The easy way to clean 5 types of kitchen floor

If you want to make sure kitchen floor surfaces are squeaky clean and keep their peak appearance for many years, read on. Regardless of whether you're responsible for cleaning a solid oak floor, beautiful natural stone or a practical vinyl floor in a kitchen, there’s a good way to get it sparkling clean and looking great. Here’s how:

• Vinyl Floor

A common kitchen flooring surface, vinyl is a practical solution and very easy to keep clean. For weekly cleaning, a microfibre mop is best. Fill a spray bottle with 500ml of warm water and a drop of washing up liquid, then add 50ml of vinegar. Spray directly onto the floor in sections, then wipe with a damp microfibre mop to get your floor looking fresh and clean in no time.

Be careful with stains on vinyl flooring and make sure you wipe up any spills and stains as soon as possible. Once set or dry, it may be impossible to lift them off.

• Laminate Floor

The beauty of laminate flooring is that it looks like hardwood flooring or natural stone tiles. However, when it comes to cleaning, it needs to be treated as laminate. The good news is that laminate is extremely hard wearing, having been built in sun and light resistant layers to keep looking good for years.

Vacuum the floor (in hard flooring mode, i.e. with the brushes lowered), then spot clean with a slightly damp mop where and when necessary. The key to laminate floor cleaning is to avoid soaking it with water. If excess moisture gets into the seams and underneath the flooring, it can swell up and easily get damaged. 

• Hardwood Floor

Hardwood floors are wonderful underfoot, and they are usually finished in wax or oiled, or sealed with a synthetic varnish. If you’re not sure which you have, rub your finger along the surface and see if a smudge appears – if it does, the floor will have been wax/oil treated.

Sealed floors are protected from stains and water damage through the application of a urethane, polyurethane or polyacrylic coating. Cleaning should be done by mixing 50ml of mild soap (washing up liquid should do the job) into a bucket of water. Clean the floor using a damp (but not sopping wet) mop, then wipe up the excess moisture with a microfibre cloth. Acidic solutions containing vinegar are not recommended as they can dull wood floors over time.

It’s a good idea to clean kitchen floors and other high traffic areas at least once a week. For waxed or oiled hardwood flooring in your kitchen, try to minimise the amount of water used for cleaning so as not to damage the surface. Standing water can discolour and damage wood floors. Better to dust, sweep and vacuum on a regular basis.

• Natural Stone

Sealed natural stone flooring should be mopped with a pH-neutral, non-chelating cleaning product that will not react adversely with the minerals in the natural stone surface. If the stone tiles are not sealed, mopping with a microfibre cloth and hot water should suffice – you don’t want chemicals to penetrate the stone surface. Steam cleaning is recommended for deep cleaning.

Please note that you should never use any acidic, vinegar based cleaning products on natural stone, including marble, limestone, granite and slate. Even small amounts of acid can cause damage to floors. The same applies to ammonia and bleach.

• Ceramic Tiles

A glazed ceramic tiled floor is exceptionally low maintenance. For regular maintenance, fill a ½ litre bottle with warm water and add a drop of washing up liquid and 50ml vinegar. Spritz directly onto the floor and mop up with a dry microfibre cloth. For deep cleaning, you can use steam to clean both tiles and grout.

Article provided by Mike James on behalf of Price Kitchens