Regular cleaning is an essential part of maintaining any floor, but many homeowners fail to realize that there’s often a right way and a wrong way to go about it. One of the biggest mistakes you can make in this regard is using a cleaning product that’s excessively harsh or contains “contaminants.” Here are a couple examples of how using the wrong cleaner can have undesirable consequences.

Hardwood flooring
Steering clear of the wrong cleaning products is important when dealing with hardwood floors. In particular, labels such as “finish revitalizer” or claims to “bring back the old shine” should be red flags. Read more

Watch this video for some helpful tips about cleaning and maintaining carpet, rugs and floors. Read more

And now, the epic conclusion of our Best Diamond Certified Tips of the Day from 2012! Look for the series to continue in 2013 with the addition of several new media channels. In the meantime, if you want to get the Diamond Certified Tip of the Day on a regular basis, make sure to “Like” us on Facebook!

5. Cabinets
If you want to avoid a full-scale cabinet remodeling project, consider refurbishing your existing cabinets. In the case of kitchen cabinetry, this can be accomplished by simply repainting and refinishing the wood. Functional modifications, such as replacing deep drawers with roll-out shelves for easier access, can further reinvent your cabinets without the need for replacement. Read more

Watch this video and learn how to quickly deal with cat or dog urine before it damages your hardwood floor. Read more

This is a question sometimes heard by carpet cleaning companies from customers after cleaning their carpets. They have to explain that buckling occurs either because the polypropylene backing on the carpeting is defective or, more commonly, the original installation was not done properly.

Sometimes installers don’t take the time to stretch wall-to-wall carpeting (they are often paid per house, not by the hour). The slack can be up to 1%, or an inch for every 100 inches of carpeting.  Without stretching, buckling or bunching usually shows up around the edges and heavy furniture. It may appear after a few months or after a visit from your carpet cleaner.  If you’re having carpeting installed soon, make sure the installers don’t just “knee kick” the floor covering into place. Read more

Watch this video for some helpful tips on keeping your hardwood floors in good condition. Read more

With today’s advancements in wood flooring stains and finishes, cleaning wood floors has become much less of an arduous process. Regular maintenance requires little more than sweeping with a soft bristle broom and vacuuming with a soft floor attachment (if the floor has a beveled edge that could collect debris). To minimize maintenance and maintain the beauty of your wood floors, consider the following preventive maintenance tips:

• Don’t use sheet vinyl or tile floor care products on wood floors. Self-polishing acrylic waxes can cause wood to become slippery and appear dull.
• Use throw rugs inside and outside doorways to help prevent grit, dirt and other debris from being tracked onto your wood floors.

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