November 30th, 2022 by Sarah Miles

We all want hygienic, clean floors but during the cold wet winter, it can often feel like fighting a losing battle. Here are 10 tips that will help both minimise how dirty they get and keep them clean and sanitary both in the home or workplace:

1. Install outside mats
   A robust mat outside the door will allow you to remove any excess dirt and water before stepping into the house. Just give it a once over with an outside brush every now and then to prevent it from getting clogged up.
   
    
2. Install inside mats
   An outside mat won’t remove everything, so another mat placed just inside the door offers a belts and braces solution as an indoor mat will capture most of the excess water or dirt that the external mat didn’t deal with. Indoor mats are also more practical for keeping floors clean in public areas, such as shops, office buildings or cafes.
   

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3. Use your outside tap
   If you have an outside tap, consider rinsing dirty walking boots and wellies to get the bulk of mud and debris off. Not only will this transfer less dirt inside, but it will also help your boots last longer. Placing them upside down on a boot rack or stuffing them with newspaper can help them to dry out faster.
   
    
4. Deal with dirty dogs
   Dogs tend to attract all sorts of dirt on their walks, and they often see dirty puddles as a bonus rather than something to be avoided! You should, therefore, seek to remove as much of the mess as you can before letting them inside. If you can add a hot water tap outside, you can use this to rinse them off, or perhaps fill a bucket with very hot water before you leave and hopefully, it will be an appropriate temperature for rinsing when you return. Failing that, just make sure you leave a towel within easy reach of the door so you can towel off the worst of it before they come in.
   
    
5. Vacuum regularly
   Vacuuming both hard floors and carpets will remove all the loose surface dirt and can be better than sweeping as fewer particles end up in the air. Always vacuum before cleaning, otherwise, you’ll just end up pushing dirt around.
   
    
6. Sanitise surfaces
   As well as the dirt you can see, there will be germs and bacteria that you can’t so sanitise is essential. If you have a steam cleaner, this can be used effectively with steam alone or using a steam detergent. If using a standard mop and bucket or a spray bottle, use a kitchen cleaner and sanitiser.
   

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7. Clean carpets
   Even if you vacuum regularly, carpet can harbour all sorts of contaminants and substances, many of which you don’t really want to think about too much. Only by cleaning carpets with carpet shampoo can you eradicate these. If you have pets, use one designed to neutralise urine and other pet-related substances. Carpet cleaners have the advantage of removing bad odours and replacing them with lovely, fresh fragrances.
   
    
8. Go easy on the water
   Obviously, most floor cleaning involves the use of water but don’t over-saturate them as you can cause damage to materials such as stone, tiles, wood, and laminate.