How To Deep Clean Kitchen Floor

Tips For Kitchen Floor Deep Cleaning

There are various types of material that could be covering your kitchen floor, and the thing that every householder wants to know is, ‘Which one is easiest to clean and if I do spill something on it what do I need to do?’ Well, nowadays we have at our disposal a range of steam mops, spin mops, vacuum cleaner or the good old-fashioned mop bucket, even the ancient dustpan & brush.

Before getting into those pros and cons of all those cleaning implements, here are all the types of flooring you could have:

Types Of Kitchen Flooring

Hardwood flooring: not quite as hard as tilework, and has the advantage of being reset, pieces replaced, and re-varnished. It can be an expensive option and you need to be careful, when cleaning, not to use overly hot or abrasive implements.
Laminate: composed of fiberboard and resin and can mimic wood or ceramic effect. It is durable and easy to wash.
Vinyl: a less expensive material, resistant to water; available in tile or sheet format. It is fairly easy to clean.
Cork: water-resistant, warm, durable. It can be more forgiving in terms of how stains appear, as well as protecting young children’s heads if they fall over.
Bamboo: eco-friendly because it’s renewable. A little prone to scratching but it can be refinished. It is relatively easy to wash with soap and water.
Concrete: highly durable, although you may need an engineer to install it. There is no real need to deep clean because regular cleaning should suffice.
Stone: can be pricey but depends on which stone you opt for, eg. marble, limestone, slate etc. It looks elegant and is easy to clean.
Ceramic Tile: this can be tailored to suit any kitchen; the only problem is grouting which will need to be redone every so often and can attract mold.
Terra Cotta Tile: a ceramic but comes in a range of natural colors. It is best to choose a high-density material because low-density tiles are vulnerable to water damage.
Linoleum: in fact not as 1970s as it sounds, because it is made from natural materials. It is quite springy so user-friendly for young children. It can get damaged over time, so will need to be replaced at some point.

What is the easiest kitchen floor to keep clean?

Arguably the more durable and washable flooring options are linoleum and ceramic tile. They also come in a huge range of colors and designs. Ceramic tiles have a slight edge in terms of not being as prone to denting or scratching as linoleum. On the flip side, if your house is older you can get structural movement in which ceramic tiles can crack. It’s wise, therefore, to put in a new subfloor before you decide to lay new tiles. Ceramic tiles with a textured surface might be better than harder flooring options in terms of elderly or young children slipping and hurting themselves.

Hardwood can create a warmer, more homely environment, depending on how much time you and your family spend in the kitchen-diner; it could be a great investment. It needs a professional-grade finish, though, in order to protect it from the inevitable spills and foodstuffs that will end up on it, over the years. Polyurethane is a suitable substance which, if applied properly, can make subsequent cleaning much more effective.

What color of kitchen flooring shows the least dirt?

It could depend on the color or design pattern you end up choosing. Paradoxically, light hardwood flooring seems to reveal less dirt compared with dark hardwood. A satin finish helps to conceal discoloration and dirt, while a no-shoes policy throughout your home will obviously pay dividends in terms of less dirt accumulation over the years.

A combination of colors and shapes will tend to obscure dirt; you might try installing alternate patterns across the floor so that the eye is naturally distracted from singular blemishes or unsightly stains, which cannot be got rid of. Any sort of flooring which that has texture will make dirt relatively invisible. Darker colored grout will show up juices and stains far less than a lighter colored grout; you could opt for a grey or brown hue grout which will blend in with the stains and render them less obvious to the naked eye.

Overall, your choice will be limited to budget and may be affected by the period style of your house. If your house is an older house, for example, stone or marble might be an excellent choice. If you live in a modern apartment, however, it may look completely out of place. You might have a young family with teenage sons, in which you will opt for something easier to deep clean; you can then think again when they’ve flown the coop and go for something more rustic or artisan. Whichever option you go for, your provider or store manager will be able to give you the specialist cleaning advice which will exactly suit your particular brand of flooring.

Sources:

Maintenance of Hardwood Floors – Cornell Cooperative Extension
Spring Cleaning Tips for Your Kitchen and Pantry – Intermountain Healthcare