To retain their original beauty, both traditional and modern floors require regular maintenance, which will slow down their degradation
How to choose floor care products and equipment? Purchase guide
1 – Clean in three steps
Depending on the nature of the soil, it is advisable to adapt the gestures and the maintenance products. Similarly, a distinction must be made between routine maintenance and weekly or annual maintenance. Remember that, to optimize the final result, the interview must respect three stages carried out successively or simultaneously.
Step 1: strip the floors
Stripping removes dirt and removes protective residues, making thorough cleaning easier and simplifying routine maintenance. Appropriate products such as degreasers, strippers or dewaxers will be chosen.
Step 2: protect
The protection of materials against daily aggressions is achieved by using polishes. The latter restore their shine thanks to their smoothing power, preserve the original appearance and facilitate subsequent maintenance by protecting them from wear, impurities and humidity.
If it is essential to regularly rid the floors of their stains so that they maintain their good health over the long term, more thorough cleaning can be done less frequently and can overcome the most stubborn traces.
2 – Respect the different types of soil
Because parquet cannot be cleaned like tiling, maintenance must respect the particularities of each type of floor.
Maintaining natural or treated parquet
Whatever its finish, parquet requires regular dry dusting, so that the natural elegance of the wood will stand the test of time.
On a vitrified parquet floor , the most common finish, it is often enough to pass a damp and wrung cloth for the material to regain its shine. Once or twice a year, we recommend the use of a reviver, which will restore transparency to the varnish. If the parquet is scratched, sand it with sandpaper, then apply a thin layer of varnish to the scratch before polishing it.
Oiled or waxed floors , even stained, should not be wet. It is therefore necessary to use a suitable cleaner or polish them before oiling or waxing them.
Laminate floors are easier to maintain: after having removed the dust with a broom or a vacuum cleaner fitted with a special brush, all you have to do is pass a floor cloth soaked in hot water mixed with a suitable non-abrasive product. Even if the parquet becomes dull, never use oil or sealer, but consider applying a renovator once or twice a year.
To best protect your floors, which are very sensitive to scratches, it is recommended to place felt pads under the heaviest furniture and mats at each entrance. If, despite everything, your floor is too damaged, consider renovating the parquet.
Maintaining earthenware, stoneware or ceramic tiles
The longevity of the tiles will certainly depend on its quality, but also on the way in which it has been maintained. To be sure not to damage the tiles and joints, daily cleaning will be done with a simple mixture of lukewarm water and detergent. It is also advisable to carry out regular dusting, to avoid the abrasive effect of the various types of dirt.
Maintaining earthenware, stoneware or ceramic tiles
In order to preserve the shine and the colors of the carpets and rugs, which absorb all the dirt, a simple regular dusting will be carried out, using a vacuum cleaner equipped with a suitable brush (short or thicker bristles). The frequency of maintenance will depend on the level of soiling and the number of daily comings and goings. However, maintenance remains easier and less expensive than for other supports. Most stains will disappear, for example, by dabbing them with lukewarm water or with a specific cleaner, such as a dry powder or a spray.
Once a year, it may be necessary to carry out a thorough sanitization, using a steam cleaner or a shampooer. In particular, a so-called “injection-extraction” model will be used, which has the ability to simultaneously vacuum and wash synthetic fiber carpets.