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 Whenever possible
place a non-staining doormat outside each entrance to your home to prevent
dirt, sand, grit, and other substances such as oil, asphalt, and driveway
sealer from being tracked onto your floor. Do not use latex-backed, rubber-backed
or coco-fiber mats on your vinyl floor.
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Sweep
your vinyl floor regularly (at least once a week).
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Vinyl
manufacturers recommend the use of latex-based driveway sealers to
minimize the potential staining from asphalt sealer tracking.
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To avoid
sunlight causing your floor to fade or discolor you should always close
your curtains or blinds where extreme sunlight hits the floor.
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Replace
all narrow furniture rests with wide-bearing ones. Support furniture
with wide-bearing, non-staining floor protectors. It is recommended
that all furniture protectors be at least one inch in diameter, made
of non-pigmented, hard plastic, and rest flat on the floor. Non-staining
felt protectors are also acceptable. Casters with a minimum 3/4" flat
surface width or floor protectors are recommended for all moveable
furniture. Metal floor protectors are generally not recommended.
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Always
use strips of 1/4" plywood or sheets of underlayment as runways
to protect the floor if you need to move heavy objects, such as your
refrigerator, across your vinyl floor. Runways should always be used
even with furniture dollies, or even if the heavy objects are equipped
with wheels or rollers.
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Wipe up
spills immediately to help prevent stains. The longer a stain sits
the tougher it will be to remove from the surface.
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To prevent
dirt build up occasionally mop your floor with the manufacturer's recommended
floor cleaner. Follow the instructions on the bottle and do not over
mix or your cleaning solution may leave a dulling film. Avoid soaps,
cleaning powders and detergent products as they will leave a dulling
film. Although the no-rinse cleaners do not need rinsing, rinsing will
provide the better shine. If you do notice a dulling film after cleaning
the floor, try a thorough rinse with warm, clean water.
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To restore
the hi-gloss on a urethane vinyl floor most manufacturer's do recommend
the use of a polish. Do not use paste wax and do not try to buff a
urethane vinyl floor. Be sure the floor is thoroughly clean and completely
dry before applying the manufacturer's recommended floor polish. (If
all the dirt is not removed prior to applying the polish the dirt will
become trapped underneath.)
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Vinyl
floors can become slippery when wet. Use extreme caution when walking
on a wet floor.
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Some of
the newer vinyl floors have a low-gloss finish and the use of a floor
polish may make the floor shiny.
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It may
be necessary after several applications of polish to strip the entire
floor and reapply a new coat of polish. This may also be necessary
for excessive dirt and grime build-up. Use the manufacturer's recommended
recommend heavy duty floor cleaner and stripper product. Once the floor
is thorough cleaned, rinse, dry, and then apply a new coat of polish.
High traffic areas may require more than one application of polish.
Allow polish to dry "tack-free" between coats.
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