The way you clean a basement floor is slightly different from that of other flooring components in your home. You can’t use the same set of tools and techniques to clean the flooring across your house.

For example, you might have different types of flooring installed in your home. It could be concrete, vinyl, hardwood, or carpet. However, in most homes, there is unfinished concrete flooring in the basement. Households keep the basement flooring unfinished because it’s more convenient to store or drag things without causing any significant damage.

Unfortunately, the basement floor is one of the most neglected parts of houses, especially when it comes to cleaning and maintenance. Your basement floor is likely to be exposed to heavy foot traffic. Most importantly, your basement doesn’t receive enough sunlight and fresh air. We understand these environmental factors can quickly make your flooring damp, dusty, moldy, and mildewed.

Therefore, you need to clean the basement floor after a certain period. The good news is that you don’t need any special skills or tools to clean your basement floor. In this post, we’ll explain how you can clean your concrete basement flooring by following simple easy steps. Let’s get started!

How To Clean the Basement Floor

As we mentioned earlier, there are different types of flooring. However, a majority of households have a concrete basement floor. Concrete is the most popular building material used widely for a broad range of projects: sidewalk, basement, garage surfaces, etc. Why? Because concrete is a reliable and durable material you don’t have to do much to take good care of it.

Vinyl flooring is also a considerably popular choice for many homeowners. It is a low-cost option made of polymer materials. The vinyl floor doesn’t warp like wood or laminate flooring, but it could be difficult to remove staining.

How To Clean a Concrete Basement Floor

Before you start cleaning your floor, determine what type of concrete floor you have. The following are some common types of concrete basement floors:

• Sealed: Simply put, a sealed floor has an acrylic sealer installed on top. It is usually a stain-resistant, nonporous floor.

• Unsealed: There’s no sealer on top of a concrete floor. Concrete is simply poured without any additional coating or treatment.

• Polished: It is a no-wax flooring material. A concrete surface can be polished to a glossy finish and it doesn’t require coating afterward. Concrete is designed in a way that looks like a polished stone.

• Painted: It is when you paint, decorate, stain, or etch your concrete to achieve the desired look.

You can adjust your cleaning process depending on your floor type. Here is a general step-by-step guide for how to clean the basement floor.

Gather Your Cleaning Supplies and Tools

Do you have everything you need to clean your floor? Here is what you need to carry out a comprehensive floor cleaning:

• A broom and dust mop

• Water and dish soap

• Ammonia, bleach, and hydrogen peroxide

• Laundry detergent

• A nylon-bristled brush

• A bucket

• Microfiber cleaning cloths

• Azuna All-Natural Spray

• Castile soap for polished concrete

• Neutral stone cleaner for polished concrete

Prepare Your Floor for Cleaning

The first step is obviously to clear your basement floor: remove furniture, rugs, shoes, or anything lying on the floor. Move all items out of the basement to make sure they’re not affected by water or other cleaning agents. Furniture, for example, can be damaged when exposed to water and other liquids.

The next step is to use a duster or broom to sweep the floor. It’s important to remove all the debris, dust, and dirt from the surface. If you’ve already swept the floor, move to the next step. Don’t forget to wear protective gear before handling harsh cleaners.

Identify and Clean Stains

You probably have plenty of stains on your floor if you haven’t cleaned it for a while. You can use soapy, hot water to scrub those stains. Not sure how to prepare soapy water? Simply take a couple of tablespoons of mild dish soap and mix it into two liters of water.

For greasy stains, first wet the area and then cover it with the mixture. After waiting for a few minutes, scrub those stains with a brush and warm water. Now rinse those areas down with clean water.

You might not be able to remove mildew using this process. For this, you have to prepare a different solution using around three liters of water, one liter of laundry bleach, and one ounce of trisodium phosphate and laundry detergent each.

Now use a soft brush to scrub the area and then rinse it with clean water. In case you have grease marks on the floor, spread some cornstarch or kitty litter over the surface and let it be there for a few days. You can sweep up or vacuum the kitty litter and dispose of it properly.

Consider Using a Strong Cleaner To Remove Stains From the Unsealed Floor

If you’re not worried about damaging the finish of your floor, you can try out a strong cleaner like ammonia, bleach, and hydrogen peroxide to remove stains. Mix three parts water and one part cleaner and then spray on stained areas. Wait for about 15 minutes and then scrub stains with a brush. rinse the floor with clean water.

Spray the Floor With All-Natural Spray

Now that your basement floor is thoroughly cleaned, it’s time to remove the odor and add some natural scent to the air. All-Natural Spray by Azuna is a great product to improve the quality of air in your basement and other parts of your house. Check out our range of anti-microbial odor elimination products designed for both small and large rooms.

How To Clean Vinyl Basement Floor

You can’t use the same cleaning process to clean a vinyl floor. What follows is a step-by-step guide to cleaning a vinyl basement floor:

Gather Supplies and Tools

Here is what you need to clean a vinyl food:

• Warm water
• Liquid dishwashing soap
• Baking soda
• Distilled white vinegar
• Brooms and mop
• Vacuum cleaner
• Bucket
• Soft cleaning cloths

Remove Dust and Other Elements

The vinyl floor is a slightly delicate surface where you can’t afford to use rough-edged tools. The best thing you can do here is use a vacuum or a dust mop to remove the dust. If you’re using a vacuum, don’t engage the beater bar to avoid dents in vinyl flooring.

Prepare a Cleaning Solution

Harsh cleaners like ammonia or bleach can damage your vinyl floor. So, don’t use them. Fill a bucket with warm water and add a few drops of liquid dishwashing detergent. Don’t add too much dishwashing liquid as it can lead to more work.

Start Cleaning

Now it's time to mop away the dirt. Dip the mop into your homemade cleaning solution. Nothing to worry about if your vinyl floor is waterproof. However, you shouldn’t saturate your vinyl flooring with water if it has a fabric backing. Most of the modern vinyl floors can withstand excessive water.

Rinse and wring up your mop frequently starting one corner of your basement. All the dust and dirt will move from the floor to the mop.

Get Rid of Tough Stains

If you find it hard to remove some tough stains, prepare a paste using two tablespoons of baking soda and one tablespoon of water. Now apply the paste on stains and then gently scrub them with a microfiber cloth.

Baking soda does wonders when used the right way for cleaning purposes. It will help you remove tough stains including furniture or shoe marks on vinyl.

Rinse the Floor

Take a closer look at the floor to see whether or not you should rinse it. If you haven’t used too much soap, you don’t have to rinse the floor after applying mop. But if the floor seems sticky, rinse it with a solution: one cup white vinegar and some water. It will make your floor clean and shiny.

Freshen the Air With All-Natural Spray

Before you allow the floor to air-dry, use Azuna’s All-Natural Spray to restore the freshness of the air in your basement. You can turn on the fan to speed up the drying process. A neat and clean basement floor and fresh air will surely attract your family and friends to spend more time in the basement. You can add a Room Odor Eliminator or use our Whole Home Kit to keep your basement air smelling fresh and clean year round.

Final thoughts

So many people don’t know how to clean the basement floor with the right tools and cleaners. We hope this blog post will help you wrap your head around basement floor cleaning. Make sure the cleaning products you’re using are the right fit for your floor. Don’t hesitate to get advice from someone if you’re not sure how to clean your unique basement floor.

About Azuna

Our anti-microbial odor elimination products are designed to add a new layer of protection and freshness to your rooms and basement. Whenever you clean your house or a part of your house, make sure to use our products to inspire your family and friends with an awesome indoor environment!

Source:

Types of flooring | Designing Buildings

Household Chemical Products and Their Health Risk | Cleveland Clinic

How to Get Ground-in Dirt Out of Vinyl Floors | Home Guides