How to keep floors clean during autumn and winter

Brush Sweeping Floor

During the coming months, extra care is required to keep floors in your home clean from the elements! Leaves, dirt and moisture are the common unwanted bits of muck that are brought in from the outside and during more wintry weather, grit, snow and slush can also wreak havoc on floors.  Here are some tips to keep your floors protected.

Doormats

Wellies On Door Mat

Invest in a sturdy outdoor mat to place before entry to your property, which will act as the first line of defence against any muck. Place another more absorbent mat either before the front door or after depending on the layout of your property.

Placing mats inside your house next to doorways is good for extra protection as moisture from outside is sometimes unavoidable. Shoe racks and cupboards should be positioned close by mats to prevent unwanted footprints but remember to let shoes dry before putting them away. If shoes are particularly grimy from the outdoors, use a brush to sweep off any excess.

It’s also best not to let damp mats stay inside your home so let them dry and air out to avoid smells and unwanted pests.

 

Cleaning hard floors

Hoovering Wooden Floors
It’s best to vacuum hard floors before mopping as dirt and debris will be picked up and not fall into any cracks or small spaces in the flooring. Doing so will also stop grit scratching the surface. Also, if you are using a steam mop this will stop the mop head getting dirty initially from any surface debris.

To maintain floors, microfiber mops are perfect for dry mopping as they are great at attracting dust and dirt, they are also reusable and as the mop heads are larger they cover more floor space.

Try to clean hard traffic areas regularly to minimise any dirt gathering or being moved about to other areas of your floors!

 

Detergents and carpet stain removers

Detergent Cleaning Carpet
Before using new detergents and stain removers, make sure they are compatible with your flooring and carpets as they can cause more damage if they are not right for the job. Also always test a small inconspicuous area beforehand for peace of mind. There are of course homemade cleaning solutions you can try but again always test these out.

If you are having an occasion where a large number of people will be over, floor protectors might be a good idea as they can protect from spills and help prevent staining. They usually come on a roll which you can cut to size.

As well as keeping floors clean your floor cleaning appliances should also be kept clean, find some top tips for cleaning appliances in our How Often Should You Clean Your Appliances? blog. Remember to keep on top of small maintenance jobs such as cleaning vacuum cleaner filters and washing mop heads. A wide range of vacuum cleaner and steam mop spares and accessories can be found in our floorcare range, with videos and tips in our advice centre.

Tags: , , , , , , ,

Leave a Reply