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Flooring Care |
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Taking
the proper care of your floors will keep them looking their
best and will help them to last longer.
Visit
an Abbey Showroom to see a full line of floor care products. |
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Carpet Care |
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Vacuum at least once a week!
You
can't vacuum too often. When dirt and dust are left in a
carpet, they become gritty, sharp particles that grind down
the pile of the carpet. Using a vacuum with a beater bar
or rotating brush will loosen the dirt making it easier
for the vacuum to remove soil. Vacuums with top-loading
bags are preferred over bottom-loading bags.
Change
the disposable bag or empty the vacuum often.
Carpet
with thick loop pile construction (Berber) may be sensitive
to brushing, rubbing, or scrapping of the pile surface which
may cause fuzzing and pile distortion. It is recommended
that vacuums with suction action only be used on these styles.
Carpet
sweepers and electric brooms are useful for picking up crumbs
and surface soil, but it's important to know that they will
not deep clean.
Use preventative maintenance
It’s
important to use runners at each door entrance. This will
greatly reduce the accumulation of dirt. |
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Clean Spots and Spills
Immediatly
For
best results, give prompt attention to spots and spills.
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Use a spoon or dull knife to remove solid materials. |
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Blot up liquid spills with a white towel. |
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Never rub, scrub, or use a brush. This may cause damage
to carpet fibers. |
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Use a cleaning agent and procedure appropriate for the
type of stain being removed. |
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Apply
all cleaning agents to the cloth rather than directly
to the stained area to avoid saturating the carpet when
spot cleaning. |
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Clean
the fibers, not the backing. |
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Do
not rush. Deep stains might require repeat cleanings
because they can "wick" back up after initial
cleaning. |
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Work from the outside to the center of large stains.
This prevents spreading. |
Removing Stains from Your Carpet
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Hardwood |
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Take
good care of your hardwood floors and they’ll last
a lifetime.
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Water
and hardwood floors don't mix! Use only the manufacturer's
recommended cleaning products on your hardwood floor.
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Small
stones, mud and gritty dirt tracked in from outside
can scratch the finish of your wood floor's finish.
To help combat this, use long bristle welcome mats placed
at all outside entrances for people to wipe their feet
on before entering onto the floors. Also, vacuum using
a soft bristle brush attachment. |
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Narrow
wheels, sharp wooden legs or metal furniture legs can
scratch and dent hardwood floors. Any furniture that
rests directly on top of a hardwood floor should have
felt protectors, or furniture coasters under all its
feet. |
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There
are many over the counter oil-based soaps and wax based
cleaning products that may damage or dull the finish
of your wood floor. The best suggestion is to only use
the manufacturers recommended cleaning products on your
hardwood flooring. |
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If
your hardwood floor has a polyurethane finish never
use a paste wax on the floor's surface. A paste wax
may form a sticky film on your floor and allow tracked
in dirt to stick to your wood finish. Polyurethane finishes
will not adhere to any wax and adding a fresh coat of
polyurethane to your floor will be very difficult. |
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When
accidents happen and some liquid gets spilled on your
hardwood floor, you should use a slightly damp white
cloth, or paper towel to immediately clean up and dry
the affected area. For more difficult spots, follow
the manufacturer's recommended cleaning procedures. |
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Laminate |
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Although
Laminate floors are tough, you should follow these directions
to keep them in good shape.
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Remove
loose dirt by using a non-beater bar vacuum or a dust
mop. |
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With
a damp mop or cloth, clean your laminate flooring once
a week with a vinegar solution (1/4 cup of white vinegar
to 2 gallons of clean tap water) or a nonabrasive household
cleaner, such as ammonia and water solution. Do not
saturate the flooring. |
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Do not use abrasive cleaners, steel wool, soap-based
detergents, waxes, polishes, or scouring powder as they
may scratch or dull the flooring surface. |
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Wipe
up spills immediately. Avoid allowing liquids to stand
on your flooring. |
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A
more frequent dust mopping or vacuuming schedule may
be required in high traffic or sandy areas. |
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For tough spots, such as candle wax or chewing gum,
harden the spot with ice and then gently scrape the
spot with a plastic scraper. Even a credit card will
do. Be careful not to scratch the flooring surface.
Wipe clean with a damp cloth. |
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Do not use any type of buffing machine. |
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Use protective mats at the entry and exits to help collect
the dirt and moisture that could damage the laminate
floor. |
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Use
floor protectors or glides under furniture legs. |
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Frequent
vacuuming using a non-beater bar will pick up dirt and
grime. |
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Glazed
Ceramic Tile |
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Glazed
ceramic tile requires less floor care than most of the other
flooring types. However, there are things you need to do
to maintain the beauty of your ceramic tile floor.
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Wash
the floor regularly to remove any dirt or grit. Use
a mild, diluted detergent solution. |
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Sweep,
or vacuum your glazed tile regularly. |
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Ammonia
based cleaners may discolor some types of colored grout. |
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After
washing with a mild detergent you should thoroughly
rinse the floor with clean, warm water. |
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The
glazed ceramic finish should never be waxed. |
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Liquids
spills may be wiped up with an all-purpose cleaner,
such as Fantastic or Top Job. This will also help the
grout joints from becoming discolored from spilled liquids.
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Non-epoxy
grout joints should be treated with a silicone grout
sealer twice a year to help preserve the grout color
and to prevent discoloration from spilled liquids. |
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Vinyl |
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Vacuum regularly to remove grit and sand. Wash your
floor occasionally with the recommended floor cleaner.
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Wipe
up spills immediately. If necessary, clean with the
recommended cleaner. You can also clean with lukewarm
water and clear ammonia. |
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If
your floor becomes dull looking you may need to add
the recommended floor polish to restore the original
gloss level. First, try cleaning with lukewarm water
and clear ammonia to see if there is a film on your
floor causing the dullness. |
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Never
use abrasive cleaners, soaps, paste waxes, or solvents
on your vinyl floor. |
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Place
non-staining, walk-off mats or carpet runners at every
outside entry to your room. This will help keep sand
and grit from being tracked on to your floor. |
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Area
Rugs |
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Regular
vacuuming will help rugs retain their beauty and will extend
the life of the rug.
Clean spills
immediately with the following method: blot with a clean
cloth, spot clean with a solution of clear dish washing
detergent (non-bleach) and water, rinse with water, and
blot dry.
Have your area
rug professionally cleaned when needed using the hot water
extraction method.
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Window
Coverings |
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MiniBlinds :
Vacuum with a soft brush attachment or dust with a feather
duster or lambs-wool duster or tool for blinds.
Vertical Blinds : Vacuum carefully
with the brush attachment used for draperies, or clean with
a lamb's-wool duster. If fabric-covered, spot-clean only;
don't use soap and water.
Wood Blinds : Dust with vacuum
or lambs-wool duster. For occasional deep cleaning, use a
wood cleaner such as oil soap. Do not use soap and water on
wood blinds.
Wood Shutters : Dust natural
wood shutters. If painted, wash in place. Cover the floor
and sill with plastic or a drop cloth. Use a brush dipped
in detergent and water. Rinse and dry with a cotton cloth. |
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