HOW TO DEVELOP A PLAN THAT WORKS

 

 

            We’ve taken a look at the five things you should consider to keep your floors looking great and the benefits you’ll reap for having a plan for your floor care. Now it’s time to take action to put a plan together. Although a proper plan is more than deciding to clean on a certain day or making a determination that it’s finally going to get done, it’s not very difficult at all. With a little bit of thought and a few minutes every day, you’ll be on your way to a cleaner, healthier home.

 

            First, take a look at the different types of flooring you have and where these flooring surfaces are. Doing so will help you identify what steps you need to take and how much time you need to devote to cleaning. For example, a few quick minutes sweeping hardwood floors at a main entry point may take less time than vacuuming a similar carpeted area. Additionally, carpeted areas require more than just superficial soil removal on an annual basis.

 

            Next, look at these areas and break them up into sections; daily/routine cleaning, spot removal, periodic cleaning and deep cleaning. Daily or routine cleaning are the areas such as your main entry that have the most traffic and, therefore, require the most frequent cleaning. This step removes the superficial soils that cause the most damage to your floors. A quick sweep, dust mop or vacuum will remove these soils before they become damaging. This should be done, as the name implies, daily. Spend the few minutes. You’ll thank me later.

 

            Spot removal is self-explanatory; the removal of spots and/or spills before they become permanent. Clean, bleach-free, terry cloth towels and a bottle of specialized spot cleaner should be kept close for when you need them. Treating a spot right away is your best chance of diminishing the possibility that the spot becomes a stain. Use professional-strength spot removers for carpeted areas and plain water spray bottles for wood, tile and stone. React quickly; the longer a spot sits, the harder it will be to remove later.

 

            Periodic cleaning is the cleaning of the most used areas of your home; the high-traffic areas. Of these, you should include the main entry area, hallways, kitchen, dining room (dinette or wherever you eat), living room, etc. This should be done on a weekly basis. If the area is small enough to be done within, say, thirty minutes. You may want to do it all at once. If you do, I recommend setting a day of the week that you get this done. Remember, this is a routine. It keeps you on track. If it’s too large, split it up into small segments and schedule them for certain days of the week.

 

            The final step in the plan is deep cleaning. As the name implies, it is a more in-depth cleaning regimen. Along with superficial soil removal, this step involves the total cleaning of the flooring surface; wall to wall. It’s more intense as well. For example, daily cleaning of a carpeted area requires a quick vacuum. When deep cleaning, go slower and allow the vacuum head time to pull the soil from deeper within the carpet fibers. Wood floor routine cleaning requires a quick sweep. Deep cleaning of the same area requires sweeping, dust-mopping and mist cleaning with a micro-fiber head mop. This step is wall-to-wall, so cleaning corners, base trim, under open furniture (dining table) is necessary. Deep cleaning should be performed throughout your home on a monthly basis. I recommend breaking up your home into four areas. Do one area of deep cleaning weekly. That way, over the course of a month, you’ll have your entire home cleaned.

 

            Identify the surfaces of your home. Daily remove the superficial soils that damage your floors. Keep appropriate spot removal products nearby for quick use. Clean high-traffic areas of your home on a weekly basis. Split these tasks between set days of the week if necessary. Break up your home into four sections and perform deep cleaning of one section each week.

 

            Regardless of where you live in the Atlanta area from Peachtree City to Buckhead and surrounding areas, these are the steps you need to take to develop a plan that works. As with any change you make, a routine can only be developed when consistent action is taken. Commit to your plan, put it into action and soon you’ll have a cleaner home with much less stress.

 

            Our next article will cover routine/periodic cleaning in more detail. I’ll also address the induction of professional services that were left out of this process above. As always, if you need help right away or you’d like to schedule a free, in-home floor care evaluation, feel free to call Perfection Floor Careat (770) 892-5656. Don’t forget to check us out online at www.yourcleanking.comanytime. We’re here to help and look forward to being of service.