How often should I deep clean furniture? As winter approaches, everyone begins to spend a lot more time inside. This means spending more time on your couches and other furniture. But, this can also be a reminder to you of how dirty your furniture can really get. Your couch is probably the filthiest item in your home since it cannot be easily wiped down, like your countertops and floors. Read on to learn how often you should consider having your upholstery cleaned.
Frequency of Cleaning Upholstery
How often should I clean my couch? Keep in mind that just spot cleaning and vacuuming is okay, but not the same as having your couch deep cleaned. Frequent spot cleaning is good because it can eliminate dirt and other debris from your couch. Surface cleaning is also good because it can lighten stains that are obvious.
But, this type of cleaning alone is just a minor part of cleaning your couch. This is where deep cleaning comes in. Deep cleaning eliminates allergens that are hiding beneath the surface of your couch and cushions. With professional cleaning equipment, these particles and allergens cannot be removed. With that being said, you should consider having your couches cleaned every few months if you have kids or pets. Otherwise, you can have your couches cleaned twice a year at the most.
Filthy Couches & Health Hazards
Upholstered furniture such as couches can hold a lot of dirt and even trap allergens. They can actually trap these particles and act as an air filter. While this may seem to have a positive impact on the air quality in your home, that is only temporary. This is because it only takes a short amount of time before the fibers in your couches begin to accumulate particles and other contaminants that can result in health hazards.
Many people spend a great amount of time on their couches, without ever cleaning them. This means that body oils and filthy clothes leave your couches dirty and full of allergens. These can then be spread throughout the rest of your home. If you have pets, it can worsen the situation because pets can leave behind urine, feces, hair, and more on your furniture. These can greatly impact the quality of air in your home, which can become problematic for your health if you don’t have your furniture cleaned frequently.
Final Thoughts
It is necessary to have your upholstery cleaned professionally on a regular basis. This is an important part of keeping your home clean and keeping everyone in your home healthy. Spot cleaning is helpful, but deep cleaning is the only way to remove allergens that hide way beneath the surface of your furniture.
You can’t judge a book by its cover, and you can’t judge carpeting by the way it looks at face value, either. Selecting quality carpeting takes some time and skill. However, if you take the carpet selection process seriously, you’ll avoid having to replace it quickly after installing it or hating the way it deteriorates soon after you’ve bought it.
How to select quality carpeting
Select carpeting based on more factors than just the type of fiber that composes it. If you’re choosing carpeting with quality in mind, you’ll want to look at the carpet’s style and weight. Evaluating all of these elements will allow you to choose high-quality carpeting that is a cut above the rest for your budget.
When you’re choosing quality carpeting, you’ll want to consider how much you’re willing to spend on the carpeting. If the sky is the limit for your spending, then you can be picky about what type of carpeting you choose. You’ll have to balance quality with practicality if you’re on a strict budget.
What type of carpet is the most durable?
With five types of fibers traditionally used in carpet, some are more durable than others. Ultimately, wool and nylon tend to be more durable than the others. Still, that doesn’t mean that the other types of carpet aren’t decently durable, depending on how they are used.
At the top of the list, wool is a luxurious type of carpet that tops the rest with softness, durability, and resistance to staining. Since wool is so sought after and amazing, it tends to run for a pretty penny. Priced between fifty bucks and $100 per square yard, wool carpeting is only sold to the select few homeowners who can splurge on it.
For those who want durable carpeting but can’t justify spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on carpeting their home, nylon carpeting is a fantastic alternative. Since nylon is also durable and very soft, you won’t miss out on any of the features of wool that make it so desirable.
Usually, nylon rings in at $18-$35 per square yard in price, which makes it significantly more affordable than wool. At about half the cost of wool, it’s more accessible to the masses. Since nylon resists stains, soil, fading, and damage, it’s a great investment for a carpet material. Nylon is the choice of over half of carpet consumers for good reason.
Modern nylon manufacturing sometimes increases the material’s resistance to stains and wear. Some nylon brands also include carbon-composite nylon filaments that they spin into the nylon strands to lower the instance of shocking carpet traffic.
Of course, if you opt for these new-and-improved nylon options, you may end up spending as much as you would if you were opting for opulent wool carpeting. Still, if you have the budget for it, it’s worth checking out these high-quality, improved choices.
Three basic types of flooring require waxing: hardwood floors, terra-cotta floors, and vinyl composition tile (also known as VCT). These kinds of flooring need waxing to protect them from scratches and keep them as healthy as possible.
No matter how old or recent hardwood floors have been made, they all must be waxed periodically. Because hardwood floors are relatively porous, they need floor wax to form a barrier between them and moisture that might try to seep into them over time.
Hardwood floors also tend to show dents, scuffs, and scratch marks pretty easily, so floor wax is a great way to conceal these imperfections. What’s more, floor wax can up the shine factor on hardwood floors.
Floors made out of terra-cotta material or other floor tiles without glaze need to be sealed and waxed immediately following their installation. The reason for this lies in the wax’s ability to draw out the beautiful coloring of the tiles, create a special finish like glossy or matte styles, and shield the flooring from future stains.
You can get away with waxing these kinds of floors every 12-24 months, depending on how much you use them and how they look in that timeframe.
Since VCT doesn’t include a factory finish, it needs to be waxed as soon as it’s done being installed. Usually, rewaxing this kind of flooring needs to happen every six months to a year to maintain the overall well-being of the floor.
How often should I wax hardwood floors?
When it comes to hardwood floor waxing, you’ll want to apply floor wax every six months to every 18 months. How often you should wax hardwood floors depends heavily on how much foot traffic the floors see and how much overall wear and tear they experience.
If you have hardwood flooring in an attic that only gets walked all over when you’re pulling out the holiday decorations, it’s safe to wait 18 months to wax the floor.
If, on the other hand, you have hardwood flooring on your living room floor where you entertain frequently, you may want to replace the floor wax every six months.
This process isn’t particularly challenging — all you have to do is strip the wax, clean the floor, and apply a new layer of wax. Once you’ve got that down, you’re good for the next half a year or year, depending on how often you wax.
What floors should I not wax?
If the flooring isn’t hardwood, VCT, or terra-cotta, you shouldn’t wax it. This means that engineered hardwood, wood laminate, bamboo, natural stone, luxury vinyl tiles, and ceramic tile floors are not supposed to be waxed.
Waxing these kinds of flooring materials would ruin them and, as a result, create a costly mistake. Most of these types of flooring come with some sort of factory finish so they’ll shine as much as the floors that need waxed without the same level of hassle.
Hardwood flooring can make any residence nicer and more comfortable to live in. However, knowing how to card for hardwood flooring is an important part of having it in your home. As with any floor hardwood flooring requires regular upkeep to look its best as it is walked on daily. Here are some general care rules to keep your floors looking good and lasting longer.
Five Tips To Protect Wooden Floors
Cleaners: A common question concerning hardwood flooring is can I use citrus based cleaners on hardwood flooring. The answer to that is no. While these cleaners were used in the past with modern wooden floors it’s advisable to avoid oil or citrus-based cleaners. Luckily, several cleaning agents are designed to be used specifically on wood floors that are easy to find. Look for spray-style cleaners that evaporate quickly.
Protecting Your Floor: There are several ways to help prevent starching and other surface damage with some preventative care. For example, always use felt protectors on the bottom of your furniture. This makes moving furniture safer and prevents damage, this is especially important for pieces of furniture that are moved a lot such as chairs. Also, be sure to keep doormats by your entrances as this protects your floor from mud and other outdoor debris.
Upkeep and Care: To keep your wooden floors looking their best, sweep them often as this removes build-up and things that are tracked in such as dirt and sand. This keeps your floor looking nice and prevents scratching due to friction. Cleaning tools such as brooms and sweepers should also be soft to the touch and non-abrasive.
Your Home’s Temperature: Wooden floors expand and contract as the temperature changes. Normally this is not an issue to be too concerned about. However, drastically changing the temperature in your home from one extreme to the other can damage your floors due to rapid expansion and contraction. This results in permanent cracks. Keeping your home’s temperature steady can prevent this from becoming a problem.
Watch for Sunlight: Prolonged exposure to sunlight can cause wooden floors to become dull and fade. You can avoid this by limiting sun exposure to your floors. The use of shades, drapes, and window blinds can limit the impact sunlight has on your floors.
Final Thoughts
Wooden floors are a joy to own and make any home more stylish. While wooden floors are often easier to clean than carpets they do require special care and regular upkeep to keep them in good condition.
Wooden floors are a common part of many modern homes. No matter if your home came with hardwood or you added it later, these floors are one of the best-looking additions to your living space. Like any other part of your home, you want to ensure your floors are well cared for. Knowing how to maintain hardwood floors is important because, without proper care, your floors can become faded, dull, and develop cracks. While careful care and cleaning are good ways to keep your floors clean, professional buffing and waxing offer several benefits.
4 Reasons To Hire Professional Floor Waxing Services
One of the best answers to how to protect hardwood flooring is to hire a professional. These are some reasons you should consider hiring a cleaning service that focuses on wooden floors.
1. Relevant Skills and Equipment: Buffing and waxing service providers are professionals at floor upkeep. They can inspect your floor and tell you more about what type of care you need and its condition. In addition, professionals also have the best and newest equipment to work on your floors, providing the highest levels of service.
2. It Protects Your Floor: Wooden floors (like any other type of flooring) see heavy foot traffic. The regular use your floors see can lead to surface damage such as scratching. When your floor is professionally buffed and waxed, it has a layer of protection to protect the surface from damage and staining. In addition to its protective quality, a good waxing makes your floor look shiny and new.
3. Keeps It Clean: Keeping your floors clean can be challenging, especially if your hardwood floors are found in areas of high traffic or use, such as an entrance hallway or kitchen. Buffing and waxing make cleaning easier as the protective layer keeps dirt and debris from staining your floor surfaces.
4. Makes Your Floors Look Nicer: Another advantage of professional waxing is that it makes your floors look nicer. Regular vacuuming and mopping may keep your floors clean, but the appearance of a coat of wax is something a good mop can’t replicate. While a shiny finish is often the most common aspect of floor wax, there are other additions you can add to your floor’s appearance. Some waxes provide a tint that can bring other colors out of the natural wood of your floors. This can brighten your home and make it look better.
Fabric Protection Warranty Plan