Making Kitchen Floors Shine

A mop cleaning a kitchen floor.
  • 1-2 hours
  • Beginner
  • $0-150
What You'll Need
Vacuum
Broom
Water
Vinegar
Fabric softener
Bucket
Scrub brush
Wood floor cleaner
Ammonia
Sealant
What You'll Need
Vacuum
Broom
Water
Vinegar
Fabric softener
Bucket
Scrub brush
Wood floor cleaner
Ammonia
Sealant

Kitchen floors are subject to many different grease and oil spots from cooking and baking activities. Most kitchen floors are covered with laminate, ceramic tile, or sometimes a stone material. After a while, they can begin to look dull and lose their shine and luster. It is easy to fix this problem so that your kitchen floor can once again like new.

Before you begin to wash and shine your floors, vacuum/sweep them and scrub the areas where caked on pieces of dirt has adhered to the surface. Once you are done with that, you are all set to get started with these hacks!

Water and Vinegar

The best cleaning solution you can use is water and vinegar. This solution is fantastic for making your ceramic tile kitchen floor shine well. Take your bucket and fill it with warm water. Add about a cup of vinegar for every four or five cups of warm water. Mix the solution well.

Using a soft mop, begin to mop and dry the floor. The vinegar and water will make your kitchen floors shine beautifully. The solution dries streak-free and is environmentally friendly to boot!

Fabric Softener and Water

If you have a no-wax vinyl kitchen floor, try adding fabric softener to water. Grab your handy bucket and fill it with warm water. Add a couple caps full of fabric softener to the water and mix it well. Use a clean mop head to mop your floors with the solution.

Be careful not to soak the floors. Make sure you wring the mop head out well before you begin to mop up the floors. Repeat this as needed and your vinyl floor will be restored to pristine condition.

Wood Floor Cleaner

You will need to use a cleaner meant for wood if your kitchen floors are made of natural wood. This type of cleaner will give the oak a nice glow. Be sure you get into the corners. Do not apply too much cleaner because it will leave noticeable streaks when it dries.

You can pick this up wherever you typically purchase your cleaning products.

Ammonia

Another great cleaning solution is one that has a gallon of warm water and one cup of ammonia. This helps to remove tough dirt and grease on the floors. This is one step up from using a vinegar and water solution on your ceramic or tile floors.

Bear in mind that ammonia has a strong odor. You will need to ensure that you keep the room well ventilated when using this product. Ammonia can also stain clothing, so be sure to wear old clothes and gloves before you start.

Adding a Sealant

If you have slate kitchen floors, you may want to think about adding a seal to the slate. Slate is a very porous material and attracts grease, oil, and additional dirt. A seal will prevent additional dirt and grime from getting trapped inside the slate. The sealant also will help to create a pretty shine for your slate floor. The surface will have to be thoroughly cleaned and prepared before this can be done.

You will see all of your hard work reflecting back at you via the renewed shine of your kitchen floor. Feel free to let your friends in on these newly discovered hacks.