Keeping your floors and carpet clean gives your house a neat and shiny look and the confidence of allowing your small kids to play there without any worries.
Some fanatics would like having the floor cleaned and polished to the extent that they can see their reflection in there.
However, most homeowners are happy to clean the floor or carpet regularly, and occasionally having it deep cleaned to give it the best look.
If you are keen to keep your floors and carpets clean, it is important that you know the materials used for making them and to get familiar with the cleaning processes that would keep away most of the soil and dirt.
Hard floors are made from different materials like vinyl, wood and ceramic tiles etc.
For the appropriate maintenance of hard floor, you should check with the manufacturers right at the time of its installation.
Should you have difficulty in accessing the manufacturer, you can do some research and learn the best way of maintaining the flooring material in use at home.
Likewise, carpets can be also made using different materials, including nylon, wool and blended cotton etc.
Once again, your best source for getting the proper instructions for its maintenance is the manufacturer.
If that's not possible, you may carry a swatch of carpet to a carpet cleaning company and get the needed maintenance instructions.
Preventive measures to keep your floor and carpet clean Once you have identified the material used for making your floor or carpet, you are better prepared for its maintenance.
You'll know how frequently it needs to be cleaned and the right way of doing it.
In any case, don't allow any fluid to go through the carpet or flooring.
When your floor is dirty, the dirt and food particles can scratch it.
Therefore, vacuum your floor or carpet to remove the dirt and food particles.
How often it should be vacuumed depends on the material, the type of carpet, the floor and your lifestyle.
If you have kids and pets at home, you'll certainly need frequent vacuuming.
Tips for cleaning carpets Whatever material or process you may use for cleaning, it is imperative to thoroughly rinse your carpet to ensure that no chemicals are retained in it.
That is why hot water extraction cleans the carpets better that any dry method.
You may remove stains by using a shop-vac.
Of course, you can't drain the blemish but you should frequently douse the affected area and draw out the solution simultaneously.
This process works out better than using a cloth and water.
It is important that you don't allow the stain to remain for long.
Another helpful way of keeping the carpet cleaner is to use rugs just inside and outside the main door.
The rugs can gather some of the dirt carried on the shoes of visitors.
But that doesn't mean you should reduce the frequency of cleaning.
Dirt is instrumental in spoiling the fibers of your carpet.
It is good to move within the house without your shoes on.
Before cleaning your carpet, you must vacuum it thoroughly.
In case you opt to use a portable machine, ensure that water is very hot.
The carpet should be dried quickly.
You may leave it beneath a fan to quicken the process.
Frequent cleaning of the carpets at home helps reducing the frequency of getting it cleaned by professional carpet cleaning companies.