Tile and Hardwood Floor Care

I have tile floors in my kitchen and wood floors almost everywhere else except in the bedrooms.  I don't like wall-t0-wall carpet because it's so difficult to keep clean and it's impossible to get ALL the dirt out of carpet.  Here are my tips!

I have 2 Swiffer mop heads, 1 upstairs and 1 downstairs.  I don't buy the expensive refill cloths, I just make my own!  If you have old t-shirts (and everyone does!!) you can cut rectangles larger than the surface of your Swiffer mop and use them instead.  I have piles of these cloths ready to go when I decide to clean my floors.  I use one per room and toss them in the wash easily.

When I see dirt on the kitchen tile, I dust with a dry/slightly damp cloth.



If more aggressive cleaning is needed, I dampen the cloth and spray a little cleaner on the floor before mopping.  I do this often in the kitchen around the sink and stove where most of the messes happen.  From start to finish this takes me less than 5 minutes - much easier than traditional mopping.

For my wood floors dry/damp mopping is what I do most. I have felt pads under the feet of all my big furniture so I can slide it when necessary and clean underneath.  The pads protect the floors from scratches.  If your floors get scratched, and they will, just darken the spot with stain or a dark marker.  My floors have many imperfections that give an aged "patina" look to them.  A new scratch only looks bad because it's usually light colored.  So darken it up and don't worry about scratches anymore!

If you have pets you will need to do dust mop a lot more often.  (Side note:  You should check and change your furnace filters often also!  Pet hair clogs those up quickly.)

When I think my wood needs more than dusting, I dampen the cloth with water and then sprinkle a little white vinegar as well.  The vinegar is safe on polyurethane surfaces and will remove grime.

The best secret to having clean floors is.......DON'T WEAR SHOES IN YOUR HOUSE.  I learned this trick the first time I visited friends in Canada.  I asked my friend a question about her "new" carpet.  She informed me that it was over 10 years old.  As I stood there guffawed wondering how beige carpet could look so good after 10 years, she told me that no one in Canada wears shoes inside the home.  Then I noticed the pile of shoes by the door and thought that I should try this back home.  Well, it works!  Lots of dirt and small stones get stuck onto your shoes.  If they never travel past the doorway you don't have to sweep as often.

less dirt = less cleaning = happy people = more free time