Flooring Care & Cleaning Tips

Regular carpet care and routine maintenance are essential to maintaining your carpet. Over time, normal foot traffic and soiling will cause a change in any carpet’s appearance. Hot water extraction, either alone or in combination with cleaning, is required to maintain your carpet. The service must be performed by a trained carpet care professional every 1 ½ to 2 years to refresh the texture and rejuvenate the fibers in your carpet.

Vacuuming is key to keeping your new carpet young, fresh, and beautiful. Dirt and grit will become embedded in the pile and affect your carpet’s color and cause matting of the pile. So, you’ll want to vacuum heavy-traffic areas every day if possible. Less heavily used areas can be maintained with once-a-week vacuuming. Vacuum about three passes for light cleaning, and up to seven passes where there is more soil.

For best results, use a vacuum cleaner with a beater bar or rotating brush — with plenty of suction — used according to the manufacturer’s directions. Make sure you adjust the attachment to the proper height for your carpet. For loop pile carpet, avoid attachments with teeth or ridges.

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 a professional wood floor cleaner.

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, delamination, and joint-line separation, and void the warranty. Do not use any type of buffing 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.

For really tough spots, contact us at 507-288-1766.

Run the vacuum, use a dust mop, or wipe with a damp cloth. For spills, just wipe up with a cloth or sponge. In sandy areas, sweep or vacuum regularly to avoid surface scratching. 

Do not use soap-based detergents or mop-and-shine products, as these may leave a dull film on your floor. Do not use abrasive cleaners, steel wool or scouring powder, which can scratch your floor. Do not wax or polish your floor.

Laminate flooring, like other types of smooth flooring, can become slippery when wet. Immediately wipe up spills and allow time to dry for a bit after washing.

Remove tough spots like tar, shoe polish, and driveway asphalt with nail polish remover containing acetone.

For really tough spots, contact us at 507-288-1766.

Proper maintenance is the key to a trouble-free ceramic tile floor. Damp mop your ceramic tile weekly. A mixture of 1 cup of white vinegar to 2 gallons of clean tap water can be used. Never use a detergent or soap, because it can dull the surface or promote the growth of mildew. Ceramic tiles almost never stain.

Caution: You should allow your new ceramic tile and grout to dry for at least 72 hours after installation before damp mopping.

To keep your vinyl flooring luxurious, sweep or vacuum regularly to remove everyday dirt and debris. For dirty floors, mix a cup of white vinegar with a gallon of water and use a damp mop to clean the floor. White vinegar is also helpful to disinfect your floors. Add a few drops of dishwashing soap for particularly grimy messes. After cleaning, be sure to rinse floors with water and dry with a clean towel.

For tough stains, try isopropyl alcohol or a water and baking soda paste.

Avoid cleaners with bleach, ammonia, or high-pH detergents, which can damage vinyl flooring.

Area rugs or accent rugs are a great way to add comfort, warmth, and personality to a room. When it’s time for a cleaning, run the vacuum on both sides of the rug. If you have pets, use the brush attachment to remove pet hair. Then take the rug outdoors to clean with a solution of dish soap and warm water, using a sponge or soft-bristled brush. Let the rug sit for a few minutes and then rinse with a garden hose and let dry.