Cleaning Tips for Different Types of Flooring

Have you ever wondered if you use the right products to clean and maintain your floor? The first step to cleaning any floor is sweeping it regularly, but other than that, care products and techniques can vary depending on the type of floor. Discover some tips on caring for different types of floors in your home.

Wood Floors

Wood floors can be beautiful, but you need more information to care for them correctly. You have to first find out what type of finish your floor has, then find the correct cleaning products for that type of finish.

The two categories of finish are penetrating sealers versus surface sealers. Fortunately, if your wood floor is newer, it likely has a more trouble-free finish such as polyurethane or polyacrylic (which are surface sealers). To clean this type of floor, simply use a mild cleaner like dishwashing soap or wood floor cleaner.

The other type of wood floor (with penetrating sealers) will require regular waxing as well as very gentle cleaning with a mild cleanser and damp mop. If you're unsure what type of sealer your floor has, talk to the person who installed it or ask your professional cleaners for advice. Avoid using abrasive or acidic cleaners on any wood floors.

Tile Floors

Ceramic tile is one of the more common types of tile flooring. A ceramic tile floor is relatively low-maintenance, and you can clean ceramic tiles with a variety of mild cleaning products (test each product in a corner before using). However, you may want to use a specialized product for cleaning the grout, such as one that contains hydrogen peroxide.

Tile floors are beautiful and durable, but some of them require special treatments. For example, a slate or stone tile floor (which can provide a classic flagstones look) will need to be re-sealed every year or so. That's because slate is a porous material, and you don't want everything you spill on the floor to absorb right in and cause a stain.

Be careful what cleaners you use on natural (slate or stone) tile floors. Avoid any cleaners that include acidic or abrasive ingredients or oil. Ideally, use a reputable cleaning product designed for slate tile floors, since these are formulated without any substances that harm slate.

Laminate Floor

A high-quality laminate may be relatively easy to care for, but keep a few dos and don'ts in mind. Avoid cleaning the floor with lots of water, which can damage laminate. And avoid large amounts of steam (such as from a steam mop), which could have a similar effect. Abrasives, strong chemicals, and steel wool are also out.

You can use a solution of mild dish detergent as a cleanser when damp mopping your floor. Or, choose a cleaning solution made especially for laminate (but still use it sparingly, since a log of moisture sitting on a laminate floor can damage it).

Carpeting

Wall-to-wall carpet is another common flooring material. But the texture can make cleaning a carpet much more involved, since you can't simply wipe up spills cleanly like on a solid floor. A vacuum cleaner and a home carpet washer can help you keep your carpet clean day to day, and you can also use products such as dry carpet cleaning powder to keep it fresh.

You'll also need to schedule professional cleanings on occasion. Professional cleanings use more powerful carpet cleaning machines for a deep clean and can use steam to sanitize the carpet.

Depending on your schedule and how much time you have in your day for household chores, you may want to delegate some of these floor-cleaning tasks to your professional maid service. A professional cleaning service can include cleaning for a wide variety of flooring types, and your cleaners may even perform maintenance such as floor waxing for wood floors.

If you're in the market for a good professional maid service, consider Custom Maid We have a wide range of services, decades of experience, and trustworthy cleaning personnel. Get in touch today to learn more about our services, pricing, and scheduling options.