Question:
What is the best way to clean hardwood floors?   I own a house that was built in 1912 and it still has the original hardwood floors in it.  We often throw parties and have lots of children over to play with our kids, and in the last few years I’ve noticed that the clear finish has flaked off in quite a few places.   Another thing to consider: I’ve got pets, so I’m concerned about finding a floor cleaner that is non toxic and safe for animals and humans.

Answer:
It sounds like you’ve got a couple of issues to going on here.  First, finding a quality and non-toxic cleaning solution for your hard worn floors, and second, dealing with your worn finishes.

One cleaning agent I recommend is “Bona Hardwood Floor Cleaner”.  Bona is an excellent choice as it is non toxic and inexpensive.   A simple vinegar and water solution also remains a good option.  Simply mix half a cup of white vinegar to one gallon of warm water.    Make sure never to saturate the wood floor with water, a slightly damp mop is all that is needed.

The other issue is that of your worn finish.   To be honest, having original floors built in 1912, you’re not likely to see a significant improvement in the appearance even with vigorous cleaning.   I would recommend that you look into getting your floor refinished.  You can hire a professional or do it yourself.   Refinishing requires sanding down all the remaining varnish and the worn out top top layer of wood, and re-staining or varnishing the wood.  It’s a messy job, but can be done with the right equipment and enough time.

If your wood floor is damaged beyond a basic refinishing, you’ll need to look at options for replacing your wood floor.  After almost 100 years I wouldn’t be surprised if you might benefit from a new wood floor.

Feel free to contact us at Carpet Wagon for further tips, free estimates at your home, and recommendations for refinishing floors!

[Photo by ShawnHenning]

Today, a friend of Carpet Wagon is going to come a little bit of the woodwork, so to speak, and share some of her personal experiences about being a first time homeowner.

My husband and I are new first-time homeowners, and really excited about the prospect of decorating and making our home cosy and inviting.  One easy way to do that?  Paint!

Our home had been a rental property for decades before we bought it – and the previous tenants had painted the bedrooms dark green.  Nice color for some, but not for us.  The common areas are all plain white.   Time to grab some paint swatches!

While “going green” isn’t our style in paint color, it is our style for the environment.   The airborne chemicals released during painting, after the paint is dry, and as paint is removed, fall into a category of pollutants known as volatile organic compounds (VOCs)—potentially carcinogenic carbon-based chemicals that evaporate easily and contribute to indoor air pollution.  Harmful compounds in the VOC category range from formaldehyde to pesticides to cleaning chemicals.  They can be up to ten times more concentrated indoors than outdoors.  However, VOCs contribute significantly to air pollution out of doors as well.  VOCs are released in the highest concentrations during paint application, but most paint will continue to emit harmful fumes for years afterwards.

Companies are on the move to make paint with little or no VOC’s.  Check the label at your local paint store to find an eco-friendly paint.

Now, about color – I’m thinking taupe…

[photo by Diana Parkhouse]

Question:
How do I remove glue from vinyl flooring? I have recently had new vinyl linoleum flooring put down in my kitchen. They secured the flooring using glue, but I’m not sure what type of glue.  Unfortunately, some of the glue has been walked onto the flooring. We have been advised not to use chemicals or abrasives on the flooring. We have tried normal soap and water to no avail.   Any suggestions would be very much appreciated.

Answer:
Good question!  Glue on the floor is really annoying, but there are lots of things you can try to remove the glue.

To remove adhesive from your vinyl flooring, you may want to try simple cooking oil.  This is the same concept as removing chewing gum from a little one’s hair using peanut butter.  Bar Keepers Friend is also worth a try.  It’s non abrasive, but make sure you try it in a small corner area with a soft cloth.   As a last resort you could try mineral spirits (used in turpentine and paint thinner).  However, please make sure you don’t pour this directly onto your vinyl floor.   Simply pour a bit on a cloth and test in small area as well. I’ve seen installers remove excess adhesive from hardwood with mineral spirits without damaging the floor at all.

[photo by LittleRedCera]

When you really think about it, it does seem a little counter-intuitive to invest so much time and energy into using safe, sustainable materials in our homes, to go and clean them with harsh chemicals. We have found that the best cleaning components are safe, inexpensive and probably already in common use in your kitchen!

One cup of baking soda mixed with a teaspoon of liquid soap, a bit of water, and a few drops of antibacterial essential oil (such as tea tree, eucalyptus, rosemary, or peppermint) makes a really effective cleanser for your bathroom.

Fill a spray bottle with white vinegar to clean your mirrors. Use a solution of 1/2 water and 1/2 vinegar to clean windows. Wipe dry with a clean cloth. Use a piece of crumpled up newspaper to remove any streaks left behind by the cloth.

Need to polish your silver? A frequently recommended, nontoxic trick is to fill an aluminum pan (or one lined with aluminum foil) with hot water, add salt and baking soda, and stir to dissolve. When you add the silver pieces, a chemical reaction occurs, removing tarnish.

For an economical and environmentally friendly floor cleaner, mix a solution of 3 drops dishwashing liquid to 1/3 part white distilled vinegar, 1/3 part alcohol, and 1/3 part water. Spray sparingly and mop for a fast clean-up.

Some carpet stains can be removed with a paste of 2 tablespoons white distilled vinegar and 1/4 cup salt or baking soda. Rub into the carpet stain and let dry. Vacuum up the residue the next day. (Always test on an out-of-sight part of the carpet first).

Try these simple tips out to save money and be eco-friendly! Your wallet and Mother Nature will thank you.

[ image by awayukin ]

“Going Green” in home decorating doesn’t mean painting every available surface in your home a vibrant shade of green! “Going Green” is another way of describing an eco-friendly alternative to typical interior design practices. Here are some simple ways to brighten your home and go green at the same time.

Though if you decide to paint (using the color green or not!), choosing the perfect eco-friendly paint has become a very easy task. First lead based paint, then latex based, now paint with almost no VOCs. Home-supply stores increasingly carry a wide selection, sometimes in hundreds of colors, with zero or very low levels of volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Several companies such as AFM Safecoat, Anna Sova, Eco Specs by Benjamin Moore, Bioshield and Green Planet offer interior designers and do-it-yourself home owners a wide variety of colors to choose from.

Finally a great way to brighten up your home is to use plants. Since plants work to clean the air in their environment, this also helps to make your home more green. A few of the plants that have been found to work best at removing harmful toxins from the air are English ivy, gerber daisies, chrysanthemums, and peace lilies.

Hardwood floors are timeless.   Not only in the sense that they are classic in style and feel, but they can actually be timeless.   Here is a little known fact: hardwood floors can be re-sanded time and time again.  This means that hardwood can actually last more than 100 years if cared for properly!

The beauty of nature is seen in any hardwood floor where the natural detail of grain, knots and mineral streaks can only come from the craftsman ship of Mother Nature herself. Because wood is a natural product, no two pieces ever look the same; it just can’t happen. Combine that with the fact that wood can be fabricated into different widths and shapes and the many ways in which you can install your floor, not to mention that it can be refinished and re-colored, and it’s no wonder that as old as wood is as a flooring, it’s always new.

Something else that is special about the beauty of wood is that it’s so eco-friendly.   First there’s the environment. From the day your floor starts as a tree to the day it re-enters the eco cycle some 200 years or so later, wood flooring is about as sustainable as you can get.

[ Image by Patrick Hoesly ]

• Eat dinner like your grandparents did, with cloth napkins! If everyone in the United States replaced just one package of paper napkins with cloth, we’d save one million trees. On average, each American uses a staggering 2,200 paper napkins a year, none of which are recycled. Why not reduce waste (and deforestation) by choosing cloth instead? You can even choose napkins that are made out of sustainable fabrics. Some of the more popular “green” fabrics are modal, hemp and bamboo.

• Cut down or eliminate paper towels usage and substitute washable viscose cloths. They are far more absorbent than paper and can soak up 10 times their weight in liquid. Or use washable cloths for washing dishes instead of sponges.

Finally, here is quick tip on ways to cut down on the other type of paper that comes into our houses on a regular basis – junk mail and catalogs!

• To remove your name from junk-mail lists, use the Direct Mail Association’s online service (https://www.dmachoice.org). It costs only $1. Or, subscribe to Precycle (formerly Green Dimes). For $36 a year, they’ll de-clutter your mailbox and plant five trees on your behalf.

• Dealing with the deluge of catalogs is free and through Catalog Choice (https://www.catalogchoice.org/). On their site, you search for participating companies (they’re almost all there!) and check them off. Once you sign up you’ll start noticing a marked difference in the amount of junk mail and catalogs you get everyday.

[ Image by nikcname ]