Laminate Floor Facts

Something on your laminate floor making it look not as nice as it did?  Before you run out and buy laminate floor cleaner, which generally isn’t necessary, let’s consider the whole situation.  Many people who have had laminated floors for years and years never buy a single bottle of laminate floor cleaner.  You’d be amazed at just how much comes right up.

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.

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Have you been considering upgrading to laminate floors? Great idea! Laminated flooring is much easier to maintain than just about any other type of flooring, and the various styles available will knock your socks off. It’s also probably the easiest type of flooring to install yourself, if you so choose.

But after your laminated flooring is installed, how do you maintain it? If you’ve been using carpet or hardwood floors, then you’re probably thinking the process of keeping your laminate floor looking nice is going to be a bit different. In part, you would be correct, but laminated flooring is also very easy to maintain.

General cleaning of laminate floors is very simple. A normal sweeping job will take care of any dirt and dust, but you can use a vacuum if you so choose. Using a vacuum cleaner is a much better idea if you have any allergy sufferers in the home, as it contains the dirt and dust instead of knocking it about. Most modern vacuums, and some not so modern, have a switch or lever on them for non-carpeted floors.

If it doesn’t come off using only a broom or vacuum, you may have to put a bit more elbow grease into it. Luckily, a cloth moistened with a very little bit of plain water should take care of it for you. Just be sure to wipe the floor clean with a dry cloth afterward, as standing water is the enemy of the laminate wood flooring. Under no circumstances should your laminated flooring ever be wet mopped as this can lead to warping of the floors. Any standing water should always be cleaned up as soon as possible.

Every once in a while, you may encounter a heavy enough stain that plain water simply can’t touch it. For these times, most flooring retailers, be they online or your local hardware store, carry cleaner specifically made for laminate floors. As it’s very rare that you’ll have such stains, one bottle of laminate floor cleaner will go a long ways. Again, do not attempt to mop your floor with this cleaner. Simply follow the directions on the bottle and your laminated flooring will look like new again.

Never, ever use any kind of chemicals on your laminate floor that were not made especially for it. Any generic soap solutions can cause damage to your floor. Waxes, polishes, and sealers are also both harmful and completely unnecessary. Obviously any type of abrasive material is completely out of the question.

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