Floors are one of the largest surfaces of the house that we have to clean and they can get terribly dirty from foot traffic and spills. Floor cleaning is a major chore and it is important to know the right techniques and products to get the job done as easily and quickly as possible. Keeping your floors clean will make your house look and feel much better.
Dust, germs, hair, food and god knows what ends up on the floor. These messes need to be cleaned regularly to keep your floors looking good and your home feeling fresh. Every type of flooring has its own particular beauty and its own needs for cleaning techniques and products. Cleaning your floors the proper way will help them last longer, look better and feel better to walk on.
Many homes have several types of flooring in them, and it is important to clean each floor in the proper way so that they will not be ruined by the wrong technique or product. In this article we will go over techniques and products for cleaning hardwood floors, linoleum, laminate, bamboo, cork, carpet, tile, stone and vinyl.
Hardwood
Before you start to clean your hardwood floors you should find out what type of finish they have on them. The two main types of finish are polyurethane and wax. To tell what type of finish you have, rub your finger on the floor and if it sort of smudges, it is probably a wax floor.
If you find that your hardwood floor is finished with wax, all you can do to clean it is sweep, vacuum or dust, as water can damage the finish.
For polyurethane finished floors you can start with cleaning dry debris by sweeping. The next step to cleaning hardwood floors is to mix a mild soap in with water in a bucket and mop with a microfiber mop. Make sure not to use too much water on the floor and that the floor is able to dry quickly.
Polyurethane is tough and does a good job of protecting hardwood floors, but you still have to be careful not to use harsh cleaners on it. Bleach is especially bad for hardwood floors and you should never use any sort of abrasive scrubber as they can easily scratch up the hardwood floor.
Hardwood floors are extremely expensive to refinish, so it is of the utmost importance that you take good care of them and use proper cleaning techniques.
Linoleum
Linoleum is a beautiful natural flooring made from linseed oil, resin, wood fiber, cork dust, limestone and mineral pigments. To clean linoleum use a spray bottle full of household soap and hot water, spray sections of the floor and immediately wipe up the moisture with a slightly damp mop. The floor should dry quickly, but if it does not you can wipe it with a dry rag.
Laminate
This flooring type is widely popular now because it is easy to install, looks beautiful, is nearly indestructible and can be an affordable option. Laminate flooring usually comes in planks that imitate hardwood or stone flooring.
Laminate is very easy to clean because it is made to withstand some abuse. You just need to sweep or vacuum first, then use any sort of cleaner to mop. The only thing to really be careful of is that water does not soak down between the cracks of the planks and gets under the flooring. The planks can swell and start to be distorted if they get too wet underneath.
Bamboo
Flooring made from bamboo is sustainable and has a beautiful warm look like hardwood. The drawback of this product is that it can be softer and not as resistant to dents and scratches.
You can clean bamboo flooring with ¼ cup soap in a bucket of water and mop the floor, being careful not to use too damp of a mop and cleaning up excess moisture with a dry rag.
Cork
The porous nature of cork flooring makes it extremely susceptible to water damage. Most cork floors are sealed, which makes it important to always keep the floor free of debris. Vacuum or sweep a few times a week, as any sort of abrasion may damage the seal and the floor will wear out more quickly if the protective sealant is damaged.
A great natural cleaning technique for bamboo is a mixture of vinegar, mild soap and hot water. The vinegar will help to break down any build up on the floor so that a mop can then wipe it away, leaving your bamboo flooring looking beautiful and clean.
Carpet
Carpet is soft and comfortable but also traps a lot of dirt in its fibers. It is important to vacuum at least once a week and be vigilant to clean up any spills that occur immediately. It is nearly impossible to keep carpet totally clean on your own, and it is best to have a professional carpet cleaner come at least once per year.
Tile
Tile is a beautiful flooring that can handle more moisture than other flooring types. The only thing to be careful of is that you do not rub too much dirty water into the grout, as it can leave it looking darker than it should be.
A good technique is to spritz the tile with your favorite cleaning product and then wipe it up with a dry mop.
Stone
An acidic floor cleaner is very bad for stone floors, they can etch the stone and leave it looking dull or mottled, so stay away from vinegar, bleach or ammonia. It is best to stick to a mild soap and water mixture to mop stone floors. One of the best cleaners for stone is a steam mop.
Vinyl
The best technique for a vinyl floor is to use ¼ cup vinegar with one drop of dish soap in a spray bottle. Spray section by section of the floor and then immediately mop with a damp mop.
Last Thoughts
Whatever type of flooring you are cleaning it is tremendously important that you choose the right techniques and products. If you are not sure how to clean your floors, you may need to call professional floor cleaners to do the job for you. Floor cleaning services are more affordable than you think, and they will know all the right ways to clean your floor.
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