What could be more joyous than having a home with children laughing and running around? For most parents, seeing their children having fun is a stress reliever especially if they spend all day working. But what if you come home to children running around a messy house with spills and drawings on the floor? Stress reliever? Not so much.
In a parent’s world, kids and clean floors rarely exist at the same time. It’s as if one can’t stand the other. In fact, we often hear parents say that they put off cleaning the house until the kids are away for college. How we wish we really could, right? Unfortunately, though, we can’t – unless you plan to replace your floors, repaint the walls, or move to a different house in a couple of years. But what we can’t totally escape, we can at least make easier.
So, here are some floor maintenance tips for when you have kids at home:
Wipe it up now!
Spills cannot be avoided, more so if your children are in their pre-school years. What you can do to minimize possible damages to your floor is to wipe it up immediately and never let it stand. If your kids are old enough, you can even create a new rule: Whoever spills, wipes.
Befriend non-toxic cleaners!
To make the quick wipes more effective, you can prepare a floor cleaning solution using a non-toxic product and have it in a spray – something that would be readily available should you need it. You will realize that this really makes it easier to avoid marks on your floor. Non-toxic products make it safer for your kids, too!
Steam away!
Perhaps you will do well with a steamer. This is an all-around cleaner – applicable for tiles, carpets, laminates, sealed hardwood, and other flooring materials. You do not even need to keep the kids off the floor or out of the room until the floor dries!
These are just some of the things that you can do to make maintaining your floor easier. You could also enforce simple rules like taking off their shoes when playing, strictly using trainer cups for just water, using play mats all the time, and no writing on the floor (and walls)!
Having kids around is really a joyous thing. And yes, it could be challenging to maintain a pristine floor when there are small people intent on spilling something every hour or so and checking if crayons work on floors, too. But as long as you do these simple tricks, keeping your floors clean need not be an impossible task.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What should Toronto homeowners know about floor maintenance tips when you have kids around?
When considering floor maintenance tips when you have kids around, evaluate durability, maintenance requirements, and cost per square foot for your specific needs. Tony’s Flooring Centre at 268 Royal York Rd offers expert advice and free estimates to help you make the right choice for your Toronto home.
How often should hardwood floors be refinished?
Hardwood floors typically need refinishing every 7-10 years in Toronto homes, depending on foot traffic and wear. Signs include visible scratches, dull finish, and discolouration. The NWFA provides detailed refinishing guidelines.
How do I protect floors from winter salt?
Place heavy-duty mats at all entrances to catch salt, sand, and moisture. Remove boots at the door — salt corrodes hardwood finishes. Clean up tracked-in salt immediately with a damp cloth and use runners in hallways during winter.
Need Help Choosing the Right Flooring?
With over 60 years of experience, Tony’s Flooring Centre makes choosing the right floor easy. From hardwood and carpet to eco-friendly cork and marmoleum, we carry it all. Visit us at 268 Royal York Rd, call (416) 255-9631, or contact us online.