Keeping your home clean can feel like a full-time job. From mop buckets and wringers to vacuum cleaners and dusters, the domestic sphere is saturated with devices dedicated to keeping things tidy.
And then there are floor coverings: carpets, parquet, lino, or tiles – whichever surface you choose for your home, the chances are it will be one of the first things visitors see when they walk through your front door.
So how do you keep it clean? Here’s everything you need to know about maintaining your flooring and avoiding those embarrassing stains.
What To Use?
You can use our guide to find the best products for each task. An upright vacuum is suitable for cleaning carpets and hard floors as an all-around cleaner, while a handheld vacuum cleaner is best for cleaning stairs and upholstery.
A standard household cleaning product will do the trick for general scrubbing and mopping. Tile and grout cleaners are best for tiles and grout, while wooden floor cleaners are best for wooden floors.
For upholstery and curtains, a standard household cleaner will do the trick. For stubborn stains, try a commercial cleaning product designed for tough stains.
Finally, for outdoor furniture and items, you can use the same products for your indoor stuff.
What Is The Best Floor Cleaning Product?
The best floor cleaning products are designed to clean, sanitize and deodorize your floor surfaces without leaving behind a sticky residue.
Great floor cleaning products are biodegradable, non-toxic, non-flammable, pH balanced, and can break down to simple carbon dioxide and water. They are also designed to not leave any sticky residue, so the surface looks fresh and clean.
The best floor cleaning product is the one that works for you according to your specific needs. Depending on the type of floor you have, its condition, and your cleaning habits, you may need one type of floor cleaner or a specialized cleaner for each floor surface.
Think about your cleaning needs, and then choose a floor cleaner with the features you need to complete the job.
How To Choose The Right Floor Cleaner?
A good floor cleaner works for the type of floor you have and does not leave behind any residue or break it down. Here are a few things to keep in mind while purchasing a floor cleaner:
Budget: How much are you willing to spend on a cleaner? The higher the budget, the more advanced and specialized cleaners you can buy.
Floor Type: What kind of floor do you have? Is it tiled, hardwood, carpeted, or laminate? Some cleaners work well for one type of floor but not for others.
Usage: How often do you intend to use the cleaner? Do you have pets or kids that track in the dirt? Do you have a lot of foot traffic in a certain area? Do you have a lot of people visiting your home?
Environment: What is the climate like where you live? What kind of soil do you have in your area?
What’s The Best Way To Clean Your Floor?
Different types of flooring require different cleaning regimes. Here’s a quick rundown of the most common:
Carpets - Vacuuming is the best way to clean most carpets.
Carpet tiles: These can be treated as you would a regular carpet. You’ll need to check the manufacturer’s instructions for carpet tiles with a looped surface before cleaning. Carpets with a looped surface - Same as the above two.
Hard floors: The most common advice for hard floors is to avoid using any cleaning products. However, a mop bucket and a standard household cleaning product would be appropriate in the event of spillage. A wood floor cleaner is best for wooden floors.
Tiles: Like a hard floor surface, tiles are best left to dry naturally. If a spillage occurs, try to mop up as much as possible with paper towels or kitchen towels before mopping with water.
Wooden flooring: A commercial product designed for wooden floors or an all-in-one cleanser is best. Wood floors should be mopped with a damp mop, never wet.
Concrete floors: These can be cleaned with a standard household cleaner or a damp mop and bucket. For polished concrete floors, you’ll need to use a pH-neutral floor cleaner to avoid damaging the floor.
Laminate floors: These are best cleaned with a dust mop or vacuum. Avoid using water or cleaning products, as this can damage the laminate.
In addition, an automatic floor scrubber can be used for all types of flooring. This machine does the scrubbing for you and can be rented from most hardware stores.
Vacuuming
The first thing to do when cleaning your floors is to vacuum them. This will remove and prevent dust and dirt and is the best way to clean your carpets.
Most vacuums come with a rotating head that can be adjusted so that the bristles are facing either up or down, depending on your flooring. You should use the upholstery setting for hard floors, and for carpets, you should use the standard vacuum setting.
For carpets, it’s best to vacuum regularly, at least once a week. For hardwood floors, vacuum once every three weeks. While vacuuming, be sure to lift the head of the vacuum a couple of times during each pass over the floor to remove any debris stuck to the base.
How often should you vacuum your floors?
Carpets: Vacuum at least once a week.
Hardwood floors: Vacuum once every three weeks.
Upholstery: Check the manufacturer’s instructions.
Wooden floors: Check the manufacturer’s instructions.
Decorative concrete floors: Check the manufacturer’s instructions.
Laminate floors: Check the manufacturer’s instructions.
Tile floors: No need to vacuum.
Scrubbing
While you don’t want to use too much water on your floors, you also don’t want to avoid cleaning them altogether, especially if you have a tile or hardwood floor. Make sure you choose the right cleaning product for your type of flooring.
Tile: Tile can be scrubbed with water, vinegar, and baking soda.
Hardwood: Hardwood can be scrubbed with water, vinegar, and lemon juice.
Carpet: If you have a filthy carpet, try using an upright steam cleaner.
Parquet: You can clean the parquet with water and lemon juice.
Concrete flooring: You can clean concrete floors with water and vinegar.
Mop Buckets And Wringers
Mop buckets and wringers come with various cleaning products, including sponges, brushes, and pads. Mop buckets are the containers that hold the cleaning solution, while wringers are the mechanisms that squeeze out the excess liquid.
To clean hardwood floors, you should use a sponge mop. Cleaning hardwood floors with a sponge mop will help to avoid scratches. For tile or laminate floors, you can use a microfiber mop. The concrete floor can be cleaned with a brush mop.
To clean your floors, start by mixing the cleaning solution in the bucket according to the manufacturer’s instructions. Once the solution is mixed, dip the mop into the bucket and wring it out, so it’s only slightly damp.
Start at one end of the room and work your way to the other, making sure to overlap each stroke so that you don’t miss any spots. Rinse the mop in the bucket as needed.
Dry Dusting
Dry dusting is a quick and easy way to clean your wooden flooring. Cleaning your floor regularly will keep it in good condition and reduce the need for sanding down. You can buy special dusters that are good for cleaning wooden floors, but standard dusters will also work well.
For best results, use a feather duster and start cleaning at the top of the room, working your way down. That way, any dust that has been dislodged will be carried down by gravity rather than being distributed throughout the air. If you have an electric duster, switch it to the lowest setting to avoid distributing dust into the air.
Regular Professional Cleaning
It is best to hire a professional cleaning company that can give your home a deep clean at least once per year. With a regular deep clean, you can eliminate all the dirt and grime that builds up during the year without spending hours every week maintaining your home.
A deep clean involves scrubbing, vacuuming, dusting, and mopping every surface in your home. You can clean your home regularly, but don’t expect it to look as good as a full deep clean would.
Stained concrete floors can be cleaned with a mixture of water and vinegar.
If you have a tile or hardwood floor, you can use a mixture of water, vinegar, and baking soda to scrub it clean.
An upright steam cleaner is the best way to clean a dirty carpet.
Don’t Use This!
There are many myths and old wives' tales about cleaning your home.
One of the most common myths is that you can clean your wooden floors with lemon juice. Indeed, this idea is so widespread that many cleaning product manufacturers have put warnings on their products to let customers know that lemon juice will damage their floors. Cleaning wood floors with lemon juice will dull the surface and even remove the finish.
If you have wooden flooring, you should avoid cleaning it with lemon juice or vinegar, as these substances will damage the finish. Instead, try a commercial cleaning product designed for wooden flooring. A wood floor polish will help to protect your floors and keep them looking shiny and new.
Another myth is that you can clean your carpets with baking soda. Baking soda is quite abrasive and can damage your carpet fibers. If you want to clean your carpets, it’s best to use a vacuum or steam cleaner.
Summing Up
Keeping your home clean and tidy can be a full-time job, so staying on top of your cleaning regime is important. If you have a busy lifestyle, it may be worth hiring a professional cleaning company to come in and do the job for you.
Author Bio:
Frances Lalu is a contributing writer at Mastercraft. She covers all home-related topics including home improvement, gardening, and landscape.
