3 Best Hygienic Flooring Choices for Cleanliness & Health
In both residential and commercial settings, especially those with children, pets, or medical concerns, having hygienic flooring is a top priority! Hygienic flooring is defined by its ability to resist the growth of mold, mildew, and bacteria, and, most importantly, by its ability to be easily cleaned and fully disinfected.
The most hygienic flooring options are almost always hard, non-porous surfaces that are seamlessly installed to eliminate potential hiding spots for contaminants. Let’s explore the three best hygienic flooring choices in South Florida:
Three Best Advantages of Hygienic Flooring
- Non-Porous Surface: Porous materials (like unsealed stone or grout) can absorb and trap moisture and pathogens. Hygienic floors must be completely non-porous to prevent growth.
- Seamless Installation: Gaps, seams, and grout lines are collection points for dirt, bacteria, and allergens. The best options are designed to minimize or eliminate these transitions.
- Chemical Resistance: The floor must be able to withstand frequent cleaning and chemical disinfectants without breaking down or fading.
Top Choices for the Most Hygienic Flooring
1. Porcelain Tile – Porcelain is fired at extremely high temperatures, resulting in a glass-like body that is completely non-porous and waterproof, resisting all moisture and staining. The only weak point is the grout lines, which are porous. Using large-format tile and sealing the grout with a quality epoxy or cementitious sealer is essential to maintain hygiene.
2. Luxury Vinyl Plank/Tile (LVP/LVT) – Modern luxury vinyl is 100% waterproof and its surface is completely non-porous, making luxury vinyl care and maintenance quick and easy to disinfect. Many high-end products are also treated with antimicrobial agents to actively resist the growth of mold and mildew. Although click-and-lock luxury vinyl installation creates very tight seams, but LVP is not perfectly seamless.
3. Resin/Epoxy Flooring – As the gold standard for hospitals, commercial kitchens, and labs, epoxy floors are applied as a liquid over a concrete slab that cures into a single, continuous, seamless surface. There are no seams, cracks, or grout lines—nowhere for bacteria to hide. While less common in residential homes, epoxy is perfect for laundry rooms, garages, and utility areas where absolute cleanliness and chemical resistance are necessary.
Shopping for Hygienic Floors in South Florida
For the cleanest, safest, and most disinfected surface in your South Florida home, stick to hard, non-porous options with minimal seams. Dolphin Carpet & Tile has proudly been the market leader for floor covering in South Florida and we can help you find the hygienic surfaces you need for residential homes as well as businesses.
Contact us or visit our Florida flooring showrooms: Coral Springs, Davie, Deerfield Beach, Doral, Fort Lauderdale, North Miami, Pembroke Pines, Pinecrest-Palmetto Bay, and West Kendall, FL!