I’ve become somewhat of an expert at flooring, and I can say, without a doubt, that dirty floors are annoying and frustrating. Sometimes, you don’t even understand why they get dirty so quickly. While frustrated, you may be wondering to yourself the following: “Why is my kitchen floor always dirty?”
There are a number of possible reasons why your kitchen floor is always dirty. For instance, high foot traffic is a common cause of dirty kitchen floors. Nobody cleaning up after cooking, dirty HVAC filters, dirt being blown in through windows and doors, and pets are other common reasons for dirty kitchen floors.
Beyond these reasons, it could be due to a cleaning regimen or system that isn’t effective at removing stubborn stains and dirt.
I am of the belief that it is far better to prevent dirty floors than it is to clean them.
So, in this article, I’m going to share a list of solutions to these common causes for dirty kitchen floors.
But, before we get into those solutions, let’s take a closer look at the reasons for your kitchen floors being so dirty and dusty.
5 Causes Of Dirty Kitchen Floors
1. High foot traffic
When you live in a home with a lot of kids or people passing through on a daily basis, it’s almost unavoidable for dirt to accumulate.
Even with preventative measures in place, it’s hard to avoid spills from occurring or other forms of dirt from falling or spreading onto the floor.
This is especially true for the kitchen given that it’s the one place that contains all the food in your home.
High foot traffic through the kitchen is bound to make your floors dirty.
If people aren’t removing their shoes, chances are, they’re carrying dirt onto the kitchen floor from under their shoes.
In other cases, a mess in one spot can be spread to the rest of the floor due to people unconsciously walking around the kitchen.
2. Nobody is cleaning up after cooking
As we all know, cooking can be a messy chore. You’re dealing with all sorts of liquids, edible items, cans, wrappers, paper towels, and so on.
Unless you work in an organized manner in one corner of the kitchen while disposing of anything that could spread dirt on the floor, you’re going to end up with a dirty kitchen floor.
There’s just too many things that can be considered dirt and they are the type of dirt that can make your kitchen floor sticky, smelly, and discolored.
The longer you leave the kitchen uncleaned, the more dirt will eventually end up on the floors.
Similarly, if you aren’t cleaning the kitchen floor regularly, it will always be dirty because it’s constantly exposed to the risk of dirt.
3. Dust and dirt is being circulated through your HVAC
In some cases, the reason why your kitchen floor is always dirty may have nothing to do with cooking or high foot traffic.
Perhaps, your HVAC is not operational or the filter is clogged with dirt and dust.
Rather than providing clean, cool or warm air, it’s actually spreading dirt and dust throughout your home which makes its way onto the floor.
It’s an overlooked cause of dirt because the kitchen is notorious for being dirty due to the nature of its use.
But, if you find that no amount of organization or cleaning of the kitchen prevents your floors from being dirty and dusty, check the HVAC.
4. Dirt is being blown in via windows or doors in the kitchen
Another possibility for why your kitchen floors are so dirty is because it’s situated in a location that is prone to outside dirt being blown inside.
This was a problem that we faced in our home. The garden spreads around most of the home and whenever it’s windy outside, stuff gets blown inside.
Our kitchen floor would often be dirty with sand, leaves, rubble, and other things.
It was only until we installed a net in front of the kitchen windows and closed the door that we reduced the amount of dirt on the kitchen floor.
5. Pets are contributing to the mess
Like me, if you love animals and have pets, cleaning up after them is a part of the job.
If they’re not trained properly, they will sometimes pee or poo on the kitchen floor.
When eating or munching on snacks, they may leave a mess behind.
Alternatively, shedding of fur can often cause your kitchen floors to be dirty, not to mention the dirt that travels from under their paws whenever they go outdoors and come back in.
How Do I Keep My Kitchen Floor From Getting Dirty?
Vacuum regularly
One of the most effective ways to prevent dirt, dust, and fur from accumulating and spreading through kitchen floors is to vacuum.
Make it a habit to vacuum at least once or twice per week depending on how busy your kitchen is and the rate at which the floors get dirty.
You can reduce the amount of time needed to vacuum by implementing other cleaning rituals that keep your floors clean and dust free.
The Bissel 2254 CleanView Vacuum is an excellent product for most home owners that offers elite features. It can easily suck up most dirt, dust, spills, and grime. It has an automatic cord rewind, a triple action brush roll, edge-to-edge cleaning, and special pet cleaning tools. It’s a must-have for any home owner and is highly reviewed on Amazon.
Sweep your kitchen floor daily
A quick way to get rid of light dirt and dust is to sweep every morning or every evening.
I prefer to sweep at the end of the day when everyone is done eating dinner because the kitchen is usually dirty at that point and nobody will be in the kitchen until the next day.
It won’t take more than 5 minutes to do a quick round through the kitchen but it can minimize the need to vacuum twice per week.
Use rugs and mats
To protect your kitchen floors, it’s a good idea to have some rugs or mats placed in key areas that are prone to mess.
By doing this, you can minimize the amount of dirt on the floor. Instead, you can focus your attention towards cleaning or dusting the rug and mat if it has been dirtied.
This beats having to wipe or clean the entire kitchen floor on a daily basis.
Don’t allow anyone to use shoes indoors unless they are clean
I’ve talked about this quite frequently but I love the fact that Asian countries have separate shoes for indoor and outdoor activities.
Rather than spreading dirt on your floors from walking outside, everyone can remove their shoes and slip into indoor shoes or slippers that are clean and dirt free.
We’ve been doing this all our lives and it’s been an effective way to keep floors clean and dirt free.
Mop the kitchen floor once per week
We can vacuum and sweep our floors as much as we want, but certain dirt needs to be washed off.
Sticky food, mud, and other liquid stains have to be washed and removed.
This is why it’s necessary for you to mop the kitchen floor once per week.
Start from one end and work your way to the other. Be sure to spend extra time on spots that have the most dirt.
Additionally, change the water if you notice that it turns murky or brown. You would be spreading dirty water with the mop throughout your floors and that defeats the purpose of mopping.
Also, spot treat your kitchen floor immediately to minimize the amount of times you have to mop.
Clean your floors with the right detergents and chemicals
Wiping your floors with warm water is great but not if you’re trying to remove stubborn stains, odors, mud, and sticky dirt.
You need to use the right type of detergent or cleaning agent that breaks down stubborn dirt and eliminates odors from your floors.
You’d only have to do this once a week when mopping but your kitchen floors will be super clean, shiny, and smooth afterwards.
Work in a clean fashion when cooking
Prevention is better than cure.
So, create an environment that encourages safe and proper disposal of food and dirt without dirtying your floors.
Place one or two bins in key areas of the kitchen that are usually the hot spots for dirt.
Keep a dustpan and broom at arm’s length to do a quick brush up after using the kitchen.
Install a thin net in front of the window to prevent dirt and dust from flying inside during windy days.
All these little changes can go a long way in keeping your kitchen from getting dirty.
Final Thoughts
That brings us to the end of this article on why your kitchen floor is dirty all the time.
If you can fix those common problems while implementing the tactics shared for preventing and cleaning your floors, I’m more than certain that dirty kitchen floors will no longer be an issue in your household.
Be that as it may, if you enjoyed this article and would like to learn more about cleaning floors, check out some of these helpful articles below:
How do I keep my floor from getting dusty?