Flooring is an important part of every house. There are many available varieties of flooring including asphalt, ceramic, brick, linoleum, concrete, marble, slate and flagstone, and selecting the ideal one amongst these indeed takes a lot of time. Most of these flooring types are pretty easy to maintain, nonetheless, you have to clean them to ensure they look fresh and stay free of germs.
Now, these different flooring types are supposed to be cleaned in different ways and if you want to make sure your flooring looks new and attractive for long you have to follow the right cleaning methods for each floor type about which we shall learn right away.
How to Clean the Different Types of Floors
Asphalt
Though asphalt flooring is durable and rough it can sustain damage from abrasive scouring, grease, oil solvents and strong soaps. To clean your asphalt flooring you have to –
- Mop the floor every week to prevent building-up of dirt and then you will not need to polish or wash the floor too often.
- While mopping you need to use a cleaner that can withstand mopping. However, do not make use of too much water as it will reach the joints of your asphalt tiles and loosen them. Your mop should only be damp and never dripping wet.
- If there are any heel marks on the tiles you can get rid of them with the help of fine quality steel wool. Simply dip the steel wool into your chosen liquid floor wax, and then using a damp cloth wipe the just polished area.
Ceramic
This flooring type is easy to maintain and what you need to do is –
- Use a neutral floor cleaner and a damp cloth to clean the floor. Old string mops will be your best bet here.
- Never use any abrasive cleaner as that will only scratch the glaze.
- You can seal the grout lines to make sure it stays clean for a long time but before you seal it you need to clean the lines thoroughly so that the cleaner can hold properly.
Brick
Brick floors are porous and it requires effort and time to keep this type of flooring clean. You can use a sealer that is created for brick, be it water or solvent based. The steps that you need to follow to clean this type of floor are –
- Vacuum the floor so as to get rid of any debris and then using a damp mop, remove the dirt.
- Do not use any strong soap, acids, or abrasives to clean the floor or it will get damaged.
- You can use one cup of vinegar mixed in water to make your brick floor shine.
Linoleum
To make your linoleum floor shine you need to wax the floor. After waxing, your linoleum floor will require vacuuming and an occasional damp mop cleaning.
- Solvent-based products are harmful to linoleum floors. Also, do not pour water on this type of flooring.
- To get rid of heel marks you can use high-quality steel wool and apply liquid wax on to the floor. Gently rub the area and then wipe using a damp cloth.
- The best way to clean such floors is to mop the area with an all-purpose cleaner.
Concrete
Concrete floors are porous and can absorb stains really fast. To clean your indoor concrete floors you can make use of a commercial sealer.
- Before you use a commercial cleaner you need to use a broom to loosen dirt and get rid of debris in case your concrete floor is not properly sealed. Then wash using an all-purpose cleaner.
- In order to absorb grease and oil on your garage floor, you can use kitty litter. Spread well using a stiff broom moving from the back end of your garage towards the front and then wash with the help of a garden hose. Let the floor air dry.
Marble
Marble flooring is used in many homes and you can clean it in the following way.
- If you have used unpolished marble then it is porous and can easily stain. So, you need to use a sealer created for this kind of flooring.
- Mop the floor using all-purpose cleaner and clean water. You may even add a cup of fabric softener to 1/4 gallon of water and make use of self-polishing liquid wax. Do strip this once in a while, rinse, and apply the wax again.
- You may even use paste wax or water-based wax. If you are using paste then make sure to test the same in a corner of your room to check if the paste discolors your floor. If not, you can use it.
Slate and Flagstone
This type of flooring is porous and rough and you need to seal it to prevent stains. To clean these types of flooring you need to –
- Clean the floors using a neutral purpose cleanser.
- Allow the floor to dry then seal it using a water-based or a solvent sealer.
- After cleaning and sealing, just sweep regularly using a string mop or flat mop and a neutral floor cleaner on a weekly basis.
To Conclude
Different flooring material has different characteristics and this is why you need to know the different ways to clean and take care of them. There is no one cleaning method that suits all and if you try to do so your floor will not last you for long. So, depending on the floor type you have chosen follow the cleaning method suggested above and your floor is sure to look new and fresh for a very long time. If you're not sure of how to clean the type of flooring, consult a specialist to do it for you.
We also recommend going over this complete guide on choosing the right flooring for your home. It contains everything you need to know about the different types of flooring available in the market, their pros and cons, installation method and maintenance.
