Maintaining Floors With Kids
Kid–safe floors are not always kid–proof floors. Your best bet for keeping floors safe for your kids is to
take steps to protect your floor against harmful
elements. Start out by placing non slip flooring mats in high–traffic areas.
Carpet runners work well for padding spaces like hallways and entryways and can go a long way
toward preventing heavy wear and tear in the most visited areas of your home.
Spills should be cleaned up as soon as possible. Most floor surfaces will stain if liquid is left on them for an extended
period of time. Some types of hardwood, bamboo, and
laminate can even absorb liquids and swell in size. This can lead to cracks, gapping and damage that can be very expensive to
repair.
When caring for your floors, always refer to your manufacturer's cleaning instructions. Browse
FindAnyFloor.com's™ floor–specific sections for
helpful tips on how to maintain bamboo, carpet, concrete, cork, hardwood, laminate, linoleum, stone, tile, and vinyl floors.
Kid–Safe Floor Cleaners
According to the American Association for Poison Control, about half of the cases of poisoning reported in 2006 involved
children 6 years old or younger. Many of these cases
were a result of children swallowing or inhaling toxic cleaning products, and happened while their parents were home.
The effects of toxic cleaners are not always immediate and can result in symptoms that may not be noticeable until later.
Studies show that the toxins found in the home are
generally more likely to cause cancer than outside air pollution. It's important to take great care when choosing the cleaner
you're going to use on your floors. Keep in mind
children may eat, sleep and play on that surface daily.
Tips When Buying Floor Cleaners:
- Using a cleaning product not designed or recommended for your flooring type may result in damage
- Avoid purchasing harsh conventional products as they not only pollute air quality, but can also lead to respiratory and
skin irritation
- Try to purchase cleaners made with natural
ingredients such as most green cleaners
