Winter can be particularly tough on hard floors. Wet shoes, muddy paws and grit from outside can quickly turn a clean hallway or kitchen floor into a mess – and when everyone’s constantly coming and going, it can feel like you’ve only just finished cleaning before the next set of footprints appears.
The good news is that keeping hard floors clean in winter doesn’t have to mean constantly reaching for the mop. A few changes to your routine can help stop dirt travelling through the house and make cleaning up much easier when it does.
Here’s how to keep your hard floors looking their best throughout the wetter months.
Stop mud at the door
The easiest dirt to clean is the dirt that never makes it onto your floor. A good doormat at each entrance can catch some of the moisture and debris from shoes before it gets inside. If possible, create a spot near the door for wet shoes, boots and umbrellas too.
Pet owners may want to keep an old towel near the entrance for wiping muddy paws after walks. It’s a simple habit, but one that can make a big difference to the amount of mud that travels from the hallway into the rest of your home.
Even with these precautions, some dirt will inevitably make it through – which is where a good winter cleaning routine comes in.
Vacuum or sweep before washing your hard floors
When a floor is covered in muddy marks, it can be tempting to start washing it straight away. But first, remove loose debris.
Winter dirt isn’t just mud. Small pieces of grit, dried soil, crumbs, pet hair and other debris can accumulate around entrances and high-traffic areas. Removing these before wet cleaning gives you a clearer surface to work with.
Pay particular attention to the edges of rooms, around skirting boards and underneath furniture, where debris can easily collect.
If you have several different floor types around the house, a cordless vacuum can make it easier to move between them. The VAX HomePro Cordless Vacuum Cleaner, for example, can be used across both carpets and hard floors, so you can tackle debris throughout the house before concentrating on areas that need a deeper clean.
Deal with muddy footprints before they spread
A muddy footprint in the hallway is much easier to deal with than a trail of them through the kitchen and living room.
If someone has walked in with particularly muddy shoes, remove any loose debris and deal with the affected area rather than waiting until your next whole-house clean.
Always follow the care instructions for your particular flooring. Hard floors vary considerably, and a cleaning method that’s suitable for one surface may not be appropriate for another.
It’s also worth being careful with how much water you use. Soaking a floor isn’t necessarily going to make it cleaner and some types of flooring can be sensitive to excess moisture.
Give busy hard floors a deeper clean
Hallways, kitchens and areas around external doors tend to take the brunt of winter mess. Rather than repeatedly going over them with a traditional mop, a dedicated hard floor cleaner can make tackling these high-traffic areas easier.
The VAX ONEPWR Glide 2 Cordless Hard Floor Cleaner is designed to vacuum, wash and dry hard floors at the same time, so you can pick up debris and wash away everyday dirt as you clean.
It also keeps clean and dirty water separate. That means you’re continually washing the floor with clean water and solution rather than repeatedly putting a mop back into the same bucket of dirty water. This can be particularly useful in winter when you’re dealing with larger areas of wet footprints and muddy marks rather than an occasional spill.
Before using any hard floor cleaning machine or solution, check that it is suitable for your specific flooring.
Pay extra attention to textured floors and edges
Dirt has a habit of finding the places that are easiest to overlook. Grout lines, textured surfaces, room edges and the areas immediately around doors can all hold onto grime even when the main area of the floor looks clean.
Build these spots into your routine rather than waiting until dirt becomes particularly noticeable. Vacuuming around the perimeter of the room before washing can help remove loose debris, while stubborn marks may need more targeted cleaning appropriate to the surface.
This is also a good time to look underneath entrance furniture, shoe racks and pet bowls. Moving smaller objects occasionally can reveal dirt that’s been accumulating out of sight.
Use steam where it’s suitable
Steam can be another useful option for cleaning around the home, but it’s important to check whether your particular floor or surface is suitable for steam cleaning before you begin.
The VAX Steam Fresh Total Home Steam Cleaner combines floor cleaning with a detachable handheld unit and additional tools, making it useful when you want to tackle more than just the floor.
That versatility can come in handy during a winter clean, when grime isn’t limited to where you walk. Depending on the surface and tool being used, a multifunctional steam cleaner can help you tackle suitable areas around kitchens and bathrooms too.
Always follow the flooring manufacturer’s care guidance and the instructions supplied with your steam cleaner.
Don’t forget about muddy pets
Dogs can bring an impressive amount of the outdoors back inside with them during winter.
As well as wiping paws near the door, regularly vacuum around pet beds, food bowls and your pet’s favourite sleeping spots. These areas can quickly collect a combination of dried mud, pet hair and everyday debris.
For particularly wet or muddy walks, try keeping your dog in an easy-to-clean entrance area while you dry their paws and coat. It’s much easier than following a trail of paw prints around the house afterwards.
If muddy paws do make it further inside, deal with the affected floor as soon as practical using a cleaning method that’s suitable for the surface.
Clean little and often
You don’t necessarily need to deep clean every hard floor in your home whenever it rains.
During winter, concentrating on the areas that get dirty fastest can make the job much more manageable. Entranceways and kitchens may need frequent attention, while quieter rooms can be cleaned as part of your normal routine.
A simple winter routine could be:
- Wipe wet shoes and paws at the entrance.
- Vacuum or sweep high-traffic hard floors regularly.
- Deal with muddy footprints and spills before they’re walked through the house.
- Wash busy areas when they need it rather than waiting for the whole floor to look dirty.
- Give edges, corners and less visible areas some attention during a deeper clean.
Vax Staff