While scrubbing or sweeping is often enough to keep an unmodified apartment looking clean, there are times when you have to go one step further and take out a bucket to wash thoroughly. Maybe it’s something you do traditionally as part of spring cleaning, or before your parents go for a visit — or maybe it’s something you’re thinking of doing now as you spend all your time at home. No matter what your reason for dealing with it, washing your floor properly may sound daunting, but it is actually a straightforward process, as long as you consider your type of floor. Here’s what you need to know about cleaning all floors.
Start with sweeping
Before you get out of the bucket and in the bucket, you will want to make sure that all the dust, hair and other dirt on your face is gone. Yes, one option is to use a vacuum cleaner, but a good old broom will do the trick. If you are not comfortable using a broom, we include this video on how to make full use of it, including tips to help you clean your broom so you don’t end up spreading dirt around your house.
Under the solid wood
Once you have swept the floor with solid wood, check out any sticky areas with a damp cloth and a small squirt to clean the floor. When that’s done, use a flat-head mop and microfiber pad or a well-drained microfiber string mop — you don’t want too much water on this type of floor.
If you want to make your own cleaning product, do not use a solution of baking soda and vinegar. Instead, you can use a pile of black tea to clean your hardwood floor and help hide any scratches. According to the Murphy Oil Soap, experts are debating whether it is a good idea: On the other hand, it is safe to use wood; on the other hand, it may leave a residue.
Linoleum
Although solid wood floors were common throughout the house, they were unpopular in many bathrooms and kitchens a hundred years ago. As soon as the virus was introduced, people did not enjoy having wooden floors — with cracks and gaps where germs could live — in rooms where sewage was important. And that’s where a new thing called linoleum grows.
Laminate flooring
Even if your laminate flooring may look like wood or tile, it is actually much easier to clean. In fact, according to Bill Dearing, president of the North American Laminate Flooring Association, there are very few things that can damage a laminate floor. One of them is getting water underground: don’t let that happen. Alternatively, use vacuums for laminate to detect treatment for any contaminants, and copy as usual. (Notes prove that you should not polish laminate flooring.)
Tile
Ceramic and porcelain tiles are also easy to clean. The mop and cleaner floor are your best bet, making sure you avoid using anything very destructive that might scratch or darken the finish of the tile. Take the time to make sure there is no adhesion to the grout between the tiles. If you want to get in there for deep cleaning, you can use a steam cleaner on both tiles and grout.
Vinyl flooring Similar to floor tile, vinyl cleaning is also straightforward: look treat any adhesive areas, and scrape it off using a side floor (here is a recipe for making your own). As with laminate, it is not a good idea to pour water directly on the vinyl, as you want to make sure it does not get under the floor. Finally, if you notice mop streaks when you are done, you can also go downstairs using a solution of white vinegar and water
