How to Clean Hard Surfaces Throughout Your Home

Do you find yourself at a loss when it comes to cleaning hard surfaces throughout the home, such as cleaning hardwood floors?

Do your floors or countertops lack the shine that they once had?

Are you looking for ways to remove tough carpet stains?

If so, you have come to the right spot.

Here some insight on the ultimate guide to cleaning hard surfaces throughout the home.

In this guide, you will learn the best ways to clean hard surfaces and what type of cleaning supplies that you will need to clean these surfaces:

What You’ll Need

When you are dealing with a house full of pets, kids, and family members with allergies or breathing problems, DIY cleaners work best.

See the recipes below for DIY cleaners. This is all you will need to clean the hard surfaces throughout your home

Baking Soda Paste

Combine 1 cup of baking soda with 3-5 tablespoons of water. Mix until it forms a spreadable paste. You may need to adjust the water to obtain a paste consistency.

DIY Hardwood Floor Cleaner

1 tsp of pure castile soap

4 cups of water

5 to 10 drops of essential oil (if you like a light scent)

Pour all ingredients in the spray bottle and shake.

All-Purpose Cleaner

13 ounces of hot water

1/4 cup white vinegar

Essential oils- 15 drops of grapefruit, 10 drops of lavender, 7 drops of lemon

Mix all ingredients and transfer to spray bottle

All-Purpose Cleaner Without Vinegar

1/2 cup of vodka

1/2 cup distilled water

Essential oils- 1 tsp lavender and 1 tsp tea tree

Mix all ingredients in a spray bottle

Glass And Window Cleaner

2 cups of water

1/4 cup distilled white vinegar

1 tsp clear dish soap

Mix ingredients and pour into a 24-ounce spray bottle

Dusting Spray

3 cups of boiled water

2 tea bags

1 tsp of lemon juice

Place the 2 bags in the boiled water and let it cool. Once it is cooled pour it in a spray bottle and add the lemon juice.

Cleaning Floors

Tile

When cleaning tile floors, you need to make sure that you clean the grout as well. Make sure to sweep or vacuum the floor regularly to avoid sand and dirt build-up that will dull and scratch the surface.

In a bucket combine hot water and mild dish soap. Dip a rag in the bucket and mop the floor. Change the mop water frequently as you mop so you are not cleaning the floor with dirty mop water.

Don’t forget to clean the grout. Dirty grout can make the tile floor appear dirty. Baking soda paste and a nylon brush will knock out tough stains in the grout.

Hardwood

Do not use vinegar or lemon when cleaning hardwood floors. The floor will end up looking cloudy and dull.

Instead, use the aforementioned DIY hardwood floor cleaner or the DIY dusting spray. After removing loose dirt and debris off the floor, spray with the cleaner and mop with a microfiber pad.

When cleaning hardwood floors make sure that you don’t oversaturate the floors this will lead to swelling and discoloration.

Laminate

The best way to care for your laminate floors is to wipe spills up immediately and sweep and/or vacuum frequently. You can use a steam mop occasionally, however, you should avoid wet mopping laminate floors.

Avoid using vinegar on the floor because it removes the protective seal. Grab a microfiber cloth and spray the floor with DIY dust spray, or DIY hardwood floor cleaner.

Vinyl

Vinyl floors can be cleaned using the wet mop method. In a bucket mix a gallon of hot water with one cup of apple cider vinegar. Have a second bucket with just hot water to rinse your mop.

To get tough stains out of vinyl flooring scrub the floor with a soft cloth and baking soda paste then mop with the water and vinegar mixture.

Carpet

Cleaning stains out is simple. A mixture of dishwashing soap and hydrogen peroxide will help lift the stain.

Use a rag to blot the stain dry, pour a little baking soda on the stain and let it sit for a few minutes and then vacuum it up.

If you have a dark carpet with tough stains, sprinkle a little salt on the stain, rinse with cold water after letting the salt sit for a few minutes. Blot dry.

Countertops

You can clean almost any type of countertop with the DIY baking soda paste. Make sure that you are cleaning spills as soon as they occur.

For daily maintenance of countertops, use one of the aforementioned DIY cleaners and wipe it clean with a microfiber cloth. Always test the cleaner in a hidden area first.

Other Hard Surfaces in the Home

Walls and Baseboards

Use a damp microfiber cloth to clean the walls, be careful of what you use on the walls because you don’t want to strip the paint.

The baseboards are the last thing that you clean after everything in the house has been done.

To clean the baseboards, use the brush attachment on the vacuum to eliminate dirt and dust. After lifting the dirt and dust, use a dryer sheet to wipe away stuck-on dirt and stains.

Windows and Glass

Microfiber works best to clean windows and glass.

Spray the DIY windows and glass cleaner and wipe clean. You can also mix 1 cup of hot water, 1 cup rubbing alcohol, and 4 tbsp of cornstarch in a spray bottle.

What You Should Know About Cleaning Hard Surfaces

• Know when to skip the vinegar. Vinegar is a popular choice when making a DIY cleaner, however, due to the acidity, it can reduce shine, strip finishes, and cause pitting on some surfaces.
• When creating DIY concoctions, only use clean containers and spray bottles that never held chemicals to store your homemade cleaning products. Make sure to always label the containers and bottles.
• If you are unsure about using a homemade cleaning product on a surface, always test it in a hidden area first.

This ultimate guide on cleaning hard surfaces throughout the home is your secret weapon to handle the toughest cleaning tasks!