Soap and water, polish, wax or what? Take the guesswork out of hardwood floor care and go from dull and grimy to gleaming and gorgeous in a few easy steps.
First Things First—Determine the Finish
Before you grab a bucket of water and a mop, it's best to find out how your wood floor is sealed—if at all. Why? The finish, not the wood type, determines how you clean and care for the floor.
Surface-sealed floors: Most new wood floors are sealed with urethane, polyurethane or polyacrylic. Surface-sealed floors are stain and water-damage resistant and easiest to care for and clean: Sweep, mop and you're done!
Penetrating-seal-treated and oil-treated floors: Also common, a penetrating seal or oil finish soaks into the wood grain and hardens. This type of floor must be pampered and protected with liquid or paste wax.
Lacquered, varnished, shellacked and untreated floors: Although technically surface finishes, lacquers, varnishes and shellacs are not as resistant to moisture, spills and wear as the other sealants mentioned. Treat floors with these finishes and floors with no finish as you would penetrating-seal-treated and oil-treated floors.
Not sure what kind of finish you have? To tell the difference in a pinch, just rub your finger across the floor. If no smudge appears, the floor is surface sealed. If you do create a smudge, the floor has been treated with a penetrating seal, oil finish, shellac, varnish or lacquer, and then waxed.
You can view the entire articleClick Here
Showing posts with label cleaning equipment. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cleaning equipment. Show all posts
Tuesday
Dirt Devil Purpose for Pets Portable Extractor SE3890 Review
We've heard about this Portable Extractor that is especially for cleaning up after pets, so we thought a review was in order to see what others thought about this product.
Although specifically designed for pet owners, the Purpose for Pets Portable Extractor SE3890 by Dirt Devil is sure to be a welcome addition to any stain-prone home.
If your carpets are the victims of pet stains, or if you find yourself playing "find that smell" when you search for hidden pet odors, this portable steam cleaner is a hardworking unit that will provide some relief. It can be used on carpets and upholstery, and performs equally well -- as long as the upholstery is spot-tested for durability first.
At first glance, the Purpose for Pets Portable Extractor seems larger than some portable steam vacuums, but its lightweight 10-pound design makes it easy to carry. The 3-inch brush is about the size we'd expect, but the Purpose for Pets Portable Extractor offers one unique difference: a built-in blacklight that illuminates hidden pet stains. This integrated blacklight shines from the underside of the brush, indicating where pet stains are located -- even if they can't be seen under normal lighting conditions. Knowing where the pet stains are located is sometimes half the battle, and once they are discovered, the Purpose for Pets Portable Extractor does an admirable job of removing them. It has a 56-ounce tank and a 4-foot reach on the combination hose/hand tool. Although the 3 amps of power seem adequate, we question whether more power would improve suction. The Purpose for Pets Portable Extractor has decent suction, but we'd like to have seen a bit more power.
We like the 15-foot power cord, which gives plenty of room to move around most rooms. The onboard hose, tool and cord storage work well. The initial purchase includes Dirt Devil cleaning solution, so you can begin cleaning right away. It has dual, interlocking tanks to hold clean water and dirty water. The tanks are view-through, making it easy to see how much clean solution remains.
The Purpose for Pets Portable Extractor is often categorized as a steam cleaner, but unlike true steam cleaners, we found it necessary to use hot water for maximum effectiveness. The trial-size cleaning solutions that are included work well, and smell nice, which is certainly an upgrade from the odor of any pet-stained area in question. Overall, the Purpose for Pets Portable Extractor has a serious moniker that matches its hardworking capabilities. Even though we'd make a few improvements, like adding more power or true steam generation, it works well -- whether used on pet stains or ordinary spots.
Pros: Blacklight LED illuminates hidden pet stains, use on carpets or upholstery
Cons: Not a true steam machine
You can view this and other great reviews at: http://products.howstuffworks.com/dirt-devil-purpose-for-pets-portable-extractor-se3890-review.htm
Although specifically designed for pet owners, the Purpose for Pets Portable Extractor SE3890 by Dirt Devil is sure to be a welcome addition to any stain-prone home.
If your carpets are the victims of pet stains, or if you find yourself playing "find that smell" when you search for hidden pet odors, this portable steam cleaner is a hardworking unit that will provide some relief. It can be used on carpets and upholstery, and performs equally well -- as long as the upholstery is spot-tested for durability first.
At first glance, the Purpose for Pets Portable Extractor seems larger than some portable steam vacuums, but its lightweight 10-pound design makes it easy to carry. The 3-inch brush is about the size we'd expect, but the Purpose for Pets Portable Extractor offers one unique difference: a built-in blacklight that illuminates hidden pet stains. This integrated blacklight shines from the underside of the brush, indicating where pet stains are located -- even if they can't be seen under normal lighting conditions. Knowing where the pet stains are located is sometimes half the battle, and once they are discovered, the Purpose for Pets Portable Extractor does an admirable job of removing them. It has a 56-ounce tank and a 4-foot reach on the combination hose/hand tool. Although the 3 amps of power seem adequate, we question whether more power would improve suction. The Purpose for Pets Portable Extractor has decent suction, but we'd like to have seen a bit more power.
We like the 15-foot power cord, which gives plenty of room to move around most rooms. The onboard hose, tool and cord storage work well. The initial purchase includes Dirt Devil cleaning solution, so you can begin cleaning right away. It has dual, interlocking tanks to hold clean water and dirty water. The tanks are view-through, making it easy to see how much clean solution remains.
The Purpose for Pets Portable Extractor is often categorized as a steam cleaner, but unlike true steam cleaners, we found it necessary to use hot water for maximum effectiveness. The trial-size cleaning solutions that are included work well, and smell nice, which is certainly an upgrade from the odor of any pet-stained area in question. Overall, the Purpose for Pets Portable Extractor has a serious moniker that matches its hardworking capabilities. Even though we'd make a few improvements, like adding more power or true steam generation, it works well -- whether used on pet stains or ordinary spots.
Pros: Blacklight LED illuminates hidden pet stains, use on carpets or upholstery
Cons: Not a true steam machine
You can view this and other great reviews at: http://products.howstuffworks.com/dirt-devil-purpose-for-pets-portable-extractor-se3890-review.htm
Wednesday
Homemade Carpet Cleaners cont...
No need to buy commercial cleaning powder, when you have the strength of baking soda sitting in your cupboard already. This powder will do an amazing job at absorbing odors and will leave nothing weird behind.
This is meant for occasional use (every two months or so), as many vacuum cleaners are not strong enough to get up all the powder. Note too that fine powders can be hard on vacuums as well.
Carpet Cleaning Powder
* 1 part baking soda
* 1 part corn starch
* Fragrant dried leaves or spices (try bay leaves, lavender, cinnamon or cloves)
As always, it's best to do a pre vacuum on your carpet before using any product.
Mix the ingredients together in a bowl, then sprinkle on carpet.
You can use your hand to do the sprinkling or put the powder in a recycled container with holes in the lid (parmesan cheese maybe).
Allow the powder to sit for an hour or even over night. Don't walk on the powder as it's doing its work, as this will grind it down into the weave of your carpet.
Vacuum up the powder thoroughly.
You can skip ahead and view all of the recipes at http://www.house-cleaning-howtos.com/homemade-carpet-cleaner.html
This is meant for occasional use (every two months or so), as many vacuum cleaners are not strong enough to get up all the powder. Note too that fine powders can be hard on vacuums as well.
Carpet Cleaning Powder
* 1 part baking soda
* 1 part corn starch
* Fragrant dried leaves or spices (try bay leaves, lavender, cinnamon or cloves)
As always, it's best to do a pre vacuum on your carpet before using any product.
Mix the ingredients together in a bowl, then sprinkle on carpet.
You can use your hand to do the sprinkling or put the powder in a recycled container with holes in the lid (parmesan cheese maybe).
Allow the powder to sit for an hour or even over night. Don't walk on the powder as it's doing its work, as this will grind it down into the weave of your carpet.
Vacuum up the powder thoroughly.
You can skip ahead and view all of the recipes at http://www.house-cleaning-howtos.com/homemade-carpet-cleaner.html
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