Polishing a floor may seem easy, but there are tips and tricks to get the job done correctly. Yes! It is that time of the year when you look down at your floors and realize that it needs a good clean. What better way to clean and protect your floors than thorough floor polishing? However, you need to know the precise way to polish a floor. You wouldn’t want to damage your floors. For the purpose of this article, let us look at three types of floor polishing, namely, Hardwood floors, laminate floors, and Marble floors. Each type of floor has similar and different floor polishing techniques, so let us guide you through the process.
Hardwood Floor Polishing
It is essential to know how to polish a hardwood floor properly. As we all know, a shiny hardwood floor is costly but gives your home that added class. However, to keep it perfect takes a few tips and tricks.
Knowing the best way to polish hardwood floors enable you to restore the floors protective layer and add a sheen to your floors. It further helps in reducing those minor scratch marks and making them less noticeable. Although you should keep in mind that before you jump straight onto polishing, preparation is vital, and cleaning is the first step.
Firstly, prepare your surface. Before you start to polish, you need to ensure that your floor is cleaned. Sweep, vacuum, and even use a mop to remove all the dirt and debris lying about on the surface.
If there are any scratch marks on your hardwood floors, you can always use sandpaper to sand it down and try to erase those pesky marks. If the cracks are too deep, don’t forget to patch them up. We can then move on to the polishing of your hardwood floors.
Always ensure to use the correct type of polish depending on your floors. Find a suitable hardwood floor polish for this purpose. When looking at floor wax, there is a liquid and paste wax that can be used. Floor wax that comes in the form of paste tends to give a deeper shine and protect the wood. However, liquid floor wax is easier to apply and gets the floor shiny without the need for too much buffing. The preference is yours depending on availability and what suits your need best.
- Be Gentle, and you don’t need to be Aggressive when polishing!
- Have your surface ready, clean the floor and remove all your furniture, rugs, and other items away.
- If you have mopped your floors, then make sure to dry them. Always start on a clean and dry surface.
- Know the area you’re polishing to have the required amount of polish to cover your floors.
- Make sure to spread an even and constant layer of polish on the floor, which is not too thin. Don’t forget to work on small sections at a time.
- Polishing should be done every few months. Please don’t overdo it!
- Use either a polishing machine or a proper microfiber cleaning pad when polishing. The right tools give the best outcomes.
- Give the polish time to dry. Don’t be in a hurry to walk all over it and wait a while to put your furniture back.
- Polish has a shell life of one-two years, so it’s best to be used within one year of opening your polish bottle or tin.
Laminate floor polishing
Cleaning laminate floors are quite similar to other hard surfaces. One should regularly maintain the floors by daily dusting, vacuuming, and mopping the floors. This is to make sure that debris and dirt particles are removed so that the protective layer of the laminate flooring is not worn down. This can be done with a microfiber wiping pad, a vacuum and a mop.
However, laminate flooring should be deep cleaned and polished monthly. This will help extend its lifespan and add beauty to your floors. The best form of polishing is by using a specially formulated laminate floor polish. Using a specific product for laminate flooring will ensure that you avoid problems such as spots, streaks and marks that can damage your flooring.
Once you finish with a cleaner, don’t forget to dry and buff your floor. This can be done using a dry-cleaning cloth or even a microfiber cloth. Buffing helps your floor get a nice shine and restores the original laminate shine.
Tips to keep those laminate floors shiny!
Let’s look at a few preventative measures that help prolong the shininess and lifespan of laminate flooring.
- Always use appropriate cleaning products and a microfiber mop; this helps shine the floor and prevents a dull look of the floor.
- A good vacuum cleaner is key. The regular use of a vacuum cleaner helps remove dust particles.
- Laminate flooring is water-resistant and not waterproof. So, if you accidentally spill liquid or water, make sure to wipe at once. This helps in reducing the damage caused by water stains.
- Rugs and carpets placed in different parts of your floors can help trap dirt and dust particles. This reduces the chance of scratches on your laminate floors.
- Also, avoid sharp-pointed shoes as they may leave dents.
- Try not to use general polish or wax on laminate flooring. These products tend to leave the floor sticky after mopping and can make it dull.
Marble Floor Polishing
Marble floors over time look dull and worn-out. If you’re looking down and feel like the marble floors at home need some TLC, then here are some tips.
There are two types of marble flooring, which is Natural marble and Cultured marble. Each type has a specific way to be cleaned or polished. So, the first step would be to identify which marble surface you find at home.
Marble flooring can be a little tricky to polish by yourself. It is recommended to let a professional clean your marble tile flooring. General cleaners or polish can be damaging for delicate marble tiles and could even make them slippery. Although there are processes to polish marble by hand, the best outcomes are through using machine polishers. Gloves, safety goggles and masks are a big part of the necessary safety tools for machine polishing marble floors.
Natural Marble
Firstly, stains on the floor have to be removed. Spillages such as juice, wine, oils, sauces and even coffee stains must be eliminated using appropriate cleaning solutions and a dry microfiber cloth. It is after this that one can move on to the process of polishing. Let’s look at an easy and safe way of cleaning your marble floors without damaging them. Always start on a clean and dry surface. Marble can be scratched easily, and you wouldn’t want to damage it when polishing. A dry and clean microfiber cloth is needed to remove dirt that may be left on the floor gently. A home friendly method of cleaning and polishing marble floors is with a mixture of Baking Soda and water used as a polish. A combination of 45g of baking soda to 0.9 litres of water is the solution you need. A clean cloth can be used to apply a thin layer of the mixture onto the surface. This polish solution should be allowed to dry for 5 hours. You could then use a microfiber cloth and warm water to remove away the dried mixture. Finally, it’s time to dry and buff. Gently wipe down the surface of the floor with a clean and dry microfiber cloth.
Cultured Marble
When it comes to cultured marble, it is easier to clean than natural marble. This is due to the protective coating that it comes with, making it less prone to scratches. Yet you do need to handle the flooring with care. Ensure you clean the floors of any stains and then a general non-abrasive and non-streaking cleaner to clean the floors. There is not a great deal to be done for polishing floors but applying a protective sealant every few years is recommended to help prevent stains.
Remember!
Acids can damage natural marble, so DIY cleaning solutions such as lemon juice and vinegar is a big No-No! Also, never use metal scrubbers on marble flooring. Both marble types need care when cleaning so as not to scratch and damage the surface. Leave the professional marble polishing to the professionals. But for a quick cleanup, the above steps are your best bet.
Voila!
Now that we have looked at how to polish various floors properly, it is time to put those tips to practice. So go ahead, take care of your floors, and don’t forget to keep them polished and cleaned for both longevity and an aesthetically pleasing surface.
If you feel like too much work needs to be done or your floors seem more damaged than they should, you should get professional help. Star Shining Facility Solutions in Australia is Melbourne’s favourite floor polishing solution. A cleaning company does have the equipment and know-how to get rid of those marks and leave your floors looking like a million dollars.
However, the above knowledge will get you through the basics of floor polishing. So, Happy Polishing, folks!