Ways to clean different flooring types

Flooring is an integral part of a home’s interiors. Depending on the type of flooring, you need to employ different techniques to ensure they remain spic and span. Cleaning floors is not about dusting, vacuuming, and polishing only; there is a lot more which goes into maintaining the health of the floor.

Ideally, not all floors need the same type of maintenance procedures; if you get it wrong, you might end up harming the floors more than improving their durability. In order to use the right procedures, here’s how you can clean different floor surfaces, depending on the kind of flooring in your home.

Laminated flooring

With laminated flooring, you can vacuum, wipe or even dust the flooring with a dampened mop. Avoid use of soap-based detergents, and avoid over wetting the floor’s surface. If you use wax polish, it will make the floor’s surface slippery, which might cause unwanted accidents.

In order to remove marks and stains, you can use a dilute solution of water and vinegar. Using steel wool or abrasive cleaners will scratch the surface, causing the flooring to look old and dirty. If you have accidentally put shoe polish on the floor’s surface, use a nail polish remover to remove the dark stains.

Ceramic tiles

Some of the best ceramic tiles need little or absolutely no maintenance whatsoever. You can sweep and wash these with a mild detergent, before rinsing them with water. Avoid use of wax polish, as the tiles will become slippery.

Tiles offer a lot of cleaning options. Try a steam cleaner, since they are effective for cleaning sealed floors and even tiles. All you need is water to create the steam, and the roller will do the rest. The end result is cleaned floors.

Vinyl

Vinyl flooring, like the other flooring types, only requires a soft brush or vacuum. You can wipe with a damp mop, using a mild detergent. In case you wish to remove scuff marks, dip a cloth in washing liquid or spirit, and then you just rinse off the liquid.

Wooden flooring Sealed solid oak flooring and engineered oak flooring only need to be swept, and damp mopped. Avoid using too much water for cleaning purposes. On the other hand, unsealed and waxed floors require a different cleaning approach. They should be swept regularly and can be re-polished occasionally. Don’t use too much wax, as excess wax attracts dirt and even leaves a residue, which can’t be cleaned easily.