The kitchen is one of the rooms you are going to use most in your home. It’s a communal hub for everyone. This is where you make meals every day and gather as a family. While you want to ensure that your kitchen is homely, you also want to make it practical. In other words, this means having the right flooring in order to cope with daily use.
The easiest material to use for flooring in this room of the house is laminate. It is popular in the home since kitchen laminate flooring is easy to clean and take care of. What’s more, it is durable for foot traffic, as well as accidents that happen. Here is how you can care for your kitchen flooring when you choose laminate.
Tackle Spills Straight Away
There are always going to be spills in the kitchen. This might be when you are cooking or if you are hosting a dinner party. Of course, most kitchen flooring is going to be durable to some degree. But, this does not mean that it cannot become damaged. In particular, you want to be careful when it comes to liquids.
If you spill liquids on the floor, make sure that you clean it up straight away. This is going to stop it from staining or becoming sticky on the flooring. Simply take a paper towel or cloth and dab away the liquid.
Vacuum or Sweep Daily
When you are constantly preparing food in the kitchen, it is natural that some of it is going to fall on the ground. This is something that you cannot help no matter how careful you are. In particular, if you have children in the household, it is unavoidable that some food will fall on the floor! This can include crumbs and you want to ensure that you pick up any food straight away so that it does not get stuck on the flooring. This is also going to ensure the area is hygienic for the whole family.
The best thing you can do is vacuum every day. This is going to pick up all of the dirt and debris that is lying around and make sure that it does not stick. This is going to be more powerful than sweeping, but this can also be an option if you do not want to vacuum every day. For example, if you live in a flat with neighbours, you may wish to sweep some days if it is in the evening or you want to keep the noise down.
If you are using a vacuum, ensure that you turn off the rotating brush. This is something that is great for carpet, and it can get into all of the pile. But it can scratch your kitchen flooring over time, which is the last thing you want.
Mop the Floor Once a Week
One of the great things about laminate is that it is easy to clean when it gets dirty. For example, if there is a spill or muddy feet in the kitchen, it is easy to wipe the surface of the laminate and make it look as good as new again. This can be done with a damp mop, and it will not take a lot of effort. While laminate is quite durable, just make sure that the mop is not scratchy or rough. This is going to avoid scratches that may damage the appearance of the flooring. A microfibre mop or sponge mop is going to do the job well.
You can use some floor washing products on laminate. Just make sure that you check the bottle and that there are no warnings on it. In addition, avoid abrasive cleaners as this can cause scratches. If in doubt, you can also use soapy water to mop the floor. Make sure that your mop is not too wet and wring out any excess water beforehand.
Set Some Ground Rules
If you are worried about your flooring in the kitchen, perhaps it is time to lay down some ground rules in the house. We are talking about telling the whole family what they can and cannot do in the kitchen. For example, you can bring in a no shoes policy. This means that you cannot wear your outdoor shoes in the kitchen. This avoids the floor getting mucky from outdoor dirt and debris and it will mean that there is less cleaning to do. In addition, if there is a spill, it should be cleaned immediately so that it does not affect the floor.
Some other rules could include pets not being allowed in the kitchen. We all know that dogs and cats can make a mess and it might be easier to keep them out of this room. Whether it is a mess from their food, mucky paws or even long nails, this can be a nightmare to clean up all the time. So, this can be a new rule for the family to abide by.
Use Rugs and Mats
Are you somebody that hates cleaning or dislikes seeing muddy foot marks in the kitchen? Do not worry, you are not alone. If you want to cut down on the cleaning you do to your kitchen flooring, consider buying some rugs or mats. You can place them near entranceways where people may be wearing shoes. You can also use mats around sinks and anywhere else that might get wet or dirty. They are going to be easier to clean since you can pick them up and put them in the washing machine.
If you have a lot of heavy furniture in your kitchen, whether that is a large dining table or appliances, you can also use furniture pads and mats. While most flooring you can choose for the kitchen is durable, you can be proactive and protect it from damage in the future with these pads. They are be positioned under the furniture or appliances, stopping floor denting, as well as scratches from when they move.