How clean is your floor, really how clean is it? It may look clean, especially once you’ve ran the vacuum over it or mopped it, but in reality your floor is a lot dirtier than you may think. In fact, research conducted by the Rug Doctor has revealed despite a carpet’s high exposure to germs few of us provide the area with a deep clean, whilst over 30% of us only vacuum once a week.

With this sobering thought in mind, we look at how to clean your floors to ensure they are as clean as they can be.

What Dirt Is Your Carpet Harbouring?

Carpets may have once again grown to be the most common floor type within homes throughout the UK, but you may be surprised to learn how much dirt and grime they can harbour – particularly with much of it being hidden and going unnoticed.

According to the research by the Rug Doctor, carpets throughout the UK contain traces of human and pet hair, pollen, traces of skin as well as plenty of other unpleasant things. But a lot of this dirt goes unnoticed and isn’t picked up by your ordinary vacuum cleaner. As such, it’s important to make sure every so often you provide your carpets with a thorough clean – and there are a few methods to doing this, including:

Carpet Powder:

Dirt hidden deep into your carpets can be an issue to remove, meaning your carpets remain dirty no matter how much you vacuum them. However, using a carpet cleaning powder can help to lift and remove such dirt, whilst also providing your flooring with a pleasant aroma.

There are a vast range of carpet cleaning powders available, although bicarbonate of soda equally does a good job at lifting and removing the dirt. To make the most out of your carpet powder of choice, we recommend you:

Carpet Shampoo:

Whilst carpet powder can remove dirt and debris which has fallen deeper into your carpet pile, if you’d like an even deeper clean we recommend using a carpet shampoo with a carpet washer or by using the good old fashioned way of scrubbing whilst on your hands and knees.

To get the best clean possible with a carpet shampoo, particularly if using a sponge, follow these 4 steps:

Further advice on cleaning your carpets to ensure as much dirt as possible is removed from them, can be found in our post “Your Carpets Have a Right to Remain Clean”.

“Wood” You Believe The Dirt in Your Floors:

When it comes to cleaning your wooden floors, both real and fake, there are a few things which you need to consider to ensure your floor remains looking at its best – and these include:

Don’t:

Do:

A Night on The Tiles:

Whilst carpets and wooden flooring are the two most popular forms of flooring for homeowners throughout the UK, floor tiles are still popular – particularly in kitchens and bathrooms. When it comes to the former area due to food being prepared here, it’s of paramount importance they are as clean as can be.

As such, when it comes to cleaning your tiles it is important to also concentrate on the grout, and regular cleaning of this area will help to slow down the discolouration process and prevent mould.  To provide your grouting with the perfect clean, we recommend you:

In addition to cleaning the grouting, you’ll also need to clean the tiles themselves – and this can be done in a similar way to cleaning wooden floors. Firstly sweep the dirt up, before running the vacuum cleaner over the floor – as this will help prevent the tiles from becoming dull. Once you’ve vacuumed the floor, use a mild detergent, clean water and either a steam mop or a chamois-type mop to wash the tiles.

By taking the time to provide your flooring – whether it’s carpet, wood floor or tiles – with a deep and thorough clean, will help you keep your home looking clean and spotless. Providing your carpets with a deep clean can also help remove pollen and other allergens from the home.

Tags: carpet, floor cleaning, Floor Tiles, Steam Cleaner, Steam Mop