Floor Cleaning: Ultimate Guide [2023]

Dust, dirt, and bacteria accumulate quickly on the floor, inviting diseases and allergies. Therefore, cleaning floorings should be your top priority to make a healthy and safe home.

💡According to every cleaning expert:

The best way to have a clean floor is to know the material used in flooring and adopt a suitable cleaning method. However, as a thumb rule, mopping the floor remains the best way to clean most flooring types.

Continue reading to know how to clean a floor and correct cleaning techniques for different floorings and common stains in the simplest way possible.

Table Of Contents

😉How To Clean Different Floor Types [Cheatsheet]
🧹How To Clean Floors: In-Detail
😎7 Lesser Known Tips To Clean All Types Of Floors
📝Floor Cleaning FAQs

😉How To Clean Different Floor Types [Cheatsheet]

Type of Floor	Materials needed to clean	Steps in brief	Time Needed for 150 sq. ft	Cost Estimates
Hardwood floor	A mop, broom, mild cleaner (specific wood floors cleaner recommended), and some clean water	Remove dirt with a broom or vacuum and sponge mop with a mild cleaner and clean water.	About 25 minutes	$40-80
Laminate flooring	A laminate floor cleaner, diluted dish soap, white vinegar, mop, vacuum, and soft wiping clothes.	Sweep the flooring softly and use a vacuum to remove further debris.	Less than 25 minutes	$20-50 dollars (excluding the vacuum cleaner)
Ceramic tile floors	A vacuum/broom, clean water, mild detergent, rags, a soft brush	Vacuum and make a solution of hot water and mild detergent to clean the tiles.	Within 30 minutes.	$35-70 dollars (excluding the vacuum)
Vinyl floor	A mop, mild detergent, clean water, and rags	Vacuum the floor and use a gentle detergent with water for mopping.	Within 20 minutes.	$25-50
Marble flooring	A strip mop, distilled hot water, pH-neutral soap or mild detergent, some rags	Mix pH-neutral detergent with distilled warm water to mop.	About 30 minutes	$20-40

Also Read: Is Vacuuming Sawdust OK?

🧹How To Clean Floors: In-Detail

You read the cheatsheet but now is the time for detailed cleaning techniques. We’ll start with:

🪓Hardwood Floors

First things first: never use excessive water to clean hardwood floors. Wood absorbs moisture quickly, which will stain and ruin your flooring. Use 3-4 cups of water maximum.

🧼Cleaning Material

You would require one mop, broom, mild cleaner (wood floors-specific like Pine-Sol or Fabuloso), and 4 cups of clean water for hardwood floor cleaning.

👩‍🏫Steps To Clean

Use a broom to brush away the dirt off the floor. You can use a vacuum, too; just set the floor type accordingly.
Use a mild cleaner to mop the floor toward wood grain. Remember to use only as little liquid as required.
Then, use 3-4 cups of clean water for sponge mops to buff gently and avoid the cleaner accumulation on the surface. Remember, soapy water leaves a soapy residue that can make your floor dirty and sticky.
Leave the little moisture on the flooring to dry.

⌚Time Taken

It would take about 5 -10 minutes to broom a 150-square-foot room. The same applies to damp mopping. So you can get the room clean in about 25 minutes.

Also Read: 5 Ways To Clean Unfinished Wood Floors

💲Cost

The overall cost may lie between 40 and 80 dollars. However, the broom and mop are cheap and last long (You can replace the mop head instead of the entire mop).

💡Pro Tips

1. Avoid excess water, as it can cause deformation (bending and twisting) and discoloration.

2. The cleaning agents used to clean hardwood should have a close to neutral pH. If you use a wood-specific cleaner, let it dry before you use a damp microfiber mop with fresh water to mop again.

3. Cleaning spills immediately is recommended to avoid staining and discoloration as hardwood is permeable. Using a barely damp mop absorbs the spilled liquid and cleans simultaneously.

Also Read:

💇‍♀️Laminate

We know a major pain point for laminate planks is the haze issue. We have come across various laminated floors, and here’s what you need to know:

🧼Cleaning Material

It is advised to use only laminate planks cleaner. If unavailable, dilute dish soap, or just a few drops of apple cider vinegar can do the trick. Plus, you will need a mop, vacuum, and some soft wiping clothes like paper towels at hand.

Also Read: 7 Reasons Why Dyson Vacuum Smells Bad

👩‍🏫Steps To Clean

Sweep the flooring properly but softly.
Vacuum to remove further debris.
Keep the vacuum setting to hardwood to avoid scratches.
Use a good laminate-floor cleaner to wipe the surface clean.
Use a microfiber cloth to soak up excess liquid.

Also Read:

⌚Time Taken

It hardly takes 25 minutes to clean 150 square feet of laminate flooring.

💲Cost

The overall cost would range between 20 and 50 dollars (excluding the vacuum). As for the vacuum, the cost would range from 75 to 150 dollars.

💡Pro Tips:

1. Laminate flooring offer great style choices, which makes them widely used. In addition, they last longer if given proper care. But once damaged, they need to be replaced.

2. Avoid oil soaps to eliminate the haziness that appears on laminate flooring. Also, pine, bleach, lemon, or ammonia-based cleaning products could cause damage to the flooring.

3. There are wax polishes in the market for laminate flooring to get a smooth floor, making it slippery.

4. Use cushioning/felt pads for furniture legs and underneath doors to avoid scratching. Also, avoid water from getting under the flooring.

Also Read: 3 Places To Dump Mop Water

⬜Ceramic Tile Floors

Ceramic flooring is durable but needs proper cleaning. You need to deep clean the grout separately (grout is the filling between separate tiles to make a clean joint) as dirt can get stuck easily in its rough texture.

🧼Cleaning Material

For cleaning ceramic floors, you need a vacuum/broom, clean water, mild detergent, rags, a soft brush, and some baking soda.

👩‍🏫Steps To Clean

Sweep or vacuum to pick up the dirt off the floor. (Avoid brooming as it can leave some dirt behind due to the rough texture of the grout).
Make a soap and hot water solution to clean the tiles.
Dip a rag and clean the floor instead of a sponge mop, as it can push dirt further into the grout.
To clean the grout, use a soft brush.
You can make a solution of baking soda and water once in a while to brush the grout and remove the stubborn dirt.

Also Read: 5 Reasons Why Shark Vacuum Keeps Stopping

⌚Time Taken

Cleaning ceramic flooring might be harder than cleaning hardwood flooring. That is because it takes some extra time to brush the grout. You can clean 150-square–foot ceramic flooring within 30 minutes.

💲Cost

The initial cost of the materials would range from 35 to 70 dollars (excluding the vacuum). Of course, a vacuum costs much more, but being a one-time investment, it’s worth it.

💡Pro Tips:

1. Ceramic flooring is common for its durability. But without regular cleaning, the floor can get scratched, and dirt gets stuck in the gap.

2. Grout requires extra attention as dirt can get stuck in its rough texture. So it’s better to take care of the floor from the get-go.

3. In case a tile gets stained, hydrogen peroxide comes in handy. Blotting it on the tile can remove or lighten the stain mark.

Also Read:

🟫Vinyl

Vinyl surfaces like CORETec can be easily cleaned, which is why they are installed where regular cleaning is required, like bathrooms and kitchens.

🧼Cleaning Material

Make sure you have a microfiber mop, mild detergent, clean water, and rags to proceed with the cleaning process.

👩‍🏫Steps To Clean

Use a mop for dusting.
Vacuum the floor after setting the floor type.
Use a gentle detergent with water to mop.
Use clean water to damp microfiber mop.
Dry the flooring with a smooth piece of cloth.

Also Read: Tineco S2 vs S3 Comparison

⌚Time Taken

Vinyl surfaces are easy and quick to clean. You can clean about 150 square feet of an area within 20 minutes.

💲Cost

The cost to clean your vinyl flooring ranges from 25 to 50 dollars. Therefore, cleaning vinyl flooring is inexpensive, another reason they are widely used in bathrooms and kitchens.

💡Pro Tips:

1. The lamination and adhesive of vinyl surfaces mostly get damaged over time. To avoid this, all you need to do is to clean any spills or moisture then and there.

2. Water can damage the floor if used regularly. Use damp mops only when needed, and do not leave standing water to air dry on its own. Instead, use a soft cloth to dry it. The same precautions apply to a linoleum floor, but linoleum requires more care than vinyl.

Also Read: Quantum X vs Rainbow Vacuum

🤍Marble

Marble has a classy elite look but is vulnerable to spills, moisture, and dirt because of being porous. Stone floors like marble are premium both in terms of looks and cost.

🧼Cleaning Material

You will need a mop, distilled hot water, pH-neutral mild detergent, and some rags.

👩‍🏫Steps to clean

Use a mop for dusting as vacuum cleaners with rubber wheels might damage the marble.
Mix the pH-neutral detergent with distilled warm water. You can’t simply use tap water as it contains minerals that could cause yellowing.
Mop small areas at a time.
Give a final rinse.
Quickly dry-mop the surface with a rag.

⌚Time Taken

Cleaning 150 square feet of marble flooring does not take more than 30 minutes.

💲Cost

It would cost you around 20 dollars to buy a bottle of mild detergent required for cleaning. But the truth is, it requires more time than money to maintain the beauty of marble flooring.

💡Pro Tips:

1. Marble floorings sure are elegant, but only when maintained properly. Being porous makes them easy to get dirty and, thus, requires extra care.

2. Don’t leave the marble floor wet. Also, put a marble sealer coating over the floor to make it less prone to dirt and tough stains.

Also Read: Rainbow vs Sirena Vacuum

😎7 Lesser Known Tips To Clean All Types Of Floors

Kitchens, bathrooms, and other frequently visited places should be regularly vacuumed at least once every 3 days. Mop these rooms at least once per week.
Do adjust the floor type on your vacuum as per floor needs. This is often neglected and can reduce the lifespan of your flooring. You can also consider using a HEPA filter-equipped vacuum for amazing results.
It is mostly dirt that damages the ceramic floorings. Never neglect to brush the grout using a soft brush. Also, always prefer vacuuming over brooming.
Use two buckets instead of just one for string mops. A rinse bucket can be used to clean the mop and the other for clean water. It helps to keep the dirty water separate. You can also keep the cleaning solution in a spray bottle for convenience.
Choose the right mop for each flooring type. Avoid using an abrasive mop/cloth like steel wool on a laminated/polished floor like Hardwood, Vinyl, or Laminate flooring. They can scratch the finishing on the surface. Microfiber mop and cloth are usually preferred for cleaning as they can pick up the tiniest dust particles.
Do not leave a wet and dirty mop under the kitchen sink after cleaning. Wash regularly and replace the mop head every 3-4 months.
Wipe the entire floor with clean water after mopping with a solution/cleaner to avoid sticky residue and smell (avoid harsh cleaning products). Soap solutions leave the floors clean but slippery even after drying. It wouldn’t be good if someone slipped, right?

Also Read: Is Your Shark Vacuum Brush Roll Indicator Light Not On? (Solved)

📝Floor Cleaning FAQs

How often should you clean your floor?

For high-traffic areas, get in a routine of regularly sweeping the area. Dusting/vacuuming every 1-3 days and mopping every week is recommended. If the floors are still dirty, clean them more often. Analyze what needs to be done depending on how clean your floors look at the end of the day.

What happens if you don’t clean your floors?

Not cleaning floors as and when required will cause dirt to build up. The floor feels slightly sticky. This will invite diseases and allergies to your house rather than new visitors.

Are Vacuums Needed To Clean Floors?

It is recommended to regularly vacuum ceramic floorings to clean debris from cracks and crevices. For other types of floor, it’s optional.

Why are my floors still dirty after mopping?

Floors can remain dirty if cleaner solutions accumulate, as long as you do not wipe out an excess solution with clean water. Read the instructions on the detergent label properly. Additionally, using hard water for wiping and not letting the floor dry completely after mopping also makes the floor dirty.

Is there a robot that can clean floors?

Yes, there are robots with smart features available to clean your floor. For example, there is a vacuuming robot where you can set up vacuuming routines. But, these robots are expensive to repair if damaged. Also, they take more time than a human takes to clean. In short, these products are still developing, and there isn’t a fully dependable robot today for cleaning tasks.

Adarsh

Adarsh is a Health Science graduate with expertise in environmental health and wellness. He is a Neat Freak who constantly looks for ways to keep his surroundings clean. At Clean Homies, Adarsh is focused on researching and sharing information on how you can maintain hygiene at home for a happy life.