Cleaning carpet vs. cleaning wood floors

Care for ALL Wood Floors ( the Do's & Don'ts)

Do: Place Protector pads on ALL furniture legs on wood floor
Do: Place walk off mats and area rugs in high traffic areas (make sure they stay dry and are cleaned underneath often)
Do: Perform routine maintenance as recommended by manufacturer, this should include sweeping, vacuuming and/or dust mopping to remove dirt and grit. Keep this as a regularly scheduled event, and stick to it. Always perform this process before and after a major event that involves a high volume of traffic on the floor.
Do: Keep high heel shoes in good repairs , as well as keeping your pets nails trimmed on a regular bases
Do Not: Use WET mops
Do Not: Use ammonia
Do Not: Use dust cleaners
Do Not: Track dirt, clean immediately
Do Not: Use other floor cleaning products
Do Not: Wax a urethane finish- NEVER !
 

General care for carpets and carpet cleaning
Cleaning water-soaked carpets and floors is a difficult chore in itself, but in the aftermath of a flood or hurricane, contamination by mud, silt, sewage, and mildew can compound the problem.
It's best to get professional cleaners to work on carpets and floors, but this may not be possible. In any case, begin cleanup as soon as possible.


Tips
Pull up carpets and rugs and drape them outdoors.

Hose carpets down. Use a stiff-bristled broom to work a low-sudsing, disinfectant carpet cleaning product deep into soiled spots.

To discourage mildew and odors, rinse with a solution of two tablespoons bleach to one gallon water. DON'T USE THIS SOLUTION ON WOOL CARPETS.

Dry carpet and floor thoroughly before replacing carpet to avoid future mildew problems and shrinkage. Use fans, vacuum cleaners and dehumidifiers to speed the drying.

Waffle weave and foam or rubber-type pads may be dried and reused.

Sections of subfloors that separate must be replaced to avoid buckling. When floor coverings are removed, allow subfloors to dry thoroughly, even though it may take several months.

In wood floors, remove a board every few feet to reduce buckling caused by swelling. Ask a carpenter for tips on removing tongue-and-groove boards.

Clean and dry floor thoroughly before attempting repairs.

In vinyl floors with wood subflooring, the floor covering should be removed so the subflooring can be replaced. With concrete floors, removal isn't necessary except to hasten drying of the slab.

Loose tiles may be replaced individually if the floor hasn't been soaked. If water has seeped under sheet flooring, remove the entire sheet.

While cleaning, wash exposed skin frequently in purified water. Wear rubber gloves for extra protection against contamination.