Floor cleaning tips….there are so many! Sometimes too many. How do you know what works? The most popular (and not always the smartest) solution online is vinegar, Dawn dish soap, and water, but some floors can’t handle acidity OR too much water. Well let me tell you, it’s my every day goal to become the master of cleaning floors so I can share my supporting evidence.
So, here we go. I decided to list the main types of floors that I come across and the recommended way to keeping them clean!
Natural Stone Floors
A lot of articles say you can use vinegar, dawn dish soap and water for stone….STAY CLEAR from vinegar and stone. The acidity can severely damage it. Instead, use a natural pH neutral cleaner.
Vinyl Floors
Vinyl floors can be found in kitchens and bathrooms. It’s one of the easier, more durable types of flooring. Weekly cleaning is suggested. To clean, mix distilled water and dawn dish soap with 5 drops of citrus essential oil in a spray bottle. Spray the floor and clean with a damp microfiber mop. You can also use a neutral pH cleaner as well
Every so often, the professionals recommend lightly steam cleaning the vinyl with a steam cleaner.
Linoleum Floors
Unlike the nearly indestructible vinyl, linoleum is colored and made out of mineral pigments. They should be treated delicately like stone floors. The best floor cleaning tips to clean linoleum.. a tip from our friends at Blue Spruce Maids, a Cleaning Service in Denver, is using warm water and a mild dish soap OR a mild all-purpose cleaner.
Laminate Floors
Laminate floors are sun and light resistant to maintain a like-new appearance. Though laminate is made to look like wood floors, keep in mind they are cleaned totally different from each other..and laminate floors can damage easily if not cared for. Using a hard-surface floor vacuum to pick up crumbs (or you can use a soft bristled broom.) For mopping, you should never use a bucket of water. Instead, get a laminate floor cleaner and dilute it with distilled water in a spray bottle. Spray and mop with a dry mop. Water creates moisture underneath the floorboards.
Hardwood Floors
Hardwood floors are beautiful and come in many colors and grains. Hardwood floors also require a lot of care and if you aren’t cleaning them right, you will ruin them. First, you need to figure out what finish is sealing the floor. To test this, rub your fingers on the wood. If it smudges, it has a wax finish. Waxed floors and untreated wood(hardwood with no seal) just like laminate, should not get too wet. Instead, take the same universal wood floor cleaner in a spray bottle diluted and mop with a dry mop.
Polyurethane finish is a little more forgiving, you can use a pH neutral soap diluted with water in a bucket. Just dampen the mop but always dry mop after. You can use the vinegar and dish soap mix on this finish, but it will dull the shine over time.
Tile Floors
Tile floors are a fancier, better-looking version of vinyl. It’s just as durable and pretty easy to clean. Just don’t forget 
to keep up with the grout! For tile, I just take a good natural all purpose cleaner and I either dilute it, or just spray right onto the floor. One of the best floor cleaning tips is a steam mop for tile.
Carpet Floors
Carpet is in a category of their own, but nonetheless is a type of flooring. Making sure you get a good vacuum and vacuuming regularly is a huge part of maintenance. When you stain the carpet, make sure you absorb as much of the accident as possible. Then, you can use any of these 20 carpet stain removers. Always spot test.
Floor maintenance is pretty difficult, especially if you are busy prepping AND entertaining for the holidays. If you find yourself unable to maintain these floor cleaning tips contact your local Cleaning Services Tampa. They’ll make sure to get everything right, top to bottom!
