The best ways to clean a safe floor

New India Society, Juhu, Mumbai

Although rubberised safety flooring is fast gaining popularity in India, it’s still a nascent concept, especially from maintenance perspective. The methods of maintaining and cleaning this type of flooring need to be done with enough care. While granite flooring, which is widely used and popular, can be cleaned with least amount of precaution, the rubberised safety flooring, that usually comes in a range of colours and designs, should be cleaned with due care, adhering to the right methods. Here are some tips that will help you maintain the cleanliness of this type of flooring.

• Initial care: Do not clean it!

A safe floor should not be cleaned by employing any method for the first three days after installation. Doing this may damage the adhesive that holds the flooring.

• Dirt and debris: Remove with care

One of the toughest things to tackle a rubberised flooring is dirt and small specks of dirt which can become abrasive if ignored for a long time. This should be removed by gentle mopping or sweeping on a regular basis. If the floor is swept and mopped regularly, its lustre and shine will last longer.

• Stains: Wipe them out gently

If the floor is stained, a wet mop or sponge or cloth to remove it, as wet cleaning will not damage a rubber floor. Mild soap with vinegar in warm water can be used to clean it. If the stain is too deep, a hand brush which is not too sharp can be used to apply extra pressure to wash away the stain. Home-remedies like fabric softeners can also be used. However, steel wool sponges or scouring pads can harm the flooring. At the same time, acetone-based chemicals and those which have turpentine should be avoided as they can scar and  harm the flooring.

• Machine cleaning: Go slow

There are many ways to clean flooring and can also be done with the use of machines such as vacuum-cleaners. However, if a machine is being used it should be done with a lower speed as high speed machine cleaning can damage the floor.

• Use simple methods

As most of the safe floors are used by kids, urine can be one of the dirt that has to be removed from the flooring. Yet another home-remedy than can be helpful is the application of a large amount of toothpaste. This should be left on the floor for around 20 minutes, and washed with warm water. This can extract the urine and its smell from the flooring.