How to clean different floor types

At Bosch, we understand the unique needs of various flooring and how best to clean them effectively. From tile and wood to laminate, porcelain, and linoleum, each floor type requires tailored care to preserve the material and have it looking its best. Our guides explore top tips for cleaning different floor types effectively in one sweep. Whether you're looking to tackle stubborn grout, fight stains, or persevere the shine of your laminate, these tips promise a seamless cleaning experience, helping your floors shine for years to come.

With so many options available in the market, it can be overwhelming to choose which products are appropriate for cleaning. When researching products, online or in store, it's important to read the labels to understand what each product does, how to use it and whether it's compatible for what you need. Look at the directions, caution warnings, ingredients and storage and disposal instructions. Floor-care specific products should indicate what flooring type it is suitable for. If you're still unsure, check out our in-depth guides to cleaning each floor type: how to clean wood floors and how to clean common types of tile floors.

Mild detergent, distilled with warm or hot water, is fantastic for general floor cleaning. Mild, pH neutral detergents are suitable to clean almost all types of flooring, including hardwood, vinyl and tile. Using a mild detergent on a day-to-day basis can prolong the lifespan of your floors by keeping them clean and removing stains whilst not damaging the surface.

Using floor polish can greatly enhance the overall appearance of your floors, adding an extra shine to help them look their best. Aside from making your floors look better, polish creates a protective layer over the surface of your floors, shielding them against staining, scratching, scuffs and general wear and tear. You can incorporate polish into your day to day cleaning alongside detergent to maintain this protective layer and prolong your floor's lifespan.

Different types of floors require different cleaning solutions to protect and clean their surfaces without damaging the material.

For hardwood floors, we generally recommend a gentle cleaner or a white vinegar and water mix to remove dirt whilst maintaining the wood finish. When cleaning hardwood floors, it's important not to flood them with water as this can cause the wood to swell and damage the flooring.

For tile or laminate floors, a mild detergent or a suitable all purpose cleaner can cut through grime and leave your floors looking refreshed. However, leaving your tile or laminate flooring to air dry can lead to unsightly water marks, so we recommend drying the surface with a clean towel after mopping to leave your floors shining.

The floors in our homes are used every single day so it’s important to keep them clean and care for them properly to make them last. Working out how to best care for all the different floor types can be a bit of a minefield so we’ve put together a guide so you can rest assured knowing your floors are cared for correctly.

A wooden floor is a wonderful, natural flooring option which is easy to care for once you know how. The main thing you want to avoid is any scratches, so try to get into the habit of removing shoes when you come inside.

Try to mop up any spills or liquids as soon as possible, before they soak in, and keep it clean by dusting regularly with a dry microfibre cloth. Unlimited 8 Cordless Vacuum Cleaner features LED lights to easily spot dirt and debris you might not otherwise see, plus comes with a flexible nozzle to reach those tricky areas under or behind furniture. If your wooden floor is a high traffic area you may want to give it a quick vacuum daily to keep dirt at bay, if not a couple of times a week should suffice.

There’s nothing quite like a soft, fluffy carpet. Again, it’s a good idea to remove shoes before walking on any carpets in your home, as shoes can pick up all sorts of bacteria and debris whilst out and about. Regular vacuuming is the best way to keep your carpets lovely and clean. The Bosch Unlimited 8 Vacuum Cleaner has a smart sensor control, which continuously monitors the appliance to ensure that it is performing at its optimal level. The SmartSensor Control light display will let you know when the filter needs to be cleaned, great for ensuring a deep clean throughout your home.  

Spillages and stains are inevitable in all households, find more about how to get stains out of your carpets.

Laminate floors are easy to keep clean by hoovering daily to pick up any dirt. Our Flexxo rechargeable vacuum is lightweight and flexible, plus it doubles up as a handheld so is versatile for cleaning your whole home, and even your car! As with wooden floors, make sure you wipe up any spills as soon as possible and gently mop your laminate flooring once a month to keep it looking it’s best.

Tiled floors are really easy to care for, simply vacuum them every other day to pick up any loose debris and mop the floor once every two weeks to a month. The Unlimited 7 Aqua comes with two vacuum heads included. With the Aqua head, you can vacuum and mop your hard floors at the same time so you don't have to clean twice. The removable pads are tough on stains even on delicate flooring, meaning you can achieve a powerful clean without the risk of scratching your floors.

For cleaning all floor types, we recommend the new Unlimited 7 Aqua. A vacuum and mop in one, it thoroughly cleans your floors in one pass. It's even suitable for carpets, with its AllFloor Dynamic Power Brush perfect for deep cleaning carpet fibres.

When mopping laminate, vinyl and hardwood flooring, there's always a risk of over-saturating the floor with water and damaging your flooring. With the adjustable Aqua nozzle, you can select how much water is used when mopping to keep your floors in their best condition. The Aqua's Spinning Power Pads can also be used with floor polish to give your floors a final shine during your daily clean.

In homes with multiple types of floors, you don’t need to worry. Our cordless vacuums all automatically adjust to varying floor types for the perfect clean every time.

The key features to consider when buying the right vacuum for your home are: battery life, capacity, and accessories. No matter your requirements, we have the perfect vacuum to suit your lifestyle.

For homes with hard flooring, like tile or wood, we recommend using the Unlimited 7 Aqua. A mop and vacuum in one, the Aqua can tackle stains, spills and save you time in your every day cleaning routine. For carpets, the Unlimited 7 is ideal, with its powerful suction and adaptable Auto Detect surface feature

Having pets comes with the added strain of cleaning their mess too. The Athlet ProAnimal features an extra motorised ProAnimal nozzle and rolling brush to tackle pet hair. Not just for floors, the upholstery nozzle is great for cleaning sofas and cushions too.

So whichever your floor type, keeping them clean couldn’t be easier for a happy, hygienic home.