Here’s How to Keep Your Floors Looking Fabulous

Cleaning and caring for your floors is part of the overall upkeep of your home. It also helps to maintain your home’s appearance and value. Different types of floors require different cleaners, and different cleaning methods as well. Follow these tips, do’s, and don’ts to keep the floors in your home immaculate for years to come.

Overall Floor Maintenance

There are some general best practices that will help protect your floors and make them last longer. Here’s some tips to follow regardless of your flooring material:

• Keep a doormat at your entryway: dirt and small stones on shoes can scratch or dent most types of flooring 

• Place runners or carpets over high-traffic areas of your floors 

• Use furniture pads to prevent scratches and dents 

• Use furniture glides to avoid scuff marks when moving furniture 

• High heels and hard rubber soles can damage your floors, so make your home a shoe-free zone 

• Have a regular schedule for sweeping, vacuuming and deep cleaning your floors 

• Wipe up spills as they occur, and tackle stains as soon as you can

Vinyl Floors

There are several different types of vinyl flooring available, but the care and cleaning methods for all are similar. This includes traditional vinyl, SPC vinyl and peel & stick vinyl. In addition to the tips below, always make sure to follow any specific maintenance instructions from the manufacturer. Here’s some vinyl floor cleaning do’s and don’ts to follow:

Do:

• Vacuum, sweep, or dry mop the floor to remove dust, hair, and dirt 

• Wipe up spills with plain water immediately to help prevent stains 

• Use a good vinyl-specific cleaner to keep your floors spotless 

• Alternatively, use vinegar with water: the vinegar’s acidity will remove dirt without leaving a soapy film 

• Add a few drops of liquid dish soap for extra cleaning power 

• Remove acidic stains like fruit juice, red wine, or tomato sauce with a mixture of baking soda and water 

• Remove lipstick, crayon, paint, or ink marks with rubbing alcohol and a soft-bristle brush 

• Use a good vinyl-specific polish to keep your floor looking shiny and new 

• Alternatively, add a few drops of baby oil to your vinegar cleaning solution to add shine to your floor

Don’t: 

• Use a vacuum with the heater bar turned on as it can damage the vinyl surface 

• Scrub vinyl floors with steel wool to remove stains 

• Leave spills to air dry: always wipe them up as soon as they occur 

• Use an excessive amount of water to clean your vinyl floors 

• Use bleach, ammonia, or other cleaners with a high pH level as they will damage the vinyl surface 

• Apply wax or polish as they will leave a dull film on the surface 

• Steam clean your vinyl floor, even if it’s waterproof

Hardwood & Laminate Floors

Hardwood, engineered hardwood and laminate flooring all feature different materials and construction, but with a few exceptions the care and cleaning methods for all are quite similar. The biggest example is that the recommended cleansers are different for engineered hardwood. The tips below apply to all three except where called out differently. As always, make sure you follow any specific cleaning instructions from the manufacturer:

Do: 

• Sweep daily with a broom or hardwood floor mop 

• Use a microfibre mop to remove dust and dirt that will cause scratches 

• Vacuum floors weekly but do not use the brush roll or floor brush features as it can scratch the floors 

• Clean with a damp mop (not wet) to avoid damaging the wood 

• Use hardwood/laminate-specific cleaners on your hardwood and laminate floors 

• Use hardwood-only cleaners on your engineered hardwood floors 

• Apply wood scratch remover to conceal small scratches 

• Apply wood floor polish to revitalize your floor and make it shine

Don’t:

• Leave any standing water on the floor as it can damage the wood 

• Use harsh detergents like ammonia as it will dull the surface of your floors 

• Use vinyl floor cleaner or tile cleaner on hardwood floors 

• Use any wax-based cleaners or oil soaps on engineered wood floor as they can damage the construction 

• Use DIY vinegar-based solutions as it can damage the finish 

• Use steel wool or other rough applicators as they can damage the surface of the wood 

• When applying any cleaning products, do not use rough materials such as a steel wool brush

Steam Mops and When You Can Use Them

Steam mops are great for deep cleaning and sanitizing your floors. They’re especially useful on tiled bathroom and kitchen floors, but they cannot be used on just any hardwood or laminate floor. Here’s what you need to know:

Sealed Hardwood Floors: These are steam mop approved. They can withstand the heat and moisture and you’ll get a super nice streak-free finish. 

Unsealed Hardwood Floors: Do not use a steam mop. Unsealed hardwood is more vulnerable and easily damaged by excessive moisture. 

Engineered Hardwood Floors: Do not use a steam mop. Engineered hardwoods use adhesives and moisture can seep between the layers, weakening the bond and permanently damaging the floor. 

Laminate Floors: Do not use a steam mop. This type of flooring is usually made of compressed fiber/particleboard layers which are easily damaged by moisture. Cleaning laminate floors with a steam mop can cause the floor to swell and warp.

Tile Floors

General best practices for cleaning tile floors include sweeping and vacuuming before using any cleaners. Follow the material-specific tips below for your tile floor.

Porcelain Tile Floors

• Wash the tiles down first with hot water 

• Clean the porcelain using a bristle brush and good tile & grout cleaner 

• Alternatively, you can try a solution of vinegar and water 

• Avoid using bleach or ammonia as it can damage the porcelain 

• Rinse off the cleaner with hot water then dry the floor with a clean towel

Ceramic Tile Floors

• Clean ceramic tile floors with a good tile & grout cleaner 

• Apply it with a flat mop vs. sponge as the latter can push dirty water into the grout lines 

• Alternatively, you can try warm water with a few drops of dish soap 

• Wash and dry one section of the floor at a time 

• Wash bathroom tiles weekly and kitchen tiles biweekly

Stone Tile Floors

• Slate tile floors can be cleaned with a mixture of warm water and a mild detergent or dish soap 

• Avoid cleaners that contain lemon, vinegar or other acidic substances 

• Clean marble floors with hot water and a marble-specific cleaner 

• Clean granite floors with hot water and a granite-specific cleaner 

• Apply cleaners with a soft cloth or sponge and buff dry with a clean cloth 

• Do not use vinegar, lemon or other acidic substances on any type of stone tile floors

Cleaning your floors takes a bit of work, but it’s well worth the reward. In addition to being germ and bacteria free, your floors will look great and last longer. Browse our wide assortment of floor cleaners to find the one that’s right for your floor.