Home Care + Maintenance Guide

Floors

• Hardwoods - Maintain your hardwood floors by using a dust mop or  broom as often as possible. *We recommend using a Bona Hardwood Floor Cleaner regularly (Home Improvement stores sell)
• Ceramic/Porcelain Tile – Keep your tile floors clean from build up by regularly sweeping. Use a damp mop on a regular basis. In addition, mix a cup of white vinegar with a gallon of hot water for an effective deeper cleaner, as well as eliminating odors.   
• Slate Tile – Sweep regularly, and for a deep clean, use warm water and mild detergent with a neutral ph. *Remember to seal once a year with 511 Impregnator (our recommendation).
• Marble – High maintenance product! Sweep, dust, and mop on a daily/weekly basis to remove any dirt or surface debris that could scratch, or otherwise harm your marble. Use a cleaning solution that is pH neutral. Do not use acidic cleaners on your marble or it will scratch and eventually lose shine. This means no vinegar! You can clean your marble floors with a highly diluted mixture of ammonia and water or with a highly diluted mixture of dish soap and water. (No more than 1/2 cup per 5 gallon bucket of water). Once you are finished mopping, it is recommended that you dry the floor using a soft, fluffy towel. Because marble is such a porous stone sitting water can seep into the stone and cause stains. *Remember to seal all marble twice a year with 511 Impregnator Sealer (our recommendation).
• Natural Stone (Travertine & Limestone) - Dust mop floors frequently using a clean non-treated dry dust mop. Sand, dirt and grit do the most damage to natural stone surfaces due to their abrasiveness. Mats or area rugs inside and outside an entrance will help to minimize the sand, dirt and grit that will scratch the stone floor. Remember to seal twice a year with 511 Impregnator sealer (our recommendation).
• Exterior Flagstone - Regularly sweep your flagstone surface. This will ensure that loose dirt and plant debris do not sit on the stone for prolonged periods of time and cause stains. For general cleaning, a power washer with water is best. If spot cleaning of stains or mold is required, bleach or muriatic acid diluted with water can be used. You may also use a cleaner such as Simple Green Stone Cleaner. *Whenever chemicals, especially acids, are used to clean flagstone they should be rinsed off as soon as possible to prevent damage.
• Concrete - Daily dust mopping removes the fine dust and grit that can act as sandpaper grinding away the floor finish. The best results can be obtained by using a Micro-Fiber Dust Mop. Use water and a cleaner made for polished concrete such as ZEP neutral floor cleaner.                               NOTE: Always use clean water for your mop bucket. Follow the dilution recommendations for your cleaner. Too much cleaner or dirty water will create a haze on the floor.
• Carpet – Vacuum regularly (2x week). Spot clean stains as soon as they happen with Spot Shot carpet stain remover (our recommendation). Have carpet professionally cleaned every 12-18 months.  Note: To maintain the longest, keep shoes off carpet.

Countertops

• Granite – Clean with warm water and sponge. You can use mild or gentle dish soap or granite cleaner such as Method Granite Cleaner, 409 Stone & Steel, or Pledge Multi Surface. (All of these are great)
• Marble/Travertine – Clean using a soft sponge with warm water, or use a special counter cleaning solution such as Stone Plus cleaner that is safe for marble and travertine.
• Quartz - Use a damp cloth or paper towel and, when necessary, a small amount of non-bleach, non-abrasive cleanser such as Stone Plus cleaner. Stainless steel cleaner gives quartz a beautiful shine as well! NOT for use on quartzite
• Stainless - For dry cleaning, wipe down the counter with a microfiber cloth. For wet cleaning, a soft cloth and a little mild dish soap such as Dawn is all that is needed. For occasional tougher cleaning use Weiman Stainless Steel Cleaner & Polish.
• Butcher Block - Varnished butcher block counters can be cleaned with Murphy's Oil Soap or with white vinegar and water. When food preparation is completed, promptly clean the cutting surface with soap and water. For fruits and vegetables, a damp cloth can be used before and after food preparation. For meat, fish, or dairy products a damp cloth with water can be used before food preparation. Allow to dry completely before attempting to reseal butcher block with mineral oil.
• Laminate - Use a clean cloth, a mild dish soap, and water. Dry the counter after washing to prevent water from pooling in the seams as this will cause warping of the wood.
• Concrete – Use a mild soap, such as Dawn, and warm water for daily cleaning. It is best to avoid using abrasive soaps, pads, or cleansers directly on the counter, which could scratch or mar the seal on counter. 
• *We recommend sealing all counter tops every three months with Lithofin Stain-Stop.

Sinks

• Granite Composite – Clean sink using vinegar and water. Rinsing and drying after use is very important to eliminate any film build-up that may develop from hard water deposits.                                            NOTE: Never use abrasive powders or pads. This will dull and scratch the surface and make it more susceptible to stains.
• Stainless Steel – Wipe with a soft, soapy cloth, then rinse and dry after every use. Drying is very important to eliminate any film build-up that may develop from hard water deposits.
• Fireclay - To clean your fire clay sink, use a low abrasive cleaner such as Method all purpose or Simple Green and a sponge. Wiping it out after each use with just warm water and a sponge will eliminate stains. If you do happen to get a stubborn stain, apply baking soda to the stain and rub with your sponge until it comes up.
• Ceramic - Ceramic sinks can be cleaned with most cleaners, including mild abrasives, and soft sponges or microfiber cloths.
• Glass – Clean with plain water or glass cleaner. Try to wipe the sink after each use to prevent water spots, especially if you have hard water. Do not use abrasive bathroom cleaners because it may scour or dull the glass.
• Copper - Clean your copper sink with liquid dish soap and a soft sponge. Rinse it thoroughly and then wipe it dry with a clean, lint-free cloth. Never use any sort of abrasive cleanser or scrubber on the sink because it may scratch or even remove the patina. 

Appliances

• Stainless Steel – Clean using white vinegar or Pledge Multi Surface by applying to microfiber cloth and wiping in direction of the grain. You can also use Weiman Stainless Steel Cleaner and Polish. 
• Black + White - clean using a microfiber cloth, dish soap, and warm water. Let dry, then buff with clean, dry microfiber cloth.

Showers/Tubs

• Marble Tile – Use a cleaner formulated for natural stone, such as Stone Plus, and clean with a soft brush or sponge.  Use a squeegee after every use to prevent mold, mildew, and water spots.
• Porcelain Tile – Clean using a tub and tile cleaner, or you can use vinegar, dish soap, and a soft sponge. Use a squeegee after every use to prevent soap scum from building up.
• Glass - Use a squeegee or soft cloth after every use to prevent hard water stains. Clean with vinegar and sponge or Windex.
• Acrylic/Whirlpool Tubs – Wipe out bath/whirlpool after each use with soft cloth or squeegee. Clean using dish soap and soft towel or sponge. Magic erasers work great removing soap scum. 

Cabinets/Wood Work/Walls

• Stained Cabinets - Clean with a small amount of mild soap such as Dawn dish soap and a damp soft clean cloth. You can also use Murphy’s Oil soap.
• Painted Cabinets - Clean with warm water and a mild soap such as Dawn dish soap, wood cleaner, or white vinegar. Do not get the wood excessively wet. Rinse the surface with a second cloth and clean water. Note: Only use damp cloths!
• Painted Walls – First try washing or spot-cleaning painted surfaces with warm water. If this is not successful, advance to a weak mixture of water and mild, non-abrasive, dish detergent such as Dawn. When cleaning, rub gently in a circular motion to avoid damaging the paint. After washing, dry off excess moisture with soft, absorbent cloths. For deep cleaning use bleach and water.
• Trim (crown + base) – Wood trim should be cleaned without chemicals if possible. A cup of white vinegar poured into a 5-gallon bucket of water is a great option. The water should be as warm as possible for maximum effectiveness. Use a cloth or a sponge and work your way around the room wiping the baseboards. Once this is complete, allow the baseboards to air dry.

Kitchen + Bath Plumbing Fixtures

• Soak in CLR (Calcium Line Rust Remover) to remove all water spots. If needed, repeat several times.

Do you have residential maintenance items you would like added to this list?

Email us today and let us know!