Product Care
Tile & Travertine Care
PROPER MAINTENANCE is the key to a trouble-free tile & stone floor. It is suggested that you damp mop your new tile & travertine floors at least once a week (or more often for heavy traffic areas) with a good tile and stone surface floor cleaner such as Quick Clean. Quick Clean is an economical, hygienic and neutral cleaner for frequent tile cleaning. It is easy, safe to use and is streak free. Quick Clean contains no harmful chemicals and is biodegradable. Quick Clean will not attack or break down sealers or polishes and may therefore be used on any tile and hard surface including sealed surfaces. Quick Clean has a pleasant fragrance and is extremely economical to use due to the dilution rate. If Quick Clean is not available, make sure that any cleanser you have chosen is compatible with grout cleaning (neutral pH), and will not stain the grout. Never use a detergent or soap, because it can dull the surface or promote the growth of mildew. Routine cleaners should never contain acids, vinegar, chlorine or ammonia, as these chemicals can damage and discolor the grout or the surface of the stone or tile. (CAUTION... Wait at least 72 hours after installation before damp mopping to allow new tile and grout to dry.)
GOOD QUALITY ENTRY & EXIT MATS will help protect your tile from premature wear by trapping 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. 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 top of it. Exterior metal furniture, which rests on tile floors or patios, may rust and cause staining.
GOOD QUALITY ENTRY & EXIT MATS will help protect your tile from premature wear by trapping 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. 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 top of it. Exterior metal furniture, which rests on tile floors or patios, may rust and cause staining.
NATURAL FIBER (Sisal, Coir, Seagrass)
- VISIBLE and LOOSE DIRT – Should be regularly picked up with a broom or vacuum cleaner. Easily cleaned, because dirt will not cling to the hard, non-static fibers. Regular cleaning is necessary because loose particles of dirt reduce the life span of the floor covering with their scouring effect.
- WATER – Can dissolve dirt particles and bring them to the surface. This may cause watermarks to form. Therefore spilled water or water from plant containers must be dabbed immediately with an absorbent white cloth and then dried with a hair blow dryer or floor fan. An absorbent powder like Host or Capture can also be used.
- SPILLS – Which are still moist, are the easiest to remove. Remove the spills promptly by scrapping up solids and blotting liquids. Follow by dabbing with a damp cloth of water (add white vinegar to the cloth to cut grease). Dry with a cloth or hair blow dryer.
- SPOT REMOVAL & OVERALL CLEANING – It is important during cleaning that the amount of moisture be controlled. The recommended method of spot removal and overall cleaning are with dry cleaning products. For spot removal- we recommend the K2R, Host or Capture products, following the directions on the containers (available in hardware or grocery stores). For overall cleaning- we recommend the “Host System” or “Capture System” listed in yellow pages under “carpet cleaning”. Use the following natural fiber directions: Use a cleaning machine with standard brushes and do not use prep or other liquid. Apply a smaller amount of dry cleaning powder “sponges” than you would for regular carpets and do more brushing with the machine. Make sure the cleaning sponges are evenly spread across the floorcovering, then let sink in until dry. These period can vary…between 30 minutes and 2 hours, depending on how dirty the floor is, how thickly the sponges has been applied and the humidity of the room. During the drying period, the cleaning substances contained in the sponges will cling to the dirt. When completely dry, vacuum with an upright, using an all brush agitator in both directions. Repeat a second time without using any additional sponges. Brushing in the direction of the rows will help loosen the sponges trapped in the surface.
WOOL
- VACUUMING– Weekly vacuuming is recommended so that soil does not become embedded in the pile causing accelerated wear. There are 3 types of vacuums; plain suction, beater bar, and revolving bristle. All are efficient for regular cleaning, especially on dense pile carpet. For loop pile carpets, use a plain suction, or beater bar vacuum, without brushes. Do not use the revolving brush as it may cause more pilling or fuzzing.
- OVERALL CLEANING– If you have taken care to vacuum your carpet regularly and remove spills quickly, you may not need to do an overall cleaning for a year or more, even if it is light in color. When the carpet starts to look soiled you can have it professionally dry cleaned or you can clean it yourself. There are a few dry cleaning powders and kits available in the market (for example: Host or Capture systems) They can be found listed in yellow pages under “carpet cleaning”. After vacuuming, a pre-mist may or may not be used, depending on which kit you purchase. If a pre-mist is included in your kit, follow the directions for use. Usually the pre-mist is sprayed on between the vacuuming and the powder application. The pre-mist can help with the raising of the soil to the surface. Once the pre-mist step is completed, typically the powder is sprinkled on liberally and brushed into the pile. After the allotted amount of time specified by your cleaning kit, you vacuum once more to get all the powder and soil out of your carpet.
- SPOT CLEANING– When spills occur, it is VERY IMPORTANT that they are cleaned up immediately! Follow these 4 Steps...
- STEP 1: Scoop up solids with a knife or spoon.
- STEP 2: Blot up liquids by applying pressure with white paper towels or a white cloth towel, do not rub!
- STEP 3: Sprinkle on absorbent powder (Host, Capture, Dri-Matic, etc)
- STEP 4: Leave overnight and vacuum next day. If there is excess absorbent powder still present, continue to let it dry and try to vacuum again.
WOOD
To PROTECT YOUR INVESTMENT and keep your hardwood flooring looking like new, observe these precautions and establish a REGULAR CLEANING routine and MAINTENANCE program like the one suggested below:
The accumulation of dirt and grit on your wood floors can scratch and dull the floor finish. Therefore, it is necessary to SWEEP, DUST or VACUUM your floor regularly and properly (with the hard floor attachment - not the beater bar). Don’t use oil based, wax, polish or strong ammoniated or abrasive cleaners and don’t wash or wet-mop your floor with soap, water, oil-soap detergent, or any other liquid cleaning material as this can cause swelling, warping, delamination, joint-line separation and can possibly void your warranty. We recommend Bona Hard Surfaces Flooring Cleaner. In addition, never use steel wool, scouring powder or any type of buffing machine on your floors and always use a soft cloth to blot spills and spots as soon as they happen. Spots such as candle wax or chewing gum can be removed by hardening the spot with ice and then gently scraping with a plastic scraper- such as a credit card- being careful not to scratch the flooring surface. Then wipe clean with a damp cloth.
In addition to routine cleaning, another great suggestion for maintaining the beauty of your new hardwood flooring is to use QUALITY ENTRANCE & EXIT MATS as they will help collect the dirt, sand, grit, and other substances such as oil, asphalt, or driveway sealer that can otherwise be tracked onto your flooring. Do not use rubber or foam-backed plastic mats as they may discolor the flooring. (Be sure to avoid mat slippage by using an approved vinyl rug underlayment.) It is vital to include the use of floor protectors- felt and rubber- for daily use and wide-load-bearing leg bases/rollers/dollies when moving heavy objects across your floor to minimize indentations and scratches.
The accumulation of dirt and grit on your wood floors can scratch and dull the floor finish. Therefore, it is necessary to SWEEP, DUST or VACUUM your floor regularly and properly (with the hard floor attachment - not the beater bar). Don’t use oil based, wax, polish or strong ammoniated or abrasive cleaners and don’t wash or wet-mop your floor with soap, water, oil-soap detergent, or any other liquid cleaning material as this can cause swelling, warping, delamination, joint-line separation and can possibly void your warranty. We recommend Bona Hard Surfaces Flooring Cleaner. In addition, never use steel wool, scouring powder or any type of buffing machine on your floors and always use a soft cloth to blot spills and spots as soon as they happen. Spots such as candle wax or chewing gum can be removed by hardening the spot with ice and then gently scraping with a plastic scraper- such as a credit card- being careful not to scratch the flooring surface. Then wipe clean with a damp cloth.
In addition to routine cleaning, another great suggestion for maintaining the beauty of your new hardwood flooring is to use QUALITY ENTRANCE & EXIT MATS as they will help collect the dirt, sand, grit, and other substances such as oil, asphalt, or driveway sealer that can otherwise be tracked onto your flooring. Do not use rubber or foam-backed plastic mats as they may discolor the flooring. (Be sure to avoid mat slippage by using an approved vinyl rug underlayment.) It is vital to include the use of floor protectors- felt and rubber- for daily use and wide-load-bearing leg bases/rollers/dollies when moving heavy objects across your floor to minimize indentations and scratches.