Floor Consult

Bruce No-Wax Hardwood Floors with a Dura-Luster, Dura-Luster Plus or Permion Finish and Bruce Laminate Floors are similar in the way they are maintained. If you have one of these Bruce floors in your home or if you’re considering one for purchase, this information will help you understand the process of caring for your floor.

Each floor comes with a detailed set of Care & Maintenance Instructions and a Warranty. These two documents go hand in hand because the Care Instructions tell you how to uphold your Warranty through Maintenance. The instructions contain easy to follow, detailed information about specific conditions and situations. This really boils down to a few basic rules… clean your floor regularly, be careful with items that can scratch the floor and use manufacturer recommended maintenance products only (to uphold the Warranty).

Bruce Hardwood & Laminate Floor Cleaner is a unique cleaner, specifically formulated and recommended, for use on the Bruce No-Wax Wood (Dura-Luster, Dura-Luster Plus or Permion Finish) & Bruce Laminate Floors. The cleaner lifts soil from the surface of the urethane floor finish without leaving a film or streaking on the floor.

Initial care for your Wood or Laminate Floor starts immediately following installation. Floor should be thoroughly swept and dust mopped to remove loose dirt and debris then cleaned with Bruce Hardwood & Laminate Floor Cleaner and a Bruce Swivel-Head Mop with Microfiber Cover. These items can be purchased as aMaintenance Kit then Cleaner and extra Mop Covers can be purchased separately as you need them. If installing the floor is a Do It Yourself (DIY) project, buy these cleaning products ahead of time (see coupon code for discount). If you’re having the floor professionally installed, check with your installer to see if they provide cleaner and microfiber mop –some will and some won’t. Be prepared with product to start cleaning your floor right away.

To clean the entire floor, simply spray Bruce Hardwood & Laminate Floor Cleaner directly onto the floor and use a Bruce Swivel-Head Mop with Microfiber Cover to work the cleaner into the floor to lift the dirt onto the mop head. Spray and mop one small area at a time.After cleaning, wash and hang-dry the mop cover so it’s ready for the next use.

Sweep frequently for your floor to look its best. This keeps small particles of dirt from building up underfoot. These particles of dirt act like sandpaper to a wood or laminate floor. They will, over time, cause small scratches in the floor’s surface and dull the finish.

Many customers ask if they can use a vacuum instead of sweeping to speed up cleaning. Sweeping is gentler on the floor so it is the preferred method however, if you feel you must use a vacuum, only use one with a soft brush or felt pad head. Don’t use a vacuum with beater bars, hard heads or damaged casters because it will scratch and dent your floor and your Warranty will be null &void.

Spot clean your floor as often as necessary and clean the whole floor periodically with Bruce Hardwood & Laminate Floor Cleaner.Never let cleaner (or any other liquid) puddle on the floor as this could damage the floor. Liquids are your floor’s enemy! For spot cleaning small areas, wipe up spill then apply the cleaner onto a clean cloth and use it to rub area until clean.

Rules of thumb:
• Don’t let spills sit on the floor. Wipe up promptly and clean area with Bruce Hardwood & Laminate Floor Cleaner and a soft cloth.
• Don’t allow heavy object to drag across the floor. If you need to move furniture or appliances, use EZ Move Felt-Bottom Slides that allow the heavy item to sit on a cushioned pad with felt on the bottom so you can easily slide the piece along the floor without damaging its surface.
• Put felt floor protectors on the bottom of chair legs and all other furniture that sits on your wood floor to prevent denting & scratching.
• Keep sharp items off your floor! Such as spiked or worn heels, heavy wooden soled shoes, toys with hard plastic wheels…you get the idea.
• Pets’ nails should be kept trimmed.

Once you use with this maintenance routine, you’ll find it’s easy and convenient.
To get you started, use coupon code ”FGBLOG” for a 10% discount when you order from www.1877floorguy.com.

What is Mannington Ultra Clean?
Mannington Ultra Clean is specially formulated for use on Mannington Wood Floors to clean without damaging. Mannington does not list the exact ingredients in their Ultra Clean Wood Floor Cleaner(typical for these types of cleaners) so look at the MSDS sheet that indicates this cleaner as water-based, non-toxic, environmentally friendly and safe for use around children and pets.

Why Use Mannington Ultra Clean?
Mannington Ultra Clean will not leave a film or residue on your Mannington wood floor, it is specially formulated for use on Mannington wood & finishes, it upholds the floor’s warranty if used correctly for regular maintenance. The warranty states, “The Limited Warranties do not cover conditions caused by improper use or maintenance, such as:…loss of gloss or build-up of dulling film due to lack of maintenance or improper maintenance…damage resulting from failure to follow floor care instructions…”

How to Use Mannington Ultra Clean?
1. Sweep or vacuum before mopping. Built-up grit can damage the finish and surface of hardwood. If using a vacuum the head must be a brush or felt type and wheels must be clean. Vacuum must be in good working condition. Do not use a vacuum with a beater bar head. *Best to use a broom.
2. Spray Mannington Ultra Clean on floor, one small area at a time, then wipe immediately with a clean microfiber mop or cloth. Floor will air dry in minutes. Do not rinse. Spraying too large of an area will result in cleaner drying before mopping causing you to re-spray area for mopping to be effective.
3. For spills- Remove spills promptly with a soft cloth then wipe area with a clean soft cloth dampened with Mannington Ultra Clean.

How to Buy Mannington Ultra Clean?
Mannington Ultra Clean comes in a 32 ounce trigger spray bottle. The newer bottles are white and shaped differently than the older clear bottles. You may still find both on the market. The cleaner can be purchased as part of the Ultra Clean Mop Kit which is great if you’re just getting started and need the mop, microfiber cover and cleaner. Microfiber Replacement Covers are provided by Bona and can be purchased indivually. It’s a good idea to keep two or more mop covers on hand so you’ve always got a clean one when you need it. If these microfiber covers are hand washed and air dry, they will last for years with normal use.

Additional Info for Good Looking Wood Floors…
Make certain furniture has floor protectors that are clean and operate properly. Change the furniture pads when they appear dirty to effectively protect your floor. This is mentioned in Mannington’s Wood Floor Warranty!
Never mop or flood your floor with water or other products. This can severely damage the flooring.
Do not use oil soaps, liquid or paste wax products or other household cleaners that contain lemon oil, tung oil or ammonia.
Keep pet’s nails trimmed and paws clean and free of dirt, gravel, grease, oil and stains.
Remove shoes with spiked, damaged or heavy heels before walking on the floor.

The trend is obvious when you view the manufacturer links in Part Ito this blog. Manufacturers are “greening” their manufacturing processes and their business cultures. Each touts the strides they have made towards environmental stewardship using words like “reducing VOCs, sustainable resources, recycling, improving indoor air quality.” These are all great steps towards a better environment that are measured by organizations that award approvals and certifications as a way for consumers to interpret the progress.

Let’s continue our look at greener cleaners for different types of floor coverings with hardwood & laminate cleaners as our next stop …

As part of the “all natural” Mohawk Floorcare Essentials line, approved by DfE, Mohawk has included a non-toxic Hardwood & Laminate Floor Cleaner made from natural, renewable ingredients. When a product, like this one, is given the DfE Approved label, it indicates that the product, not only, contributes to a lesser impact on both human and environmental health, it also works as well or better than other cleaners in its class.

Bona, a company focused on wood floor care, continually strives to launch effective products with lesser impact on the environment. They do this by using recyclable materials in production and by developing non-toxic formulas, minimizing the harmful effects on people and downstream water pollution. Bona, a leader in the industry, offers a waterborne hardwood floor cleaner that is non-toxic, GREENGUARD Indoor Air Quality Certified, GREENGUARD Certified for Children & Schools, fulfills LEED points and meets CHPSand CA 01350 criteria for indoor air quality. The Bona cleaner is safe for the floor, family and environment and is effective in keeping your wood floor clean. In my home I use the Bona Spray Mop and Cleaner Refill Cartridges and my experience with this product has been great.

Moving on to Tile & Grout Cleaners…

Mohawk Floorcare Essentials has a Tile & Grout Cleaner. This, like the rest of the product line, is DfE Approved, made with natural ingredients and non-toxic.

Host Dry Extraction Carpet Cleaning System, which we took a look at in Part I for carpet cleaning, has also been used successfully to deep clean grouted tile floors. The Host website has a good illustration of this. A test area is recommended before full use. Typical use is commercial or institutional. Host products are Green Seal Certified, EPP Approved and LEED Qualified.

Several new acronyms and organizations have been introduced in the sections above. Here is what they mean to you…

GREENGUARD Environmental Institute focuses on indoor air quality.GREENGUARD is an industry-independent, non-profit organization that establishes standards and testing for indoor products. Their goal is to improve public health by helping manufacturers build safer products that will not pollute the air with harmful levels of dangerous chemicals or particulates. GREENGUARD awards several types of certification. GREENGUARD Indoor Air Quality Certified indicates that a product performs well in testing for low chemical emissions.GREENGUARD Certified for Children & Schools maintains an even higher standard for low-emitting interior use products and materials adhering to the performance guidelines in California Code Section 01350 (CA 01350) pertaining to indoor air quality. A product that meets CA 01350 is also LEED qualified and CHPS (Collaborative for High Performance Schools) approved.

CHPS (Collaborative for High Performance Schools) helps to facilitate high performance learning environments that are not only energy and resource efficient, but also healthy, comfortable, well lit, and containing the amenities for a quality education. CHPS and CA 01350 are considered to be leaders in improving indoor air quality standards.

I hope this blog leaves you more informed than you were before and gives you resources to use in determining what products are safest or most environmentally friendly. There is not one clear-cut answer because there are many approvals and certifications by various organizations and government agencies. Consumers need to use their best judgment in deterring which manufacturers or products are really doing something responsible for our environment and which are just blowing a lot of hot air (pardon the non-ecological idiom). There are many good products out there, several are mentioned in this blog and in Part I to this blog. My advice is to read labels, check websites and ask questions to draw conclusions about what is most effective in helping you to meet your “Green” goals.

What is a green floor cleaning product? Is it about a manufacturer’s efforts to conserve natural resources and recycle? Does it mean that the floor cleaner will help you to conserve water or energy? What will be its effect on indoor air quality? Is it safe when it comes in contact with your skin?

The more I’ve researched the vast topic of “green”, the more certifications and approvals I find. This “bit of information” I planned to share in my blog just kept getting bigger and bigger so I’ve decided to break it down into smaller bites for you. This is Part I. Look for Part II coming soon!

Manufacturers of floor cleaning products are changing what they make and how they make it. As products change to meet consumer demand for “green”, industry and government have introduced a range of certifications, approvals and standards. It can be difficult to navigate through the acronyms and organizations that certify and approve products so here is a guide on a few that I’ve come across. I am not endorsing any one certification, merely summarizing the information so you can draw your own conclusions and better understand what each means.

Green Seal Certified, EPP Approved, LEED qualified, and DfE Approved are “green” approvals I came across while looking into environmentally friendly carpet cleaning products. The organizations behind these approvals and certifications also evaluate other types of products as you’ll see in my next blog. “Green” takes on different meanings, depending on the type of approval or certification and the goal of the certifying organization.

Host Dry Extraction Carpet Cleaning System is a full line of carpet cleaning products from spot cleaners to 6lb or 12lb boxes of cleaner used in the Host Dry-Clean Machine. These Host products are Green Seal Certified, EPP Approved and can contribute points for LEED qualification. The inherent nature of this dry carpet cleaning system conserves water because none is needed, conserves energy because water doesn’t need to be heated and fans don’t need to be run for drying the carpet because the carpet never gets wet. Host Dry Carpet Cleaning System reduces the risk of mold and allergans, often associated with wet-carpet cleaning, thereby producing better indoor air quality.

Shaw R2x Green Stain & Soil Remover is a carpet spot cleaner that is DfE Approved by the EPA (different approval than Host) and intended for use on stain resistant and wool carpets and water safe fabrics.

Mohawk Floorcare Essentials is a line of “all natural”, non-toxic products including Carpet Stain Remover, Carpet Care Kit and Odor Eliminator. These carpet cleaners, like Shaw R2x, are DfE Approved.

What does all of this mean to you?
Green Seal Certified and EPP Approved (Environmentally Preferable Purchasing) both focus on the impact that manufacturing and materials used have on the environment.

Green Seal Certified means that evaluation has been conducted by the non-profit organization, Green Seal, and that the product reduces impact on the environment and on human health based on its use of raw materials, manufacturing process and recycling or disposal methods for the product. Green Seal Certified also indicates that the product works as well as or better than others in its class.

EPP Approved (Environmentally Preferable Purchasing) tells you the product has a reduced impact on human health and the environment when compared to other products that serve the same purpose. This comparison applies to raw materials, manufacturing, packaging, distribution, use, reuse, operation, maintenance, and disposal. The primary purpose of EPP Approval, given by the Federal EPA (Environmental Protection Agency), is to help agencies across the federal government comply with green purchasing requirements. The EPA website publishes a list of approved products. My experience has been that the list can be difficult to navigate so you may want to check the manufacturer’s website first if you’re looking for a specific product.

LEED qualification is geared primarily towards commercial buildings. LEED, developed by the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC), is an internationally recognized green building certification system aimed at improving building performance as it pertains to energy savings, water efficiency, reduction of CO2 emissions, improved indoor environmental quality, and responsible use of resources and sensitivity to their impacts on the environment. LEED provides building owners and operators a concise framework for identifying and implementing practical and measurable green building design, construction, operations and maintenance solutions. Floor cleaning products that are EPP approved also meet LEED requirements.

DfE, Design for the Environment, focuses on a product’s direct effect on people and on the use of sustainable ingredients. DfE is another EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) program that works with environmental organizations and industry. DfE’s, “Safer Product Labeling Program” promotes protecting families and the environment. Individual products are evaluated for their impact on both human and environmental health and for their ability to perform as well or better than other products in their class.

That’s all for this blog. Stay tuned for Part II –Hardwood & Laminate Cleaners, Tile & Grout Cleaners, GREENGUARD, CHPS, CA01350…