When deciding to use hot or cold on your floors, you should know hot water is the best in cleaning and disinfecting your floors.  Water is a universal solvent and, once heated, it does a great job of loosening most of the food-based grime on kitchen flooring.  Cleaning floors not only makes them look better but also can prolong the life of the floor by preventing damage. Even carpet can be ruined by improper or irregular cleaning. Dirt does not have to be seen to be present and problematic. A dirty floor can also harbor unwanted germs and/or pests. 

Vinegar and hot water:  We often see vinegar listed as a cure–all cleaner for almost every surface in your home. When it comes to mopping, it is especially true. No matter how dirty your floor is, a little vinegar and hot water can clean it up perfectly ‘really old-fashioned way’ on my hands and knees and with hot water and vinegar.  Try adding 1/4 of a cup of white vinegar to a quart of hot water.  This will make your floors sparkling clean.  . This method is good for the environment and all types of flooring like ceramic floors, laminate floors and wood floors.

Wood Floors:  After sweeping the floors can be cleaned with a moist mop. You can use just hot water or choose a wood floor cleaner for your particular type of flooring. There are also general wood floor cleaners available if you do not know what type of wood your floor is made of. Mopping a floor is much like painting one. Begin by cleaning the perimeter and then clean the center working your way towards a door so you don’t have to walk back over the wet floor.

Ceramic tile, linoleum, and vinyl,cement or concrete are all cleaned in the same manner. These types of floors are common in bathrooms and kitchens. They are the easiest to wash. If you use detergent when mopping, mop a second time using only water to remove any residue.

Carpets:  Carpet is a thick fabric, usually wool or nylon used to cover floors. The average carpet needs to be vacuumed once a week and deep cleaned once a year or so.  If you have pets and kids like most people, you have a very active household.  You need to do this every 3-6 months.  Machines can be rented from most stores or you can purchase your own though they can be expensive.  Using soap is usually not necessary simply hot water or a vinegar water solution.  But if you are like me and want to hire a professional carpet cleaner to take care of all this, it is definitely worth the money and hassle.  No matter what you use for the floors always remember to mix your solution with hot water to make your cleaning more affective.