One of the jobs I struggle with the most is cleaning the floors in my home. Life with an active family of five makes our combination of ceramic tile and hardwood in the kitchen and dining area difficult to keep clean.  All dirt from the outdoors somehow gets deposited directly into the kitchen.  With young cooks and kitchen helpers, the floor is sure to get its share of spills.  And we love our little puppy, Lucy, but the rugs and carpet in our living areas needs frequent cleaning to keep the floors free of hair and torn up toys.  I am in a constant quest for ways to keep up with the floors in our home.  Here are a few ideas for ways to clean the different floors at your house.

Sweeping

• Upright Broom and Dustpan
  An upright broom is a necessity for hard floors and much more. Invest in a good quality upright broom and dustpan set so that it lasts for years. You’ll have no trouble finding one or the other when they fit together.
• Dust Pan and Brush
  While it is not always convenient to store an upright broom in every room with a hard floor, it is possible to store a small broom or brush and a dustpan set. This makes it easy to sweep up hair or powder spills on the bathroom floor.

Vacuuming

• I-Robot Roomba Vacuum Cleaning Robot
  I never gave this little vacuum cleaner much credit.  I imagined it sputtering around a room in a completely random order, bumping into things and getting stuck.  I imagined spending more time rescuing it from under the furniture more often than it actually vacuumed.  However, when my mother-in-law bought us one for Christmas this year, I thought we would give it a try.  My husband, who loves all gadgets, was the first to begin using it.  He started it up and enjoyed watching its methodical vacuuming of the main floor of our house.  Then he began to start it up as we were getting ready to leave the house.  We would come home to a well-vacuumed house.  Who knew?!  I felt like Mrs. Jetson.  I’m sure this is what women of the 50s must have felt when they began to put dishes into a machine that did all of the washing for them.  It works on hard floors and carpets alike.
• Upright Vacuum Cleaner
  I own a cheapie upright vacuum because we have very little carpeting in our house. If we did have more carpet, my choice would be a Dyson. I’ve heard enough to know that this would be a great vacuum for any home. It is light (only 12 pounds) and easy to maneuver with Dyson’s ball technology. It works well on all floor types. I would want to purchase the hand tools as well because they work so well to vacuum curtains/blinds, such up cobwebs, and clean stairs.

Mopping

• Shark® Steam Mop
  I was skeptical at first. After tiring of mopping my large kitchen and dining areas in the traditional way, I decided to give this mop a try.  I love it!  It looks like an electronic mop. When you pump the handle, steam is released. To get started, just fill the tank with water and plug it in. A minute later, I am steam cleaning my tile and hardwood floors. The pads and steam pick up everything with a few pumps and elbow grease. (it can take up dried jello in a few stokes).  Best of all the floor is dry almost immediately. I can do our dining room and kitchen in less than 30 minutes and it is completely dry by the time I am done.  Though you may need an occasional deeper cleaning on a tile or linoleum floor, it is great for weekly cleaning. Quick and easy!
• Strip Mop with Handled Bucket
  If a traditional mop is more your style, try a strip mop with a removable head that you can replace when it gets too dirty or destroyed. A good handled bucket that will allow you to wring out water from the mop head is essential to keeping your hands out of the dirty water. Or use a Roller Mopto clean your floors without having to use your hands to wring out the mop.

How does your family keep the floors in your home spic and span?