Thursday 24 March 2016

How You can Clean Your Staircase

Your staircase is one of the busiest traffic areas of your home. People go up and down it all day, often carrying drinks and other liquids that can stain if spilled. Small bits of food falling on the carpet or wood can stain as well and cause damage. Before you notice, the centerpiece of your home becomes old and worn.

Regular preventive cleaning cannot be difficult for you, if you have the mind and a little time. This brief daily indoor workout will help you keep your stairs look their best all the time.

A couple of valuable benefits go with this workout, if it is regular: you enjoy good health, and it gives you immense satisfaction. Here are a few helpful ideas for you to achieve them.

1. Let not things lie on the stairs: Do not let any of your family leave things lying on the stairs – a toy or other objects. You may trip over them and hurt yourself. If stepped upon, such things may break and cause splinters to spread everywhere, often into hard-to-clean crevices.

2. Vacuum your stairs once a week: If your staircase is carpeted, vacuum it at least once a week. Using a hand vacuum or sweeper with an extension cord will allow you to do the job at one go; you do not have to unplug and reconnect the vacuum as you reach near the top or bottom; also, you can reduce the strain of carrying a big appliance up and down the stairs. Vacuum thoroughly with special attention to the inside creases of the carpet where the steps meet each other. Also ensure that the side panels and railings are cleaned, even if they are not carpet covered. Do not forget the landing and the area at the top and bottom of the stairs, as this is where dirt is often picked up and then transferred to the stairs.

3. Wipe with a cloth: Wipe manually with a clean cloth wooden steps and staircase coverings like rubber treads. A normal duster will not be effective in cleaning these kinds of surfaces. By using your hands you will be able to push the cloth into all the creases, corners and crevices to get the dirt out. A thin material like cheesecloth can get into narrow gaps nicely and serve as the best-clean material.

4. Use wax or polish: After the cleaning, consider waxing/polishing auxiliary areas like side panels, railings and so on. This will protect the exposed surfaces from constant wear caused by hand grasp all along. Do not use wax or polish on the steps themselves, as this will make them slippery and could lead to injuries.

5. Scrub, wash and rinse: Use a soft brush to avoid damage, if you need to scrub the staircase with soap and water to remove stains and ingrained dirt.  Once an area has been washed, rinse it thoroughly with clean water and dry it off as much as possible. Do not wait for it to air dry as moisture may remain on the stairs for an excessively long time; this could cause accidents, if people do not take care.

If you feel your staircase looks old and worn, or your attempt to clean has resulted in visible damage, the best thing for you to do is to get expert help.

A professional staircase manufacture, repair and refurbishing company will be able to identify the nature of the problem, and give the best solution to your satisfaction.

A staircase is quite different from other parts of your house; unprofessional attempts to repair it can do more harm than good.

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