Taking care of luxury vinyl

• Preventive maintenance: Starts with temperature control. If you are comfortable it is right for your floor. Temperatures should be kept between 60 to 80 degrees F. and the relative humidity should be between 35 - 50% at all times.

• A good idea is to use exterior and interior doormats at all entrances. This will collect dirt and moisture and prevent it from being tracked on to the floor.

• Area rugs are recommended at all hinge points and within high traffic areas such as kitchen sinks and hallways. Do not use rugs with rubber or vinyl backing as these may promote staining and entrapment of moisture.

• Use only nonslip pads recommended for use on wood floors. Use furniture leg protector pads (felt or indoor-outdoor carpet type) under all furniture that is placed on your new floor.

• Make sure to remove any metal or hard plastic caps that are on the bottom of the legs prior to applying furniture protectors and make sure these protectors are clean and well maintained.

• Do yourself a favor and replace chairs with plastic casters with rubber caster wheels.

• Make sure to keep pets nails trimmed.

• Do not roll, or drag heavy objects across your floor. Do not wear shoes having heel taps, spikes, cleats, rocks, gravel or sharp objects protruding from the sole.

• Routine maintenance: Vacuum, sweep or dust mop your floor once a week or more if needed. The vacuum head should be a brush or felt attachment. Do not use a vacuum with a beater bar head. Also, make sure to vacuum interior doormats and shake debris from exterior doormats regularly.

• Spills, pet accidents, or tracked-in dirt should be cleaned immediately. The sooner a mess is removed, the easier it is to clean up and prevent tracking.

• We recommend Basic Coatings Squeaky Clean or Bona Hardwood Cleaner for regular cleaning and removing grease and smudges from your floor. These procedures and products will help maintain the shine of your beautiful laminate floor.

• Never clean or wet mop with water! Water may permanently damage the floor.

• Do not use harsh abrasive cleaners, bleach, ammonia or vinegar-based cleaners, wax or acrylic polishes, or oil soaps.

Following these simple cleaning tips will help keep your flooring looking great:

Do:

• Sweep your floors regularly to remove loose dirt and grit.
• Wipe up any spills as soon as possible.
• Clean your floors using Shaw R2X Hard Surfaces Flooring Cleaner. Simply spray the cleaner on the floor and use a dry mop.
• For spills, use Shaw R2X Hard Surfaces Flooring Cleaner and wipe clean with a dry white cloth. No rinsing necessary!

Don’t

• Use harsh chemicals.
• Use steam.
• Use a vacuum with a beater bar or brush.

What’s simpler than that? Resilient vinyl flooring is a great solution for the busy lifestyle that so many of us live today. This is a product that with just a few minutes per day will stay clean and remain looking as good as it did the day it was installed.

Congratulations! Your new resilient vinyl floor is installed and it looks amazing. In order to protect your investment we have some simple care tips for you.


Immediately following installation

During the first 48 hours after installation Shaw recommends that you:

• Keep foot traffic to a minimum.
• Wait 24 hours before putting furniture on the floor.
• Sweep the floor to remove loose dirt.
• Use only a non-abrasive cleaner, such as Shaw R2X Hard Surface cleaner.
• Do not use a vacuum with a rotating beater bar.

Following these instructions will ensure proper curing of the product.


Follow a simple maintenance plan

The type and frequency of foot traffic on your Shaw resilient floor will determine the frequency of maintenance needed.

Regular attention to a simple maintenance program should include:

• Remove dirt and grit by sweeping or dust mopping daily.
• Wipe up spills as quickly as possible.
• Use protective pads for furniture and appliances to prevent scratching.
• Avoid exposure to direct sunlight for prolonged periods of time.

Use protective mats

It is important to use a good quality entry mat to trap dirt, sand, grit and other substances such as oil that would otherwise be tracked onto your floor. These mats will also help protect your resilient flooring from premature wear. Mats are also suggested at heavy pivot locations, such as in front of your kitchen sink or stove. If mats are placed directly on top of the resilient floors, use mats without latex or rubber backings to avoid possible discoloration.


Care for stains, spills, scuffs and other substances

There will be times when it is necessary to use more aggressive cleaning methods on your resilient-vinyl floor. Substances such as acids, blood, dyes, paints, solvents and other contaminants will require special treatment.

To learn more about the treatment of these types of spills, please download the complete care and maintenance guide.

We recommend Shawfloors R2X Hard Surface cleaner to keep your resilient floors looking their best. We do not recommend that you use vinegar as a cleaner for your resilient vinyl floors. While vinegar makes a great cleaner for household dirt, over time it can damage your floors because it is not pH balanced. Also, please do not use steam to clean your floors. The extreme temperatures can cause expansion of the vinyl which could lead to wrinkles and glue bond issues.


Use chair and appliance pads to protect your vinyl floor

Make sure furniture legs have large surface, non-staining floor protectors. Replace small, narrow metal or dome-shaped glides with smooth, flat guides that are in full contact with the floor.
Heavy furniture or appliances that are not moved often should be equipped with flat, non-staining composition furniture casters or cups of appropriate size.

Keeping your new resilient vinyl floors looking great is simple as long as you follow these simple tips.