I’ve spent most of 2023 writing about floors, and something that has become abundantly clear to me is that there are two types of flooring that are the easiest to clean. Despite the wonderful attributes of hardwood flooring and carpets, they are not the best floors for a high-traffic home.
The easiest types of flooring to clean are ceramic tiles and luxury vinyl tiles. They don’t stain or mark easily, and they are resistant to water damage.
I’ve used click-and-lock luxury vinyl planks in my bedroom since 2020, and they have not discolored, warped, or been damaged at all, even with the copious amount of cleaning that used to take place.
In my parents bedroom, they used two large vinyl sheets and they have been easy to clean
My sibling used to have carpet, but that was horrible for her sinus issues. Then, she switched to peel-and-stick vinyl tiles, but the edges began to peel and tear after a few years. I wouldn’t recommend peel-and-stick for this reason.
Now, she’s switched to luxury vinyl planks like I have, and they look outstanding without any of the abovementioned issues.
Related article: How can I disinfect my floors naturally? (8 options)
My Experience With Cleaning Luxury Vinyl Tiles
I like to eat in my room while I work in the early mornings. When you’re drinking smoothies or mugs of green tea like I do, spills are inevitable.
What I’ve noticed is that they never truly stain or damage the luxury vinyl. I can leave the spill for 20–30 minutes, and it won’t dry up or get absorbed into the material. That’s a testament to the water resistance or water proofing.
If a stain does set in from a spill that was unaddressed for a few days, some detergent with a soft bristle brush breaks it down and restores the floor to it’s previous condition. On some occasions, those stains were removed while mopping the rest of the floors.
It requires little effort to clean and maintain, which is what I want in my home.
My Experience With Cleaning Ceramic Tiles
The rest of our home utilizes ceramic tiles with a patterned surface. The pattern has the propensity to trap dirt, but the flat, smooth surface of the ceramic tiles never does.
We only need to mop our floors once every two weeks, but out of habit, we deep clean our floors once per week.
By deep cleaning, the only thing we need to do is mop with soapy water, which takes a few minutes per room because the floors are so smooth and easy to clean.
Even mud that has dried up seems to breakdown and dissolve with soapy water and a mop. Rarely do we need to use a brush on these floors to clean them, which is a huge bonus.
My Biggest Problem With Other Types Of Floors
Whether it’s carpet, bamboo, rubber, peel-and-stick vinyl, or even hardwood floors, they all have a greater propensity to stain and get damaged. Furthermore, you have to utilize different methods of cleaning for these floors that require more effort and time.
Carpet has to be cleaned often because it’s a magnet for trapping dust and dirt. It’s also the perfect breeding ground for dust mites and other pests. Need I say that mud is a nightmare to clean from carpets?
When cleaning, you can’t expose carpets to a lot of water because it will damage the fibers. Stains can easily discolor and damage the carpet permanently, especially if they aren’t addressed immediately.
Bamboo and hardwood floors are probably easier to clean than rubber and carpet, but they are not waterproof.
In fact, most wood floors are treated with a top coat for protective purposes, and too much exposure to cleaning agents or water can strip away this coating.
There’s also the risk of mold and rotting that could take place from moisture, which doesn’t seem to be much of an issue with ceramic tiles or luxury vinyl tiles.
If you were to choose one of these types of floors, go with hardwood. It’s stronger and better-looking.
Plus, it’s considered a positive factor during property evaluation for market value. But it comes at a cost because hardwood floors are probably the most expensive types of floors to purchase and install.
More Thoughts On Ceramic And Vinyl Floors
I am truly impressed with the feasibility and ease of maintenance these two types of floors offer. I am also impressed by its resilience to stains and damage from wear and tear or cleaning.
When it comes to pricing, they’re relatively close in comparison.
The main difference is that luxury vinyl tiles can be installed by almost anyone. Very little expertise is required to lay and lock these tiles in place, although shaping the edges may require some skill.
Ceramic tiles require knowledge, tools, and expertise for proper installation. You have to take expansion and contraction into consideration, especially if you live in a tropical climate like I do. But that’s even true for luxury vinyl tiles.
If you haven’t worked with cement or ceramic tiles before, then you’ll most likely need the help of a professional.
Factoring these costs into consideration, ceramic tiles are more expensive, but they offer greater durability and strength than vinyl. In fact, we haven’t changed our ceramic tiles since we built this house over 24 years ago.
To conclude and to emphasize, if you’re looking for the easiest types of flooring to clean, my top picks are ceramic tiles and luxury vinyl tiles. The former is still a popular choice among homeowners, and the latter is growing in popularity due to it’s wood-like appearance, durability, and cost.
Other articles you should read: