One of the main things that makes a house more valuable is the flooring. Several flooring options are available, such as tiles, hardwood, marble, etc., making it difficult to choose. The majority of these floors are easy to maintain, but you still have to keep them clean to keep them looking good.
Scratches and stains take a lot of time to clean. Different floors need different cleaning techniques, which makes it hard to learn how to clean them. These are some of the most common methods of cleaning flooring.
1. Keeping Hardwood Floors Clean
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Hardwood floors come in two finishes. Either your floor is polyurethane or waxed. Rub your finger over the floor to see what type of finish it is. When you find stains on the hardwood, it means that it’s been waxed. If you don’t see any stains, it means the polyurethane finish has been sealed. The polyurethane finish protects the floor from dirt and debris. However, you need to know what kind of finish you’re dealing with before cleaning. Here’s how to do it.
- Mix mild soap and water together to make a cleaning agent. A dry microfiber cloth will be your best friend if you want to finish the job quickly. Many cleaning services use it for this purpose.
- The cloth is easy to squeeze, so it’s perfect for hardwood floors. Use a damp cloth on hardwood. After applying the cleaning agent, you’ll see the floor drying up quickly.
- Let the floor dry naturally after wiping it with the cloth. You’ll have a sparkling floor afterward.
- As a precautionary measure, keep the traffic away from the floor while you are cleaning it.
2. Marble floors should be cleaned regularly
Marble floors are beautiful and elegant, so they’re a must-have in any home. Check out these tips to keep your marble floors sparkling.
- Marble is a porous material, so it’s prone to staining. To protect it from stains, you have to seal it after cleaning.
- You can clean it with a universal cleaner and water. Use fabric softener mixed with hot water if you don’t want to buy a floor polish. Wipe the floors with a floor mop after you apply the cleaner.
- Use wax or water-based cleaner. Apply it to a corner of the floor and see if the color fades or not. If not, go ahead and use it.
3. Laminated floors need to be cleaned
The laminate floors look like hardwood, but they have natural stone tiles. Take good care of your laminated floors if you want them to stay clean. Laminate flooring can be damaged by very few things, so it needs to be cleaned carefully. The fading-resistant layer on laminate planks keeps them looking like new for a few years.
Water must be kept out from under the floorboards, though. It’s best to clean laminated floors with a damp cloth. To clean spots on the floor, use a semi-damp cloth. In case the laminate planks are damaged, consider replacing them instead of waxing them.
4. Limestone floors must be cleaned
The limestone floor is porous and soft, making it easy for dirt to collect on it. Let us look at how you can thoroughly wax the limestone floor.
- Use a neutral stone cleaner to scrub the floor. Make sure you use a lime-specific cleaner instead of regular soap or a versatile limestone cleaner.
- Remove the stains with a soft brush. Those hard-to-remove stains can be cleaned with a limestone cleaner if needed.
- After you apply the cleaner to the floor, rinse it with water and let it dry. Avoid using hard water on the limestone since it can damage it.
- Check the airtightness of the floor with a drop of water. The seal needs to be resealed if water soaks inside and leaves a stain.
5. Cleaning the Ceramic Tiles
The most common type of flooring in a house is ceramic tile. While ceramic tiles are easy to clean, they still need to be maintained to keep their natural shine. Here’s how.
- Regularly wipe the tiles with a cleaning agent, a floor mop, and a vacuum to keep the tiles shining.
- Brush the tile grout from the inside to keep it clean.
- Grout discoloration can be prevented with the right sealer, but it takes scrubbing and dusting and mopping every now and then.
Conclusion:
Every type of flooring has different characteristics, so you should know what type of cleaning and maintenance you need. If you use the wrong cleaning method, it won’t last long. Therefore, depending on what kind of floor you have, keep in mind the steps above. You’ll have new, well-kept floors for a long time.