Instagram iconInstagram icon
Facebook iconFacebook icon
pinterest iconpinterest icon
YouTube iconYouTube icon
Tiktok iconTiktok icon
LTK iconLTK icon

Flor, Take Two

I suppose we’ve been on a bit of a cleaning frenzy. Going back to what I said earlier this week, we’re trying to be mindful of balancing a few things: sanity vs. productiveness and spending money vs. free right now.  So, you know what’s (mostly) free?

Cleaning!

We cleaned the negative energy out of our home (which, by the way, totally counts; consider us on the smudging train!). We cleaned the chimney (for the minimal cost of this spray). And finally, we pulled our old Flor rug out of hiding and cleaned that too:

We’ve talked before about how much we love Flor (and we still very much do), but we had yet to experience the actual swapping of tiles, the tearing up of tiles and the re-placing of tiles. With our little nook being far from done but so close to okay-for-now, we decided that until we can find something we love for the rug, we should use what we’ve got. We’ve mentioned that our chair is a placeholder, and for a little while, so will be our Flor (this is Roadside Attraction in Frost) – but something we weren’t expecting was that laying down those tiles again wouldn’t be as simple as the first time around.

You know we have a home full of pets, and while we vacuum, dust and keep things clean enough for my type A ways, we quickly realized that these carpet tiles were – let’s get real here – filthy. When it lived in our old living room, we would spot clean spills (and dog drool!), but the wear and tear was very, very noticeable:

We had never thought of it before (although it’s so obvious, isn’t it?), but when you pull up each individual tile for later use, the traffic patterns of the room will be noticeable the moment you lay them back down – unless you, say, label each tile and arrange them in the exact same way. We had plans to clean all the Flor tiles regardless, but numbering them would definitely have made for a less visible worn-in look.

We do have a couple of back-up new tiles (above, the tile on the right was new, whereas the one on the left was most definitely Jack’s favorite place to lay down), but that really just emphasized how run down our Flor was. We spent a good hour cleaning each of our tiles; Scott and I took turns agitating them in the bathtub with running water and a small amount of our DIY suds, then laying them out on towels around the studio and ultimately stacking them on the steps of our ladder (to keep that air circulation flowing).

During the times we were home, we placed a box fan on them to get them as dry as possible, and a couple of days later, they were good to go. Much better!

By no means are they spotless – I suppose we shouldn’t expect them to be. There are still some squares that aren’t quite the vibrant Frost we once had, but it’s close. Close enough.

And so, we have our first rug down! We do like how it looks it with the adjoining living room, but it’s not The One for the nook. When the right rug does come along, maybe this could go… in our bedroom? The guest room?

All this to say, we would definitely suggest labeling your Flor tiles before pulling them up, but we still love the versatility Flor tiles provide – with pattern, color and, perhaps most importantly, the ability to really clean them! Any other Flor users out there? What has your experience been with swapping, tearing up and re-placing of tiles?

Add a comment...

Your email is never published or shared. Required fields are marked *

  • Laura @ Rather Square2.28.14 - 9:58 AM

    I like it! The pattern seems to tie into your entryway tile floor somehow. And hey – so much easier to clean carpet squares than one bigger entire rug! At least you had that in your favor.ReplyCancel

  • Angela2.28.14 - 10:37 AM

    When we moved into out new place we went all in on FLOR tiles to create a runway for us (mostly the dogs) from front door to back and protect the hardwood floor. It was quite a big investment at first (although we happened to be shopping during one of their big sales, so that helped), but we love them…especially when you have an Alfred who does things like chew open the brand new ink cartridge that just got delivered in the mail all over your entryway rug! We picked up the squares with ink spots (there were many), washed them off in the sink, let them dry, and then plopped them right back into place. FLOR for the win!ReplyCancel

  • Kim2.28.14 - 10:53 AM

    Laura, yes, much easier to clean individual squares and less pricey than having a large rug dry cleaned!

    Angela – oh, Alfred!ReplyCancel

  • Cassie2.28.14 - 11:54 AM

    I installed flor in my downstairs entryway for two reasons; the tiles can be arranged to the angled walls and weird turns of the entryway, and House Pet tiles are super durable for a dog that likes to go in and out of her dog door, alot, in the rain. I’ve had them over a year and there’s less mess upstairs and the flor tiles still look new. Win!
    My only complaint is these particular tiles have a felt backing instead of rubber backing, so they don’t “stick” to the concrete floor as well. With a 65-lb dog running (full speed) in and around a corner, the tiles always came apart. I added more sticky dots which didn’t work. I may have supplemented the dots with clear packing tape about 6 months ago. It’s working beautifully. =)ReplyCancel

    • Kim2.28.14 - 3:58 PM

      Cassie, yes, we’ve seen similar carpet tiles with more of a felt backing, and we wondered how that would work with pets! Good to know :)ReplyCancel

  • Jessica Bagley2.28.14 - 3:42 PM

    These rug tiles are in short….amazing! What possibilities! My husband and I want to move to hong kong after he’s done with school and these would be great because they have like no carpet there. And I’m a barefoot gal :) Great post.ReplyCancel

  • Lisa3.1.14 - 1:16 PM

    I love the carpet tiles idea! Also, where did you get your fabulous wooden & upholstered chair???ReplyCancel

  • erica3.2.14 - 12:01 PM

    I just want to say, I found your blog today via BHG and I’m so glad I did! You guys are seriously top notch – I look forward to becoming a regular reader. xoxoReplyCancel

  • Kim3.3.14 - 8:29 AM

    Lisa, thanks! The chair was found on Craigslist years ago, but you can see the transformation here: https://yellowbrickhome.com/2012/11/15/lovely-chair-phase-3-reveal/ReplyCancel

  • Kim3.3.14 - 8:30 AM

    Erica, and we’re so happy you found us! Thank you so much!ReplyCancel

  • Julia@Cukoo4Design3.3.14 - 12:31 PM

    I love flor too and have had tiles in our home. But our cats wore them down so much that they didn’t last all that long. Yours look great after cleaning. Love that pattern tooReplyCancel

  • Kim3.3.14 - 12:36 PM

    Thanks, Julia. I suppose with so many pets in the house, it’s easy for them to get worn down much quicker!ReplyCancel

  • Becky3.3.14 - 8:48 PM

    A Commercial Flor rep told me you can wash them in the dishwasher. I have never tested with ours but from what I can find online online, it seems to have worked for a few others. It would definitely be a faster way to clean them, that’s for sure!ReplyCancel

    • Kim3.4.14 - 9:02 AM

      Wow, I would think the heat from the dishwasher would warp the rubber bottom? Interesting! It’s worth a try (after double checking with a rep, ha!). It’s only too bad we don’t have a dishwasher, otherwise, we’d have been ALL over that. Thanks for the tip!ReplyCancel

      • Barry3.11.15 - 8:11 PM

        Just washed some in the dishwasher and it works. No warping. But I can only get 3 at a time in my washer: two in the bottom and one on top. Still: it’s a great way to get then really clean. Just don’t use a dry cycle.ReplyCancel

  • Jennie4.7.14 - 2:00 PM

    I had never thought of numbering the tiles when moving, sounds like a good plan. I have a wheat colored FLOR rug in my living room that gets a lot of use, we rotate it often to keep even wear on it. Plus I have pulled up several tiles through out the last year to clean due to a potty training puppy :P While it does save your rug having the ease of cleaning individual tiles, I have noticed when I lay them back in place each tile starts to look more and more different from each other. I have been wanting to swap out for some new ones on the heavily used tiles but the fact that they discontinued the pattern I originally bought has made lag on what to do next. I still love FLOR and think it’s very versatile but am finding out every type of rug is a battle to keep clean! :pReplyCancel

    • Kim4.7.14 - 2:12 PM

      You’re smart to rotate them while you have them! And I agree, it’s such a bummer that FLOR will discontinue some styles, so it’s hard to replace them later. I guess it’s a lesson learned that it’s best to order a few extra tiles the first time, so the problem won’t arise in the future!ReplyCancel

  • Melissa6.20.14 - 8:15 PM

    Hi, just read this post and wanted to let you know that I have MANY Flor tiles…I also love them. I use them in my bathroom to cover up offensive tile that I am not ready to demo and replace. When they start showing traffic stains, I take them outside and pressure wash them, pour a little bleach on them too if necessary then leave them in the sunshine to dry. They clean up perfectly and usually dry in one day. I have never had any of them fall apart, even the ones I have cut (I lay them wall to wall).ReplyCancel

    • Kim6.23.14 - 9:10 AM

      LOVE the idea of a pressure washer! Thanks for that feedback!ReplyCancel

Let's be Pen Pals

Our Pen Pals have direct access to first looks, a peek behind-the-scenes, and exclusive interviews showcasing members of the #YBHDIY community. We can’t wait to connect with you!

Kim and Scott

We’re Kim + Scott, Chicago based content creators behind the Home + Lifestyle brand Yellow Brick Home.

Join us as we renovate and nurture vintage homes across Chicago + SW Michigan!

Instagram iconInstagram icon
Facebook iconFacebook icon
pinterest iconpinterest icon
YouTube iconYouTube icon
Tiktok iconTiktok icon
LTK iconLTK icon

LEt's be Pen Pals

Subscribe for first looks, behind-the-scenes, and exclusive community content

/* footer flodesk form */

This site uses affiliate links. We will always disclose sponsored posts in the text and by using the ‘sponsored' tag.

© 2024 Yellow Brick Home. | All Rights Reserved. | PRIVACY POLICY