DIY Network

Cleaning Floors The Queen of Clean® shares tips on cleaning floors. From "Home Made Easy" episode DHME-165

Guest Linda Cobb joins host Stephanie Lydecker and demonstrates the proper ways to clean wood and vinyl flooring using ingredients such as tea and Borax. She will also show a creative way to repair scratches in wood floors with a crayon and a blow-dryer. Linda will explain to us that simple items in your pantry will have you cleaning like a pro and saving cash along the way.

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	Guest Linda Cobb, the Queen of Clean® right with host Stephanie Lydecker, demonstrates the proper way to clean hardwood and vinyl floors.
	Figure A

Cleaning Floors

Materials:

tea bags
pot to boil tea
water
teaspoon
tablespoon
rubber gloves
soft cloth
bucket
towels
rag mop
crayons
blow dryer

1. To repair scratches in wood floor, use a brown crayon (or mix two colors that match the floor). Wax crayons for wood are available at hardware stores. You just literally color the scratch away (figure A). Use a blow dryer and gently heat the colored area. Not too close to the wood, though. Then, just buff the repair with a rag.

2. Tea is great for cleaning wooden floors because of the tannic acid. Start by brewing two tea bags in one quart of boiling water. Just like brewing tea to drink, once it comes to that bowling point remove the pot from the burner. Let it come to room temperature. Drip a soft cloth into the room temperature tea and wring out to just damp. Keeping the cloth clean as you go, just wash the entire floor. This will not only clean the floor, but it is great for hiding imperfections.

   Royal Tip: Be careful not to over-wet wood flooring!

3. For vinyl floors, make sure you thoroughly sweep or vacuum the floor before you start. Then, mix one gallon of warm water and one tablespoon of Borax into a cleaning bucket. Mop the floor as usual. Make sure your wring out the mop well. Wash the entire surface keeping the mop clean. No rinsing is necessary. Borax will preserve the shine on vinyl floors — even floors that have been waxed.

Royal Tip: If you have a rubber backed throw rug on your floor and remove it and there is a yellow stain, there is nothing you can do to get rid of the stain. The rubber backing glue reacts to the vinyl and stains it. Do not use rubber backed throw rugs on vinyl floors.

Royal Tip: When you mop, you need an adjustable mop handle that allows you to make the handle the same height as your shoulder. That way you are not bending over and straining your shoulder.

Next: Cleaning Leather

GUESTS :

Linda Cobb
The Queen of Clean®
Website: www.queenofclean.com