Floor Care

​Life can be messy, yes, but nothing beats the sweet relief of making things clean. Whether you just installed a brand-new upgrade, moved into a fixer upper, or just want to maintain what you have, Shaw Floors has tips and tricks for how to clean every flooring type to help meet you where you are in your lifestyle, your way. 

In a rush to get to cleaning? Scroll to the bottom for our top three takeaways! 

Choose your comfort, choose your protection.



How to Clean Carpet

Dos: 
 

• Vacuum regularly. 
• For light traffic areas where you don’t walk as much, we recommend that you vacuum twice a week. 
• For high traffic areas that are constantly being walked on, we recommend vacuuming daily if possible.  
• For immediate spills or accidents, spot vacuum as needed. 
• Use Shaw Floors Carpet Cleaner, specifically formulated to safely remove stains without damaging the carpet fibers or cushion. 
• Use carpet protectors under heavy furniture and rotate your furniture regularly to prevent traffic pattern wear. 

Don'ts: 
 

• Don’t let stains sit for too long. 
• Don’t use harsh chemicals, like bleach or ammonia. 
• Don’t oversaturate your carpet with too much water. 
• While hot water extraction or steam cleaning can remove oils and other particles that can cause stains, too much water can cause mildew or mold. 

How to Clean Engineered Hardwood

Dos: 
 

• Use a soft cloth to blot spills and spots as soon as they happen. 
• Sweep, dust or vacuum the floor regularly. 
• Clean the floor with Shaw Floors Hard Surface Cleaner, specially formulated to wipe away dirt and soil without damaging your floor’s finish.   

Don’ts: 
 

• Don’t allow liquids to stand on your engineered hardwood floor. Always clean them up as soon as you can. 
• Don’t forget to use a hard floor attachment when vacuuming to avoid scratching or dulling your floor’s finish. 

How to Clean Laminate


Dos: 
 

• Sweep, dust, or vacuum the floor regularly with the hard floor attachment (not the beater bar) to prevent accumulation of dirt and grit that can scratch or dull the floor finish. 
• Use a gentle cleanser to spot-clean visibly dirty areas, and always follow up by wiping the area with a dry, absorbent cloth. One simple cleaner that works well with laminate is: 1 part rubbing alcohol + 3 parts water + a squirt of dish soap, applied using a lightly dampened cloth. 
• Mop your laminate floor every two months. 

Don’ts: 
 

• Don’t use a steam mop. Excess water can cause warping and other irreparable damage to your floors. 
• Do not wash or wet mop the floor with soap, water, oil-soap detergent or any other liquid cleaning product. This could cause swelling, warping, delamination, and joint-line separation, and void the warranty. 
• Don’t use steel wool, abrasive cleaners, or strong ammoniated or chlorinated type cleaners. 
• Do not use any type of buffing or polishing machine on your laminate floors. 

How to Clean Vinyl

Dos: 
 

• Sweep, vacuum, or dry mop your floors regularly to remove loose dirt and grit. 
• Clean your floors by simply spraying Shaw Floors Hard Surface Cleaner on the floor and using a dry mop or a soft cloth. 

Don’ts: 
 

• Never use an abrasive detergent or wax polish.  
• Vinegar or “mop and shine” products may leave a film on your film, rather than give you that shiny floor that you seek. 
• Never use a beater bar when vacuuming. 
• Never drench your vinyl with water by using an overly wet mop.  
• This can destroy the glue bond that holds down the vinyl and cause the corners to become loose and curl. 

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How to Clean Tile and Stone

Dos: 
 

• Sweep, dust or vacuum your floor regularly to remove the accumulation of dirt or grit that can scratch or dull the surface. 
• Wipe down your floor with a soft cloth, damp mop, or steam mop at least once a week with a minimal amount of water. 
• Use a gentle cleaner, such as Shaw Floors Hard Surface Cleaner or a DIY cleaner. 
• Ex: 1 part rubbing alcohol + 3 parts water + a squirt of dish soap, applied using a lightly dampened cloth. 

Don’ts: 
 

• Don’t use the beater bar when vacuuming. 
• Don’t use any chemical cleaning solutions, such as bleach or ammonia-based cleaners, as they will discolor your grout over time. 
• Don’t use abrasive scrubbing powders. 
• Don’t use an electric scrubber or polish, steel wool or any type of scrub pads.

 



Top Three Takeaways
 

• Clean your floors regularly and be sure to clean any spill or stain as soon as you can. 
• Use products created specifically for your flooring type, such as Shaw Floor’s line of specialty floor cleaners or other gentle cleaner alternatives. 
• Have a specific stain you need to tackle? Visit Shaw’s Floor Care Center for specific instructions on how to remove a variety of stains from any flooring type.