The floors are an important element in house cleaning. In high traffic areas, floor surfaces are exposed to many feet trotting across them on a daily basis. With human feet and pet feet, if animals are allowed in the home, the floors get a lot of wear and tear. Often dust and dirt particles can become a permanent feature of the floor surface if they are not correctly cleaned. This article features some tips on how you can clean your hard floor surfaces among your domestic cleaning chores and keep them looking spick and span.Consider some preventative methods when it comes to keeping your hard floor surfaces clean. These methods will also help protect surfaces against scratch marks as well. -    Place floor protectors under furniture legs, particular heavy items such as couches and bookcases-    Place rugs in high traffic areas such as hallways and children’s play areas-    Place  a mat at the inside and outside of the door to catch the majority to dust and dirt debrisHard floor surfaces normally consist of wooden floorboards, tiles, ceramic or linoleum. Carpet cleaning requires different care and attention so here will just focus on hard floor surfaces. FloorboardsStart by sweeping with a hard bristled broom. Avoid vacuuming as this can leave scratches in the wooden floor surface. Sweep, and then use a microfiber cloth or mop to go over the surface again. Ceramic FloorsThe first step is to sweep and vacuum ceramic floors. A microfiber cloth or mop is the most effective way to sweep these floor surfaces as they collect the dust the best. Next, for mopping, fill a bucket with two parts hot water and two parts vinegar. Ensure the mop is clean and dust free before beginning. Always squeeze excess water out of the mop before mopping. Linoleum or vinylThese floor surfaces are very durable and can be cleaned using any method. Vacuuming is fine on these surfaces, as it using a broom or mop. The good thing about these durable floor surfaces is that you can use a combination of methods to ensure the floor is entirely clean. TilesMopping is the best form of defence when it comes to keeping your tiles clean. Using a bucket of hot, soapy water, wring out the mop thoroughly before mopping the floor. Use a clean, microfiber mop for the best results. The above mentioned cleaning methods should be done a regular basis when it comes to domestic cleaning. However, there can be oil or grime and dust build ups that these methods don’t remove. At least twice a year, you should have your hard floor surfaces professionally deep cleaned. There are many professional cleaning agencies and cleaning companies that specialise in cleaning hard floor surfaces. Hard floor surfaces can also be subject to stains and stain removals. To remove these, the key is to act quickly and efficiently. Don’t let the stain become ingrained in the fibres. Most stains will come out of hard floor surfaces using basic products. Below is a rough guide of how to remove stains from hard floor surfaces:-    Pet stains: apply bleach or vinegar and allow it to soak into the surface. Then remove by rinsing with a damp cloth.-    Oil based stains: use a cloth soaked with dishwashing detergent to rub the area. This will break down the great. Then rinse with clear water.-    Water marks: use a floor wax to rub the stain away.-    Shoe marks: marks left by high heeled shoes can be removed using a floor or steel wax and rubbing into the affected area.