If you’re not ready to spend all day knee-deep in suds and scrub brushes just to get your floor clean, this is the guide for you. Regardless of the type of floor you have, with the following tips, you’ll be able to keep your floor crystal clean:
1. Spot Clean a Laminate Floor
Laminate floors tend to be incredibly durable and are rarely stained beyond repair. As few things will actually damage your floor, it is relatively easy to spot clean.
The easiest way to clean your laminate floor is with vacuuming or dry mopping.
Have a sticky situation? Using a lightly damp mop or slightly wet sponge or paper towel will get your laminate flooring clean.
When cleaning your floor, be sure to avoid getting it sopping wet as water can get underneath the planks and cause damage to your floor.
2. Clean Your Cork Floor with a Vacuum
Natural cork flooring is incredibly beautiful yet vulnerable to damage.
Cork’s porosity makes it incredibly susceptible to damage as it is incredibly absorbent.
Even if your cork floor is sealed, you must be careful and avoid getting it excessively wet.
Vacuum your cork floor frequently to make sure it never gets scratched. To keep things clean, try to wash the cork once a week. It’s best to use a mixture of soapy water and vinegar to clean the floor. Acidic vinegar will help to break up the dirt and disinfect the floor.
Avoid pouring the mixture on the floor–use a spray bottle to go section by section with a microfiber mop to clean your cork floor as safely as possible.
3. Use Natural Cleaners for Wood Floors
There are a few different ways to clean a wooden floor and it will change depending on the type of finish you have on your floor.
If your floor smudges after you run your finger across it, it is likely waxed. If not, it probably has a polyurethane sealant.
To clean a polyurethane-coated floor, mix a natural cleaner with water. Use a damp mop to wipe the floor and finish by drying excess moisture with a microfiber mop.
High traffic floors should be cleaned once a week while less-used areas should be mopped once a month.
When cleaning waxed floors, it’s best to only dust mop, sweep, or vacuum often. Find your new go-to for cleaning your wooden floor with this list of 10 best cordless sweepers on the market.
As this type of wooden flooring can easily be damaged with any amount of water, it’s better to avoid liquids altogether.
4. Damp-Mop a Linoleum Floor
The linoleum floor is a resilient flooring that should be cleaned in the same way that cork is.
Clean real linoleum with a water and dish soap mix. Spray this mix on the floor as you use a microfiber mop to clean the floor one section at a time.
The floor should easily air-dry quickly. Try to avoid drenching this flooring with water as this can be damaging.
5. Dry Mop Your Vinyl Floor
Vinyl flooring is particularly sturdy and can be cleaned quite easily. Once a week, clean the floor with a dry mop using a mix of vinegar, soap, and a microfiber mop.
To deeply clean your vinyl floors, use your steam cleaner to get the grout and tile thoroughly clean. The steam will help to keep bacteria and stains away.
6. Mop Your Sealed Stone Flooring
Stone flooring is easy to take care of with the help of a mop and natural cleaner.
When taking care of your stone flooring, stay away from anything acidic as these types of cleaners can easily damage stone floors.
Using a non-chelating cleaner that is pH-neutral, mop your sealed stone floor to keep it looking fresh.
If your stone floor isn’t sealed, experts suggest you clean using hot water and a microfiber mop. Avoid chemicals as these can penetrate into the stone. If you have any stubborn stains or dirt, use your steam cleaner to clean them up.
7. Spot Clean Your Porcelain Flooring
The dry mop technique was made for porcelain flooring as it is the best way to remove stains and dirt.
Put together a cleaner with vinegar, dish soap, and water.
Start spraying your floor and wiping it with a microfiber mop one area at a time. This type of cleaning should suffice for daily or weekly cleans.
When it comes time for deep cleaning, use steam cleaners to make sure you get all the bacteria, stains, and dirt out of the tile and grout.
8. Vacuum, Scrub, and Steam Clean Carpets
If your home has this softer side of flooring, there are a few basic rules to follow for a thorough clean for your carpet.
Vacuuming
For daily or weekly cleaning, vacuum your home with a machine powerful enough to suction dirt and dust from the deepest fabrics of the floor.
Spot Cleaning
If you have any stains, it’s time to break out a dish detergent-based solution or household product solutions. These detergent and water cleansers are easy to make at home and are a must when it’s time to spot clean the carpet.
In the event you’ve dropped food on the carpet, use baking soda and vinegar for a paste that will keep the stain from setting as you clean it.
Hoping to get pet hair out of your floor? Use a squeegee to start pulling the fur out immediately.
Steam Cleaning
For a yearly clean, break out the carpet steam cleaner. With a power cleaner, you’ll be able to use heavy-duty cleansers to flush dirt, dust, and bacteria out of your carpet’s fibers.
Cleaning your floor is something that will keep your home feeling and looking its best. With these key tips for cleaning the floor, you’ll be able to keep your home fresh all year long.