What Is the Best Way to Clean Different Types of Floors?

Did you know that flooring installation for a typical home can sum up to over $2,000? Instead of
spending this huge amount with floor reinstallation, let those figures remind you how much you can
save up when you put time and effort into your floor maintenance. While floor cleaning can be an easily
forgotten part of your home maintenance, keeping your floors in good condition will help to make it last
for a long time.

It’s essential to know that different kinds of floors require a different way of maintenance. With that in
mind, here are 6 different types of floorings and ways on how to clean them to guide you.

1. Ceramic or Porcelain Floors

Floors made up of porcelain, or ceramic tiles are the easiest to clean and maintain. Regular
mopping using a wet mop and mild floor-cleanser will do well to keep the sheen of your floor
tiles. Food or drinks spilled on the floor can easily be wiped out with a mop, so you don’t have to
worry about exerting too much effort in removing stains.

While cleaning, make sure not to miss the grout lines in between flooring to avoid any stuck
debris. It’s also advisable to not use an abrasive cleaner on your ceramic floors. Otherwise, it will
cause scratches on your floor tiles’ glaze.

2. Vinyl Floor

When it comes to vinyl flooring, regular sweeping is key to its maintenance. Using a soft bristle
broom to sweep the dust and dirt way would suffice. If you rather want to use a vacuum
cleaner, make sure to use the right setting appropriate for vinyl flooring. If done incorrectly,
vacuuming might cause scratches or scuffs all over your floor.

You may also wash the floor using a wet mop and a neutral floor cleaner. Remember not to use
an abrasive cleaner to ensure that your flooring does not get spoiled. Moreover, make sure not
to pour water directly over the floor. Immediately wipe the moisture off with a smooth, non-
abrasive microfiber towel to prevent damaging its lamination and the adhesive of the vinyl.

3. Wooden Floor

Compared to other floor types, hardwood flooring is quite a challenge to clean. To give it a
polished look for a long time, vacuuming the floor is crucial. It’s essential that you use the right
vacuum cleaner designed for hardwood floors. Such vacuums are designed with rubber wheels
and soft bristles or microfiber pads to prevent scratching the wood finish. To know more about
these types of vacuums best suited for hardwood floors, visit this page.

After vacuuming your floor, apply a liquid floor cleaner using a dry wax applicator. This will help
keep your hardwood floor looking new as ever for a longer time.

4. Asphalt Floor
 Although asphalt flooring is durable and rough, it is still susceptible to damage from abrasive
scouring, strong soaps, oil solvents or grease. To clean this type of floor, it’s recommended to
mop your asphalt floor once a week to prevent dirt build-up. Polishing or washing the floor
every day is not needed, but can be done every once in a while

When it comes to mopping, make sure your mop is not dripping wet but just rightly damped.
Too much water can reach the joints of your asphalt tiles and might cause it to loosen.

5. Linoleum Floor

Waxing your linoleum floor is crucial to keep its sheen. After waxing, vacuuming and occasional
damp mopping will do good as your floor maintenance routine. Mopping the area with an all-
purpose cleaner is the best way to clean this type of flooring. It’s also important to keep in mind
that solvent-based products are damaging to linoleum floors. Moreover, make sure not to pour
water into the floor.

6. Marble Floor

Marble flooring is common in every household. To keep it clean, you can mop the floor using an
all-purpose cleaner and clean water. You may also opt to add a cup of fabric softener into a ¼
gallon of water and make use of self-polishing liquid wax which should be stripped once in a
while, rinsed and re-applied again. Paste wax will also do good but make sure that it’s the type
that doesn’t discolor your floor.

For unpolished marble flooring, you need to use a sealer designed specifically for this kind of
flooring since the floor is porous and can easily stain.

References:

https://www.expressflooring.com/blog/how-to-clean-different-types-of-flooring/
https://www.lucemg.com/insights/cleaning-methods-for-different-types-of-floor