Spotless Floors

Dust-mopping tips

• Dust mops pick up more dirt than brooms and are easier to use than vacuums. They are especially suited for smooth, glassy wood and no-wax floors. To make the work go faster, buy a commercial 18-inch dust mop at a janitorial supply store.
• On a waxed surface, use a dry dust mop or, if the room is very dry, one slightly dampened with water (a few sprays will do the trick). Never use an oiled dust mop.

Mopping floors

• More floors are washed away then worn away, so wring out your mop until it's almost dry. Excess water can penetrate vinyl seams, dissolve wax and paint, and raise wood grain.
• Use your kitchen trash container as your mop bucket; that way you can clean it at the same time.
• Keep one mop just for rinsing; it's almost impossible to get all the cleaning solution out of a mop.

Fast shine
For a quick shine between waxings, place a piece of wax paper under your mop and work it around the room. (Be sure to dust-mop thoroughly first, because grit under the paper will scratch the waxed surface.)

Preventing wear

• Stop dirt at the door to prevent floor wear and tear. A pair of rough-textured mats--one on the outside, the other inside the entryway-- will catch a lot of it.
• Use area rugs to protect carpets and waxed floors in areas where traffic is heavy--the dining area, family room, and hallways, for example.
• To prevent worn spots on the polished floors in doorways or at the bottom of stairs, try this treatment once or twice a month: Apply a thin coat of paste was with a cheesecloth, let it dry for 15 minutes, and then polish; repeat the procedure for hour or two later.

Stop damage from furniture

• Glue bunion pads on the feet of tables and chairs so that they can be moved without scratching the floor.
• When moving heavy furniture, slip a piece of plush carpet, pile side down under the furniture legs. You'll protect the floor, and the furniture will slide easier.
• Before moving furniture, slip heavy socks onto the legs, or place each leg into a "shoe" made from the bottom half of a clean milk carton.

Preventing rocking chair wear
To keep a rocking chair from wearing the finish off a wood floor, place a strip of adhesive tape along the bottom of each rocker.

Mold on wood floors
Remove mold from wood floors with dry-cleaning fluid. If the mold is deeply embedded in the wood, use bleach or disinfectant. Rewax to restore the shine. Since mold needs a damp environment to thrive, keep it from coming back by making sure the area is well ventilated.

Cleaning dark wood floors
For a quick cleanup of a wood floor that's naturally or stained dark, try damp-mopping with cold tea instead of water. Go over a small area at a time with a well-wrung-out mop, wiping the area dry before moving on.

Alcohol stains on wood
Rub alcohol stains on a wood floor with silver polish or an ammonia-dampened cloth; then rewax the floor.

Removing scuff marks
To remove a scuff mark from vinyl flooring, smear a drop of baby oil over it, wait a few minutes, then wipe clean. Remove black heel marks with a typewriter eraser.

Got white spots after waxing?
Get rid of white spots that show up on wood floors after waxing: Pour liquid wax over then, rub gently with fine steel wool, following the grain. Then polish with a cloth.

Down-and-out resilient floors

• If your floor is in bad condition, apply two or more thin coats of a self-polishing water-base wax, letting each application  dry at least 8 hours before recoating.
• To restore pitted, rough asphalt tile, first smooth the surface with very fine steel wool. Then wash with a mild detergent solution, and wax with a self-polishing water-base wax (use several coats if pitting is severe).
• Disguise bad scratches in vinyl flooring by rubbing them with a worn screwdriver blade and then waxing.

Easy masonry floor care
To make cleaning easier, seal stone, brick, and concrete floors with a penetrating masonry sealer, available at hardware stores and home centers. Left unsealed, a masonry floor absorbs cleaning materials.

BONUS TIP >> After sealing your garage's concrete floor, wax it. Sounds crazy, but it makes sweeping easier and reduces the dust that gets tracked in the house.

Grease stains on the patio
To remove grease stains on concrete, wet them and sprinkle with dishwasher detergent. Let stand a few minutes before rinsing with boiling water.