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Hardwood Floors:
For cleaning, make sure you...
- Use a damp cloth to blot spills and spots as soon as they happen. For tough spots, such as oil, paint, markers, lipstick, ink, tar, or cigarette marks, use acetone/nail polish remover on a clean white cloth, then wipe with a damp cloth. Always avoid allowing liquids to stand on your floor.
- Sweep, dust, or vacuum the floor regularly with the hard floor attachment (not the beater bar) to prevent accumulation of dirt or grit that can scratch or dull the floor finish.
- Occasionally wipe the floor with a damp mop or cloth.
- Periodically clean the floor with our line of floor covering care products.
For cleaning, make sure not to...
- Do not use oil based, wax, polish, or strong ammoniated or abrasive cleaners.
- Do not use steel wool or scouring powder.
- Do not wash or wet-mop the floor with soap, water, oil-soap detergent, or any other liquid cleaning material. This could cause swelling, warping, de lamination, and joint-line separation, and void the warranty.
- Do not use any type of buffing machine.
Laminate Flooring:
Clean your laminate flooring with these routine maintenance guidelines.
- Use a damp cloth to blot up spills as soon as they happen. Never allow liquids to stand on your floor.
- For tough spots, such as oil, paint, markers, lipstick, ink, or tar, use acetone/nail polish remover on a clean white cloth, then wipe the area with a damp cloth to remove any remaining residue.
- Sweep, dust, or vacuum the floor regularly with the hard floor attachment (not the beater bar) to prevent accumulation of dirt and grit that can scratch or dull the floor finish.
- Periodically clean the floor with cleaning products made specifically for laminate floor care. For optimum results, we recommend Shaw's Ever Clean.
- Do not wash or wet mop the floor with soap, water, oil-soap detergent, or any other liquid cleaning material. This could cause swelling, warping, de lamination, and joint-line separation, and void the warranty.
- Do not use steel wool, abrasive cleaners, or strong ammoniated or chlorinated type cleaners.
- Do not use any type of buffing or polishing machine.
- For spots such as candle wax or chewing gum, harden the spot with ice and then gently scrape with a plastic scraper, such as a credit card. Be careful not to scratch the flooring surface. Wipe clean with a damp cloth.
- A more frequent dust-mopping or vacuuming schedule may be required in very sandy areas such as a beach home.
Linoleum Flooring:
Maintenance Recommendations:
Armstrong Linoleum Sheet & Tile (Marmorette, Granette, Decorette, Colorette, Linorette, Uni Walton, Linodur)
Read Before You Begin Regular Maintenance:
In areas where the linoleum will be exposed to heavy traffic and/or staining agents,
the application of a stain-resistant sealer is highly recommended. The use of walk-off
mats at all entrances is also highly recommended.
Initial Protection:
The typical construction site involves various trades people and an equal variety of
dirt, soils, traffic and stains, all of which can damage the unprotected flooring. The
application of several coats of polish immediately after installation will help protect
the new flooring from construction traffic.
Do not wet wash, scrub or strip the floor for at least four or five days after
installation (this prevents excess moisture from interfering with the seam
treatments and adhesive bond).
Initial Maintenance After Installation:
1.Sweep or vacuum thoroughly.
2.Damp mop with a neutral detergent solution such as Armstrong S-485
Floor Cleaner at 3 to 4 ounces per gallon, while carefully scrubbing black
marks and excessive soil.
3.Apply two coats of a high quality commercial floor polish such as
Armstrong S-480 Floor Polish.
Continuing Regular Maintenance:
1.Sweep or vacuum frequently.
2.Damp mop or lightly scrub the floor with the appropriate pads or brushes,
using a neutral detergent solution such as Armstrong S-485 Floor Cleaner at 3
to 4 ounces per gallon.
3.If the floor has been scrubbed, thoroughly rinse and allow it to dry.
4.If there is sufficient (three to five coats) polish remaining on the floor, buff,
spray-buff or burnish to restore gloss.
Preparation for Commercial Traffic:
1.Scrub the floor with a neutral detergent solution such as Armstrong S-485
Floor Cleaner at 4 to 6 ounces per gallon and a scrubbing pad (3M
blue/green, or equal), or equivalent brushes. If the floor is badly soiled and/or
scratched, strip it using the same procedure but substituting a stripping
solution with 10 pH or less. Do not use Armstrong S-490 Floor Stripper.
2.Thoroughly rinse floor and allow it to dry.
3.Apply three to five coats of a high-quality commercial floor polish such as
Armstrong S-480 Floor Polish. The use of a high-quality stain-resistant sealer
such as Armstrong S-495 Floor Sealer should be considered in areas of high
traffic, high soil load or high staining potential.
Stripping:
1.Strip the floor only when necessary, following procedures outlined under
Preparation for Commercial Traffic above. Do not use no-scrub and/or no rinse
strippers on Armstrong linoleum. The use of these highly
alkaline or solvent solutions or abrasive materials may damage
the linoleum.
NOTE: Drying room film (also known as seasoning bloom or stove yellowing) is a
naturally occurring phenomenon on linoleum products. As linoleum cures in the
drying room, a yellow cast may appear on the surface of the product. This is not a
product defect. Any change in the product's appearance because of this yellow cast is
temporary and disappears when the flooring is exposed to either natural or artificial
light. The time required for drying room film to disappear ranges from several hours
to several weeks depending on the intensity of the light source. The application of
floor finishes will not interfere with the dissipation of drying room film.
Area Rugs:
Maintaining and cleaning your Rugs requires just a few simple steps.
- Regular vacuuming will help rugs retain their beauty and will extend the life of the rug.
- You should clean spills immediately with the following method: blot with a clean cloth, spot clean with a solution of clear dish washing detergent (non-bleach) and water, rinse with water, and blot dry.
- Professional carpet cleaning is recommended using the hot water extraction method. You should not dry clean your Rugs and you should not use bleach.
Carpets:
No carpet is absolutely stain proof
Some carpets have stain resistant treatments that improve your ability to clean stains, but not prevent stains. Similarly, carpets with soil resistant treatments reduce the rate of soiling, but all carpets require regular care and maintenance
Staining versus soiling
There is often confusion about the difference between soiling and staining carpet. The majority of stain complaints are actually soil related. For example, many sugar-based spills, such as soft drinks and coffee, leave a sugar residue after removal. This sticky residue readily attracts soil from ordinary shoe traffic, and the resulting discolored area appears to be a stain.
The same thing happens when spills are cleaned with a detergent solution and the area is not sufficiently rinsed with plain water, leaving a sticky detergent residue. It is important to rinse thoroughly with water and blot dry after removing any spill.
Ceramic:
Use protective mats
Good quality entry and exit mats will help protect your ceramic tile from premature wear. They trap the dirt, sand, grit, and other substances such as oil, asphalt, or driveway sealer that would otherwise be tracked onto your floor. Mats are also suggested at heavy pivot locations, such as in front of your kitchen sink or stove.
Add protective pads to furniture
Protect your tile by affixing felt or similar pads to the legs of any metal, iron, wood, or plastic furniture that will be placed on it. Exterior metal furniture which rests on tile floors or patios may rust and cause staining.
Use recommended sealers and cleaners only
Cleaners other than 877 GET FLOORS recommended line of floor care products or the vinegar solution described above are not recommended. They may cause unwarranted damage to your tile and/or grout.
Check cure time before adding grout sealer
Unless noted otherwise on its packaging, grout should cure for at least 28 days before applying a sealer.
Use a penetrating sealer on quarry tiles
Quarry tiles are the only tiles that need a penetrating sealer. These sealers are absorbed into the tile, forming a stain resistant shield just below the surface. Most sealers will darken or change the appearance of the tile, and resealing is usually required every 12 to 18 months. None of our other tiles will need a sealer. Actually, they are not porous enough to even absorb it.
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