LivingChair[dot]com

Archive for June, 2009

Floor waxing polishing and cleaning hard surfaced floors doesn’t have to be a difficult job if you follow certain steps. One thing that’s definite is that you should keep it as clean as possible. In other words, if you let dirt, food, liquids, and anything else you drop or spill build up; it will take a lot longer to remove them. Some people are tidy and can get by with cleaning a kitchen floor every week, or even less frequently. For those who aren’t quite as careful, it may need washing more often. If you want to do some spot cleaning, just mop with clear water in between scrubbings. In the meantime you’ll also want to know how to apply floor wax.

Once a year or so, depending on the age and condition of the flooring, you may want to consider removing built up floor wax. If you live in an older home and haven’t replaced the vinyl or linoleum, built up wax will discolor it. Eventually, you’ll want to put down a new floor in some areas, but until you, do apply some shine every so often.

It’s also a very good idea to get in the habit of vacuuming or sweeping floors everyday. It makes particular good sense in high traffic areas where you have vinyl or tile, or a similar treatment. We don’t always see it until there are large amounts, but dust and other small particles can accumulate. Before we notice, we have a much harder job ahead of us in the floor waxing polishing and cleaning realm, than we’d expected. The small things get ground in as we walk on the flooring and they’re tougher to get out. There’s no point in knowing how to apply floor wax until you take the old off if there’s significant build-up.

We’ll discuss how to apply floor wax in a bit, but first let me go over some steps to take in actually washing your floors.

1. Move anything that isn’t too heavy for you out of your way
2. Thoroughly sweep to get rid of any loose material
3. Pour your favorite cleaner onto the floor or have it in bucket ready to apply
4. Have a bucket of cooler rinse water ready if it’s needed
5. Mop the floor with cleaner, squeeze the mop as dry as possible, then use the clear rinse water

How to Apply Floor Wax

Before you get out the wax, there are a couple of things you should know about how to apply floor wax. Before you apply it, your floor should be clean and dry. To ensure that it’s as clean as possible, wash it and let it dry just before waxing. If you haven’t done it for a while, you’ll have to go through the steps for removing built up floor wax.

You can look online to read up on various methods for preserving your floors. You can also look through helpful household cleaning tips. In addition to the Internet, you’ll be able to find books and pamphlets at the library and book stores.

One way of removing built up floor wax manually, is to mix detergent and ammonia with water and apply to the floor with a mop or sponge. This is one formula for a homemade wax remover. Wait a few minutes until the old wax starts to soften and then it’s time for some elbow grease. Use a stiff brush or steel wool to get down to the very base of the old wax. Another way is to use a non-abrasive wax stripper.

After removing built up floor wax you need to study up on how to apply floor wax. The main thing is to make sure the floor is clean. There isn’t any point to put a nice shine on top of a dirty floor.

If you don’t already know, find out what the floor is made of. Different materials call for various types of floor waxing polishing and cleaning. There are basics that have been around for years like vinyl and linoleum. Newer homes often have flooring made from marble, tile, hardwood, or wood composites, among other things.

When you’ve reached the stage where you’re ready to learn how to apply floor wax, you’ll need to know if there is a specific wax you should be using. Instead of crawling around on your knees, buy something to apply the wax with.

Floor waxing polishing and cleaning isn’t necessarily fun unless you’re a cleaning fanatic. It certainly doesn’t have to be a terrible experience. If you learn some helpful hints, you’ll not only take pride in your beautiful, shiny floors, you won’t be totally exhausted.

When the weather gets colder, many homeowners face a dilemma: to keep their patio furniture outside, with proper weatherproofing, or take it inside and try to accommodate in a basement or garage. But with teak patio furniture, you will no longer want to stash the patio set in the basement. Instead, you will want to flaunt it all year long.

Teak patio furniture is becoming more popular each day, with more designers exploring the timeless charm of teak wood. This wood, which grows in Burma, Indonesia and other exotic locations, is extremely durable, light and convenient, and it ages with a stunning grace.

According to historians, woven wicker furniture was first used in ancient Egypt. But since that time teak has become a favorite of garden furniture manufacturers only in the beginning of the 20th century, when white garden furniture has been labeled as boring and the prominent garden decorator Gertrude Jekyll claimed that gray- or green-toned garden furniture is more attractive. Since teak weathers to a beautiful silvery gray, it has soon become a popular wood of choice for many garden and patio furniture manufacturers.

Teak is one of the most valuable woods today. Teak wood grows in severe climatic conditions in Burma and Indonesia. Teak is a very hard wood resistant to wind, pests, sun, and humidity. In addition, teak does not splinter. For centuries, teak was used in marine building, which means that teak patio furniture can be easily left outside even in harsh climate conditions.

One of the most remarkable features of teak wood is its ability to change color with age. When new, its color varies from light to dark brown and over years becomes a light silver gray. The first “gray hair” in teak furniture will be noticeable after three to four months of use, depending on how contrasting the climate conditions are in your area. For example, if you have cold nights and hot sunny days, teak patio furniture will turn to gray faster. Natural teak will become gray in about a year.

To preserve this beautiful taupe shade of gray, you can wash the teak patio furniture every spring with mild detergent and water. To prevent dust accumulation you may wash the furniture with your regular garden hose, keeping the water pressure at low.

Even though teak wood does not splinter, it may develop small cracks with time. Teak wood contains a high amount of natural wood oils, so it will not develop deep structural cracks. There is no need to treat teak wood with any kind of wood sprays or oils to protect it; however, the teak wood oil does create a pretty surface sheen. You may apply oil when you plan to leave the teak furniture outside for a long period of time, or when the wood starts to show gray.

Since in most cases teak wood is left untreated when used for teak patio furniture, you should avoid spilling food or drinks on the wood surface. If you do happen to “leave your mark”, don’t use any harsh detergents to remove it. Any marks will eventually fade with time. When the stain is noticeable, you may scrub the area with mild sandpaper. Ultra-violet rays also damage the sheen of the teak furniture, and an annual treatment with properly labeled teak wood oil is recommended. Make sure that your teak wood furniture is clean and dry before treating, because you don’t want to trap any water under the coat of oil.