Save Money And Make Your Interior Design Last Longer: How To Maintain Beautiful Flooring
Adding vinyl flooring to a property is a great investment. Available in multiple textures, patterns and colours, it’s versatile, and most importantly, it can last for years. Vinyl flooring is incredibly hardwearing, making it a great choice for commercial properties and family homes.
Vinyl flooring doesn’t require a lot of maintenance, but there are several simple things that you can do to extend the life of the stunning new flooring in your home, keeping it looking its best for longer.
Vacuum regularly
Vacuuming already forms part of a standard cleaning routine in most homes, but if you install vinyl flooring, this becomes particularly important. Vinyl flooring is incredibly durable, but it can still become scratched.
The most common way that scratches occur is when large pieces of sharp debris are left on the floor and stood on or when heels are worn on the floor. It could be that someone had a stone stuck in the bottom of their shoe, or something was dropped and not noticed.
Pro-Tek™ recommends that you vacuum as soon as the flooring has been installed to ensure that there is nothing left over that could damage the surface of your brand new floor, but it’s a habit that should be continued long-term. Scratches will inevitably happen over time – it’s part of life – but regularly vacuuming or picking up any large pieces of debris will help to minimise any accidents that could cause damage.
Clean up spills
Vinyl flooring is very resistant to most of life’s mishaps, but it needs some input from you to stay looking its best. Try not to panic if you spill something on the floor – it won’t instantly cause issues – but try to clear up any accidents as soon as they happen.
Leaving water on the floor could seep into the boards over time and warp the shape. Spilling any liquids that have a deep colour, like red wine or coffee, could stain the boards if not cleared up quickly, although it won’t be instantly stained like carpet.
Use the correct products
While vinyl flooring is fairly easy to maintain and doesn’t require any specialist equipment, you do need to ensure that you’re using the correct cleaning solution.
Surfactants are chemicals often added to cleaning products to remove greasy residue. It’s great for kitchen cupboards or tiles, but over time surfactants can remove the coating from the vinyl’s surface, which changes the look and leaves it more susceptible to damage from spills, stains and scratches. Vinegar can have the same effect, so simply using a natural cleaner might not work.
Most cleaning products list what chemicals are used and the surfaces that the solution is suitable for, but if you’re concerned, then simply purchase a cleaning product specifically for vinyl flooring. Pro-Tek™ ‘s cleaning guide can give you more advice on which products to avoid.
Add rugs to high-traffic areas
Just like any flooring, the surface of your vinyl flooring can degrade over time in areas where it gets the most wear. Hallways, where kids are likely to run in with muddy shoes or the dog might stop and shake, are areas where the floor could easily get damaged from not being cared for as regularly as it needs. To avoid scratches or other damage, add a runner or rug to any areas that often see a lot of chaos. This could be the hallway, by the back door or in the kitchen – simply take note of any busy areas and bring in a rug to protect them.
Avoid excess sun exposure
Natural light can make a room feel bright and airy. It’s something that most people love, makes a space the perfect home for plants, and is usually high on the list when people are shopping for their next property to call home.
However, excess exposure to sunlight can prematurely age any type of flooring – even hardwearing vinyl can be damaged by excess sunlight. The excess UV rays can break down the coating more quickly, changing the appearance of your vinyl flooring and making it more prone to scratches or stains.
If you’re renovating a property, consider installing windows with a high UV filter to minimise the amount of harmful rays that can enter the property – this is also beneficial for your health.
If you’re not in a position to change the windows, then try adding some blinds to any areas that receive a lot of sunlight throughout the day. It won’t affect how much UV light comes into the house, but it can reduce any fading that could occur over time.
Deep clean at least once per year
Even though vinyl flooring doesn’t soak up dirt or dust like a carpet would, it’s still important to deep clean your floor once per year. This can help to remove any dirt that’s pressed into the surface and allow your floors to continue looking their best for longer.
Ultimately, your new vinyl floors are incredibly durable and won’t be easily damaged, but by taking sensible steps and putting a routine in place to keep your floors clean, they’ll continue to look great for years to come. There is lots of advice on how to clean vinyl flooring online and advice on what products to use, but if in doubt, then contact Pro-Tek™ for friendly advice.