There are few things that make your house look – or feel – more unpleasant than a dirty floor.  Trust me, I know: just this morning, I walked across my kitchen tile and collected about a bushel of dog hair on my slippers, courtesy of my two Labradors.  Yuck!  Time to clean!

There are many varieties of flooring materials found in houses, often more than one in the same home, and it’s important to know exactly how to care for each type in order to maximize its beauty and durability.  There’s more to keeping your floor clean than just an occasional once-over with a vacuum or mop.  And there are more reasons for keeping it clean than just the way it looks: clean floors last longer.  Dirt and debris are abrasive particles, and they get trampled over on a regular basis.  Over time, these particles scratch the surface beyond repair, affecting the look of the floor.  What’s worse, more dirt collects in the grooves and scratches made by the previous particles, and wears them down further, so they collect even more dirt … it’s a cycle that can be very detrimental to any type of flooring.  If you keep your floor as dirt-free as possible, you can considerably extend its life, and make your investment worthwhile and your floor beautiful.

A tip for all types of flooring: use floor mats both outside and inside doorways to reduce the amount of grime that people track in on their shoes.  Better yet, have people remove their shoes at the door!