Cleaning up after yoga

If your home's carpeting or floor tiles need a deep cleaning, you can often rent a scrubber or shampooer from a home improvement store, and try to manage this cleaning yourself. This isn't always the best option, however, as properly and thoroughly cleaning carpets and floor tiles is often more complicated than you might realize. Note a few common mistakes that homeowners often make when tile cleaning their own floors, so you can avoid these yourself, and ensure your home's floor surfaces are always spotless and in good condition.

Not rinsing enough

If you don't properly rinse away all cleansers and shampoos, this can actually cause damage to both carpeting and tile. Shampoo that lingers in carpet fibres can become sticky and actually attract more dirt and dust, and detergent left on tile flooring can make that tile dull and dingy, and also trap more dirt. Keep rinsing your floors until the water you're using is perfectly clear, and this will ensure you remove all shampoos and cleansers.

Wrong scrub brushes

Scrubbing carpet fibres with a stiff-bristled brush might actually damage those fibres, causing them to look flat and dull. The same is true when it comes to scrubbing tile floors; you can easily scratch the surface of softer tiles, and cause etching in the grout, causing it to come loose. Use a soft scrub brush meant specifically for carpets to tackle tough stains, and one meant for the type of tile installed in your home, rather than assuming that any and all stiff brushes are good for floor cleaning.

Harsh chemicals

As with scrub brushes, some chemicals and cleansers you might use on carpets or tiled floors can also be too harsh for these surfaces. Using a strong shampoo or detergent on a silk blend carpet might strip its colour, and shred the fibres. A plain steam or carbonated water cleanser can be sufficient for cleaning any type of delicate carpeting, without damaging it.

Bleach cleansers can also be too harsh for many types of floor tiles, and may cause them to become dry and brittle. Harsh cleansers can also damage the sealant that is often applied to various tiles, including stone, so that small pits and grooves in the tiles then capture and hold dirt and other debris. Always use the gentlest cleanser available, and the one recommended for your type of carpeting and tile in particular, to avoid actually damaging your floors when you clean them.