Stain removal guide: Kitchen floors and worktops

Spillages and stains in your new designer kitchen can be frustrating to say the least, but they certainly don’t have to be permanent. Act quickly enough and use the right materials and you’ll be able to get your worktops and flooring looking as good as new in no time.

On the blog today, we’re sharing a few tips on how to clean, maintain and remove stains on a few of the most popular surfaces.

Removing stains from your worktop

Porcelain and ceramic

Porcelain and ceramics require a bit of TLC. When giving them a regular weekly clean you should stick to using just warm soapy water. If there are stains to be removed, warm water and vinegar should do the trick.

Stainless steel

Stainless steel is pretty powerful when it comes to stains but it can show up oily fingerprints. Give your worktops that sparkling finish by removing these pesky marks with baking soda and a cloth. Never use coarse scouring materials to remove marks or stains – these will scratch and damage the surface.

Granite and marble

Granite and marble worktops can be easily stained because they are extremely porous. If spills aren’t wiped up quickly, they’ll soak in. To get rid of stains, create a solution by mixing together bicarbonate of soda and water to form a thick paste. Blot the stain with a clean cloth first to remove any excess liquid, then spray the mark with water. Cover the stain completely with the paste mixture and wrap the area with cling film. After 24 hours, you can remove the mixture and wipe clean the area with mild soap and water. The stain should have disappeared.

Removing stains from your kitchen floor

Wooden flooring

Keep your wooden floor in tip-top condition by mopping once a week, using soapy cleaner specifically for use on wood. Use water sparingly and avoid saturating the floor as this can lead to damage. On a day-to-day basis it’s a good idea to hoover or sweep wooden floors. When it comes to stains, a bit of cold water and mild detergent often does the trick. For shoe scuffs, try a rubber or eraser.

Laminate flooring

Laminate flooring should be swept or vacuumed on a weekly basis. You shouldn’t need to use water to clean the flooring – and generally we advise against this, even when there are stains to remove. Most stains and spills can be removed with regular household cleaners, but if you’ve managed to drop something like a lipstick or ink on the floor, remove as soon as possible with a cloth soaked in acetone.

Stone and tiled flooring

Mop stone or tiled floors with a soft, dry mop. You can use a hoover but it has to be used on a hard floor setting rather than a setting that uses a rotating brush. Once a week it’s a good idea to mop floors with a damp mop using detergent formulated for stone or tile. This method also should be used to clean up spills. With most spills and stains, the sooner you can clean it up, the better. Be careful not to use abrasive cleaners though, like scrubs, or cleaners containing acids like lemon or vinegar. These can damage the tile or stone surface of your floor.

Do you have any more tips to add to our stain removal guide? If so, tell us in the comments below, or share your advice with us over on Twitter @ModernKitchens