How to Clean a Kitchen Floor: Tips & Tricks for Any Type of Kitchen Flooring
Cleaning kitchen floors does not have to be a drag. Cleaning spills, stains, and other cooking-related messes should never take the fun out of your culinary adventures. All you need are the right materials. You will also need different tips and tricks on how to clean kitchen floor, regardless of the type of flooring material.
Ceramic Floor
The best way to clean kitchen floor with ceramic tiles is to vacuum it every week and to sweep it every day. This will keep the surface as pristine as the day it was installed. You can also mop the floor every day using a solution made of a mild kitchen floor cleaner and warm water. If there are no greasy spots, mopping with warm water is enough.
Don’t use a sponge mop. It’s better to use chamois-type mop or rag to prevent pushing dirty water into the grout lines. Make sure to dry the ceramic kitchen flooring very well before you start with your next culinary adventure. Do not air-dry as this can lead to the formation of water spots. Use a lint-free cloth instead.
Wood Laminate Floor
The laminate floor can be tricky when it comes to cleaning. You don’t want to use a soaking wet mop or rag to clean it. Water can seep into the baseboard and cause it to swell. You can damage your kitchen laminate floor this way.
Always start by sweeping the floor to remove any large particles, dust, and debris. Make a water-vinegar solution by adding a cup of distilled white vinegar to a gallon of water. Dip a soft cleaning cloth in the solution and wring out excess liquid. You can use a microfiber cloth for this purpose. Use the damp cloth to wipe and clean the kitchen floor. If the cloth gets dirty, you can rinse it in the kitchen sink before dipping it again in the vinegar cleaning solution.
Hardwood Floor
One of the most common mistakes that people make in cleaning hardwood kitchen floors is that they use water. Doing so can damage the floor and may also cause discoloration. You can clean hardwood flooring by using a hardwood kitchen floor cleaner. These products have the right formulation of wood-safe ingredients.
Sweep your floor to remove large particles. Read the directions for the application of the hardwood cleaner. Most cleaners come with different solutions that one has to mix to achieve the appropriate strength. Apply the cleaning solution to a clean piece of microfiber cloth and use this to wipe the surface of the hardwood floor. There are also those that call for misting the floor with the solution, albeit in a light manner. Under no circumstance should you pour the cleaning solution directly onto your hardwood kitchen floor.
Vinyl is an easy-to-clean kitchen flooring. Sweeping the surface of the floor and mopping it with warm water is often enough to keep it looking fresh and clean. Every week, however, it would be ideal to perform a more thorough cleaning. Pour a quarter of a cup of distilled white vinegar into a 16-oz spray bottle. Add a drop of your ordinary liquid dish soap and fill the bottle with warm water. Spray the solution on the floor surface. Wipe and clean using a microfiber mop. Dry the floor very well.
For a deeper clean, you can try a steam cleaner. This will help remove stains and bacteria in both the tile and grout. Cleaning kitchen floor tiles do not entail removing only visible dirt and stains. You will have to remove bacteria as well. Steam can kill these bacteria on your floor.
Bamboo Floor
Cleaning kitchen floors made of bamboo is almost similar to cleaning wood laminates. One has to make sure never to use soaking wet cleaning materials. You don’t want to introduce water into the baseboard of the bamboo tiles. There are products that are specific to the care of bamboo floors. It would make sense to use these products.
An alternative will be to make your own bamboo floor cleaning solution. Fill a bucket with warm water and add about a quarter of a cup of a pH-neutral soap. You can also use a mild dishwashing liquid soap. Dip the mop in the bucket and wring out as much water as you can. Mop the floor and follow it up with a clean piece of microfiber cloth.
Linoleum Floor
Linoleum floor is very easy to clean. It is a nonporous material that can keep dirt and other particles on the surface. All it needs is daily sweeping to prevent these particles from getting stuck on the surface. Using a damp mop is often enough. You can use warm water for this purpose to help remove stubborn dirt. It is necessary that you sweep the floor prior to mopping.
Deep clean your linoleum floors once every 2 to 3 weeks. Purchase an all-purpose cleaner to clean your linoleum floor. Choose one that has non-abrasive properties to retain the integrity of your flooring material. If you do not want to purchase such products, you can always use a cleaning solution made of warm water and distilled white vinegar.
Natural Stone
If most kitchen flooring materials are okay with vinegar as a cleaning solution, natural stone flooring is not. Vinegar, ammonia, and bleach are a big no-no when it comes to cleaning natural stones. A better solution will be products with neutral pH. You can also use non-chelating cleaners as they will not react with the minerals that natural stones contain. However, this type of cleaner only works on sealed stone floors.
The best way to clean kitchen floor with unsealed natural stone tiles is by using a microfiber mop. Warm water is also not often enough to remove dirt. You will need very hot water for this. Be very careful when mopping with hot water. An alternative will be to clean the floor using a steam cleaner.
It doesn’t matter what type of flooring material you have in your kitchen. These tricks and tips should help you keep the cleanliness of your kitchen and more than ready for your next culinary adventure.