Spring is the perfect time to give your floors a deep clean so they look their best all season long. A thorough spring cleaning leaves your floors looking brand new and sets the foundation for a spotless home. Follow these tips to get your floors sparkling from top to bottom this spring.
Assess Your Floors’ Condition
Before cleaning, take stock of your floors’ condition to identify problem areas or stains.
- Walk through each room and note worn, damaged, or stained areas on your floors. Look for scrapes, cracks, warped boards, or discoloration.
- Examine tile and grout lines for mold, mildew, or soap scum buildup. Check for missing or cracked grout.
- Test floors near entryways for salt stains or residue leftover from winter weather.
- Inspect carpets and rugs for high-traffic areas, pet stains, or spots and spills.
Making note of damaged or dirty areas will allow you to focus cleaning efforts where floors need it most.
Clear Clutter and Remove Furniture
Thoroughly clean floors by clearing space and removing obstacles.
- Clear furniture, rugs, and decor off floors so all surfaces are exposed. Move items into storage or the center of the room.
- Take up small rugs and runners to access the floors underneath.
- Remove doors or place blocks under furniture legs to reach the entire floor area.
With floors fully accessible, you can clean from edge to edge for sparkling results.
Sweep and Vacuum Floors
Before wet cleaning, dry sweep and vacuum floors to remove dirt, debris, and pet hair.
- Use a broom to sweep wood, tile, vinyl, and concrete flooring. Sweep debris into a dustpan and discard.
- Vacuum carpets, rugs, and other fabric flooring. Use the wand attachment to reach corners and baseboards.
- Use the crevice tool to vacuum cracks along edges and into corners.
- Empty the vacuum after each room to remove all the collected dirt and dander.
Dry sweeping and vacuuming prepares floors for a deeper clean by removing surface-level grime.
Wash Hard Floor Surfaces
For wood, tile, vinyl, stone, and concrete floors, use the appropriate cleaner and scrub into dirty areas.
- On vinyl floors, mix warm water and dish soap and use a mop to clean. Rinse well with clear water.
- For tile floors, use a tile cleaner or mix 1 cup vinegar and 1 gallon warm water to clean grout and surfaces.
- Wood floors can be cleaned with a wood floor cleaner or mild soap and water. Use minimal water and dry immediately.
- For stone floors, use a stone cleaner or mild dish soap and warm water. Rinse thoroughly after cleaning.
- Concrete floors can be scrubbed with a stiff broom and soap and water. Rinse thoroughly.
Cleaning hard floors properly will prevent buildup of dirt while making them shine.
Shampoo and Steam Carpets
For carpets and rugs, shampoo and steam clean to revitalize fibers and remove stains.
- Vacuum carpeting before using cleaner to pick up surface dirt.
- Use a carpet shampoo solution in a machine or concentrated cleaner in warm water.
- Apply the solution and use a carpet brush or buffer to work it into the carpet fibers.
- Rinse thoroughly with clean water to remove shampoo residue.
- Allow carpeting to fully dry before walking on it to prevent new stains or dirt.
Shampooing traps dirt from deep in carpet fibers, while steaming sanitizes and fluffs up the pile.
Finish with Floor Protectants
Seal and finish floors to maintain the clean look and protect surfaces.
- On vinyl and concrete floors, apply a light floor wax using a buffer or mop. This adds shine and seals the surface.
- For wood floors, use a wood floor polish to protect the wood grain and finish.
- Re-grout or apply grout sealer to tile to fill in cracked grout and protect against moisture and mold.
- Coat concrete floors with a concrete sealer to create a protective barrier.
- Replace floor protectors on furniture legs to prevent future scratching.
Protecting floors after deep cleaning keeps them looking their best all season long.
A thorough spring cleaning gives your floors a fresh start. With these tips, you can tackle any flooring surface to remove dirt, stains, and residue. Your sparkling clean floors will make the whole home feel brand new just in time for spring.
