Hence, we have developed this handy guide on how to keep these surfaces scuff and scratch free.
Vacuum with Smooth Floor Brush
In general, you are going to want a bare floor vacuum that has an on/off brushroll switch, variable suction control for different floor surfaces, and non-marring wheels.
Weighing in at 22 pounds, the Miele Complete C3 Brilliant is a strong, durable canister for bare floor surfaces. With non-marring wheels, you can scoot your way from room to room without worrying about unwanted scuffs or dents. One very convenient feature is the on/off brushroll switch located on the Comfort handpiece of this model. This allows you to safely clean your bare floor surfaces without needing to worry about unattractive markings being left behind. Also located on this Comfort handpiece is six levels of adjustable suction that can be selected by pressing on one of the six pictographs. For example, the tiled symbol designates bare flooring. Each pictograph you press will light up in bright yellow to indicate that it has been selected.Cleaning Laminate Floor Surfaces
To give an example, the 10 pound Shark Euro Pro Steam and Spray mop comes with three different cleaning modes to tackle all types of floor surfaces--including laminate. If you got a sticky mess on your hands, you use the steam and spray mode to wipe it up. Shark's Hard Floor Cleanser is biodegradable, good for stone, linoleum, wood, and tile, and is guaranteed to leave those special places of your home residue free. Cleaning Tile
The 5.29 pound HAAN Power and Finesse Steam Mop is the perfect steam cleaner for any stain stuck to tile or etched in grout. This model comes with two reusable ultra microfiber pads to clean the grout in your bathroom or kitchen. It's important to change these pads every 10 minutes because the unit will become hard to push if it's saturated with water. As a whole, you can operate this unit for 20 to 25 minutes on a full 11.83 oz tank. Want an old-school method? Rub a mixture of baking soda and warm water into the stain and let it sit overnight. In the morning, take a stiff nylon brush and easily scrub the stain away. Don't have one? Check out our 20 inch circular nylon brush manufactured by Sanitaire. With such a large circumference, you can clean large areas of tile in no time at all.
Cleaning Marble
Marble is a beautiful, yet expensive stone that many people have in their homes to add a touch of elegance. With such delicate flooring, you need to incorporate preventative care and regular maintenance into your weekly routine. To remove dust and debris, use a smooth floor attachment. Ideally, this should be done every couple of days. If something spills, wipe it up right away. If not, you'll have to use a pH neutral cleaning solution to break down the stain. To give an example, Bona's Floor Cleaner is made to clean all laminate, ceramic tile, vinyl, marble, and granite floors. No mixing is required. Instead, you just spray the waterborne, non-toxic solution on a paper towel and gently wipe away the stain. After removing the impurity, dry the area with a soft dry towel to prevent excess water from staining the stone.
Want a homemade method? Try out a highly diluted mixture of ammonia and water or a highly diluted mixture of dish soap and water. Whatever you do, never use an acidic cleaner because those can scratch or dull your marble.
Cleaning Cork Floors
The procedure to clean cork floors is almost identical to cleaning marble floors. You still use a soft brush to remove dust and derbies, a neutral pH cleaner to remove stains, and you take extra care to remove any excess water because it can seep into the pores and cause the floor joints to swell. So what's the difference between marble and cork? The level of preventative care. With cork floors, you need to place mats in front of wet areas, like the sink, to avoid moisture penetration. Hard to believe, but even a tiny bit of excess moisture can quickly seep into your floor and disrupt the joints. On the other hand, if the indoor air quality is poor, the floor may dry out. To prevent this, you should consider buying an air purifier. Lastly, you need to install cork floors away from direct sunlight. With cork being a natural product, it's susceptible to discoloration over long periods of time.
Cleaning Slate/Ceramic Tile
Slate can be best described as a fine-textured natural stone that paves entryways and fireplaces. A smooth floor brush, such as one manufactured by SEBO, and Bona's floor cleaner should do the trick for regular maintenance. But what if you want to give your slate a really good buff? Well, you'll have to check out Bissell's Easy Motion Floor Machine. This product is good for multiple bare floor surfaces, including brick, ceramic tile, and marble. With a 12 inch orbital pad, you can give your slate floors a nice deep clean in no time at all. Better yet, this model is guaranteed not to cause torque, gouging, swirling, or vibrations upon use.
Possibly the easiest of bare floor surfaces to keep clean, ceramic tile can be cleaned easily with warm water from the tap. If you wish to give this type of flooring a good buff, just pull out Bissell's Easy Motion Floor Machine.
Cleaning Bamboo Floors
Bamboo flooring is easily one of the toughest bare floor surfaces in the world, but that does not mean it can surpass routine maintenance. Like other surfaces previously talked about, you need to vacuum dust and derbies with a smooth floor brush. Additionally, like cork, bamboo is a natural product that needs to kept away from direct sunlight, and the air humanity needs to be controlled. If you have to clean a dried stain, eVacuumStore recommends Bona's Hardwood Floor Cleaner. It's waterborne, non-toxic and has a neutral pH.
