Care programme for the floor

Noble parquet, robust tiles or practical linoleum – the right floor for every living requirement. But how do the different floor coverings stay beautiful permanently? We give tips for the home.

The hard life of a hard floor

One of the most roughly treated surfaces in the home is the floor. In everyday life it has to cope with a lot. Pets’ paws, biscuit crumbs, coffee stains and muddy shoe soles – that all plays havoc with the floor under our feet as time goes by. It is true that there are especially robust hard floors meanwhile that forgive a lot. But you should also treat them to an extensive care programme regularly. For only a clean and well-looked after floor invites you to feel comfortable in the home. It is important to cater to the different needs of the coverings. Because when it comes to cleaning, all floors are not alike.

Floors depend on the type

Parquet

Noble wood variant of hard floor.
Real wood is prone to scratches. Always remove coarse dirt first before cleaning and polishing.
Compatible with broom, vacuum cleaner and damp mopping.

Laminate

Especially robust hard floor covering.
Synthetic resin with decorative layer of paper. Available in many different colours and looks.
Compatible with vacuum cleaner and damp mopping, can swell if very wet.

Linoleum

Category of elastic flooring.
Popular in living areas and children’s rooms, counts as being “warm under foot”, impact sound absorbing and easy to look after.
Not compatible with too much moisture. Vacuum cleaner and damp mopping are the right choice.

Tiles

Especially resilient, therefore popular in kitchen and bathroom.
Very compatible with wetness – therefore easy to clean.
Joints have special requirements: Acid cleaning agents, e.g. vinegar-based cleaners, can attack them.

Clean floors with method

Which appliance suits which task?

Vacuum cleaner:

Absorbs the dirt directly without whirling it up
Also suited for carpet cleaning
Can be used in the whole home
A battery-powered vacuum cleaner makes the search for sockets superfluous

Battery operated brushes:

Ideal for short cleaning from time to time
Can be suspended on the wall to save space
Makes crumbs and dust disappear directly
Only suitable for small areas

Broom and dustpan:

Readily available for cleaning from time to time
Whirls up dust rather than removing it
Collecting the dirt with the dustpan is a strain on the back

Wood, plastic and natural material: Damp mopping

First of all, the floor is vacuumed. Once dust bunnies and crumbs are removed, the damp cleaning can be started. Parquet, laminate and elastic floor coverings are sensitive to wetness and alkaline cleaners. Damp mopping with a firmly wrung out cloth is the answer here. In addition, use diluted neutral or slightly acid cleaning agent. Anyone, who want to make sure that they don’t damage their floor with too much water, simply uses the hard floor cleaner FC 5. Its microfibre roller is automatically only slightly dampened. As it also collects other dirt, it can also economise the first step.

Tiles and joints: With or without chemistry

wet mopping: Water is no problem for tiles. Toothpaste and cooking stains can be removed with lots of moisture.
cleaning joints: Use citric acid diluted with water against limescale deposits. It is gentler to the surfaces than vinegar, for example.
watering: Always rinse well after cleaning with acid cleaning agents, so that no residues are left behind.
cleaning without chemicals: A steam cleaner, for example an SC 3 EasyFix steam cleaner, combats limescale and bacteria reliably and completely without chemicals.

Suitable products for the cleaning tips

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