FLOORING MAINTENANCE
Keeping your floors in great condition doesn’t have to be complicated.
With the right care and a few simple habits, you can extend the life, beauty and performance of every surface in your home.
Our team has gathered essential maintenance tips to help you protect your flooring and keep it looking its best day after day.
General Maintenance of Engineered Timber
With a little routine care and regular maintenance, it is easy to look after your timber floor. Just follow the easy steps below:
1. Cleaning & Care: Wood is a natural product and will adjust to its environment over time. Differential shading/colour adjustment is likely to occur where the flooring is covered (e.g. under rugs) or in direct sunlight.
2. Immediately: Clean up any liquid or water based spills or any other potentially staining marks using a dry clean cloth. Some materials or colourants (such as tar, grease, oil, dyes, waxes, ball point, marker pens, pet mishaps or foods/beverages containing strong dyes as mustard, curry, cordial, coffee, tea etc.) may under certain conditions migrate into the wear layer causing indelible stains.
3. Daily or as required: Remove any loose dirt or grit which could damage the floor by sweeping with a soft dry broom or vacuum (preferably with an effective dust filter and suction nozzle for hard surfaces turning off a powerhead, if installed).
4. Weekly: Clean using a waterless timber floor cleaning fluid and micro fibre mop, otherwise mop the floor using a well rung out damp mop (the floor should be dry 15 seconds after mopping and a non-abrasive soap-free cleaner suitable for timber floors to remove any footprints, dirt and other stains or marks. Never flood the floor with water as excessive moisture can damage the floor.
5. As required: Stubborn scuffs and stains can easily be removed using a damp cloth or sponge with a diluted solution of methylated spirits (testing first on a left over piece or non visible area (such as a cupboard)). Ensure the methylated spirits is completely rinsed from the flooring.
6. Never use a steam-mop or steam-cleaner.
7. Never use abrasive cleaners, nylon scouring pads, steel wool, scouring powder or bleach as they may damage the floor.
8. Never use oil, soap, wax or polishes as these finishes may make the floor slippery and can leave a dull finish on the floor.
9. Place entrance mats (which must not have a rubber backing) at all external doors to trap dirt, sand, grit, moisture and other substances from shoes mats must be cleaned regularly.
10. Use non-staining felt protectors under heavy pieces of furniture. Fit office chairs, filing trolleys, mobile containers and old hard or sharp edged castors on furniture with soft treads or castors. Chair pads should be used under desk chairs with castors.
Vacuuming Wool Carpet
What vacuum type is best for wool carpet?
The most common question people ask is ‘What type of vacuum should I be using on my wool carpet?’. As the wool carpet experts for 60+ years, here’s what we recommend to look out for when choosing which vacuum cleaner to buy. This applies to both cut pile and loop pile carpets.
Plain suction head vacuums are recommended: Any vacuum that features a plain suction head nozzle is going to be a great option for your carpet as there is a reduced risk of damaging carpet piles when there are no rotating components within the nozzle. Choosing a vacuum with strong suction is also important, it is safe for your wool carpet and it pulls up soil and dirt that may be stuck in and around the carpet fibres. Strong suction ensures your carpet stays clean and well maintained.
Revolving brush head vacuums are not recommended: Over-use of these heads can cause excessive frizzing and affect the tailored appearance of your carpet. This is why it is important to choose a vacuum with a plain suction head or the option to remove the revolving brush attachment.
How to vacuum your wool carpet: Routine Maintenance: Vacuum at least once a week and more often in high-traffic areas such as hallways, entrance ways and living rooms. Regular maintenance helps to remove dirt particles before they can build up and potentially damage the carpet fibre. Make sure you vacuum under infrequently moved furniture every three months.
Slow movements: When vacuuming, it is also important to move the vacuum cleaner slowly, to give time for the dirt to be shaken out and sucked up. Avoid excessive downward pressure on the suction head, which tends to flatten the carpet.
Keep your vacuum maintained: To clean your carpet effectively the vacuum cleaner must be well maintained, and filters and dust bags must be changed or cleaned regularly. Tests have proven that a vacuum cleaner’s suction is greatly reduced even by a partially filled dust bag. Older vacuum cleaners may need to be checked. An electrically powered vacuum cleaner is much more efficient than a carpet sweeper.
General Maintenance of Nylon Carpets
Cleaning
Nylon carpets are super easy to clean if the stains and spills are immediately attended to. Be cautious of using harsh chemical household cleaners, as they can permanently discolour your carpet or dissolve the carpet fibres. Avoid using sprays or scrubbing the area; instead use a soft dry cloth to blot over the stains and spills until it is touch dry. Using a hair dryer on the area to speed up the drying process can be a handy trick to apply. If you are planning to steam clean or spray any cleaning agents be aware it may cause a build-up of mildew and mould. We would recommend avoiding using shampoos, do-it-yourself steam cleaning or dry cleaning; however, professionally cleaning your carpet every 12-18 months is necessary to add years to the life of your carpet. For further information on how to clean and maintain your carpet refer here.
Cautionary measures
Known for their stain and spill resistance, nylon carpets have a coating that protects your carpet from staining by immediately cleaning it up. However, we recommend you to be careful when peeling or eating fruits near your carpet, as you may miss the transparent fruit spatter and as they become sticky upon drying, they may attract dust which will appear as black dot stains on your carpet. While using cleaning agents or indoor plant food sprays, place a cloth while spraying to avoid discolouration or dissolution of your carpet fibres.
Nylon carpets are children and pet-friendly, making them easy to clean and maintain. When you notice your child or pet drooling or spilling, immediately wash them with cold water to avoid the saliva and food stains showing as black dots upon drying. It would also be a great idea to place a rug or a pet sofa and train your pet to rest in it instead of leaving their skin fat on your carpet which may show signs of severe wear and tear in time. Sometimes pet claws cause sprouting; removing those loose ends of fibres by clipping instead of pulling will prevent the carpet from running.
Designed to be fade-resistant ensure your nylon carpets retain their beautiful colours by having curtains, blinds or awnings in your carpeted area to filter the harsh UV rays entering your home.
Mostly, cleaning your carpet is straightforward. However, vacuuming your carpet once a week prolongs its life. To vacuum your super soft nylon carpet, always choose the highest setting with a rotating brush where appropriate and use a suction level that allows the vacuum head to glide while lifting foreign matter from the carpet.
Signature Floors
General Maintenance for Laminate Flooring
• Sun Blinds or similar protection must be used for window & door openings exposed to heat and high UV exposure; this will assist in reducing the harmful bleaching / fading effects sun damage can have on your laminate floor. Constant exposure to UV heat extremes will damage laminate floors if the exposure is not controlled.
• Sweep floor regularly with an electrostatic broom, soft bristled broom, or wood floor mop.
• Dust and or clean with a soft bristled vacuum head. Ensure vacuum head is non-abrasive with no metal contact points. • Remove spills promptly with an absorbent cloth or similar.
• Do not use hard bristled brushes or steel wool scouring pads to clean hard to remove spots or blemishes.
• For all installations avoid placing rugs or mats on the floor surface for at least 2 months. This should enable a more even UV exposure to natural and internal lighting. Avoid animal rugs unless you determine the backing is PH neutral or place carpet / rug lining under to avoid bleaching the floor surface.
• Place mats at exterior and interior doors to trap sand and grit from incoming foot traffic and for drying feet if pool activity is nearby.
• To avoid scuffing & localised scratches, adhere soft pads to the base of all furnishings in contact with the floor. Periodically check to make sure stones or grit have not lodged in any protective pads.
• Keep pets’ claws properly trimmed to avoid excess scratches and gouges.
• For sticky spills or ingrained dirt and grime, clean with a well-rung out mop using warm water and a PH neutral, non-abrasive floor cleaner. Do not use supermarket floor or general cleaning solutions as they are generally concentrated and if used incorrectly will damage the surface coating. Always follow manufacturer’s instructions.
