Whether your floors are laminate, hardwood, ceramic tile, or marble; it doesn’t really matter as long as you know how to clean them! It’s important to know that floors don’t need a lot of attention to maintain that natural beautiful look you’re trying to achieve. Everyone wants that perfect shiny floor yet, they’re constantly confusing the fact that the more product you use, the more damage you do. You cannot clean a floor with too much product or water. That’s just a fact. Everything listed here on this blog is all natural and non toxic. Water and products will damage floors overtime. Here’s my simple floor cleaning hacks that will keep your toes feeling less icky and your guests asking what you use to keep it so clean.
Wood Flooring – natural wood floors are really easy to keep clean with just a mist spray of water. If the floors need a deep clean then you should only mix a drop or 2 of castile soap into the spray bottle to get that smug look up. Do NOT use vinegar. I see people recommending this all of the time and it is a NO NO. Vinegar is very acidic even when diluted it strips the wax causing damage overtime. The same with too much water. I NEVER recommend a bucket full of water on wood floors.
How to clean wood floors-
1.) Prevention! This means try taking steps to prevent floors from getting ruined by keeping it as clean as possible to begin with. Vacuuming and dust/damp mopping is the simplest, easiest way to keep the floors cleaned. A microfiber mop head is best. If it needs scrubbing be sure not to allow the water to sit on it for too long. It will bleach it.
2.) Remove small surface scratches with steel wool and castile soap. Dampen the steel wool with some soap to work out the scratch. Rinse and then refinish the area to match the rest of the floor. If the gouge is deep, sand it out. Then use a brush to put wood filler in and let sit overnight. Sand smooth the following day. Refinish.
Ceramic Tile Should Be Cleaned With Soap and Water Only
Marble tile is really pretty but super easy to stain thus needs waxing and proper maintenance. In fact, you shouldn’t even use a mop/bucket on these types of floors because the water alone can stain them. If the color is lighter than the stone it’s probably an etch mark. If it’s darker in color it’s most likely a stain. Use a poultice to clean the stain.
We currently have laminate flooring that looks like wood and it is the absolute easiest to maintain. I don’t microfiber mop but once every couple of weeks. We also don’t wear shoes in the house often. A quick vacuum or sweep every other day is all we need to do to maintain the healthy, cleanly appearance.
Best Floor Cleaning Hacks
- Limit the shoe wearing in the house- we have a basket that we place our shoes in each time we enter the apartment. For times when we need to hurry in the house with the shoes on ( yes, we live a rather busy lifestyle too ), just place dirt catching mats in front of the doors both inside and out to properly wipe. This is the best tip for preventing wood damage and stains on those perfectly beautiful stone floors.
- Vacuum and sweep throughout the week. Dry cleaning is the absolute best method of floor cleaning.
- Dampen a cloth or rag to clean up marks, stains and dirt but remember not to use too much water.
- Don’t eat in rooms where you want your floors to remain the healthiest.
- Use a microfiber mop only. Mist spray the floors ( can be used on all floors with just water, soap for deep cleaning….use one little squirt otherwise the soap build up will make the floors feel sticky ) and wipe clean/dry with the mop head.
- Do NOT use buckets or old fashioned mop heads that hold a lot of water.
- Do NOT use chemical products on any type of floors.
- Do NOT use bleach or vinegar or anything abrasive/acidic.
- A little soap and water is all you need.
HOW TO VACUUM FLOORS PROPERLY
Using a newer vacuum helps in terms of the floors not scratching. Carefully maneuver the vacuum so that it doesn’t scratch your floors. Use the hose attachments for :
- Under the cabinets
- Baseboards
- Furniture cleaning/dusting
- Quick crumb pick ups
- Bathroom floors
- Cobwebs
- Interior cabinet crumbs
- Do not vacuum where it is wet
- Vacuum every other day if you run a busy household, weekly if not
Are Your Floors Feeling Sticky Icky?
This is a result of too much cleaning product. If you can see footprints or marks on your floors after mopping, stop using products ASAP! This is only damaging your floors. It also makes it feel grimy and sticky. To quickly repair your floors from too much product cleaning, use a mild soap and cool water to release the film. This can be done using a rag on your hands and knees in the areas that are bad or with a microfiber mop head. Do not attempt to wash with a bucket of water as the water will do damage as well. Steer from using vinegar as this will indeed make it feel nasty too. Products on the market are NOT good for any type of flooring.
- take cool water and mix 2 drops of mild soap into a spray bottle to lightly spray the damaged areas of the floors
- use a microfiber mop to wipe clean
- dry with a clean/dry towel
- repeat as necessary
I do recommend a small amount of Murphy’s Oil when trying to repair some damage to your floors. Not an everyday use but maybe weekly or monthly depending on how bad your floors get.
Mix 1 tablespoon of Murphy’s into a spray bottle and top with cool water. Spritz the floor and wipe clean with microfiber mop head.
DEEP CLEANING FLOORS
Take a soft scrubby brush like an old toothbrush or a dish brush to remove the icky, sticky build up. Lightly dab the brush with castile soap, scrub the floor and rinse with a damp cloth. Dry.
I have been living the no tox lifestyle for a little while now and must recommend to everyone who craves healthy lungs, skin and digestive systems. It’s such a life changing experience, I only wish I had known more about it when my babies were young. Everyday is a learning experience and you’ll find me recommending new things often. It’s just the nature of the business. Hopefully some of these tips help you clean your homes better and stay tuned for more cleaning hacks. Until next time, more coffee please.
