Spring is right around the corner and while cleaning your house of built-up dirt and dust can be therapeutic, you won’t want to spend all of your weekends inside cleaning. Take note of these quick and easy ways to spring clean your home so that you can enjoy more time outside in the warmer weather with your family, and less time indoors scrubbing dirt away.
Greet Your Guests with Care
When you invite guests over it’s important to make them feel welcome. What better way to do that than by greeting them with a beautiful doormat, which will also keep the dirt, gravel and mud from entering your home with them.
Don’t Ignore Overlooked Surfaces!
While you might be good at dusting your tables and window sills, don’t forget to take care of the forgotten surfaces! Windows should be cleaned of build-up from the previous cold and messy months, while everything from ceiling fans, furniture, light fixtures and blinds should be cleaned free of lingering dust.
Fresh Start with Linens
Spring cleaning doesn’t have to only consist of cleaning your house. Consider replacing your linens with a new set of sheets or a comforter that brings a dose of sunshine and energy into your room. This can range from sheets with a bright pattern on them, to an accent pillow in a chalky pastel.
Attack Those Floors!
Now that your windows, fans and furniture have been cleaned, all of that dust and build-up is most likely resting on your hardwood or carpet. Consider deep cleaning your carpets or take advantage of our Hard to Beat Flooring sale and receive a complimentary iRobot Braava to clean your floors for you so that you can spend the warmer days outside with your family enjoying the much needed sunshine.
For more cleaning tips, visit our cleaning guide: HERE
You’ve just installed your beautiful hardwood floors. Maybe they’re handscraped. Maybe they’re brushed. Perhaps they’re engineered rather than solid. They’re stunning. Warm, natural and just the perfect finish.
How do you keep them that way?
When considering hardwood, our clients most frequently ask “Will they scratch?” The answer to this question is that hardwood is a natural material and some scratching is inevitable. However, with careful maintenance, you can really live on your hardwood without seeing the evidence.
When buying…
Opt for pre-finished hardwood. Eheart’s hardwood business is almost exclusively pre-finished because the finish is so superior to sand-on-site flooring. Pre-finished flooring has an aluminum oxide wear layer which results in a commercial grade finish that will last years longer before refinishing. And, you can walk on your floors the same day they’re installed! A win-win!
Handscraped Hardwood
Consider handscraped hardwood. If you have pets or kids, consider the character of a hand scraped hardwood. This style of hardwood is like distressed denim–it’s already got a bit of character, so when Junior comes in with gravel in his shoes from a particularly mischevious day at school or when Fido is overdue for a nail trim, the damage done only adds to the charm of this flooring.
Once installed…
Clear the debris. The biggest culprit for hardwood wear comes from dirt, sand, and gravel that can buff or scratch your floor. Run your vacuum, dust mop, or broom over your floor routinely to extend your hardwood’s life.
Use a wax free cleaner. We recommend and sell the Bona Hardwood Floor Care System. Similar to a Swiffer mop, this system is quick and easy–a quick dry mop to pick up residual debris then a quick spritz of the all-natural cleaner is all it takes for beautiful floors!
Manage humidity. A whole house humidifier is a worthwhile investment to keep your hardwood looking brand new for years to come.
Cap Fido’s toenails. Try a completely humane simple nail cap on your pet’s toenails to keep them from damaging your floors as they slide to your front door to greet unexpected guests.
Though hardwood has now replaced carpet as the most popular flooring of choice, carpet can’t be beat for its warmth, comfort underfoot, and price point. We have people coming into our store looking for carpet that won’t stain, look worn, and will wear like iron. Once we’ve found you the perfect carpet, how do you care for it?
Before you buy carpet:
Consider your cushion as much as your carpet. For stain resistance,we recommend a carpet cushion with a moisture barrier. This will help your spilled red wine stay on top of the carpet for a longer period of time before it soaks into your cushion, permanently staining your carpet. A properly cushioned carpet wears longer, looks better, and feels great under foot. Make an upgrade to a rubber cushion with an odor and moisture barrier. You won’t regret it, and, in many cases it will extend your carpet warranty.
Ask about warranties. Most carpet warranties exclude stairs and hallways–the areas most prone to wear and staining. Additionally, many carpet warranties pro rate, which means that the warranty covers fewer and fewer of your concerns as the years go on. As a Stainmaster UltraLife Dealer, we offer carpet warranties of 25 years with no exclusions on food, beverage, and pet stains–including stairs and hallways.
Once your carpet is installed…
Break out the bubbly. Keep a couple of bottles of club soda on hand to lift stains from your carpet as soon as they occur. Simply pour the club soda over the stain and blot (never rub!) the stain out.
Treat twice the stain. A stain on your cushion is twice the size it is on your carpet, so use a carpet cleaner (we recommend ZLex) on twice the affected area.
Go brushless. Utilizing a vacuum cleaner that is suction based rather than brush based reduces the wear your carpet will experience and maintains the texture and hand of your new carpet.
Forgo the suds. Soap residue is from traditional carpet cleaning makes your carpet dirtier. We recommend a soap free, hot water extraction based professional cleaning every two years to maintain the life of your carpet. We use Professional Carpet Cleaners of Loveland. Win 500 square feet of hot water extraction carpet cleaning–simply comment and tell us your best trick for lifting carpet stains.
