Caring for a new floor

The doormat does most of the work

Grit is what wears a floor: fine sand walked in from a Cornish beach or a lane is abrasive, and it does more damage than anything else that happens to a floor. A large, coarse mat inside the door, and another outside, stops most of it.

Vacuum or sweep more often than you mop. Removing grit is worth more than any amount of polish.

Wood

Sweep or vacuum with a hard-floor head, then damp mop with a cleaner made for the finish you have: an oil soap for oiled floors, a neutral wood cleaner for lacquered ones. Never a steam mop, and never a wet mop that leaves standing water.

Oiled floors can be refreshed with a maintenance oil every year or two in busy rooms, which is one of their advantages: scratches can be spot-repaired rather than needing the whole floor sanded.

• Felt pads under every chair and table leg, checked yearly
• Rugs at pinch points and in front of the sink
• Keep the room between roughly 40 and 60 percent humidity where you can
• Wipe spills promptly rather than letting them sit

Laminate

Vacuum, then damp mop with a laminate cleaner and a well-wrung mop. The rule is barely damp: water standing on a joint is the one thing that will ruin a laminate floor.

Do not use polish or wax. They build up on the melamine surface and leave a haze that is difficult to remove.

Luxury vinyl and SPC

The easiest of the three. Vacuum and mop with a neutral vinyl floor cleaner as often as you like; water does no harm. Avoid solvent-based cleaners and anything abrasive.

Rubber-backed mats and some rubber castors can stain vinyl over time, so use a mat with a vinyl-safe backing and felt castors on office chairs.

Sunlight

Every floor fades in strong direct sunlight, wood most obviously. If a rug sits in a sunny bay window for two years, expect a lighter patch under it. Moving rugs occasionally, or using blinds in the brightest months, keeps the colour even.