How To Leave Your Floor Squeaky Clean

• By Perth Home Cleaners
• On April 10, 2023

Your home is your temple. It’s your little paradise, your shelter from the outside world, the place you go after a long and hard day of work.

Would you like your ‘temple,’ your ‘shelter’ to be in disarray? In shambles? No. You want it to be organized, things to be in their proper place. There is no bigger sense of satisfaction than coming inside your house, stepping on that shiny, lustrous floor and resting on your couch.

If you’re reading this article, it’s because you have a deep respect for your home and are interested in learning the proper way to clean your house, more specially, your floor. You have come to the right place to learn about the miracles of floor cleaning.

Understanding the Different Types of Floor

Not all floors are made equal, nor do they share the same characteristics. The same way different cars require different components, the same goes for every surface you step on.

We have different types of floor, for example:

• Hardwood Floor
• Laminate Floor
• Vinyl Floor
• Linoleum Floor
• Stone Tiles
• Ceramic Tiles

…to name a few. This might seem over complicated, with little details about different types of ground cover. However, you must learn the basics before diving any further. What are these ‘basics?

There Are Different Types of Mops

Depending on the type of floor you have, certain types of mops are best suited for washing them. You have got the classic string and the strip mop. These two are excellent if your floor has a lot of textures. You have also got the sponge mops, which are great for smooth surfaces and also capable of reaching corners and under furniture, places where a string mop might have difficulties going in.

Of course, it’s not just the type of mops, but also the quality of each one. We have at our disposal an array of stores selling different brands of mops, each one with different features and specialties. Selecting the right one will depend on your own personal preferences and the bucket you have allocated for cleaning.

Pick The Right Cleaning Agent

We have different types of cleaning agents, each one used for specific situations. Detergents are the most commonly used. They can be applied to a different number of surfaces without the risk of damaging your floor.

Degreasers, on the other hand, are more specific to deal with grease accumulated in certain places. Let’s say you want to clean the floor in your garage, where people usually work with oily and greasy products, or the kitchen floor, where oil spills are frequent. Degreasers do wonders to remove those stains.

Abrasives are the best suited for floors. Why? Because they require active scrubbing on the floor surface. Acid agents are not recommended, because they are corrosive and might irreversibly damage your floor.

I Have the Ingredients, Now What?

Ok. At this point, I have assumed you have chosen which type of mop and cleaning agent you are going to choose. The next step is the actual cleaning.

How To Clean Ceramic and Quarry Tiles

These are the easiest to clean, actually. Firstly, sweep away all the excess dust and proceed to wash using a mild detergent solution. Always avoid submerging your mop for too long or you risk a dull film on your beautiful floor.

So, what do you do? Submerge the mop, but squeeze most of the liquid absorbed (certain types of bucket come with accessories that allow it to rinse off the excess water), obtaining a slightly dampened mop. Now, you can wash off any dust speck or stain, avoiding unnecessary dripping or over wetting.

If the stains don’t come off, you can use a homemade mixture of water and vinegar. As we said before, avoid abrasive and acid agents. These just won’t do any good. If you have any potted plants in your restroom, bedroom, etc and you are afraid it might scratch your floor, put drip trays or felt pads underneath them.

How To Clean Vinyl Floors

Same as before. Sweep away any dust with a brush (alternatively, most vacuums will do the trick too) and wash with a mildly dampened mop. Avoid using strong detergents as the surface can be very easy to damage.

How To Clean Wooden Floors

Another popular type of floor which some readers might be scratching their heads at in figuring out how to clean are the wooden ones. For these, I really emphasize on avoiding over wetting! Because, unlike other materials, wood can absorb water and swell. Once this happens, you might have to repair that floor section and we really want to avoid that.

So, sweep and wash. If you want to apply wax, don’t overuse it. Modern commercial waxes are a mixture of synthetic products such as polyurethane, lacquer, perchloroethylene and toluene. Overall, wax is a sticky material that will collect dust or any particle that falls on the floor if you overuse it.

If you want to remove a layer of previously applied wax on the floor, do the following:

• Buy a bottle of White Spirits/Mineral Spirits and moisten a piece of cloth with it
• Leave the moistened cloth on the floor and let the floor absorb the material. White Spirit is an organic petroleum derivative that will dissolve the wax
• After the dissolvent has done its job, use crumpled newspaper or an abrasive pad to remove the bits of wax that have come off
• Then clean with a damp mop. We want it as clean, dry and wax free as possible before applying a new layer of wax

Professional Cleaning

Professional cleaning can make your floors sparkle quicker and more easily than you doing it yourself. Professional carpet cleaning can remove all the stains and dirt build-up from your carpets and leave them plush and fresh. Your tiles and grout can be professionally cleaned to remove mould, stains and refresh lustre and colour. Professional pressure washing can leave your outdoor areas glistening!

So, there you have it! Different products, techniques and tips to leave your floor so squeaky clean you will able to see your reflection!