From the Ground Up – A Beginner’s Guide to Floor Cleaning

Despite what you may believe, there can be much joy to be found in the art of keeping a house. Relaxing after a good stint of cleaning is a great feeling, as you sit and soak in the lovely, clean, neat, and gorgeous atmosphere that you’ve just sweated and toiled to create. So even though it may grate on your nerves to scrub the toilet, dust the cupboards and wipe the benches, you’ll thank yourself after the fact. But what if you’re a relative novice to cleaning the floor? Fear not, because we’re here to guide you through some simple steps to cleaning the floor. By the end of this blog you’ll be a mopping expert!

The Power of Steam

One way to quickly clean many different types of floor surfaces, from tiles to carpet, is steam. Steam cleaners from the Bissell Outlet store allow you to perform a deep clean, which leaves surfaces both spotless and disinfected. If you don’t want to splash the cash on buying a new one, you can often hire one from a hardware store or a supermarket. This is cheaper than hiring a professional anyway.

A word to the wise though – if you have engineered or floating timber flooring avoid the steam cleaners as these can damage this type of flooring – instead use a damp cloth or a bunch of wet wipes to clean your floor. But we’ve missed something you should do first….

Vacuum or Sweep

The first step in cleaning your floor surfaces is to ensure that all loose bits of dirt and debris are clear, before you steam clean or mop. There’s two ways to go about this – sweeping and vacuuming. Sweeping has been a method of cleaning the floor since humanity began, and a good broom isn’t going to cost an arm and a leg.

You may find your arms and shoulders get a bit tired though, especially if you have a large floor surface to clean. A vacuum sucks up the dirt, and a good shark vacuum for pets will set you back a bit of money – but it’s a worthwhile investment. Miele and Dyson are great brands to choose.

Mop, Mop, Mop

If you want to do things the old-fashioned way, think about a simple bucket and mop. There’s heaps of different types and brands available, all of which are quite affordable. Use some hot water and some disinfectant in the bucket and make sure that the mop is damp but not dripping wet when you begin – you don’t want to just push a bunch of water around and make more mess for yourself to clean up afterwards.

Shoes Off or On?

One way to minimize the amount of floor cleaning you do is to instigate a shoes off rule in your house. Shoes track in all sorts of loose dirt and scraps from the outdoor world and can make your life infinitely more difficult, making you clean the floors more often than you’d like. Putting a shoe cupboard at the front of your home is a good idea, or if you have a porch or a balcony area consider kicking off your shoes as you get home, and asking guests to do the same.

Sweeping it Together

A steam mop can be a valuable investment to help keep certain types of floor clean. Make sure that you sweep or vacuum prior to mopping, and don’t forget that a good old bucket and mop can do a fine job. Consider a shoes off rule for your home to reduce the amount of cleaning you do, and make sure to enjoy the spotless floors afterwards.