How to Preserve Your Floors and Furniture

There's no doubt about it. The floors in your home really get a workout. Consider how much traffic they handle on a daily basis. Running a close second to high usage are sofas and chairs. Wear and tear on floors and furniture can be expensive, especially since it costs thousands of dollars to buy new floor coverings or furnishings for the most used rooms of your home. But there are measures that you can take to prolong the life of items that experience the most usage. Early repairs, proper maintenance and regular cleanings can result in substantial savings to your budget. Here are some ways you can start saving immediately:

REPAIR RATHER THAN REPLACE
Damage from pet claws, spills, or excessive use is bound to start showing on your carpet or upholstered furniture sooner or later. When dealt with immediately, those small problems can be repaired at a price much less than you would spend to replace the item. Most rug companies either have a staff on site or can refer you to a professional who can evaluate your carpet damage and provide options. Similarly, furniture stores can help you with upholstery repairs, or suggest other alternatives like arm and headrest covers.

WEEKLY MAINTENANCE THAT PAYS
Your furniture, floors and rugs need attention to keep them looking like new. Dust and soil buildup from skin and hair oils can make your furniture look old and worn. Here are some recommended weekly maintenance steps:
* Upholstered Furniture: Vacuuming is the best way to remove any dust that settles on upholstered furniture. But if your furniture gets a lot of usage, consider covering the upholstery with washable throws to protect against wear and tear.
* Leather Upholstered Furniture: Removing dust immediately is the only way to protect leather upholstery. It's important to check the manufacturer's care instructions because some leathers cannot take leather creams or a mild soap and water.
* Vinyl Upholstery Furniture: Dust and grime can be removed with a mild soap and water, then rinsed and dried thoroughly with a cloth.
* Hardwood Floors: Dirt grinds into hardwood floors, thus damaging the floor's finish. Depending upon how much traffic your floors receive, you may need to vacuum more than once a week or do a quick damp mop cleaning.
* Vinyl No-Wax Floors: Weekly maintenance, such as removing dirt with a vacuum or damp mop, will help prevent scratches and lessen the durability of the no-wax finish.
* Area Rugs: Area rugs are great for protecting your wall-to-wall carpeting, especially near doorways. They are also easy to maintain, with a quick vacuuming removing any dirt trapped in the fibers.
* Wall-to-Wall Carpeting: Dirt that is tracked in on shoes can sink down into the carpet and actually cut the yarn fibers. It's best to vacuum a section at a time, slowly and meticulously, to be sure you remove dirt, pet hairs and food crumbs.

A GOOD CLEANING
While weekly cleanings are good preventative measures, a more intense cleaning is needed at least twice a year to extend the life of your furnishings. There are professional companies that offer carpet and upholstered furniture cleaning services. While professional equipment is usually more powerful in lifting deep seeded dirt, adequate equipment is available to rent for do-it-yourself cleaning at a lower cost. You'll need to decide if the money saved between professional versus do-it-yourself is worth your time and effort. Here are some cleaning guidelines to follow if you decide to do the cleaning yourself:
* Upholstered Furniture: Before deep cleaning your upholstered furniture, be sure to check the label for instructions. For instance, shampooing and hot water extraction are common cleaning methods for fabric furniture, while solvents are usually best for vinyl upholstery.
* Carpet and Rugs: A deep cleaning will remove any dirt that has made its way down into the fibers of your carpet. There are several processes available to clean carpets and rugs, including dry powder, foam, shampooing and steam, so be sure to read the care and cleaning instructions before deciding the best method for your type of floor covering.
* Hardwood Floors: A solvent-based liquid wax for wood is ideal for removing dirt and old wax. Because liquid wax provides a thin wax coating, remember to buff the floor after cleaning.
* Vinyl No-Wax Floors: Nothing lasts forever, including the finish on your no-wax floor. Flooring stores sell special vinyl floor finishes, but a water-based self-polishing floor wax or finish is a less expensive alternative and does the job just as well. The coating will prevent dirt from scratching the surface and minimize wear in high traffic areas.