Ask Mrs. Clean: House Cleaning, Stain Removal and Organizing Tips

[Biggy]

Hi. I just moved into an apartment that's in an old house, and the tile in the kitchen (I'm assuming it's linoleum) is very dull and worn in spots. I don't expect to be able to get it gleaming like new, but what would you suggest for a best effort for cleaning/waxing? Thanks in advance.

Biggy

[mrscleannw]

We use this on all linoleum floors we clean, and we clean A LOT of floors!

1. Use a canister vacuum, or broom and thoroughly vacuum up all dust and dirt.
2. Mop linoleum with a mild detergent and wait awhile to allow it to penetrate the ground-in dirt
3. Get a good wax stripper and using a good scrub brush, follow manufactures instructions, and make sure any wax on the linoleum is completely removed.
4. Mix white vinegar (food grade) and water 50/50 in a spray bottle fill up a mop bucket with warm/hot water.
5. Use the spray bottle to spray the vinegar solution on the linoleum floor, and mop the floor with the warm water in the mop bucket.
6. Dry The Floor.

The vinegar cleaner solution smells, but as it dries the smell will dissipate completely, it cuts grease and is a disinfectant and a mold and mildew remover. It leaves no residue or spots.


To dry we use a thing called a sh-mop. (or shine-mop) to dry the floor and remove any water spots. It also has an added bonus of finding and removing residual dirt that is left after mopping. The Sh-Mop is used for hard surface flooring. It is a white terry-towel fit over a rectangular mop head. Its works really well for cleaning hard floors. It is highly absorbent, and reusable machine washable cotton. You just toss the dirty cotton covers in the washing machine after use.

I have posted a few resources on cleaning linoleum floors below:
http://www.housecleaningcentral.com/en/ ... ps/floors/

[nelsonclassic]

Hello friend,

The first step in refinishing a floor is to strip the floor. After the floor has been stripped, it should be completely clean and ready to receive a new wax coat.

Wear heavy latex utility gloves and protective goggles when stripping built-up wax or sealer from tile floors. Mix water and an ammonia-based floor stripper. Apply a heavy coat of the ammonia solution with a mop. Let this stand for 10 minutes or until a haze appears.
=>Then hand-scrub the edges with a brush. Scrape the wax loose from corners with a small putty knife. Pick up residue in corners and along edges with a hand cloth if needed. Scrub the wax loose use a buffer machine with a brush or nylon pads.
=>Use a warm, clean rinse water and a wet vacuum or a wrung-out mop to pick up wax and dirt. Change the rinse water as needed. Add one cup of white vinegar to 2.5 gallons of rinse water. Use this solution as a final rinse to get rid of any film from the wax and stripping solution. Be sure to reach corners and edges. Air dry the floor.
=>Using a mop, apply one coat of sealer and three coats of wax. In high-traffic areas, you may need two coats of sealer and three coats of wax. There are two main types of finishes: wax-based and polymer finish. Wax-based polishes require at least two coats of wax. Polymer finishes typically contain a dissolved metal, usually zinc, that strengthens the floor finish. It is a strong finish that is easily touched up to keep the floor glossy. Polymer finishes are also easier to strip.
=>Apply liquid wax evenly to the clean, dry tile floor.Try to make even strokes with a little overlap. Wait for around 30 minutes or longer before going back over missed areas. Apply the next coat at a right angle to the first coat to catch any hairlines missed.
=>If you are just touching up a wax finish, mix half liquid wax and half water in a spray bottle. Spray lightly on the floor just ahead of the buffer machine. Buff until a glossy finish appears.
=> Now rinse all of your mops well and hang them to dry. Clean other supplies and equipment and hang them to dry as necessary.

Stripping and refinishing is time-consuming, it can prolong the life of your floor and keep a high quality appearance.But I will suggest you to contact any good professional for that because it's difficult to do it by yourself in a efficient way. :)

Regards,
Nelson
Home Improvement Contractors

[mold removal tampa]

Hello friends,

Here are few tips to clean old kitchen tiles.

# Use a damp piece of cloth for cleaning the tiles on kitchen walls. For wiping dust from the floor tiles, use a damp mop.
# To remove stains on the actual tile, you will want to use a nylon scrubbing pad and chlorine-free household cleaner. Place the cleaner directly on the stain and wait at least 30 seconds so the cleaner can dampen the stain. In a circular motion, scrub the stain out of the tile.
# With the toothbrush, simply scrub until the grout is clean.
# To remove stubborn stains, mixing equal parts of vinegar and water will effectively remove sticky stains, as well as offensive odors.

Hope this helps you..!!

[mrscleannw]

thanks