Spring is the perfect time to give your floors a deep clean and make them shine again. With some simple cleaning techniques and products, you can restore the beauty of your floors this season.
Assess Your Floors’ Condition
Before beginning, take stock of your floors’ current condition. Are they:
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Wood? If so, are they sealed, waxed, oiled, or something else? Different woods and treatments need different care.
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Tile or stone? Grout might need special attention.
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Laminate or vinyl? Don’t use abrasive cleaners or excessive water.
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Carpeted? You’ll need a carpet cleaner or steamer.
Knowing your flooring type and condition will determine the best cleaning method. Inspect floors closely – are there stains to treat or worn spots that need extra care? Make notes so you can target problem areas.
Clear the Floors
The first step is removing everything from the floors – furniture, rugs, toys, everything. This gives you total access for cleaning.
As you clear the floors:
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Toss out trash and clutter. Recycle or donate unused items.
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Clean under furniture and appliances. Vacuum or mop in those spots that never see light!
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Wash removable rugs if needed.
Don’t put anything back until the floors are cleaned. Clutter-free floors will make the task much easier.
Clean Floors Thoroughly
Now tackle the floors themselves. Use the proper cleaner for your flooring:
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For wood floors, remove wax buildup with an appropriate stripper. Re-wax or re-oil. For urethane-treated wood, use cleaners made for this.
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For tile, stone, and grout, usetile cleaners and scrub brushes. Clean grout with a specialty grout brush. Re-seal grout if needed.
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For laminate and vinyl, use vinyl floor cleaner and microfiber mops. Don’t soak floors excessively.
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For carpet, rent or buy a carpet cleaner and use according to directions. Let carpets dry fully before walking on them.
Scrub stubborn spots and treat stains according to your flooring material. A mixture of vinegar and water often works wonders. Clean baseboards too – don’t forget them!
Replace filter and cleaning solution in your mop bucket frequently. Changing them ensures floors get truly clean.
Add Shine and Protection
Once floors are clean, make them shine:
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For wood floors, re-wax with carnauba or beeswax polish. Or re-apply oil finish. Buff to a glossy shine.
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For tile, stone, laminate, and vinyl, use appropriate no-wax floor polish. Buff floors until glossy.
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Re-seal grout with a penetrating grout sealer according to package directions.
These extra touches help floors look their best and resist future wear.
Maintain Floors
To keep floors looking fresh, implement regular maintenance:
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Sweep, dust mop, or vacuum to remove surface dirt and grit.
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Damp mop floors weekly using appropriate cleaners. For wood, use minimal water.
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Shake out and wash area rugs often.
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Re-wax or re-oil wood floors per manufacturer recommendations.
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Re-apply floor polish on tiles, laminate, etc. when they look dull.
With some seasonal elbow grease, you can restore shine and beauty to your floors. They’ll look clean enough to eat off – so your spring cleaning is done!
