If you own laminate floors, you’ll know that this type of flooring material is strong and durable. It’s also stain-resistant, which makes mopping up spills easier. But, when it comes to cleaning your laminate floors, you have to be careful to prevent damaging it.
Can you deep clean laminate floors? You can give your laminate floors a thorough clean, but you have to be careful as exposing laminate to too much water can cause it to warp.
With that in mind, here’s everything you need to know about how to deep clean your laminate floors. One of the common issues you might have with your laminate flooring is that it tends to become dull – a deep clean can bring it back to life.
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Why Is There Residue On Laminate Flooring?
If your laminate floor is a bit sticky or looks a bit dull, it needs a deep clean. The reason why this happens is that cleaning products can cause a residue to accumulate on the laminate. An ammonia-free cleaner like Windex can be used to remove the residue.
Spray it onto a section of the floor and let it sit for two minutes. Then, use a sponge to rub it. Use a clean cloth or towel to wipe the area to remove any cleaning product residue. Repeat this process on all sections of the floor.
How To Deep Clean Laminate Floors
Removing residue that’s on the surface of your laminate floor is just one way to make it look sparkly and new. Here are other ways to give it a deep clean.
Wash Laminate Floors With Vinegar
If you want to give your dirty laminate floors a thorough clean, you should use vinegar. This is a natural solution and it also helps to make laminate floors shiny while removing unpleasant odors.
Fill a spray bottle with equal parts vinegar and water. Shake it well and then spray the floor in sections. Use a microfiber mop so that you can remove the solution. You’ll see how it makes the laminate floor shine.
Another way to use vinegar to clean your laminate floor is to add a cup of vinegar to a gallon of water. Put it in a bucket and dip your mop into this DIY cleaning solution. Wring it out and then mop your floor in sections.
Clean Your Floors With Alcohol
Another way to deep clean your laminate floors is to use alcohol, and you can use rubbing alcohol or vodka. These both work well as disinfectants. Alcohol is also great for deep cleaning your laminate floor if there are stains on it.
Mix together equal parts alcohol and water, and put it in a spray bottle. Use this cleaning solution when mopping your floor.
Consider Commercial Floor Cleaners
You can also purchase commercial floor cleaners to clean your laminate floor, but you have to ensure these are safe for laminate. If the product contains any oil or wax, do not use it. These ingredients make laminate slippery and they also produce a residue.
Whenever you use a commercial cleaning product, always read the label and ensure you follow the instructions so that you use it correctly.
Some products don’t need to be rinsed after you’ve mopped your floors with them, but the drawback of these is that they can cause residue.
Effective Spot Cleaners For Laminate Floors
When cleaning your laminate floor, you might see some areas that require a deeper clean, such as if there are stains. This is why some spot treatments can be effective. Here are the best ones to try.
Acetone
Acetone is a useful DIY ingredient that can be used to remove stains such as crayons or spilled paint. Simply apply some nail polish remover to a cloth or paper towel, then rub the stain. Repeat this until the stain is effectively removed.
Ice
Ice is a handy DIY stain remover, especially ideal for removing grease stains. Just apply an ice pack to the stain and let it freeze. When the grease has become frozen, you can scrape it off with a dull or plastic tool. Note that if you don’t have an ice pack, you can use a different frozen item, such as a bag of frozen peas.
Products To Avoid When Cleaning Your Laminate Flooring
While laminate flooring is quite durable, it can be scuffed or damaged, so you want to avoid cleaning it with certain tools or cleaning products. Here are the top ones to avoid.
Abrasive Tools
These include steel wool or stiff brushes that can scratch the protective layer of the laminate.
Polish and Wax
If you use polish or wax on your laminate floor, this can cause residue on its surface and it also makes it slippery, which can be dangerous. Use vinegar instead.
Ammonia
This can damage your laminate flooring, even though it works well to remove stains from it. If you apply it to a stain on your laminate floor, note that you have to remove it quickly so that it doesn’t strip the surface coating.
Step-By-Step Guide On How To Clean Laminate Flooring
Remove Debris and Dirt
When cleaning your laminate floor, the first thing to do is remove any dust or debris. You don’t want to immediately wet mop your floor because any gritty debris that’s present will scratch the laminate. So, start with a dry mop.
You can also use a vacuum cleaner that has a hard-floor setting.
Mop Your Floor
Once you’ve removed the dirt and debris from the laminate floor, you can wet mop it. Use a cleaning solution, such as vinegar and water, and spray it in small sections of the floor. Mop it with a microfiber cloth head.
This will collect debris and it’s soft so it won’t scratch the laminate. Make sure you mop the cleaning solution quickly to prevent moisture from seeping into the laminate floor.
Dry The Floor
Let the laminate floor dry properly. Use a microfiber mop head to buff the laminate floor until it’s dry. Work slowly in circles until you can see that it’s dry and glossy.
How To Maintain Your Laminate Flooring
Now that you’ve followed the previous steps to clean your laminate floor, you should ensure you maintain it properly so that it stays in good condition. Here are some tips.
Use Doormats In The Home
This will prevent you from trailing dirt and debris into the home that can get onto the laminate floor and scratch it.
Install Furniture Pads
These go underneath the legs of your furniture to protect the floor from scuffs.
Clean Spills As Soon As They Happen
Don’t let spills hang around on the laminate floor. This can cause them to soak into the planks and cause the floor to warp or become discolored.
Sweep Your Floors Regularly
You should have a broom handy so that you can quickly and easily remove dust and debris from the laminate floor. This will prevent dirt from accumulating which can cause scratches to the laminate over time.
Avoid Direct Sunlight
UV rays can damage your laminate floor and cause its color to fade, so make sure you have curtains or blinds installed in the room where you’ve got laminate flooring. You can also put rugs in the home to prevent the floors from being exposed to too much sun.
Do Repairs Regularly
A laminate floor contains composite wood layers, but you can’t sand or refinish it because the top layer is essentially a wood print product.
If your laminate flooring has become a bit damaged, you can do DIY repair.
It’s, therefore, a good idea to store some extra planks in the home so that you have them when you require them.
If the damage to the laminate floor is small, you can repair it with a floor-filler product instead of having to replace the planks. You can also use a wax pencil to hide small scratches.
Related Questions
Is Laminate Flooring Better Than Vinyl?
While vinyl floors can be more affordable than laminate, laminate flooring provides a more realistic appearance of wood.
Can You Install Laminate In The Bathroom?
Laminate flooring can work in the bathroom, but you must ensure that it doesn’t get exposed to a lot of water and that the seams between the planks are tight so moisture can’t penetrate them.
Conclusion
If you have laminate flooring in the home, you need to follow some important tips to make it cleaner. In this article, we’ve looked at how to clean laminate floors, giving them a thorough clean without scuffing or otherwise damaging them.