The Ultimate Guide to Floor Cleaning: How to Clean Hardwood, Tile, and Carpet

You may not realize your floor is dirty... til you take your socks off and realize it's been week since you mopped.

Dust, crumbs, spills, muddy paws, outdoor dirt, and a few mystery marks no one is willing to claim, it all ends up underfoot. Keeping your floors clean starts with knowing what each surface needs and using the right product for the mess.

From washing hardwood and tile with Nellie’s WOW TOO and Floor Care to spot-treating carpets with Pet Stain and Odour Remover, here’s your guide to cleaning the floors throughout your home.

Always Start With a Sweep

Before adding water or cleaning solution, sweep or vacuum the floor thoroughly.

Removing dust, crumbs, hair, and other loose debris prevents it from turning into a damp mess when you start mopping. Pay extra attention to corners, baseboards, underneath furniture, and other areas where dust likes to gather unnoticed.

For carpets and rugs, vacuum slowly in more than one direction to help lift embedded dirt and hair from the fibres.

This step might not be exciting, but neither is finding a wet dust bunny attached to your mop.

How to Clean Hardwood Floors

Hardwood floors should be cleaned with as little excess moisture as possible. Too much water can settle between the boards and potentially damage certain wood or finishes.

After sweeping or vacuuming, use diluted Floor Care with the WOW TOO Mop, spraying as you go, its super convenient! Work in small sections and allow the floor to dry promptly.

How to Clean Tile and Ceramic Floors

Tile and ceramic floors can handle regular washing, but dirt often collects around edges, textured surfaces, and grout lines.

Sweep or vacuum first, then wash the floor with diluted Floor Care. For stubborn spots, let the mop work over the area a little longer. For a bonus clean and if you want to use a little extra elbow grease, you can even use the Nellie's Kitchen Brush to scrub in the grout lines.

Why We Love Nellie’s Floor Care:

Nellie’s Floor Care is a plant-based, biodegradable floor-cleaning solution designed to tackle household dirt and odours.

It contains no harsh chemicals, phosphates, or strong perfumes and leaves behind a light, refreshing lemongrass scent. It can be used on hardwood, tile, ceramic, and other washable floors.

Floor Care was specially formulated for Nellie’s mops, but it can also be diluted in a bucket and used with a regular mop.

When using it with the WOW TOO, shake the bottle and combine one part Floor Care with three parts water in the mop’s reservoir.

Make Mopping Easier With the WOW TOO

The WOW TOO is a rechargeable electric mop designed to take some of the work out of washing floors.

Its self-propelled scrubbing action helps it glide across the floor, while the built-in spray function dispenses solution where it is needed. An LED light helps reveal dust and dirt hiding under furniture and in darker corners.

The WOW TOO also features an internal solution tank, a removable battery, and a reworked spray system designed to help prevent clogging.

No heavy bucket. No dirty mop water. No pretending you didn’t see what was hiding under the couch.

Scrub, Absorb, and Polish

The WOW TOO uses reusable Scrub & Polish Pads with a dual-purpose design.

The front microfibre pad scrubs the floor and absorbs liquid, while the back pad polishes and dries the surface as you move. Together, they help lift dirt instead of spreading it around the room.

Replace the pads when they become heavily soiled, especially when moving between different areas of the home.

After cleaning, wash them with a fragrance-free detergent, we recommend Nellie’s Laundry Soda. Do not use fabric softener, as it can coat the microfibre and reduce its absorbency.

How to Clean Carpet Stains

Carpets cannot be tossed into the washing machine every time someone spills a drink, so acting quickly is important.

Remove any solids, then gently blot up as much liquid as possible. Avoid aggressively rubbing the stain, as this can spread it or push it deeper into the carpet fibres.

Shake Pet Stain and Odour Remover, spray it liberally over the problem area, and let it sit longer for tougher stains. Scrub with a cloth or brush, then wipe the area clean.

Although it was designed for pet accidents, its enzyme-based formula can also help break down other compatible organic messes on carpets and fabrics. That makes it useful for more than puppy puddles, because pets are not the only members of the household who spill things.

How to Keep Carpets Smelling Fresh

Regular vacuuming is the easiest way to stop dirt, hair, and debris from settling deep into carpets and rugs.

Treat spills and accidents promptly rather than waiting for the stain—or smell—to become permanent. After spot-cleaning, allow the area to dry completely and keep pets and people away from it while it dries. 

Common Floor-Cleaning Mistakes

A few small mistakes can make your floors harder to clean:

• Mopping without sweeping or vacuuming first

• Using too much cleaning solution

• Saturating hardwood floors with water

• Scrubbing carpet stains aggressively

• Using one dirty mop pad throughout the entire home

• Washing microfibre pads with fabric softener

• Using products without checking the floor’s care instructions

The best approach is usually simple: remove loose dirt, use the correct amount of product, and clean stains as soon as possible.

A Complete Floor-Cleaning Routine

Different floors need different care, but keeping them clean does not have to be complicated.

Vacuum carpets and rugs regularly, treat stains with Pet Stain and Odour Remover, and wash compatible hard floors with plant-based Floor Care.

For easier hard-floor cleaning, use the rechargeable WOW TOO with washable Scrub & Polish Pads.

From crumbs and footprints to spills and mysterious carpet surprises, Nellie’s has the products to help you handle whatever lands on your floors.

Because life gets messy, but your floors don’t have to stay that way.