Hygiene and the Home – Flooring
We all know that good hygiene can keep the bugs at bay and help you live a happier and healthier life. However, flooring is not the first thing that always comes to mind. If you think about all the dirt your floor comes in to contact with, it instantly becomes clear that this can be an issue, which is why Luxury Flooring & Furnishings have provided a series of helpful tips below to keep your home hygienic.
Flooring Types
In rooms where there are lots of mud or spillages, or in homes with children and pets, we strongly recommend avoiding carpet. This will be harder to clean and therefore retain stains and dirt and the sickness causing bacteria that come with them. Engineered wood flooring is a great option, as it looks great, clean easily – especially with a lacquer finish – and doesn’t warp or shrink with moisture or temperature and humidity changes like solid wood does. Rustic wood flooring however may trap dirt in its grooves, so laminate and LVT are great alternatives. If you choose a smooth laminate or LVT floor, cleaning will be a breeze, and you can save plenty of money on the purchase too!
Keeping It Clean
Some of your habits may actually be the cause of dirt build-up on your floor. For example, it is common for many to wear shoes indoors. We would recommend avoiding this as much as possible, and opt instead for bare feet, socks, slippers or a pair of shoes specifically for your house. This may your comfort level can be attained whilst keeping the home hygienic. If this is unavoidable or you have guests coming over, use doormats. It is recommended that you use three for the most effective solution. Another common habit is leaving spillages to become stains. It is recommended instead that spillages are cleaned up as soon as they occur, which is additionally useful for reducing slip-risk. Always use the most appropriate flooring type for the room to help make cleaning easier, and clean as often as the manufacturer recommends.
How Often To Clean
Dust, mud and hair are not only a risk when you come indoors – this normal daily build-up of dirt can stick to bare feet or socks and be dragged around the home into your bed or anything you rest your feet on. For this reason, you need to clean your flooring every day to stay on top of this build-up and ensure it doesn’t spread out. We recommend sweeping and vacuuming daily, as well as mopping harder to clean areas with a damp mop. Only water should be used on the mop, aside from every 2 weeks to 1 month in which a deeper cleaning should take place. Here you may choose to use chemicals recommended by your manufacturer, which helps make your floor smell nice and remove bacteria. If you have children who like to crawl around on the floor, once a week would be more appropriate for their safety.
