Quick and Effective Ways to Keep Your Floors Spotless
Your household doesn’t need a messy child or pet to contain clutter, spillage or stains – especially on the floor. In addition to being an eyesore, spills account for the majority of trips and falls each year, usually due to wet, slippery floors. Another negative? Spills have the ability to stain flooring and damage it permanently, regardless of what type of material it is made out of. So, whether you have carpet, hardwood, tile or stone, utilize these simple solutions for removing stains from any floor.
Create a Vinegar Solution
Carpets can be an especially tough platform to get rid of stains, but it helps that there’s an easy fix that can be found right in your kitchen cupboard: Vinegar. Depending on which type of stain is on your carpeting, certain vinegar solutions can be created to lessen the appearance and get rid of it entirely. For the larger, dark stains, mix 2 tablespoons salt dissolved in ½ cup white vinegar, along with 2 tablespoons of borax. Let the solution dry entirely, then vacuum.
Use Cornstarch
If you’ve got a little one scribbling on the floor – or if someone accidentally dropped an ink cartridge while restocking the printer – there’s no need to panic about an ink stain on your carpet. Mix a little bit of milk with cornstarch to create a paste, and apply it generously to the entirety of the stain. After letting the paste dry on the carpet for a couple of hours, brush off the residue and vacuum it up.
Never Underestimate Salt
A common stain that seems almost impossible to remove on a carpet floor is red wine, but salt stars in this homemade remedy to clean it up. You have to act fast and make sure the wine is still wet, first pouring white wine over the spill to dilute any color. Clean the stain with a sponge and cold water, and sprinkle the area with salt. Wait 10 minutes before vacuuming up the mess. Similarly, any greasy food stains on a carpet can be cleaned using one part salt to four parts rubbing alcohol, made possible by rubbing in the direction of the carpeting’s natural nap.
Try Muriatic Acid
Professionals have used muriatic acid regularly for a long period of time, treating even the toughest types of stains from tile and stone flooring. Before use, ventilate the room you are treating the floor in and wear heavy gloves, eyewear and a mask. Dilute the muriatic acid to one part acid to five parts water, mixing the acid into the water. Using a toothbrush, apply this mixture to the stained area. Wash the area once you are done, discarding any of the mixture immediately.
Replace Stained Grout
In the event that a stain will absolutely not come out of the grout on your tile floor, you can replace the grout entirely. First, utilize the muriatic acid mixture to get rid of as much of the stain as you possibly can. The next step involves a small grout remover, which will allow you to completely remove the stained grout. Once that has been done, spaces will be left to be filled. Take the grout sample to an experienced floor covering firm to find the best possible match.
Grab Your Iron
Hot irons are key in one of the most efficient ways to get rid of water stains on any hardwood floor, categorized by a white colored ring on the surface of the floor. After covering the stain with a dry cotton cloth, rub it with a hot iron – make sure it’s on the “no steam” setting – for about 3 seconds. Finally, dampen a cloth using denatured alcohol and rub it over any remaining parts of the stain for three more seconds.
Consider the Finish
There are a handful of finishes that can coat your hardwood floor, so taking the time to figure out which one is on yours will help you get rid of a stain in the most successful way possible. For wax or penetrating stain finishes, remove any old wax covering your hardwood floor with a stripper specifically made for wax. Using a cloth and fine steel wool, remove any residue. After this has dried, wax and machine buff. Oppositely, if you have a shellac, varnish or polyurethane finish, do not use any wax at all. Instead, use a commercial wax remover.
New Jersey Flooring
Stains are inevitable, but never impossible to get rid of. If you feel like you need the help of a flooring professional to get rid of these stains, contact Alite Flooring at 973-575-5005.
