The holidays are rapidly approaching and while twinkle lights and caroling will get you into the holiday spirit, your mind may be reeling about how to tackle cleaning certain aspects of your home before holiday guest arrive? You certainly don’t want your unsightly dander to be the topic of cherished Christmas dinner conversation. To save you the trouble, here are a few key tips for cleaning backsplashes, bathrooms, and kitchens to make them shine like the north star.

BACKSPLASHES

Ah, the kitchen backsplash. It gets the brunt of new cooking experiments gone wrong and messy pie baking, among other things. Here are a few tips to consider when embarking on the task of cleaning your backsplash.

• Blot away the grease or food splatters right when it happens. Don’t worry; it won’t mess up your creative cooking mojo, but it’ll sure save you some serious scrubbing in the future!
• Blot spots of grease with a dry cloth to soak it up before applying water.
• There’s no magical concoction for cleaning your tile backsplash, just good ole soap, and warm water.

Cleaning your backsplash regularly will prolong its life and keep it sparkling for any onlookers within eye-view.

BATHROOM TILE FLOORS

There’s nothing worse than forgetting to clean your bathroom tiles only to notice dirt and grime buildup in the cracks and crevices of the grout. Follow these simple and easy steps to tackle your bathroom tile floors.

1. Clean the Surface: Sweep the floor or use a vacuum to suck up loose dirt and dust, so the floor is primed for cleaning.
2. Make A Mixture: For mildly dirty grout, mix up two parts baking soda and one part water. Sub the water for vinegar is the grout is stained or discolored. NOTE: Avoid using vinegar on marble, slate, granite, or stone tiles as it can damage them. For more delicate tiles, mix two parts baking soda with one part hydrogen peroxide.
3. Scrub: Use a spare toothbrush to apply the solution to the grout. If you went with a vinegar solution, test a small area of the floor to make sure it doesn’t cause discoloration. Let the solution sit for several minutes, then scrub it clean. Rinse with water and apply a grout sealer within 24 hours once dry. Dry the floor with a clean, lint-free cloth.

KITCHENS

Kitchens and living rooms are probably the most well-loved areas of the home. And that means they can get dirty quickly. Regardless of the type of floor that graces your kitchen, we’ve got some great tips to help you keep the dirt and grime at bay.

• Tile Floors: If your kitchen floor has dirty grout issues, feel free to follow our bathroom tile clean guide mentioned previously. If you want to do a general cleaning, you can mix water and mild detergent together to mop the floor using a rag or chamois-type mop. Avoid sponge mops as they can push dirty water into the grout lines.
• Linoleum Floors: For routine weekly cleanings, a quick damp mop works well. For seasonal deeper cleans, like when you’re panicking about a slew of family members coming to your home, use a nonabrasive all-purpose cleaning product to clean your linoleum floors. If you’re not sure what specific kind of linoleum you have, you can use a vinegar and water solution to play it safe.
• Laminate Floors: Light mopping and gentle cleaner work best on laminate floors. Try to avoid an overly wet mop which could cause water to seep in behind baseboards. Dry with a microfiber cloth to avoid any cloudiness.
• Wood Floors: Regular sweeping and occasional dry mopping can keep dirt and grime at bay for wood flooring. Try a wood flooring cleaning product for a deeper clean. It’s recommended to do this at least twice a year. You’ll want to use a slightly damp mop and be careful to remove any standing water.

We hope you’ve found these home for the holidays cleaning tips helpful; please give us a call at 409-932-2843 or contact us through our website for other flooring and tile inquiries. We also have financing available if needed.

If you’re looking for more inspiration, feel free to head on over to the flooring section of our website. And, stay up to date on the latest and greatest news from Flooring Design Center by following us on Facebook and Instagram.