How to clean and care for your LVT flooring

Luxury vinyl tile (LTV) flooring is a kind of material that is chosen by people who want their floors to look attractive while also being cost-effective and easy to clean and maintain. It can be made to accurately replicate the look of everything from wood to ceramic or stone-tiled floors at a fraction of the cost of any of those.

It is also comparatively simple to keep in a good standard. However, good cleaning and maintenance will still be needed if you want to retain the appeal of your LVT floors.

So how should you go about that?

Dealing with loose debris

All floors inevitably end up with loose bits of dirt and debris during the day. That can be from food spillages or just things picked up by boots and shoes and brought into the home. There are two methods for removing this sort of surface debris from LVT floors either of which will work very well.

The first is to use a vacuum cleaner suitable for hard flooring material like LVT. If you are not sure whether that applies to your vacuum cleaner, or you do not have one, using a dustpan and brush will be just as effective.

After these pieces of debris have been cleared away, it will be best to wash the floor. A cloth or a mop will be fine for that, but make sure that they have been wrung out thoroughly before starting, because they should be damp rather than sopping wet. An electric mop will be the best option of all, because it enables you to manage the water level better and will buff your floor afterwards to help prevent unsightly streaks.

Sweeping and washing an LVT floor is something that you should do either one or two times per week. The frequency will depend on how often the room is used.

You can deploy specialist cleaning fluids on an LVT floor but be certain that they are suitable for it before you apply them. Never add wax to this type of flooring though, because it will make the surface slippery and dangerous as well as dulling the look of the tiling.

Getting rid of stains

LTV floors are often fitted in rooms such as kitchens where stains from food and drink spillages are very likely to occur. That need not be a problem, but it is important to know the correct cleaning method for dealing with stains.

Soaking a cloth in hot water and a LVT-friendly detergent cleaner, wringing it out until it is damp and applying it to the stains will be the best first option for getting rid of them. If the stain in question is from something greasy it may be more stubborn and resistant to cleaning though, in which case a brush with soft bristles should be the next step. Move the brush in circular motions and with a gentle touch until the stain is gone.

Afterwards the floor should be given a wipe with fresh water and a damp cloth, before being buffed for quicker drying and no streaks.

Caring for LVT floors to maintain their appearance

You now know what the basic cleaning methods are for LVT floors, but beyond that there are some other steps that you can take to care for them. These will help to ensure that the tiles last longer and maintain their optimum appearance.

1. Use mats

Having mats at every entry point to your house or commercial premises is a very good idea. These will trap things like moisture and particles of dirt and debris to prevent them getting onto the floors in the first place.

That will save you cleaning time and will also ensure the floors stay looking good for longer.

2. Minimise sunlight

If the LVT is being fitted on a floor that will be exposed to a lot of harsh sunlight, it can be a smart move to try to minimise that. This is because sunlight can cause the tiling to become faded or discoloured.

Keeping any blinds or curtains closed during peak periods of sunshine will do that. Of course, if it is commercial flooring that will probably not be a viable option. However, it is possible to get LVT flooring that comes with UV protection that will prevent harsh sunlight from damaging it.

If the flooring is to be fitted in a commercial setting or a room in a house such as a conservatory, having that UV protection will be essential.

This should give you an overview of the basics of cleaning and caring for an LVT floor. Carry out light cleaning on a regular basis while making sure to avoid getting too much water on the floor when washing it for the best results, and protect it from harsh sunlight if it does not have UV protection.

What type of flooring is best for a commercial kitchen?

The floor of a commercial kitchen will need to be able to withstand high levels of heat, as well as heavy duty equipment, constant footfall and regular spillages and stains. Therefore, the material used for this sort of environment must be ultra-hard wearing and durable if you do not want to have to replace it regularly.

Commercial kitchen floors must also be slip resistant, for safety reasons, and easily cleanable while limiting the potential for infection. So what are the best types of floors for the kitchen of a restaurant or café?

Vinyl

The vinyl flooring typically used in commercial kitchen spaces is created from a blend of synthetic and natural polymers. The structure of these makes the material very long lasting and ensures it does not become slippery. Examples of the kinds of vinyl found in such kitchens include sheet floors, luxury vinyl tile (LVT) or vinyl composition tile (VCT).

Luxury vinyl tile is the best of these because it is stronger and more durable than vinyl composition tile or sheet flooring while also being available with pre-treatment that provides a guard against infection. Given the importance of health and safety in food preparation areas, that is a key point to consider when choosing flooring.

Ceramic tiles

These are made out of clay that is shaped into square tiles and then kiln-fired. It is a kind of floor that offers high durability and very easy maintenance, provided you get the right glazing. This should be melted glass and it will be essential for commercial kitchens. It prevents damage and means that stains can be easily wiped away.

Unglazed ceramic tile floors are too fragile and vulnerable to water damage to be suitable for use in the kitchen of a café or restaurant. Opting for tiles also means that a single damaged one can be replaced instead of an entire floor.

Resin

The third popular flooring choice for kitchens is resin. This is one of the easiest floor materials to clean and it is hard wearing enough to cope with boots, shoes and heavy kitchen equipment. Other advantages of resin are its slip resistance and hygiene qualities, all of which are ideal for kitchen areas.

As with vinyl and ceramic tile floors it is available in different colours and styles.

These will be the best floor options for a busy commercial kitchen, and each can be installed by experienced professionals.

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Cat scratching mat could save your carpet

Cats and carpets don’t live well together if the cat has a habit of damaging the carpet through scratching. A cat scratching mat could be the answer.

Scratching is a natural instinct for a cat. It exercises its forelimb muscles ready for hunting. It’s also a form of marking territory. Many cats will scratch outdoors, but cats who spend most of their time indoors may scratch indoors. If your cat decides to scratch the carpets in your Chester or North Wales home, the best solution is to provide an alternative scratching area.

A common solution to prevent cats from scratching the carpet is a scratching post, but not all cats like to use them, and cat owners may feel that a post spoils the aesthetics of the room. A scratching mat is an alternative to a scratching post.

Perhaps the best cat scratching mats are ones made from natural woven sisal which is a non-toxic natural material. The best feature non-slip latex underlay that prevents the mat from sliding. The natural light brown look of sisal blends with the décor. These mats can be used on the floor or attached to a wall. One owner said:

“This distracts my problem child from clawing my couch. I haven’t stuck it to anything since he seems to love rolling around with the mat.”

If a cat will not use a scratching post or mat relocate it next to where the cat sleeps as cats often prefer to scratch just after they wake up.

Should you seal concrete flooring before tiling or carpeting?

Many people choose to put either carpeting or tiling over parts of their home or commercial space that have concrete floors. That is because concrete can be a cold and hard surface for walking on and is also not the most visually appealing type of floor.

The issue of whether any sealing is needed before putting down the carpets or tiling is one that people often neglect though. That is what we will be looking at in this piece.

Should you seal the floor first?

Concrete floors can be found in many parts of a commercial space, but in a home the most likely room to have one in is a basement. That is a part of the home that is particularly at risk from moisture, which will cause a significant amount of damage to either carpets or tiles. Mildew, mould and rot are all common forms of damage caused by too much moisture.

Basements are prone to excess moisture because the air is a higher temperature than the floor or the walls. That creates condensation of the same sort found on a cold glass in hot weather.

Most concrete floors are fitted with damp-proof membranes that are designed to prevent moisture from getting through them. Although certainly not useless, these membranes are not always as effective at doing this as would be ideal.

Sealing the floor will fill up surface pores in the concrete with polymer molecules. That keeps both moisture and dirt from getting through to the tiles or carpet.

How do you seal the floors?

Start by filling in any holes or dips in the floor using a levelling compound. After that you should sweep the floor to get rid of debris and dirt that has built up. You can also wash it with a mop if you wish but give it time to dry before adding the sealant if you do.

Now it is time to put the sealant down. Choose one that is designed for concrete floors and spread it over the surface using a paint roller. A single gallon of it will be enough to coat most concrete floors, although more may be needed if it is a larger commercial space.

Wait two hours minimum after applying the first coat, to let it dry, then add a second coat. Once that is dry you will be ready to put down your carpet or tiles and should be protected against moisture.

New machine detects and removes carpet stains

Carpets in Chester and North Wales homes are easy to keep clean, except when there are stubborn stains that cannot be removed by a vacuum. A new carpet cleaning gadget makes removing stains easy by automatically detecting and cleaning them.

There are solutions that claim to remove stains from carpets, but stubborn stains often require hard rubbing to completely vanish. Tineco, a floor care appliance maker, has announced the launch of CARPET ONE Spot, a machine for use on carpets, upholstery and in cars. It contains Tineco’s iLoop Smart Sensor technology which detects, and then scrubs stains without needing an operator. Tough stains are removed without requiring manual scrubbing. The machine senses how tough the stain is and automatically adjusts its water flow and roller speed. The machine can even tackle stains spread over a large area.

The CARPET ONE Spot is portable and cordless, lasting up to 40 minutes on one charge. Carpet or upholstery settings and cleaning levels can be selected. The appliance is self-cleaning, removing dirt collected by the hose and brushes.

The Tineco CARPET ONE Spot is currently not available in the UK, though other Tineco carpet cleaners are on sale here. A cheaper option is to use a carpet stain remover such as Vanish which cleans stains and odours on carpets and upholstery, but this may involve hard scrubbing. It’s recommended that carpets are professionally deep cleaned at least once a year. A decent quality, well-maintained carpet lasts a long time.