When we converted a bedroom into a bathroom, some 16 or so years ago, we chose bamboo flooring. This was very new back then, I don't even remember how I found out about it (the Internet back then wasn't what it is today) and we had to travel some way to find it.
When I told people we had bamboo flooring, I could see by the looks on their faces that they were imagining bamboo canes next to each other. I still think that myself sometimes.
Anyway. The floor, and it's shiny finish, has been very hard wearing. In the last few years, it's started to look a bit in need of TLC in places. We plan to replace it with Karndean at some point, but as the bamboo is quite thick and the Karndean is very thin, it's not such a simple job. We keep putting it off.
Pleased with the success of my efforts refreshing the living room floor, I started to investigate whether it was possible to do something with the bamboo. It's a very different finish to Karndean, so I didn't think those products would work. I went through my files and found the original information sheet about the floor. The product, and the company, don't seem to be available now.
I found a company which specialises in bamboo floors (http://www.bambooflooringcompany.com/). The products they sell didn't seem particularly like ours, but then I imagine flooring technology has moved on somewhat. I looked at their accessories page, and couldn't work out whether the products they offered would be OK on my floor.
I emailed them for help, explaining what flooring we had and giving them the description of the finish from the brochure. To my surprise, they responded. And almost straight away.
I bit the bullet and ordered some of the routine cleaner and the Refresher that they recommended. I managed to find a spare piece of bamboo flooring in the loft, so this morning I tried out the Refresher on that. It looked OK.
So, I bit another bullet, and decided to do the whole floor. DH was out for the day, which was a shame as the money plant is a monster and definitely a two person job. In the end, the floor was clear, and I vacuumed and swiffered it. Then I cleaned the skirting boards, and used a tiny brush to clean out under the skirtings and all the other nooks and crannies. Then I washed it with the routine cleaner. Then I swiffed it again.
And then I had a go with the Refresh. Experience has taught me to plan these things so I don't, literally, paint myself into a corner.
It looked OK when I shut the bathroom door. I have to wait a couple of hours for it to dry.
Fingers crossed that the money plant doesn't decide to shed any leaves on to the sticky floor.
