Keeping your indoor floors clean is essential for a healthy and hygienic home. But how do you clean them? The answer depends on the type of floor you have. In this guide, we'll provide you with the best methods for cleaning sealed, unsealed, painted, and patterned concrete floors, as well as vinyl sheet, vinyl tile, ceramic or porcelain tile, and wood or laminate floors. When it comes to cleaning vinyl sheet, vinyl tile, and ceramic or porcelain tile floors, the wet mop is by far the best method.
Mix a mild cleanser with water in a bucket and use it to mop the floor. Avoid using ammonia, bleach, or any highly acidic substance on polished or patterned floors. Some good cleaners include Castile soap, liquid dish detergent, stone cleaners and soft floor cleaners. Properly sealed woods or laminates can tolerate occasional wet cleaning, but scrubbing these floors with excess water is not recommended.
For sealed or polished concrete floors, never use ammonia, bleach, citrus cleaners, pine-based cleaners, vinegar, or any highly acidic substance. Weekly maintenance is also important for keeping your tile floors clean. Use a sponge and soapy water or your favorite household cleaning solution (just make sure it's safe for the floor). Flat mops like Swiffers are great for daily cleaning from dust and light dirt.
However, only a good weekly wet clean with a proper cleaning solution and a mop can truly provide the deep cleaning a floor needs. When it comes to concrete floors, you may need some high-pressure water to achieve flawless cleaning due to the valleys created by printing on patterned outdoor concrete floors. To clean concrete floors properly, use warm water and elbow grease.