If you have looked in the cleaning supply aisle of a grocery or discount store lately, you might wonder how so many products could be necessary to keep your floor clean. They all claim to be the best. They all claim to be unique. But how can that be?

All over floor mopping requires a mop, warm water and soap. But which soap to choose? That depends on your floor finishing.

If youve chosen a hard wood floor covering that has been finished with a coating like polyurethane, you can be less choosey with your soap choice. You can choose a hardwood floor cleaner or an all purpose cleaner (FULLER Labor Saver Floor Cleaner).

Though finished floors cost more to put into your home, they can save on cleaning products, since youll be able to use one cleaner for all of the hard floors in your home. Tile, linoleum, wood laminate and finished hardwood floors can all be cleaned with an all purpose cleaner. The one soap you will want to avoid is oil soap. Oil soaps can create a film on the surface, making it difficult and more costly to refinish.

For unfinished floors, you will need to be a bit more fastidious when choosing a cleaner. Oil soaps can cause a film on your floors, so they should be avoided. All purpose soaps may be too harsh for your unfinished wood. If your floor is unfinished wood, you should choose a mild soap. You should not use your tile or linoleum cleaner on unfinished wood floors.

Once you have your floor cleaning product, you should know the steps to correctly clean your floor.

First, sweep your entire floor. You will need to move your furniture to sweep underneath it regularly. Do not drag your furniture, though, make sure you lift it. Otherwise, you will end up with scratches and dings that require much more work to remove.

Second, pick up as much of the collected dirt and grit with a dustpan with a rubber contact, to avoid scratches.

Third, you will need a mop that will not damage your floors. Choose a mop without scrubbers and without metal that contacts the floor. A sponge mop is a good choice (FULLER sponge mop).

Fourth, run some warm water into a bucket that will fit your mop. Add floor cleaner to the water as the manufacturer recommends.

Next, saturate your mop then ring out very, very well. The more water you can get out of the mop, the better. Then mop your floor, starting on one side of the room and continuing to the other. Rinse and ring out your mop often.

Finally, let your floor dry. If you have rung out your mop well, this should be speedy. If you notice any puddles, dry with a towel to avoid water spots.

Whether you choose a finished or unfinished hardwood floor, make sure you choose the cleaning product appropriate for your floor. If you choose the right cleaning product your floor should be strong under your feet for years to come.