Carpet Maintenance
Preventative Maintenance

• Walk-off mats should be used at all entrances to absorb soil and moisture.
  
• Do not move heavy furniture very often, to avoid excessive crushing of the carpet and padding.
  
• Use coasters under the legs of tables and chairs and other furniture.
  
• Do not use chairs or appliances with rollers or casters without a chair pad designed for carpet.
  
• Protect your carpet from prolonged periods of direct sunlight with blinds, shades or awnings.

Professional Carpet Cleaners
It is to your advantage to use professional cleaners because their experience enables them to do a better job than you can do yourself. Their equipment has more extraction power than the rental units available to you, and the carpet should dry more quickly. ÝTrue professionals have also made the investment in training to understand the equipment, to know the proper cleaning agents for the situation at hand, and to recognize the difference in fibers and carpet construction. It is recommended that a carpet is deep cleaned once every twelve to eighteen months.

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Maintaining your Ceramic Tile

• Damp mopping with water plus your favorite all-purpose cleaner will keep your ceramic tile looking like new
• For heavy duty cleaning, use a scouring powder plus a nylon scrubbing pad. Never use steel wool pads. In some difficult cases, you may mop a scouring powder paster over the surface of the tile and let it stand for about five minutes. Scrub it with a brush, rinse and wipe dry.
• Ceramic tile resists both acid and alkaline damage from virtually any substance. However, harsh cleaning compounds that may contain acids or abrasives should not be used so that your ceramic tile will retain it¼s elegant luster.

• All purpose cleaners that can be used for cleaning ceramic tile include Mr. Clean, Fantastik, Soft Scrub, Liquid Comet and Lestoil. Scouring powders include Ajax, Comet, Bon Ami and Soft Scrub.
• Do NOT mix ammonia and household bleaches.
• Do NOT use a cleaning agent that contains color; it may stain in relatively porous grout joints.
• It¼s a good idea to test any harsh cleaning agent in an out-of-the-way corner.
• Never seal or wax your ceramic tile. These products cause unnecessary expense and maintenance by building up, thereby detracting from the appearance floor.

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Vinyl Maintenance
Preventative Maintenance
Regular Maintenance

• Sweep or vacuum (suction only - no beater bars) regularly to remove any loose grit or dirt, at least once a week.
  
• Wipe up spills promptly with a damp cloth or mop
  
• Wash your floor with warm water and a little bit of white vinegar or non-sudsey ammonia. You can also use the floor cleaner manufactured by the same company that made your floor. There are other suitable brands of cleaners that you can purchase at any floor covering store, supermarket or hardware store as well. It is important not to use any cleaners that will leave a film. Rinsing after cleaning will always give a higher shine(even if the cleaner says „no-rinse¾.)
  
• As with all resilient floors, some dulling may occur over time depending on the amount of traffic, care, and maintenance the floor receives. To restore the floor's luster, you can apply floor polish made by the manufacturer of your floor or another suitable polish that you can purchase at any floor covering store.
  
• After several applications of polish, an occasional stripping and reapplication of polish may be necessary. You can use the floor stripper manufactured by the same company that made your floor. There are other suitable brands of strippers that you can purchase at any floor covering store as well. Some floor strippers are so strong, they can take the entire top coat off of the floor for you to repolish with your desired finish. (Here at The Floor Store, we have even had some customers end up buying our high powered stripper and polish instead of a new floor! Some work that well!)
  

• Use detergent, abrasive cleaners or ''mop and shine'' products - they may leave a dull film on your floor.
  
• Use paste wax or solvent-based polishes.
  
• Use a beater bar when vacuuming because it can visibly damage the floor surface.
  
• Use highly abrasive scrubbing tools or pads.

Preventative Care

• Walk-off mats should be used at all entrances to absorb soil and moisture. Use colorfast or 100% latex-backed mats because some rubber-backed and cloth-backed mats may permanently discolor your floor.
  
• Always move heavy furniture and appliances with care to avoid gouging or tearing the floor. A good way of moving large items is to lay a plywood panel on your floor and „walk¾ the item across it.
  
• Use non-staining floor protectors with protective pads (like felt) under the legs of tables and chairs and other furniture. The pads should periodically be checked for grit and wear, and replaced when necessary. As a general rule, the heavier an object, the wider the floor protector should be.
  
• Rolling casters are not recommended, since they can damage the floor. If you choose to use them, the double wheel type are the best option.
  
• Protect your vinyl from prolonged periods of direct sunlight with blinds, shades or awnings. Also protect against extreme heat.
  
• Prevent permanent stains by wiping up spills promptly. Some mat backings, carpet dyes, porch and basement paints, and asphalt driveway sealers, particularly those that are coal tar or asphalt-based sealers, can permanently stain your floor. To help prevent staining from asphalt tracking, we recommend the use of a latex-based driveway sealer.

How to use this guide:
Try the first method suggested, then the second then the third, etc., until the spot is successfully removed. After each application, absorb as much as possible, blot with water, absorb as much water as possible, and then proceed to the next step.

Material	Cleaning Order		Material	Cleaning Order
Asphalt Driveway sealer*	2,3,4,5,1		Paint Varnish (wet)	1,5,2,3,4,6
Black Heel Marks	1,7,5		Paint Varnish (dry)	8,5,2,3,4,6,1
Crayon	2,3,4,1		Pen Ink*	5,2,3,4,1
Grape Juice	1		Permanent Marker*	2,3,4,6,5,1
Hair dye	5,2,3,4, 6,1		Rust	1,9
Lipstick	5,2,3,4,1		Shoe Polish*	2,3,4,5,1
Mercurochrome/Merthiolate	1		Wax	8,1
Mustard*	1		Wine	1
Nail Polish	5

*These stains may not be entirely removable.

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Please Note:
All cleaning & care methods and cleaning & care suggestions are provided as a service for our clients only. We cannot be responsible for any damages, discoloration or any other problems caused by your use of the cleaning and care methods on this/these pages. Remember, if you have any concerns AT ALL, consult a professional cleaner.