WINTER FLOOR CARE TIPS
Winter is just around the corner, and with it comes snow and ice, slush and salt, mud and grime. Whether you manage a retail store, office complex, distribution center, or a hotel, your floors are easily one of your most expensive assets and Winter is hard on your floors! Here are some floor care tips from the professionals at Complete Care Maintenance to help you take care of your floors this winter.
Winter is the one season when most of us close our windows and doors in an effort to keep the elements at bay. It is also the one season that seems to make it impossible to keep those very elements from entering our homes and businesses. Snow, salt, slush, and mud are constantly being brought into our dwellings on our feet and the feet of others, inevitably making a mess of our floors.
As if the aesthetics of this wintery mess are not enough, wet and muddy floors also present a real safety hazard for those that walk on them. In addition, the effects that extreme temperature changes, rain, snow, ice, and salt have on our floors can be very detrimental. Over time this can lead to costly repairs or replacement.
Floor Care Tips For Different Floor Types
There is no one-size-fits-all when it comes to proper floor care. Different floor types require different approaches to cleaning and maintenance, approaches that a professional floor care company will thoroughly understand and be able to implement for you.
Wood Floors
Wood floors expand and contract in response to temperature and humidity changes. In the cold winter months, wood floors will contract to leave gaps between planks. While this is normal behavior for a wood floor, it presents additional challenges for cleaning the floors. Water, dirt and salt will often settle in these gaps and can damage the wood and prevent the gaps from closing when the weather warms. It is important that all foreign materials be removed from these gaps to ensure the health of your wood floors.
Thorough cleaning and polishing of your wood floors prior to the winter months can help mitigate the damaging effects of water, ice, dirt, and salt. Regular professional wood floor cleaning services will ensure that your floors retain their health and beauty throughout the coming year.
Tile Floors
While tile floors fare better under harsh winter conditions, they still require proper care and regular maintenance. Different types of tile require different cleaning methods and chemical cleaning products. Some tile floors react poorly to harsh chemicals and abrasive cleaning techniques while others require more rigorous cleaning.
In the winter months, the grout between tiles can become discolored and dirty. Regular professional grout cleanings will ensure that your floor’s grout will retain its integrity and color, leaving your floors clean and inviting.
Linoleum Floors
Linoleum is a popular flooring choice because it is inexpensive and generally easy to care for, however, during the winter months excess sand, dirt, and salt can threaten your linoleum’s finish. These materials are abrasive and can scratch, mar, and dull the floor’s finish. During these more challenging seasons, it is important to pay additional attention to your linoleum and step up your floor care program accordingly.
Like all types of flooring, linoleum requires specific cleansers and techniques to ensure proper care. If you are uncertain how to care for vinyl or linoleum floors, contact a professional floor care specialist.
Carpeting
Carpet needs more frequent vacuuming during the winter months due to the elements and more time spent indoors. Wet shoes carrying dirt, salt, and deicing chemicals can quickly cause staining and visible ‘traffic paths’ on your carpet. If this debris is not fully removed with regular vacuuming and deep cleaning, it can break down carpet fibers and decrease the lifespan of your floor covering.
Regular vacuuming, spot treatment of spills and stains, and mid and postseason deep cleaning by a commercial carpet cleaning company will help your carpet look great throughout the Winter season and beyond. Check to see if the commercial carpet cleaning services near you offer any seasonal carpet cleaning specials this time of year.
Need Help With Your Winter Floor Care?
Complete Care Maintenance has decades of experience caring for floors of all types. Call or contact us today to learn how we can help your floors this winter.
