Between my twin preschoolers, two dogs, and cat, my floors take a beating. We have hardwood floors through most of our main living area, and I could spend all day sweeping and mopping to keep it clean. But I'd rather enjoy my family time and not devote all my time to cleaning the floors. I've discovered a few ways to keep my floors clean, despite the wear and tear caused by muddy paws and kid spills. And I've found a secret weapon to give my hardwood floors an every day deep clean without a lot of effort (keep reading for a chance to win it for yourself!).
5 Ways to Keep your Floors Clean with Kids & Pets
Take Your Shoes Off at the Door
This is the number one way to keep your floors from becoming a disaster. Think about all of the dirt we track in on our shoes - from playing outside to using public restrooms (yuck!). All of that grime sticks to our shoes, and when we come inside we bring it with us. Lose the shoes as soon as you step inside and you've made a big step towards keeping your floors clean.
Wipe Those Paws
Dogs track in a lot of dirt - especially in the muddy spring season. I set up a paw cleaning basket right by our door - I keep a clean towel and a package of baby wipes there so that I can wipe off any dirt or mud as soon as my dogs step inside... and hopefully before they can leave a trail of paw prints in their wake.
Keep Food at the Table
This is especially key with little kids, because every meal and snack time seems to end in a shower of crumbs. By making sure that your kids eat at the table you can at least contain food mess to one spot (or two - I do let my kids have snacks in their playroom, but at their small table). Then it's much easier to keep things clean by having less area to cover.
Use Washable Area Rugs
I love my hardwood floors and don't want to cover them up, but I do put a small washable rug at each doorway and at the top and bottom of the stairs (an easy place for dogs or kids to slip). This way, we have a soft spot to take off/put on our shoes, that traps any excess dirt. And when it gets messy, I can just toss it into the washing machine and it's good as new.
Sweep Every Day
Keeping your floors clean is easier to do when you stay on top of the mess daily. Letting crumbs, dirt, and pet hair accumulate just makes the job that much harder. Giving the floors a good once over every day keeps things under control without a ton of effort. I love to use my Bona® microfiber floor mop to take care of my floors daily, quickly and easily. The pad is wide for great coverage, it's lightweight, and the swivel head maneuvers around all my furniture and corners.
My Secret Weapon for Every Day Deep Cleaning
Even with all this prevention, I still get paw prints, grime, and spots that need extra care. I've found a super easy way to get a good deep clean without a lot of extra effort with the Bona PowerPlus System - Bona's most powerful cleaner yet! I love using the microfiber cleaning pad to sweep away pet hair and crumbs with ease, then the Bona PowerPlus Hardwood Floor Deep Cleaner to mop away any stubborn spots or spills.
Bona's oxygenated formula loosens and removes heavy dirt build-up, providing a deep clean without a lot of extra effort. I just put the Bona PowerPlus Microfiber Deep Clean Pad on my mop, spray, and wipe. I love that there's no heavy scent and my floor looks shiny and clean with no residue. It's so easy to use and works great - perfect for all those everyday spots that need attention in a house with kids and pets. And when I'm done, I can toss the pad in the washing machine and use it again!
Want to try the Bona PowerPair yourself and see how easy deep cleaning can be? Enter here to win great prizes in the Bona PowerPair Sweepstakes! Win great prizes and deep clean your floors - what could be better?
The Bona PowerPair is now available at Lowe’s, Bed Bath & Beyond, ACE Hardware and True Value stores.
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