Dust or Dirt

Laminate floors are meant to deflect dust and dirt, so there’s no need for cleaner if that’s the only thing on your laminated floor.  Even if it doesn’t look like dust or dirt, you’re going to need to sweep first anyway, so you may as well do that before investing in laminate floor cleaner.  Even mud will often give up with the nudge of a broom, or the suction of a vacuum.  Be careful using a vacuum, though.  If it doesn’t have a “hard floor” option, or something along those lines, see if you can remove the belt from the beater bar, or if there’s a lever to disengage it.  Do NOT try to use a vacuum with the beater bar still activated on your laminated flooring unless you want to sort of damage/buff it.

Mud That Won’t Move, Or Unknown Substances

Something on the floor that you can’t just sweep or vacuum?  Try just using warm water.  Be sure not to leave any water standing, though.  Laminate flooring warps very quickly, turning a simple clean-up job into a nightmare.  You can also typically use a very little bit of dish soap if the warm water alone doesn’t cut it.  In fact, many people swear by using dish soap instead of laminate floor cleaner, but it seems to me that something that cuts through grease might not be the best thing for laminate floors.  Feel free to scrub at it a bit, but make sure you’re not using anything abrasive.  This includes things you might scrub dishes with, or dry sponges.  You’re wanting to remove it using pressure more than scratching it away.  There are some scrapers that can be used on laminate flooring, but make sure that they’re the plastic type that actually says on the packaging that they are safe for use with laminate.

Stains

So the physical substance has been removed, but a stain remains.  When it comes to flooring, laminate is about as stain resistant as it gets, but most things that will stain counter-tops will also stain laminate floors including, but not limited to, wine, Kool-Aid and just about any real fruit juices.  It’s important to note that you may not even need laminate floor cleaner if the liquid is quickly cleaned up.  However, if you do have a stain that won’t come up with warm water, you will need to invest in some laminate floor cleaner.  Be sure to purchase only the cleaner that is recommended by the manufacturer of your laminate floor.  If you don’t know the manufacturer, or you can’t find whatever laminate floor cleaner they recommend, be sure to at least stick with a known, name brand.  Cheap laminate flooring cleaner is just asking for trouble, and it’s not like you’ll use it often enough that it’s worth the savings.  Even with a good, known brand name, try to test it in an inconspicuous area, and wait a bit after using it to make sure it does not dull the finish of your laminate floor.  Do not try to mop your whole floor with laminate floor cleaner, and do not coat the stain and let it soak.  You should be able to just spray the stain, and wipe it up.

Believe it or not, laminate floors were only introduced in the US market about a decade ago, yet it has already become one of the fastest selling floor types in the US today. Ease of installation, low prices, and ability to withstand punishment are some of the most likely reasons for laminate flooring’s popularity. Billions of square feet of laminate floor have been sold to homeowners throughout the country, and far more worldwide, being placed in many new homes in many new subdivisions as well as used to replacement in older homes to give them a much more modern look.

Manufacturers of flooring have been very quick to pick up on the laminate floor trend and most now produce laminated floor tiles and planks in a truly ridiculous array of colors, textures, and styles. Not only that, but there are many different installation formats as well for laminate floor, such as click lock, floating, and gluedown to mention but a few.

Pergo and Armstrong, for example, have become household names and many others are making a name for themselves by bringing to market high quality flooring in finishes and styles that surprise even the most jaded of consumers.  Pergo has a very pretty walnut laminate flooring as well as an extremely popular maple laminate flooring, and Armstrong is very proud of their SwiftLock laminate flooring which promises easy installation.  With Quick Step laminate flooring, laminate has become even easier to install yourself, not that installing laminate flooring was ever particularly difficult.  There’s also always companies offering discount laminate floors if you’re willing to add a little risk to your laminate flooring installation.

With all of these choices to choose from, buyers will often become confused when trying to choose the right floor for them. In addition, AC Ratings and various groove and tongue systems can really convolute things. With this type of flooring being rather young, the options are sure to expand and become even more confusing as time goes on, though there will always be those who are brave enough to attempt their own laminate floor installation no matter how complicated the landscape becomes.

Be sure to look around, either on the web or at your local hardware store, so that you can learn about laminate floor, it’s durability, and see just how affordable it can be.  Be careful though, as with everything else, cheap laminate flooring may not be up to par with the more expensive, better known brands.