How to Clean Hard Surface Flooring

Co-authored by Kadi Dulude

Last Updated: July 28, 2022

Especially if you have multiple flooring types in your home, cleaning any hard surface flooring takes a different method. You can’t use the same cleaning approach to wood as you do porcelain tile, however many homeowners may use the same cleaner to save time and money. Preserve the integrity of your flooring by cleaning each surface using the right approach.

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Clean Ceramic Floors

1
Sweep and/or vacuum floor before cleaning. If you vacuum the floor you may want to go over it with a micro fiber dust cloth/mop to ensure you’ve removed any debris.^{[1]
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Expert Source

Kadi Dulude
House Cleaning Professional
Expert Interview. 22 September 2019.}
2
Clean the mop before you clean the floor. Make sure you are working with a mop that has been cleaned before the last cleaning. The last thing you want is to use a dirty or soiled mop because it will transfer the odor to the newly cleaned floors.

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3
Fill a bucket with two parts water and one part white vinegar. Or you can simply clean these floors with warm water depending on the dirt level of the floors.
4
Dip mop into the bucket, squeeze and remove excess water and then mop the floor. Be sure you rinse the mop after every few strokes and then return mop to the bucket to get more warm water or water and vinegar.

Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Clean Hardwood Floors

1
Remove debris from floors by sweeping and then going over the surface with a micro fiber dust cloth/mop. Wood floors can be vacuumed but this approach is not recommended, especially on real wood (as opposed to engineered or laminate) floors. Vacuuming wood floors can produced scratches.
2
Boil water and add two tea bags. Any type of tea will work because the tannic acid in the tea will clean and shine the floors.
- Allow tea bags to seep in the boiling water for several minutes before removing.
- Don’t use tea until its warm but no longer piping hot (which could burn your skin during use).
3
Use a soft cloth, flat surface mop. The cloth should be removable and completely clean before using.
4
Immerse clean mop cloth in hot water, wring out and apply to the mop. You want the cloth to be wet, but not soaked.
5
Pour a small amount of tea water on wood floor and follow through with mop. Don’t over soak the floor or else you will end up with streaks.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Clean Vinyl Floors

1
Remove major debris from your floor first by sweeping up large pieces into a dust pan and emptying into the trash.
- If you have one, follow this by using a microfiber dust mop to pick up finer dirt from the floor that is harder to see.^{[2]
  X
  Expert Source
  
  Kadi Dulude
  House Cleaning Professional
  Expert Interview. 22 September 2019.} Pick up with the broom and empty into the trash.
- For an even cleaner surface, use a vacuum cleaner on the floor on the lowest carpet/surface setting (if available). Vinyl floors are relatively durable so you can use the vacuum cleaner with confidence.
2
Prepare a cleaning solution for resilient floors in a bucket. If you'd like to make your own, combine one part borax with two parts warm water in a bucket. You can also use vinegar and water at a dilution of 1 cup of vinegar per gallon of water.^{[3]
X
Expert Source

Kadi Dulude
House Cleaning Professional
Expert Interview. 22 September 2019.} Pregnant women and children should not handle borax. ^{[4]
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Research source}
3
Dip your clean mop into the bucket, ring out and begin to mop the floor. Although any mop will do the trick you may want to use a mop that has thick bristles to really remove any grime or grease.

Expert Q&A

Question

How can I make my floors shine again?

Kadi Dulude
House Cleaning Professional
Kadi Dulude is a House Cleaning Professional and the Owner of Wizard of Homes, a New York City-based cleaning company. Kadi has over 10 years of experience and manages a team of over 90 registered cleaning professionals. Her cleaning advice has been featured in Architectural Digest and New York Magazine.

Kadi Dulude

House Cleaning Professional

Expert Answer

If you want to temporarily make floors shine for an open house or a special event, Holloway House’s Quick Shine works great. This is only recommended as a quick fix, though, as residue from the product can start building up on low-traffic areas and wears off in high traffic areas. For a long term solution, try vacuuming and dry dusting regularly. I also recommend mopping by spraying cleaning solution directly onto the floor or using a lightly damp mop.
Question

I have to clean a pee stain that turned black, how can I get the stain out of a wood floor?

Terry Heaps

Community Answer

The stain has turned black due to acids within. A 50/50 solution of water and industrial strength bleach should work. Regular bleach will not be effective. Ensure the room is very well ventilated. Mix the solution in a spray bottle. Spray the area until well-saturated. Allow 2 hours for the solution to penetrate the surface. Spray again lightly. Use an old toothbrush and gently scrub the area. Place disposable cloth over the area and leave it overnight. The industrial bleach is designed to kill the spores living within the stain.