Keep your floor spotless

​Wooden: Vacuum wooden floors using the soft brush attachment. Regular maintenance will keep your floors looking great on a day-to-day basis, so you must give them a thorough wash about twice a year.

Tiles: Sweep or vacuum your glazed tile floors regularly to keep them from getting dull. Tiles may be resistant to dirt, but sand and grit can dull glazed surfaces. Clean tile with mild detergent and clean water, using a rag or chamois-type mop rather than a sponge mop. The latter pushes dirty water into grout lines and makes them harder to clean. Be sure to change the water frequently while mopping; dirty water equals a cloudy floor.

Laminate: To clean your laminate floors and avoid streaking, soak a mop in hot water and wring it out well so that it’s only slightly damp. Mop your floor from the center outwards, re-soaking and wringing your mop as needed. Let the floor air dry or dry it with a microfiber cloth if it's more than a little damp.

Vinyl: Resist the temptation to blast away dirt with heavy-duty cleaners. Instead, clean your vinyl floor using the mildest possible method. Sweep or vacuum it every evening and wipe up spills right away. To clean dirt that the broom or vacuum can't get, use a mop dampened with warm—not hot—water.

Cork: Sweep regularly, mop weekly with minimal water. Clean with stronger treatments occasionally. Go easy if using dish soap or another sudsy cleaner, as too much of it can leave a soapy film on the floor. Wipe up spills as soon as possible. Use an absorbent towel or soft cloth to wipe up spills on your cork floor as soon as they happen.

Stone: Wipe up residue and rinse: Wipe away the dirty cleaner. Rinse with a mop and a bucket of clean water. Go over the stone floor tiles with an old towel to reduce drying time. Once dry, check if the tiles need to be resealed by leaving a few drops of water on the surface.

Bamboo: Do not use a vacuum that has a beater bar to clean a bamboo floor. Make sure that any broom you use on this floor has soft bristles. Never immerse the floor in water-only a damp-almost dry-mop should be used.