What is safe on one floor ruins another, so this starts with what yours is made of. For each of 5 common floors: get the loose dirt off, clean it the way its makers say, and know what to keep off it.
The care instructions from whoever made or fitted your floor outrank anything here — finishes differ even within one material. Nothing on this page says steam, vinegar or any cleaner suits every floor. Don't know what yours is? Find out first.
Click-together boards with a printed wood or stone pattern under a hard, smooth top layer.
Get the loose dirt off
A dust mop, or the vacuum with its hard-floor attachment (Pergo) — soft wheels and a parquet brush, if it has them (Quick-Step).
No rotating beater bar. Pergo also rules out floor scrubbers, jet mops and buffers.
Clean it
Now and then, a mop wrung out until it is only damp, with water on its own (Pergo) or the floor maker's own cleaner at the dose on the bottle (Quick-Step).
Never pour water straight on the floor or leave it standing (Pergo). Mop along the length of the boards and let it air-dry (Quick-Step).
Keep off it
- Soap and detergents
- Abrasive cleaners
- Wax and polish — laminate never needs either (Pergo)
- A dripping mop, or water left standing
Depends on the finish: Makers differ on the rest. Pergo's Pro laminate allows a steam mop — on a microfibre pad, at the lowest setting, along the planks — and a weak vinegar solution; Quick-Step says to use the cleaning products it recommends. So steam or vinegar only if the instructions for your own range say yes.
From: Pergo: Pergo Pro laminated wood care and repair (PDF) · Quick-Step: how to clean laminate floors
Luxury vinyl tiles or planks (LVT), and sheet vinyl: softer and slightly warmer underfoot than tile.
Get the loose dirt off
A soft broom (Karndean) or a dust mop (Amtico).
Karndean says a vacuum on its hard-floor setting is fine; Amtico advises against vacuuming its floors at all.
Clean it
A damp mop with the maker's cleaner, or a pH-neutral cleaner approved for vinyl, at the dilution on the bottle (Karndean).
Mop up any excess liquid and let the floor dry completely before walking on it (Karndean).
Keep off it
- Household all-purpose cleaners and bleach-based detergents (Karndean)
- Steam cleaners (Amtico)
Depends on the finish: The makers disagree. Karndean warns against bleach-based detergents; Amtico says bleach is fine on its floors if it is diluted at least ten to one. Vinyl from any other maker has its own instructions, and they outrank both.
From: Karndean Designflooring: cleaning and maintaining your vinyl floor · Karndean Designflooring: caring for your floor · Amtico: floor cleaning and maintenance FAQs
Hard, cold tiles with grout lines between them — glazed, unglazed or polished.
Get the loose dirt off
An untreated dust mop, a soft-bristle broom, or a vacuum with a soft attachment (MSI).
On polished tile, dust often: the grit is what scratches a polished face (MSI).
Clean it
A damp mop with warm water and a mild soap (Marazzi), or clean warm water on its own (MSI).
Unglazed tile: a concentrated tile cleaner with a neutral pH (Marazzi).
Rinse with clean water and dry it thoroughly (Marazzi).
Keep off it
- Cleaners containing acids or ammonia — they can damage the grout and the glaze, and ammonia can discolour grout (Marazzi)
- Abrasive cleaners and scourers (Marazzi)
Depends on the finish: Glazed, unglazed and polished tile are not all cleaned alike, and the grout is usually the fussier part: porcelain itself does not need sealing, but cement-based grout should be sealed (Marazzi). Try any cleaner on an out-of-the-way patch first (MSI).
From: Marazzi USA: tile care and maintenance · MSI: porcelain/ceramic care and maintenance (PDF)
Solid or engineered wood with a lacquer or other finish sitting on top — smooth and slightly glossy.
Get the loose dirt off
Sweep, or use a soft microfibre dust mop, often (NWFA).
Vacuum on the bare-floor setting, once a week or as needed (NWFA).
Clean it
As little water as possible: a mop or cloth wrung out well (Junckers).
A cleaning product made specifically for the finish on the floor — the maker's own, or one a flooring professional recommends (NWFA).
Wipe any spilt water up straight away (Junckers).
Keep off it
- Wet mops and steam mops — over time they damage the finish and the wood (NWFA)
- Vinyl or tile cleaners (NWFA)
- Polishes, waxes and restorers — they make the floor slippery and dull (NWFA), and a waxed floor has to be sanded back to bare wood before it can be resealed (Junckers)
Depends on the finish: This is for a lacquered or other sealed surface only. Oiled, waxed or unfinished wood is cleaned and kept up differently, with products its maker names — if you do not know which you have, see "Not sure" below.
From: National Wood Flooring Association: top tips for caring for wood floors · Junckers: cleaning and maintenance, lacquered floors
Marble, limestone, travertine, slate, granite and other quarried stone.
Get the loose dirt off
A clean, untreated, dry dust mop, often: sand and grit are abrasive (NSI).
If you vacuum, check the wheels and attachments — worn ones can scratch some stones (NSI).
Clean it
A neutral cleaner, a stone soap, or a little mild washing-up liquid in warm water (NSI) — or a neutral cleaner made for stone (Marazzi).
Not too much of it: extra cleaner leaves a film and streaks (NSI).
Keep off it
- Vinegar, lemon and other acids — they dull or etch marble, limestone and travertine, and are not recommended on the other stones either (NSI)
- Scouring powders and creams (NSI)
- A stone cleaner with bleach in it (Marazzi)
Depends on the finish: Which stone it is, whether it is polished or honed, and whether it has been sealed all change what it will take — and sealing makes stone more stain-resistant, not stain-proof (NSI). Anything beyond an ordinary clean is for your stone supplier, installer or a restoration specialist (NSI).
From: Natural Stone Institute: cleaning products for natural stone · Marazzi USA: tile care and maintenance
Keep the floor going
Floors are the job that slides, because nothing tells you it is due. A free list can: “Mop the hard floors”, the same chore the schedule gives a house with hard floors:fortnightly if the floors are hard, or every 21 days if some of the floors are hard.
Mostly hard floors: fortnightlySome hard, some carpet: every 21 days
That opens a free, private list with “Mop the hard floors” filled in. Nothing is added until you press Add — making an account does not add it. The loose dirt is “Hoover through”, weekly:how often to hoover, and why.