cleaners • Bleach or strong detergents. Protecting your floor from damage: • Indentation marks from high pressure points, such as a stove, washing machines and other appliances are common. To avoid these, place on hardboard sheets, castor cups or an off-cut of the flooring. • Stiletto heels will damage the flooring • Tear or scuff damage can result from dragging heavy appliances or furniture across the floor. Avoid this by placing a sheet of hardboard or an off-cut of carpet beneath objects before repositioning them. • Sharp objects can puncture the surface of the floor. • Hot or burning objects may scorch or blister the surface of the floor. • Prevent ground-in dirt and grit by placing non-staining, natural fibre doormats at all external doorways Protecting your floor from stain damage: • Rubber backing on doormats may result in yellow discoloration of the floor directly beneath. Choose a natural fibre mat. • Rubber feet on furniture may cause staining. Remove them altogether or place coasters or felt pads between them and the floor. • Spirit based products (such as shoe polish, solvents, hair dye and permanent marker pens) will leave marks on the floor. Wipe up spots and marks as quickly as possible. This is also true for mustard and strongly coloured foodstuffs such as beets. • Corrosive substances such as acid and alkaline solutions can damage the surface of the floor. Clean-up any spills quickly and carefully avoiding direct contact with the substance. • Bitumen/tar from freshly resurfaced or melted roads and pathways, inexpensive black driveway sealers, some inexpensive rubber shoe and slipper soles can also cause stains. Following these simple guidelines will help to keep your flooring looking like new. It doesn’t take a huge amount of money, just a bit of effort.