Bathroom flooring is one of the most important ant foundational elements of a bathroom design. With various materials available for bathroom flooring, it is important to know how it can be cleaned safely and effectively. This guide will go over some of the best ways to clean each different type of flooring in your bathroom design.
Importance of Cleaning Your Bathroom Floor
A bathroom floor is perhaps the largest element of an overall bathroom design. Although it can often be overlooked, it is still incredibly important to clean your bathroom floor on a regular basis. This is for a variety of reasons. For example, a dirty bathroom floor is not only an eyesore, but it can be a detriment to the overall health and safety of the design. If it goes uncleaned for too long, the buildup of dirt and grime can create unsafe surfaces. In addition, a clean floor will simply make the bathroom look more visually appealing.
Have Essential Cleaning Materials Available
Not every bathroom floor will be made of the same material. In addition to that, all materials will probably need to be cleaned a bit differently from each other. It is incredibly important to make sure you have the appropriate materials for each different material in your bathroom floor. The cleaning supplies you will need to tile flooring will be different from hardwood and other different bathroom floor materials. If you use improper materials, you run the risk of potentially damaging your bathroom floor.
Hardwood Flooring
Like the others, sweep your floor before you start cleaning it. To begin cleaning, a liquid cleaner is the best way to go. Any hardwood bathroom floor cleaner can be used to clean your floor. Mop the hardwood bathroom floor with the cleaner without applying too much bathroom floor cleaner to the floor. Once the cleaner is applied to the hardwood bathroom floor, rinse the mop in clean water and then mop off the bathroom floor cleaner from the floor. After the bathroom floor cleaner is removed, carefully dry the hardwood bathroom floor with a dry towel or rag.
A hardwood bathroom floor looks its best when it is shining a sleek. However, when you clean your hardwood bathroom floor, you want to make sure it shines but is still safe. After you clean your floor, make sure it is dry so you don't accidentally slip. Sometimes, a small floor carpet can be a great way to add a little grip as well as a touch of style to your bathroom. Like the other types of flooring, upkeep is important to keep your hardwood bathroom floor clean.
Cleaning Bathroom Carpet
Carpet isn’t very common in bathrooms because it is very difficult to clean. With all of the heat and moisture in your bathroom, it is easy for carpets to harbor mildew and bacteria. If a carpet gets dirty in your bathroom, there are only a few ways that you can take care of it. First, shake your rug outside so that all of the loose debris falls out.
Second, check the tag on your carpet to see the methods of cleaning it. Some carpet can be machine washable but some can’t, so it is important to check the tag. Wash your rug with cold water in the washer and hang it up to let it dry. Some carpets can’t be dried in a dryer, such as carpets with rubber bottoms, so keep that in mind as well. For these particular types of carpets, you should hang them up to dry in order to prevent any possible damage to the carpet.
Cleaning a Bathroom Floor Tile
The first thing you need to find out is the type of tile you have. Bathroom floor tile typically comes in a few different kinds of materials. These materials are ceramic, slate, marble and granite. All of these share similar methods of cleaning, but there are still distinctions between them that you want to keep in mind. Below you can find the proper ways to remove bathroom floor stains and clean each different kind of bathroom floor tile.
Cleaning Ceramic Tile
For ceramic bathroom floor tile, consider the following. Make sure you have clean water, all purpose bathroom floor cleaner and two rags (one dry and one wet). A popular substitute for a commercial bathroom floor cleaner is a mixture of baking soda and water, an effective way of grout cleaning. Another way to utilize a cleaning solution without buying it is to mix a cup of white vinegar with a gallon of water to make a more natural cleaning solution if you choose to go that route.
In addition, if it suits you better, you can use a mop along with the rags or you can substitute one for the other in order to remove bathroom floor stains. The first thing you want to do is either sweep or vacuum the floor in order to remove any dust or debris before you start cleaning. Clean the floor with the cleaning solution and water. After you thoroughly clean the floor, dry it with the dry rag that you have.
Cleaning Slate, Marble and Granite Tile
Instead of all purpose bathroom floor cleaner, it would be in your best interest to use stone cleaner to remove bathroom floor stains. This is because many all purpose cleaners contain chemicals that can be harmful to natural stone. Also, stay away from any vinegar or other acid based cleaners as well. Use a neutral pH for your bathroom floor cleaner and use a rag with water to clean it similar to the way you would clean ceramic tiles. Make sure that you rinse the floor with water and then dry it after you are done. Ensure that the floor is swept regularly to prevent dust or debris from building up.
How Often Should You Clean Your Bathroom Floor?
Your bathroom floor is probably one of the most important areas of the bathroom to keep as clean as possible. With all of the foot traffic it will see, even if you have mats or rugs, is pretty decent. In general, you should probably clean your bathroom floor as regularly as you would the rest of your bathroom. A good rule of thumb would be to clean your entire bathroom at least once a week, including your bathroom floor. You don't have to deep clean your bathroom floor that often, but you should clean it thoroughly enough to prevent buildup of dirt and grime.
Final Note
No matter what kind of bathroom flooring you have, there is a way to clean it, remove bathroom floor stains and there is a way to maintain it.