How do I look after my newly sanded wood floor?

Our aim at the Art of Clean is to bring you the best cleaning service in Cambridge, Hertfordshire and Essex.  We also want to help you with any queries you might have about all aspects of cleaning.

So here's a helpful guide to keeping your floor looking good as new, just after you've had it sanded.

We're under no illusions, floors will get dirty and time is of the essence but any amount of cleaning will be useful in limiting the build up.

Here are a few tips on keeping your wood floor clean.

To keep your floor free from dry soil, use a good quality soft broom or a vacuum cleaner with a special soft floor attachment.

To limit any damage, knocks or scratches by your furniture we recommend Felt pad protectors under all your furniture, which last much longer and are much safer for your floors.


1 - MAINTENANCE ROUTINE

We strongly recommend your weekly cleaning of your wood floor is done correctly. 

 You will need wood oil care Kit:

• A 2 compartment mob bucket
• Good quality mop (clean)
• Cleaning solution - We recommend Pallmann Clean (available in 0.75 litre or 10 litre)
• Clean water

Fill one side of your mop bucket (the side you will wring your mop in) with clean water.

Make your cleaning solution mix as described on the bottle in the other mop bucket compartment.

Wet your mop in the clean water and wring it out. Dip the tips – (3 – 6 inches) into the cleaning solution and wring your mop. Now start mopping your floor. After cleaning about 3 – 5 sq meters rinse the mop in the clean water side of the bucket and dip the tips of the mop (3 – 6 inches) into the cleaning solution side – wring out and repeat as above.

Let the floor dry and return to normal use. If it is a large area replace the rinse water when dirty. You will get into a rhythm to get the ratio of cleaning water and rinse solution just right so when the rinse water is dirty your cleaning solution will be finished in the bucket.

Why do we advise the above method?

Simple – if you mop a floor with a single compartment mop bucket you will collect the dirt on the floor and contaminate your cleaning solution with this. You will then keep spreading this onto the floor every time you rinse your mop in the solution

PLEASE NOTE – DO NOT PLACE METAL FURNITURE IN DIRECT CONTACT WITH YOUR

WOOD FLOOR AS THIS CAN CAUSE MARKS – FLOOR PROTECTORS AS DESCRIBED AS

ABOVE IS STRONGLY ADVISED

2- TOP UP OIL – Magic Oil Care (available in 0.75 Litre or 10 Litre)

Over time the floor will tone down after use. To give the floor a fresh lift it is best to apply a coating of Magic Oil Care to the floor after a clean (ad described above) Use the T bar applicator and apply a very thin layer of Magic oil care evenly to the floor. This should be done when the floor appears a bit dry or every 3 – 6 months depending on use.

Art of Clean is a specialist cleaning firm in: 

Wood Floor Sanding,

Stone floor Cleaning,

Carpet Cleaning,

Rug Cleaning,

Upholstery Cleaning 

Leather Furniture Cleaning, 

CLEANING PRODUCTS

Working for domestic or commercial clients throughout Cambridgeshire, Essex, Suffolk and Hertfordshire.

For more information on our services contact our friendly team on 01223 863632 or email us at info@artofclean.co.uk

You'll Be Amazed At The Transformation Of These Old Floorboards

As our homes become the most expensive purchase, we'll ever make.  It's no wonder we want to spend time and money on their upkeep.  But sometimes we find the prospect of having work carried out daunting but with annual maintenance, your home will bring you many, many years of solace and happiness.  

At the Art of Clean, our technicians love a challenge and we also like to help with the solutions to your cleaning and restoration queries.  No job is ever to big or to small and over the years we've had one or two challenges in our time.  But that's what we thrive on.  Why? You probably ask.  Could it possibly be that we love to see the transformation process.  We all love seeing how interior designers take something old and tired and transform it into something new, to show-off and be proud off.  We also like to amaze ourselves and think, 'was that really there before?'  and 'if only I had those floorboards sanded sooner.'    

Each job brings its own rewards and triumphs and at the end of a working day, if only you could see the joy on the faces of our technicians, when they've finished a job (honestly, I'm not being sarcastic), they really do have smiles on their faces!

Last week, Nathan was sent out on job to sand a floor in a Cambridge home.  You'll be amazed at the transformation of these old tired pitch pine floorboards.  From our estimation, this floor was probably laid down in the 1900's, so this pine is a better quality than you would get in the new white softer modern pine. 

Our client had a bespoke brown oil floor, which had been originally quoted with the carpet down, so we didn't have the opportunity to see the condition of the floorboards.  But the quote was for sanding strip filling and brown oil or darker. 

When Nathan arrived at the house, he found a room in a bit of a mess.  The floorboards were totally covered in the dreaded black stuff which is a nightmare to sand off.  Nathan had to remove all carpet grippers and take up nails and staples.  He then walked the room and found loads of boards loose which obviously needed fixing down.  He proceeded to fix them and the problem was the boards were actually tongue and groove and not standard boards. 

Nathan proceeded to sand the floor and it came out amazing.  After the floor was done, our client was ecstatic with the results and couldn't thank me enough.

The client had requested the floor to be stained a bit darker, so black was introduced to the oil.  The end results meant that our client had a very bespoke colour which was unique to her home.  It was fantastic!

Art of Clean is a specialist cleaning firm in: 

Wood Floor Sanding,

Stone floor Cleaning,

Carpet Cleaning,

Rug Cleaning,

Upholstery Cleaning 

Leather Furniture Cleaning, 

CLEANING PRODUCTS

Working for domestic or commercial clients throughout Cambridgeshire, Essex, Suffolk and Hertfordshire.

For more information on our services contact our friendly team on 01223 863632 or email us at info@artofclean.co.uk

Watermark on my carpet - pile reversal explained

Pile reversal sounds like a very unpleasant condition and there is no known cause and it’s not a totally understood situation.  But be rest assured it’s a very common occurrence found on dense, high quality, cut pile carpets.

You may have noticed strange marks on your carpet which look like pooling, shading or water marks and this is known as ‘pile reversal’.

With new carpets, the pile stands almost upright but occasionally large areas of the pile can suddenly re orientate to lie in one particular direction, whilst adjacent areas lie in another direction.  This causes the apparent shade change and will more apparent in certain lighting conditions, as the tufts viewed from one direction, have the appearance of looking lighter and vice versa.

According to Cleaning Research International, “there is no certain cause, and for this reason pile reversal is not considered to be a defect.  And although there is no certain cause, there are a number of factors which may encourage pile reversal to develop, such as the relaxation of tensions imparted during manufacture, constructional aspects of the floor are telegraphing through the pile or excessive changes in humidity may exacerbate the problem.”

Unfortunately, once the alteration has occurred, cleaning a carpet will not satisfactorily correct the defect but if you do not want pile reversal then our advise at the Art of Clean would be to consider purchasing loop pile carpet, as you’ll never find the defect on this type of carpet.

Please take a look at the following film.  In 2013 Art of Clean, took a trip to the Blue Mosque in Turkey to learn more about the manufacture and cleaning of rugs and you'll see on the carpets in the Blue Mosque that it's full of pile reversal.

Art of Clean is a specialist cleaning firm in: 

Wood Floor Sanding,

Stone floor Cleaning,

Carpet Cleaning,

Rug Cleaning,

Upholstery Cleaning 

Leather Furniture Cleaning, 

CLEANING PRODUCTS

Working for domestic or commercial clients throughout Cambridgeshire, Essex, Suffolk and Hertfordshire.

For more information on our services contact our friendly team on 01223 863632 or email us at info@artofclean.co.uk

3 things you shouldn’t do when getting stains from your carpet

When settling down to a lovely, lazy Friday night (it’s been a tough week and you’re giving the discotheque a break), it’s not unheard of for you to enjoy the delights of a cultural delicacy; usually from the Indian restaurant around the corner. Now, laden with spicy, molten, sloppy food, it’s not always easy to find your way down onto your soft sofa without a little spillage.

So, let’s assume the dog jumped on your lap, you stepped on a child’s plaything or you’re generally a clumsy clot and as such, your lovely carpet now sports an unintended stain inducing accessory.

We’d always recommend you called the professionals. Art of Clean are masters in the removal of those unsightly, unwanted stains.

Of course, you might not think you need our help. No problem, but we would advise you read our top tips, just so your efforts do not go in vain.

Here are the three things you actually shouldn't use on your carpet when trying to remove those troublesome stains.

1 – Bleach.

OK, you probably guessed that one. Shy of a clog in the sink or an unsightly stain in the tub or toilet, it’s best to steer clear of bleach on your carpet. Of course, if you did in fact spill bleach and not a delicious veggie korma on your rug, I’d call Art of Clean.

Bleach has a nasty tendency to strip things of their colour and leave a rather unsightly blot on your prize centre-piece carpet.

  

2 – Industrial Cleaners.

The more you scrub, the less good you’ll do. Carpets are notorious for sucking-up and holding onto whatever comes their way. The fibres fray and tear if you rub and scrub repeatedly.

3 – Laundry Detergent.

Works a treat of your ‘unmentionables’, softens even the toughest of crusty marks, but using a laundry detergent on your carpet or rug is definitely a no-no. All you’ll get is a soapy mess on the carpet, chances are it’ll spread the stain and all the while your takeaway is going cold.

For the things you should use to remove those pesky stains; call us, We’ll just do it for you in a Jif…Cif. Ha ha ha. Have a look at our spotting product!

Art of Clean is a specialist cleaning firm in: 

Wood Floor Sanding,

Stone floor Cleaning,

Carpet Cleaning,

Rug Cleaning,

Upholstery Cleaning 

Leather Furniture Cleaning, 

Working for domestic or commercial clients throughout Cambridgeshire, Essex, Suffolk and Hertfordshire.

For more information on our services contact our friendly team on 01223 863632 or email us at info@artofclean.co.uk