1) Carpet cleaning

Stains in carpet- Never rub a stain, just blot. Remove most food stains with shaving cream. Spray on and do not rub it in, then let it set for 15 minutes. Rinse with a vinegar and water solution.

Red wine stains- Club soda removes red wine stains. Remove red dye stains with a 30/70 solution of peroxide/bleach to water. Test a very small area first for colour fastness. Apply the mixture, wait 30 minutes, then remove as much moisture as possible and rinse with a vinegar/water solution. If the stain remains, add a bit more peroxide to the mixture and retreat.

Food stains- Dab a bit of Brake cleaner and gently blot stains. Rinse with soap and water. Do not pour brake cleaner directly into the carpet.

Deodorizing- Sprinkle Baking Soda (Bicarbonate of Soda) onto carpet before sleeping and vacuum off in the morning.

2) Floor cleaning

Marble Floors - Best to use warm water on marble floors, then follow with a dry towel. Always dry marble floors, they spot easily.

Asphalt Tile- Use alkaline cleaners on it. Wax only with water-based wax. Easily softened/dissolved by solvents, so do not use solvent, or solvent-based polishing waxes on it.

Ceramic tile and slate- Best to clean with warm water. Regularly apply a sealant found in tile stores to slate, tile and especially the grout. Clean grout by spraying a 50/50 solution of hydrogen peroxide and water directly on the spot. Let that set 15 minutes and repeat. Do not use on colored tiles as peroxide is bleach. Another alternative is to use shaving cream on stains. Test the tile on a very small spot first for colour fastness. After removing stains successfully, seal them.

Wooden Floor- Use a slightly damp cloth to mop the floor after vacuuming/sweeping. Do not use excessive water.

Never place potted plants directly in contact with your flooring, even if they are placed in waterproof saucers. Do place your plants on trivets or stands, so that air can circulate underneath. Dog and cat nails can scratch and dent your floor's surface. Keep nails trimmed regularly.

Immediately clean up pet urine, as it will damage the floor's finish if allowed to dry. Keep high heels in good repair. Heels that have worn down or lost their protective cap, exposing the steel support rod, will dent and pit wood, fracture ceramic tile or stone and perforate vinyl. Always put felt protective pads on the legs of your furniture, this allows the furniture to be moved easily without scratching or denting your floors finish.

There are many types of finishes on hard surface floors today. It is important to know how your floors were finished so that you can apply the proper floor care product. Your builder, or flooring installer/finisher should be able to tell you what type of finish you have.

In choosing the proper product, you must first determine if your floor has a urethane, acrylic or wax finish. The care for a wax floor finish is very different from that of a urethane finish.

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