Believe it or not, your tile or hardwood floors are likely dirtier than your trash can.
A study by the Hygiene Council found that trash can contain an average of 411 bacteria per square inch, while kitchen floors had 830 bacteria per feet square inch.
Certain strains of bacteria, like salmonella and ecoli, can easily be tracked and spread around your home if you don’t regularly clean your floors properly.
Unfortunately, not many people know how to clean the floors the right way.
Does Your Tile or Hardwood Floor Pass the Clean Floors Test?
One great indicator of a dirty floor is the white sock test. Put a pair of clean white socks and walk around your floors, slide around Risky Business style if you’re feeling adventurous.
If you find your socks are discolored with dirt and grim, then your floors need some work. Unfortunately, many people think they can clean their floors using mops.
While some mop products are effective, most simply spread dirty water around the floor.
Make sure you also know how to keep your carpets clean. You can easily track bacteria on to them from your hard floors and they spread much more rapidly on this material.
How to Clean Hardwood Floors
There are two good methods of cleaning hardwood floors, a vinegar solution and a steam mop. For the vinegar solution, combine half a cup of vinegar to a gallon of warm water.
Sweep up any crumbs or dust around your floors and then mop the floors with the solution. Leave them to dry.
You can also use a steam mop. After you make sure the ground is clear of potential debris, follow the manufacturer’s instructions on your steam mop as every model is different.
How to Clean Tile Floors
You clean tile floors in a similar method to hardwood floors. First, make sure that all debris and physical objects are cleared. You can then use the same vinegar solution used on the hardwood.
Alternatively, you can also use warm water mixed with mild detergent. This cleaning solution won’t damage the tile like it would the hardwood. An important distinction between hardwood floors and tile floors is the drying method.
Hardwood floors should air dry, while tile floors require a wipe down with towels. Use a lint-free towel to make sure they’re dry, otherwise, watermarks will appear.
Need Help Cleaning Your Carpets, Tiles or Hardwood Floors?
Hopefully, this article helped you find out whether or not you have clean floors. Unfortunately, certain types of floors require specific cleaning methods to keep them safe.
For example, if you have hardwood floors you can permanently damage them if you aren’t careful. If you don’t know how to clean the floors on your property, then call someone who knows what they’re doing.
HyrdraKlean comes with the specialized knowledge to deal with carpet, tile, grout, hardwood and air duct cleaning. Get in touch with us by visiting our contact page here.