If you’ve recently moved into a house with a basement, you’re probably wondering how to clean basement flooring.
Luckily for you, cleaning a basement floor is pretty much the same process as anywhere else in the house.
How Do You Clean a Basement Floor?
The best way to clean a concrete basement floor is to vacuum or sweep away dirt. Next, you can mop the floor with a gentle all-purpose cleaner diluted with water. Be cautious not to oversaturate your mop, especially if you never sealed your floors. After you’ve mopped, dry your floors with a towel or dry mop head.
How to Clean Basement Flooring By Type
How to Clean Concrete Basement Floors
Concrete is the most common type of basement flooring. These floors can be sealed or unsealed.
Sealed concrete floors have a protective waterproof coating and are much easier to care for. In addition, they are less susceptible to damage and staining than unsealed floors.
To clean concrete basement floors, follow these steps:
- First, thoroughly sweep or vacuum the entire floor.
- Then, use a dampened microfiber mop and a gentle mopping solution to mop the floor.
- For unsealed concrete, use as little water as possible and go back over the concrete with a dry mop or towel to aid in quick drying.
The best cleaners for concrete floors are gentle and PH-neutral – two solid options are ZEP Floor Cleaner and Simple Green Floor Cleaner.
How to Clean Carpeted Basement Floors
Carpet is another common flooring choice for basements. And keeping it clean is a very simple process.
Here’s what to do:
- Vacuum the carpet twice monthly or as needed. (This depends on how often you use your basement.)
- Spot clean carpet stains and shampoo the carpet twice yearly or as needed.
If you’re dealing with water in the basement, check out our guide on how to dry wet carpet.
How to Clean Vinyl Basement Floors
Vinyl has come a long way in recent years and is one of the best choices for basement flooring since it is largely waterproof.
Plus, it’s probably the most effortless floor to care for.
How to Clean Laminate Basement Floors
Even though laminate usually isn’t waterproof, it’s a material we see in basements quite a bit.
Luckily, cleaning it is pretty straightforward.
To clean your laminate flooring, follow these steps:
- First, sweep the floors as needed with a broom or vacuum.
- Mop with a gentle cleanser.
What to Clean Your Floors if Your Basement Floods
If your basement floods, the most important thing you can do is quickly clean up the water, regardless of your flooring type.
As soon as you see standing water on the floor, use a wet/dry shop vac to remove as much as possible. Afterward, set up fans and dehumidifiers to help dry out the flooring.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get dust off of my concrete basement floors?
If there’s dust all over your concrete basement floors, you can remove it by dry mopping with a dust mop. These mops have large heads that pick up dust as you move them around the floor. If you have sealed concrete floors, you can mop them with a dampened mop afterward.
Can you use white distilled vinegar on concrete?
No, you should not use white distilled vinegar on concrete. Vinegar is too acidic and can cause etching on concrete. Instead, you need to use a gentle PH-neutral cleaner.
How do you clean concrete basement floors with no drain?
If you think the only way to clean concrete floors is with a pressure washer, you’re wrong. You can clean concrete floors in your basement by sweeping or shopvaccing all the dirt and then mopping.
Conclusion
If you’re wondering how to clean basement flooring, the steps are pretty much the same regardless of the flooring type. The most important things to remember are a) to use water sparingly and b) to never oversaturate your unsealed concrete floor or laminate flooring.
And in the case of flooding, acting fast to remove water may help you salvage what you have.
