From your beautifully stained hardwood floor to your coziest carpets, your floors are the foundation of your home. They hold your furniture and shape your rooms.
But even in the cleanest homes, floors are a catch-all for dirt, dust, and debris. It’s crucial to understand how they should be cleaned, and which tool is best for which floor type. Continue reading this professional guide by Modern Maids the best Austin maid service to find out more!
How to Clean Each Type of Floor
Before you decide if sweeping or vacuuming is better, consider the floor type. Some handle vacuums better while for others, sweeping is more effective.
No matter which type of floor you have, make sure you clean other parts of the room first (saving the floor for last) and clear the space of any furniture. Then, you can break out the broom and vacuum cleaner.
How to Clean Hardwood Floors
Cleaning hardwood floors is usually a multiple-step process.
First, do you have area rugs? If so, take a vacuum cleaner to them before moving them off the hardwood floor. Once you’re done vacuuming, you can also use a bar as a beater to further shake dust out of the rug. Note: this will release airborne particles, make sure to do this outside your home.
Once the area rug is removed, use a broom to sweep dust and dirt into a dustpan. Finish with a mop cleaning to polish and disinfect the hardwood.
How To Clean Carpeted Floors
Carpets are an easy way to cozy up the hard surface of many floor types, but they are also notorious for catching dust and debris.
For routine cleanings, a vacuum cleaner is the fastest and easiest way to get your carpets soft and cleaned.
But vacuuming only removes dirt and dust. For a deeper cleaning or carpets with stains, you might want to use a carpet cleaner and brush after vacuuming to wash the carpet.
How To Clean Tiled Floors
Depending on the type of tile, these surfaces can be fragile. Mostly, you won’t want to use a vacuum cleaner on them (unless yours has attachments that are specifically for tiles). Instead, sweeping and mopping are usually best for tiled flooring.
FAQ: Sweeping Vs. Vacuuming
Should You Vacuum A Hardwood Floor?
Certain types of hardwood floors scratch easily. There are floors that are made from more “hard” wood and those might be able to handle a vacuum, but we don’t think it’s worth the risk. For that reason, we usually recommend that you sweep hardwood floors.
What’s the best way to sweep?
Brooms work best as a fluid motion: grab the broom, extend it out in front of you and pull back towards you, catching dust and dirt along the way. Sweep starting from the corners and edges of the room and work down and out. Make sure to reach the broom under furniture, baseboard heaters, or anywhere else that might hide dirt.
What’s an eco-friendly way to mop my floors?
Are the ingredients safe for you and your loved ones? Using a homemade cleaner (like one of the ones on this list) is an easier way to know what’s going into your cleaners.
Which vacuums are best?
Closeup of woman, female doing cleaning at home with vacuum cleaner showing head, brush on carpet floor, green plants, shelves, furniture
For the best and deepest cleans, search for a vacuum with a HEPA filter, strong suction, and a variety of attachments to clean every floor type. The HEPA filter can be pricey but it’s worth it. This will actually trap debris instead of recirculating it as dust back into the air.
Supplies For Sweeping or Vacuuming
No matter how you’re cleaning, here’s what you’ll need to sweep and vacuum properly:
- A good vacuum cleaner
- A sturdy broom and dustpan
- A mop
Ultimately, getting your house fully cleaned will come down to two things:
- How efficient your cleaners are
- How good you’re cleaning tool is for each job
Keep in mind that all of this comes at a cost. One of the reasons people choose to hire cleaners instead of doing it themselves is so they don’t have to buy all the tools (including vacuums).
Not to mention the fact that sweeping, vacuuming, and cleaning also takes up hours of time that you could be using to do things you enjoy.
Instead, see how much it costs to hire a cleaning service in Texas, and then reach out to a local company to see if they’re the right fit for you.
The team at Modern Maids is prepared with a strong group of cleaners and all of the brooms, mops, or other tools you need to thoroughly clean any hard surface, hardwood floors, or carpets in your home.
Don’t waste your precious time cleaning…boost your quality of life today by hiring a team of professionals to do it for you.