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What are the hardest floors to clean?

14K views 26 replies 22 participants last post by  Ron Musgraves  
#1 ·
In your experience what are the hardest floors to clean and why?
 
#8 ·
Hey EcoFriendlyCleaning :)


I always have a hard time cleaning the white floors. They are the first to come to mind as a cleaning nightmare. But the other side of me thinks that black or dark floors might be even worse, as they show every little speck of dust.I have tried ample of products but they all are same.Looking for some good cleaning products.
 
#9 ·
Hardwood

Personally, I find hardwood floors to be the most difficult to clean because when there's really sticky stuff on it that's hard to peel off or even stains that don't come off with just a towel wipe, it can be tricky to get the dirt off without actually damaging the hardwood itself. Often you need to resort to vigorous floor scrubbing and that itself basically guarantees that you'll be leaving a huge scratch mark on it
 
#14 ·
White tile floors arent hard for me to clean. In fact, I think they are easier, because you can SEE the dirt. Hardwood floors and some laminates are, for me, the hardest to clean. Hardwood especially, because you have to remove any spills, and wood floor cleaners dont get them up well. I use Meyers Clean Day all purpose for this, and sometimes have to use a plastic knife to gentle scrape up something spilled (such as a carmel candy). After I get the spills or whatever up, THEN I use hardwood cleaner. It takes longer because of hacving to mop with the wood grain.

Tile floors that have a ridged surface (the ones that look like wood) can be tricky.

Old linoleum floors are a pain, too. I read somewhere the best cleaner for them is something like Scrubbing Bubbles. I havent tried that yet, but it makes sense.

Terrazzo floors are also difficult, because they are OLD, and if they are a dark color, you cant see where the worst dirty spots are.
 
#15 ·
I dont find ceramic floors hard, because thats what most floors are here. The only big problem is dirty grout, and I always dread hearing a new client tell me her grout needs cleaning. Because I had knee replacements, kneeling isnt an option for me.
I use Meyer's Clean Day stuff on almost all floors except hardwoods and some laminates. It cleans great and smells wonderful. Watkins stuff is also excellent. An d you dont need to use a lot. My clients always are pleased with how fresh their home smells when I am done.
 
#21 ·
On most tile floors, I use a "non bleach" bleach, containing hydrogen peroxide. It cleans great and the Lysol brand smells nice, too.

Hardwood floors frustrate me a lot. To get up stains, spills, etc., you do have to use something OTHER than "hardwood floor" cleaners. I use Watkins All Purpose Cleaner for this. Once spills, etc., are gone, I use various hardwood floor cleaners. They are a PAIN because you have to mop WITH the grain of the wood, not against it. In some homes, the planks are laid down in intricate patterns, making it even MORE difficult. And homeowners dont quite understand that these floors take more time! I find that very frustrating. If anyone has any shortcut answers to this, please tell me!
Annie