With the onset of warm, springy weather, home and business owners across the country are giving their floors a much-deserved deep clean before summer gets people tracking in and out of the door all day. But where do you start if you’re new to spring cleaning? Even if you’ve never used a mop in your life, you can still dive headfirst into the floor cleaning game with ease and success. Read on to learn more about our favorite time and energy savers when it comes to getting your hardwood floors, laminate floors, and deck surfaces ready for the warmer seasons.
Dusting
Before you bust out the mop (or anything that involves cleaning with liquids), you’ll want to make sure you get rid of as much dirt, dust, and other loose debris as possible. While sweeping is typically the way to take care of this, we suggest going one step further by dusting your floor.
“But isn’t that the same thing as sweeping?” Yes and no. From a semantics standpoint, yes, but you’re actually much more likely to pick up finer bits of dust and dirt on hardwood or laminate flooring by using a microfiber mop. Microfiber dust mops not only pick up nasty bacteria that standard brooms might miss, but they’re easy to clean, too. Simply pop off the mop head and throw it in the washer and dryer!
Squeegeeing
If you thought squeegees were just for the shower, think again. Floor squeegees are great for clearing away excess water and any other bacteria left over from mopping. Look for a floor squeegee with a squeegee made of foam and not rubber, as foam squeegees glide more easily over textured surfaces and collect more water.
Protip: The more you sweep and dust your hardwood and laminate floors, the less often you’ll need to wash or mop them. We also recommend using a separate bucket for rinse water; the ol’ one-bucket method might come out on top convenience-wise, but it’s also a great way to redistribute the dirt you’ve just mopped up!
Scrubbing
Don’t forget to show your backyard some love by giving your deck a good scrub down, too. The secret to a thorough deck cleaning, though, is using the right deck scrub brush. Choose one with stuff, sturdy bristles that can clear away layers of wintry dirt and grime from deck surfaces.
However, you may need to buy a soft bristle brush or multi-surface scrub brush if your deck is made of composite or certain types of wood. Don’t forget to do a dry scrub beforehand, too, as it’ll clear away larger debris much like sweeping does for hardwood and laminate floors.
Before You Go Jump Off the Deep (Clean) End…
Spring cleaning your floors might seem overwhelming, but only if you’re missing the right tools and methods. We hope we’ve shed a little light on how to get your hardwood floors, laminate floors, and deck surfaces ready for summer so that you can enjoy them in comfort and cleanliness. Thanks for reading and check back for more posts in the coming week!
