How to Clean Your Kitchen Floor

The kitchen is considered the heart of the home, and it's easy to see why. Our kitchens are the go-to place for preparing meals and a common hangout spot for friends and family. During these times, our kitchen floors see lots of foot traffic, regularly spilled foods, grease splatters, and much more. In general, our kitchen floors stand up to a lot of wear and tear. So how can we ensure they're properly maintained? By giving them a routine cleaning.

Abt breaks down the proper cleaning methods for down each flooring type and teaches how to clean your kitchen floor using gentle, non-toxic household cleaners. Prepare to give your kitchen floors a beautiful sparkle and shine!

Ceramic tiles make a durable surface for kitchen floors. But, they can lose their beautiful appearance when surrounded by dirty grout lines.

To clean ceramic tiles, start with a warm water solution using a tiny bit of mild detergent or liquid dish soap. Avoid letting glazed tile floor air dry, as this causes water spots where water has rested for too long. Instead, wipe damp areas right after washing. Also, take careful consideration of the types of cloth you use to mop. Use a rag or a chamois-texture cloth, as opposed to a sponge mop. Sponge mops tend to push around dirty water, which ends up getting washed into the gutter-like grout lines.

Now onto the stubborn grout! It takes a bit of elbow grease to clean the grout between tiles. To get started, slowly combine a mixture of water and baking soda until it forms a paste. Next, use a soft-bristled brush, like a spare toothbrush, to scrub the paste into the grout lines. Lastly, rinse the grout and wipe up any excess baking soda paste, drying with a microfiber towel.

To clean linoleum kitchen floors, use a damp microfiber mop for a quick wipe once per week to maintain a like-new appearance. For a deeper clean, however, make sure to use a nonabrasive cleaning product. If you're unsure of your floor's materials and composition, use a natural solution of mild vinegar and water to get a polished sheen.

Laminate is very much like linoleum, and just as easy to keep clean. It only takes a light mopping with a gentle household cleaner to get your kitchen floors shining. Once again, if you're unable to purchase cleaning supplies, you can create a DIY cleaner solution with a small amount of vinegar and water.

One thing to pay attention to when cleaning laminate kitchen floors is to avoid overly wet, soaked mops. A soaked mop allows an excess of water to seep through to the floorboards, which can cause floor damage. Instead, after mopping, go back with a microfiber cloth to dry the floor of any residual moisture. This method will also help you avoid a cloudy finish.

When it comes to laminate flooring, never use supplies such as wax, ammonia, acrylic, chlorinated or bleach-based products or solutions. These substances can cause damage to the floor's top layer finish. Also, never use a buffer, polishing machine, or steel wool, which could scratch or compromise the top layer as well.

Hardwood flooring requires a regular sweeping and dry mopping at least once per week. As with other flooring types, it's best to address spills as they happen. And, of course, hardwood kitchen floors will still experience tougher stains from time to time.

To tackle stubborn stains, use a mop and a specialized, diluted wood floor cleaner (as recommended by the manufacturer) to deep clean your kitchen's hardwood once or twice a year. Soak the mop in the cleaning solution and then wring it out thoroughly until it's nearly dry. You want to clean the hardwood with only a slightly damp mop. Because wood floors are not as water-resistant as other flooring types, wipe up any excess liquids to prevent the damage from standing water.

Whatever flooring is underfoot in your kitchen, take some daily preventative care with these extra tips:

• Sweep every single day to collect crumbs, pet hair, and tracked-in dirt.
• Mop weekly to remove residue from grease or splatters.
• Use the correct products and ingredients to avoid damage.

Follow these care tips, and you'll keep your kitchen floors lasting for years to come!