Your kitchen floor is likely made from one of the following materials: vinyl, ceramic tile, laminate, or wood. For common kitchen spills, such as food, grease, or sticky messes, first attack the spot with a damp paper towel. If that doesn’t work, concentrate your efforts with the appropriate cleaners for each floor type and a little bit of elbow grease. Here’s what you need to know.
How to Clean a Vinyl Floor
Perhaps the most common kitchen flooring surface, vinyl is also very easy to clean and maintain. It’s especially important, however, to remove stains from vinyl as soon as possible, as allowing a stain to set or dry may make it impossible to remove.
What You Will Need:
- Broom
- Warm water
- Bucket
- Mild dish detergent such as Ivory
- Brush with rubber bristles or soft cloth
- Mop
- Armstrong Once ’N Done No-Rinse Floor Cleaner
- Clean towels
The Cleaning Process:
- Begin by sweeping the floor, being sure to flush dirt from corners and under appliances.
- First attempt to clean your floor with warm water and a mop. Often, no detergents are needed.
- If the dirt remains, use Ivory dish soap in warm water. Do not over apply dish soap – only light bubbles should appear in water.
- Using the mop or soft cloth, scrub the floor gently. Stubborn spots may require the rubber bristled brush and cleaning from your hands and knees.
- Use towels to clean up excess moisture. Allow the floor to dry completely.
- If dirt remains, try Armstrong Once ’N Done No-Rinse Floor Cleaner. Spot test first and follow all package directions. You’ll need to apply the cleaner, scrub with a brush, and wipe clean.
- Make sure the floor is dry before resuming use.
How to Clean a Ceramic Tile Floor
A glazed ceramic tile floor is very low-maintenance. If the following method is unsuccessful, consider a commercial ceramic cleaner, such as Sidol.
What You Will Need:
- Broom
- Mop or sponge
- Warm water
- Mild dish detergent such as Ivory
- Bucket
The Cleaning Process:
- First, sweep the floor thoroughly. Don’t forget the corners and under the edges of appliances.
- Next, fill the bucket with warm water.
- Add dish detergent if there are sticky or greasy spots on the floor. Otherwise, warm water should work just fine.
- Mop or sponge the floor, rinsing frequently.
- Allow floor to dry before use.
How to Clean a Wood Laminate Floor
The key to keeping laminate flooring clean is to avoid soaking it with water. Excess moisture can work into the seams, causing them to swell and damage to the floor.
What You Will Need:
- Broom
- Bucket
- Water
- White vinegar
- Soft cloth
The Cleaning Process:
- Begin by thoroughly sweeping the floor.
- Next, mix up to one cup of vinegar per gallon of water in the bucket.
- Dip the soft cloth into the bucket, allowing it to saturate with the solution.
- Wring the cloth out into the bucket, removing as much moisture as possible.
- Wipe the damp cloth on the floor, turning frequently.
- Rinse the cloth in the solution when it gets dirty or rinse in the sink before submerging again.
- Repeat steps 3-5 as needed.
- Allow floor to air dry before use.
How to Clean a Hardwood Floor
Do not use water on a hardwood floor! Standing water can discolor or damage wood floors, and the mistake is expensive or time consuming to fix!
What You Will Need:
- Broom
- Bona Hardwood Floor Cleaner
- Microfiber Mop
The Cleaning Process:
- First, sweep the floor. Be sure to get under appliances and in corners.
- Following the directions on the hardwood cleaner bottle, mix to the appropriate strength (in necessary) and apply directly to the microfiber cloth. Otherwise, lightly mist the floor with the cleaner. Do NOT pour liquid onto a hardwood floor.
- Work around the room, scrubbing with the microfiber mop.
Additional Tips and Advice
- Clean spills as soon as they happen to avoids stains or damage.
- Grease, a common kitchen mess, can easily be removed from floors with a combination of ordinary dish soap and water.
- Scrub stuck-on food stains with a Scotch-Brite pad. Do NOT use a wire scouring pad on any flooring type.
My tiled kitchen floor had been glossed over with shine ages ago, but now it looks dirty and patchy. I have tried the usual things, but cannot get it clean. I tried ammonia, which left a white film, but did not lift much off. Would a steam cleaner help? What do you recommend, please?
Thanks,
Lesley
I need to know how to get pickle juice off my kitchen floor; mopped with bleach and water and dish soap and it’s still sticky. What will cut it? Thanks, Lynn
Lynn,
This article might help: How to Clean Sticky Floors. Pickle juice is mostly vinegar, so try that first (the principle of ‘like dissolves like’).
Also, be careful with mixing any cleaners. Some dish liquids have a warning on the bottle that says, “do not mix with bleach” (which is because they contain ammonia, and the combination makes a toxic gas).
How do you clean marble floors?
Harrier,
This is the article that you need: How to Clean Marble Flooring.
I disagree with some of your advice. I have a vinyl kitchen floor that is good quality and not that old. I use a bit of dish soap in water, but a kitchen floor needs to be rinsed twice and after the second rinse, it should be completely dried with old towels. If you don’t dry the floor, it will be sticky no matter what you do.
Cleaning a floor the way you say is good advice IF there is no furniture on it. It’s moving the furniture that is the deterrant to wanting to do it. It’s taking up the rugs and washing them. Cleaning is the easy part. Give some advice on what to do with the furniture while you clean the floor. It won’t hoover 10 inches off the floor. Give some advice on cleaning sills and cleaning throw rugs or mats. There’s more to cleaning a floor than sweeping and scrubbing.