While carpets are still a popular choice in homes around the country, many people are opting for hardwood and tile floors to offer a cleaner, more modern look that is easier to keep looking great. It can be difficult to keep cleaning products and equipment for all the different floors in your home, which might lead you to wonder if your carpet cleaner might also be able to clean your hardwood floors.
The simple answer is that it depends and that it probably shouldn’t be your first choice. With that in mind, here’s what you need to know about carpet cleaners and hardwood floors.
Watch for Damage
The biggest concern is that you may damage delicate tile or wood flooring if you use a heavy-duty carpet machine on them. So, if you are going to use a carpet cleaner on your hardwood floors, make sure that you do so with caution or choose a delicate or light cleaning setting if your machine has that option. That leads us to the next tip.
Choose Cleaners with That Option
There are carpet cleaners and floor cleaning machines that are designed to work on hardwood floors. Some carpet cleaners have accessories or settings for hard floors, too, saving you the trouble of having different cleaning equipment for every room of your home.
If you buy a carpet cleaner and then try to use it on your hard floors, you could cause damage, as mentioned above, or get subpar cleaning results. It could also damage the machine itself, which could mean you’d have to replace it or repair it before you can use it on carpets again.
Ask the Experts
When you are choosing flooring for your home, make sure that you talk to the experts about upkeep and cleaning needs. That will make it easier for you to choose floors that fit your home and don’t require a ton of specialty cleaning tools. It will also allow you to learn how to best clean your floors to keep them in good shape for as long as possible.
If you have floors in your home that you didn’t have installed, it might be a good idea to consult with a local professional floor cleaning service to find out the best way to keep your floors clean. You can also do research online, but be careful about where you get your information from.
So, what’s the bottom line? While you can use some carpet cleaners on hard floors, it’s probably best if you don’t. Contact Green-Gen Carpet and Fine Rug Cleaning for the best results.
