Cleaning Tips for Your Gerstad Home
Knowledge is the best power and Gerstad Builders gives a home maintenance manual to each new homeowner on how to best care for the inside and outside of their home, as per the manufacturer. With our current health concerns, Covid-19, we wanted to share some common cleaning items that may be looked over as we all seek to make our homes as sanitary as possible.
What about cleaning some of the essential fixtures in your home, such as; countertops, flooring and plumbing fixtures. This post will cover how to thoroughly clean these items.
Countertops:
Kitchen and bathroom counters are one of the main areas in your home you will want to make sure stays clean. The three main materials are cultured marble, solid surface granite/quartz or solid laminate.
Routine maintenance of a marble top includes using warm water with a soft cloth or sponge. Make sure on all the surfaces to wipe spills immediately to avoid causing stains. Do not use an abrasive cleaner.
Laminate countertops are simple to clean as well. Using warm water with a drop of dish soap. This can be done on a daily basis. Do not use bleach on laminate since it will discolor the surface. Like marble there are certain cleaning items that you will want to avoid; powdered cleaners, steel wool, scouring pads and scrub brushes.
Flooring:
Let’s move on to the largest area in your home, floors.
Ceramic Tile: If something spills onto the floor, wipe up the spill immediately with warm soapy water to avoid staining the grout. There are commercial tile cleaners that you can use as well that will keep your tile looking like new. Routine cleaning with warm soapy water is the best way to keep your floor looking like new and avoid strong cleaners since they will stain the grout.
Hardwood Floors if maintained properly can look brand new for a long time. Every time you vacuum carpeting, it is how often you should clean the floors. Do not use water-based cleaners, bleach or the one step cleaners that you can find in the stores. The best way to keep them clean is to use a soft, dry cloth or mop. If you use too much water on the hardwood floor, it can cause the floor to warp, cause stains and ruin the life of the floor. Very important to wipe up spills immediately.
Vinyl Flooring: Taking care of this type of flooring is similar to all the other floors. Using warm water and buy some commercial vinyl floor cleaner. If something spills on the floor, wipe it up with a soft cloth or sponge and dry immediately.
Plumbing:
The last items in your Gerstad home with tips on how to clean are the plumbing fixtures. These are designed to add beauty and style to your home but you still need to maintain proper care of them. Since the materials used for these items can be relatively soft, it’s essential to use the right type of cleaner. Never use scouring pads or abrasive cleaners. Clean all the fixtures with a soft sponge, cloth and warm soapy water. Rinse with warm water and wipe dry to prevent any spotting.
These are just some basic tips that you can use to clean some of the main items in your home. Doing this routine maintenance and following the tips and using the proper cleaning items, not only will your floors, counters and fixtures have a long life but you are keeping your family safe.
Gerstad Builders is here to answer any questions that you might have about cleaning any of the items in your home. Click here to contact them through the website or call at (815) 385-4830.