WFMW: Cleaning the Floor
Well, since everyone else in the blogging world (or at least the small corner I travel in) has joined in on this I might as well do so too, since I actually thought of something I could write about *before* Wednesday. 
So anyways, here it goes!
We have cheap vinyl flooring in our rental condo. It has a slight texture to it, I guess to make it less slippery. This texture drives me nuts though, because it traps dirt and previously it seemed impossible to truly get the floor clean. I would dutifully clean my floors with various disinfectants and using different methods (different mops, sponges, scrubbing brushes, towels) trying to find the perfect combination that would actually result in a clean floor. While I felt fairly comfortable that my floor was at least no longer harboring too many germs, it never really looked particularly clean.
However, just a couple weeks ago I read something from Marilyn at The Urban Homemaker in her email newsletter where she extolled the virtues of microfiber cloths. I had a few hanging around (an impluse purchase at Costco years ago, previously used only for cleaning windows and mirrors) and I thought I would try it. I crawled around with my microfiber cloth and squirt bottle filled with diluted Lysol… and Viola! Floors that actually look clean with very little scrubbing!
Thanks to Shannon at Rocks in My Dryer for hosting these Works-for-Me Wednesdays!
Barbara H. on 20 Mar 2007 at 8:29 pm #
What a great idea! I will look for these.
Nikki on 20 Mar 2007 at 8:32 pm #
My mom has one of these floors that traps the dirt in all the little texture-bits. I will share this with her. I’ll also keep this tip in my gee-whiz file for when I’m sure I’ll need it one day.
sara - The Estrogen Files on 20 Mar 2007 at 8:46 pm #
What a great idea! We have that cheapy lino in our kitchen, too, and it’s GREY, for heaven’s sake! It always looks dirty! I’m going to use your idea. Thanks for the wonderful tip! My tip is on brushing hair without screaming kids.
laughing mommy on 20 Mar 2007 at 8:49 pm #
Thanks for the tip! Floors are my biggest struggle these days. I find it so hard to keep them clean. I’ll look for those cloths.
Mrs.B on 20 Mar 2007 at 8:57 pm #
How interesting! I will be trying this for sure!! (o:
Jessica on 20 Mar 2007 at 9:24 pm #
hey - welcome to wfmw, Amber!
Rae on 20 Mar 2007 at 9:57 pm #
Great idea! Thanks for sharing & welcome to WFMW! =)
Sharon on 21 Mar 2007 at 4:03 am #
I love the microsoft cloths!! Hubby got some for me at Christmas time and they are great! As for a clean floor, nothing, but nothing cleans like plain ole sudsy ammonia. It doesn’t smell the greatest, but open a few windows and the scent is gone in minutes and the floors are squeaky clean. I was reluctant to use ammonia, but we use it in window cleaner right, so why not on the floors.
Sarah on 21 Mar 2007 at 6:04 am #
I keep hearing all the wonderful things about microfiber cloths but this one really makes me want to go pick up a few. Thanks for the great tip.
Kathleen Marie on 21 Mar 2007 at 6:42 am #
Excellent. I will have to try this in my laundry room. It is the only place with tile flooring.
Thanks!
carrie on 21 Mar 2007 at 6:57 am #
i will have to try this too. my old linoleum has seem many many moons, and until we can replace it, it’s a struggle to keep it clean.
zoe on 21 Mar 2007 at 9:01 am #
Well, a new use for my microfibre cloths, thank you!
Mira on 21 Mar 2007 at 10:55 am #
Thanks for the tip. But thanks even more for the link to The Urban Homemaker, it looks like a very informative site.
mrsdarwin on 23 Mar 2007 at 6:13 am #
You know what also works on that kind of nasty floor? (I have it too, so the pejorative is directed more at my kitchen than yours.)
Mr. Clean’s Magic Eraser. Of course it’s an expensive way to go, but before a major party or if you’re showing your house to a realtor, it would be worth it for the shine.
Of course, nothing will take out the gouges and nicks. Oh, for that bamboo floor I’ve been dreaming of… Are you putting hardwood floor in your new house?
amber on 23 Mar 2007 at 8:13 am #
Oh, that’s interesting, it wouldn’t have occurred to me to try that on the floor! How is it that the floor gets gouged and nicked so often anyways? It isn’t like we’re holding knife juggling practice in our kitchen every week.
We’re doing a couple of different floorings in the house - we’ll have hardwood in the entry and in the major traffic areas, cork in the kitchen, natural linoleum (a vastly superior product to vinyl) in the bathrooms, laundry and coat room, carpet in the bedrooms (probably a mistake, but I am having a hard time with the idea of wood floors in the bedroom - and it is cheaper and can be changed to wood when the carpet wears out if we want) and stained concrete in the hearth room and open area next to it.