CARE AND MAINTENANCE OF HARDWOOD ENGINEERED FLOORS

As with any wood floor, follow a program of cleaning, sweeping and vacuuming to eliminate as much dirt and grit as possible, and remember that moisture should not come in contact with the floor. If it does, it should be wiped up immediately.
Use dirt trapping mats at all exterior doors to keep dirt, sand, and grit outside. Use rugs at high traffic stations to reduce wear.
Always use manufacturers’ recommended cleaning products, which won’t leave a contaminating residue on the floor. If the manufacturer is not known, use a generic hardwood floor cleaner available at local retail wood flooring stores. Do not use oils, soaps, or wax products to clean your floor.
Most warranties from finish manufacturers and factory-finished wood flooring manufacturers are voided by use of oil soap cleaners.
Wipe up spills immediately with a lightly dampened cloth, then follow up with a recommended cleaning product.
For stubborn stains, lightly dampen a soft cloth with a manufacturer’s recommended cleaner or a generic hardwood floor cleaner. Apply directly to the stain and repeat as necessary. Never mop your floor with water.
Never use a wax finish on top of a surface finish. Use a cleaner specifically designed for use on polyurethane finished floor.
Keep your pet’s nails clipped to reduce scratching of the floor. Use protective pads underneath all furniture legs that come in contact with the hardwood floor. Remove shoes with spikes or damaged heels before walking on the floor.
If using area rugs in the house, make sure to move them periodically, to ensure the UV rays don’t unevenly fade or change the color of the wood and/or stain.

CARE AND MAINTENANCE OF LAMINATE FLOORS

Laminate flooring is manufactured to exacting standards for long life and lasting beauty. Following these simple procedures for its care and maintenance will ensure many years of pride and satisfaction.

Routine Cleaning:

Simply dust mop or vacuum with a soft brush or wood-floor accessory to keep your floor clean from dust, dirt or grit.
A damp cloth or mop can be used without damage to the laminate panels, but do not use excessive water. Dry the floor thoroughly with a clean, soft cloth.
Blot up spills or water from wet feet or footwear immediately with a clean, dry cloth, sponge, or paper towel. Do not allow excess liquid to remain on the surface.
Do not use soap-based detergents, abrasive cleaners, or combined “clean and shine” products on your laminate floor.
Do not use steel wool or other scouring pads that may scratch laminate panels.
Do not wax or polish your laminate flooring.
Do not steam clean or use chemicals that may damage the flooring surface.
Stubborn Spots: Use acetone or nail polish remover on stubborn substances such as tar, asphalt, paint, or oil. Then wipe clean with a damp cloth.

Care and Maintenance:

Note: While your laminate flooring is highly resistant to stains and abrasions, it is not indestructible. In order to maximize the durability and beauty of your laminate floor, we recommend the following practices as part of your floor’s normal care and maintenance:

Place a doormat outside the exterior entrances to collect excess moisture, sand, grit and other potentially damaging substances from being tracked onto your laminate floor.
Use only colorfast and non-scratch carpeting or pads on your laminate surface.
Avoid sharp or pointed objects with concentrated weight such as high heels on your floor.
Use protective felt pads under furniture legs or wide castors under appliances levelers.
If using a wheeled dolly to move furniture or appliances on your laminate floor, place a clean sheet of smooth plywood or other protective layer over your laminate surface.
Rearrange furniture occasionally for increased indentation resistance
Do not treat or seal your laminate floor panels after they are installed.
Never sand, lacquer, or refinish your laminate flooring surfaces.

CARE AND MAINTENANCE OF TILE FLOORS

Sweep, using a soft, natural-bristle broom or vacuum floor of debris.
Saturate the floor with the recommended amount of general purpose neutral cleaner and agitate the solution. An auto-scrubber may be used.
Allow the solution to sit on the surface a minimum of five minutes. Allowing the cleaning mixture to remain on the floor for a short period of time will increase the suspension of the dirt particles and produce a cleaner surface.
Remove the dirty cleaning solution from the floor either with a wet-vacuum or mop and rinse with clean water.
Remove excess water from the floor. Buff with dry mop or towel.

For heavy soiling:

Sweep or vacuum floor of debris.
If there are deeply soiled or stain-appearing spots on the surface of the tile, one should first attempt to identify them and pre-treat. Different surface contaminants require different cleaning methods and chemicals (see chart).
Scrub with cleaning compound and floor machine equipped with abrasive pad or stiff, natural-bristle brush. For residential and small areas, use a scrub brush.
Remove the dirty cleaning solution with a wet vacuum and rinse with clean, clear water. In residential or small applications this may be done with a clean mop. To thoroughly remove the cleaning agent from the surface, it may be necessary to rinse the floor more than once.
Remove excess water from the floor.

Polished:

Sweep or vacuum the floor of loose dirt. An untreated, dry dust mop may be more effective than a soft bristle broom.
Wipe or mop with a diluted solution of neutral cleaner or clean, clear water.
If cleaning solution is used, rinse thoroughly with clean water.
Dry or buff to increase shine and prevent water spots. SLATE AND INDUSTRIAL FINISHES Porcelain stoneware textured surfaces offer an excellent safety feature in reference to their higher degree of slip-resistance. However, they require a slight variation in cleaning procedure. Due to the undulation and texture of the tile surface, it will be necessary to “reach” the soil that rests on the low points of the tile. Standard wet mopping will not be completely effective in cleaning these textured surfaces.
Sweep or vacuum floor. If sweeping, use a soft bristle broom. The choice of brush bristles is important because a strong, thorough bristle action is required to remove debris. Sweep in two directions. First, follow the direction of the tile, then sweep diagonal to the tile to ensure complete removal of all foreign material.
Saturate the surface with a neutral cleaning solution (use a degreaser in food preparation areas), agitate and allow the mixture to remain on the floor for a few minutes giving the cleaner time to activate. Use a scrub machine or bristle brush to scrub, once again using a cross-action pattern to ensure soil removal.
Rinse the floor with clean water and remove with a wet vacuum or dry toweling so as to eliminate dirty water from escaping into the low points of the surface.
Note: Frequency of maintenance and type of procedure will depend on several factors including pedestrian traffic, weather conditions, walk-off mats, color of floor (lighter floors show more soiling) and environment. Please take these conditions under consideration when planning your maintenance schedule.

Care and Maintenance for Carpeted Floors

For ideal carpet maintenance, you will need to vacuum your heavy traffic areas, such as hallways, stairs, and exterior entryways at least twice a week.
Vacuum less heavily used areas weekly. For best results, use a vacuum cleaner with a beater bar or rotating brush and with a strong enough air flow to penetrate to the carpet backing.
Carpet with thick loop pile construction, particularly wool and wool blend styles, may be sensitive to brushing or rubbing of the pile surface and may become fuzzy. For these products, and those styles with a combination thick or thin or cable yarn, a suction-only vacuum is recommended for the best carpet maintenance. If that is not available, use or a vacuum with an adjustable brush lifted away from the carpet so it does not agitate the pile.
A vacuum with a beater bar or rotating brush can be tested for excessive fuzzing in an inconspicuous location before regular use. Most dry soil has razor-like edges that abrade carpet fibers, causing light to reflect differently and give carpet a dull appearance.
Soil can damage the fibers permanently if allowed to remain in the pile. A regular carpet maintenance program as well as proper carpet cleaning methods will keep your carpet beautiful for a long time.
No matter how often you vacuum, your carpet will still need heavy-duty cleaning from time to time. Professional carpet care and cleaning is required to maintain your Fabuless Floors Warranty. We would be glad to advise you about which cleaning method is best for your particular carpet.
Hot water extraction carpet care, either alone or in combination with cleaning, is required to maintain most warranties. Some styles, however, must be cleaned in other ways.
Be sure to check with your Fabuless Floors representative for the recommended cleaning method for your particular carpet.
A trained carpet care professional should perform this service at least every 6-12 months (depending upon traffic and soil) to refresh the texture and rejuvenate the fibers in your carpet.
Have the cleaning professionals come to your home for a visual inspection, and obtain a written agreement before the work is started.
Retain your receipts for proof of maintenance service should a warranty claim arise. Fabuless Floors, Inc. does not endorse or recommend any particular local or national carpet cleaning company.
When you and your carpet cleaning professional choose a cleaning method, fiber content is the most important concern. Most carpet today is constructed with synthetic fibers such as Nylon, Polyester, or Olefin and may be cleaned with most cleaning methods. Natural fibers such as wool, cotton, silk, and sisal may require specialized care. Use a cleaning method recommended by the carpet manufacturer to maintain their warranty.
If you should have any questions or concerns about your new carpet care, simply call us today at (619) 735-2798 or send us a message from our CONTACT US page.