How to Clean Laminate Floors

How do you clean laminate floors and ensure they shine?

Cleaning or taking care of the floors takes different forms. In other words, certain floor cleaning strategies are best suited to specific types of floors.

Here, we will be discussing laminate floors and how to shine them. You can also take a look at the cost of cleaning floors professionally.

Laminate floors have become a trend in the building industry because they are easy to install and cost-effective. These floors are made of wood composite materials fused with a lamination process, but that’s about how far we’ll go.

Our primary concern is how to clean or take care of your laminate floors. When it comes to cleaning hardwood floors, the strategies are somewhat different.

How to Clean Laminate Wood Floors

This section discusses how you can clean and take care of your laminate floors. To keep your floors shiny and attractive, you must know just what to do.

Other cleaning methods that apply to different floor types might prove a disaster when applied to this type of floor. So, without further ado, here are ways to clean your laminate floors.

• Water And Laminate Floors Don’t Mix!

If you want to maintain the sparkle of your floor, then water should be totally out of the equation. This means even avoiding spilling water on such foundations. Spilled water should be wiped off immediately.

Laminate floors are made of wood. And although a thin film of resin laminates it, such water can easily penetrate cracks or scratches and get to the wood.

This can be quite a challenge if you keep pets. Water is likely to be spilled when they drink water from their water bowl. Therefore, you prevent this by placing an absorbent mat underneath such a carpet.

This will have to be checked and replaced if it gets wet.

Altogether avoid the use of wet mops on laminate floors. These hold water and will cause problems when used continuously on such bases. The only exception is using damp mops in addition to certain cleaning products.

This is safe if the floor dries up within a few seconds.

Can you use Swiffer wet on hardwood floors? No. The cleaning solution in wet mops is water-based; it is not advisable.

• Vacuum, Dust, Or Sweep

These are some of the best ways to clean laminate floors. You can use either vacuum, dust, or sweep such floors. This way, dirt is easily removed without causing damage to it. However, while cleaning using any of the above, you must be careful to avoid causing any scratches.

One way to do this is by checking your broom, duster, or vacuum for any features that might dull or cause scratches to such flooring.

• Use Laminate Floor Cleaning Products

Another way to keep your laminate floors looking shiny and beautiful is by using products specially designed for this purpose. So many products have been formulated for this purpose.

What can you use to clean laminate floors?

A few include ZEP Hardwood and Laminate Floor Cleaner, Black Diamond Wood and Laminate Floor Cleaner, and Rejuvenate All Floors Restorer.

Other laminate floor cleaning products include Best Life Natural Plant Based Best Hardwood Floor Cleaner, Quick Shine Multi-Surface Floor Finish and Polish, Folex Professional Deodorizing Hardwood Floor Cleaner, and Bona Stone Tile and Laminate Floor Care System.

These are only a few of so many others. Before using any of these or other laminate cleaning products, follow the instructions. This is crucial for the best results and for preserving the look and lifespan of your laminate floors.

• Homemade Laminate Floor Cleaner

This is one practical way to clean the laminate floor naturally.

A mixture of 3 parts water, one part vinegar, and one squirt of dishwashing detergent is one of the best laminate floor cleaner solutions for shine.

While laminate cleaning products are designed specifically for such floors, non-laminated cleaning products must be avoided. Doing so might cause delamination, warping, and joint lines, among other effects.

i. What To Watch Out For In A Cleaning Product

Before picking a laminate floor cleaning product off the shelves, you might want to find out what ingredients they are made of. Certain cleaning products might contain chemicals that may be harsh or harmful to your kids and pets.

Under such circumstances, you might want to go for safer or more natural laminate floor cleaners.

Knowing what your cleaning needs are is vital when choosing a cleaner. There are multi-purpose laminate floor cleaners that cater to specific conditions such as odors, scratches, or dull surfaces. Find out what cleaning product best fits your needs.

That way, you’ll pick the right cleaning agent for the job.

Applying a laminate floor cleaner should also influence your choice of a cleaning product. The size of your home and having the proper equipment matter. Some products will require using a spray mop, while others might require using a spray mop.

Whatever these requirements are, you must choose the most suitable.

• Frequent Vacuuming Or Dust-Mopping

If you live in a dust-prone or sandy area, your laminate floors might require more cleaning.

Beach houses or properties within and around desert regions need this more often. Your vacuum cleaner will be of much use in such conditions. You will also need to dust-mop more frequently too.

The beater bar of vacuum cleaners must be deactivated during cleaning. You must also set the machine on the lowest setting for the best results.

You can also check for the best laminate floor cleaner machine to buy using online reviews.

• Do Not Use Steam Cleaners

Steam mops or cleaners are great for frequently cleaning other floor types but not ideal for frequently laminating floors. So, what are the reasons?

Here is why cleaning laminate floors with a steam mop is not recommended.

Steam is water that penetrates such flooring much more accessible than ordinary water. This results in warped laminate floors. What more? As water penetrates the lamination, the wood starts to swell, spoiling its beauty.

In addition to water seeping into and damaging the lamination, heat is also not good. This is because it hurts the glue holding the laminate.

So, steam cleaners are great for cleaning other floor types, but they mustn’t be used on laminate floors due to their unsuitability.

• Never Use Abrasive Cleaners On Laminate Floors

Laminate floors are designed to give out brilliance. This shiny look must be maintained while cleaning. The use of abrasives is a big no for such floors. This is because it creates scratches and dulls the brilliant look of laminate floors.

Although this flooring type is one of the most durable hardwood floors, it will turn ugly and unsightly when using abrasive cleaners.

It does not matter what type of abrasive cleaner is used. All abrasives are bad for laminate floors. Apart from abrasive cleaners, pet nails are likely to cause scratching. This is more common when cats spot or chase rodents around.

To prevent this, you only need to trim their overgrown nails.

• Removing Stuck Dirt Or Stains On Laminate Flooring

It is common to experience problems with stuck dirt such as dried chewing gum or stains like nail polish. For dried chewing gum, you should keep a plastic knife close by. This can gently dislodge dried chewing gum whenever and wherever it’s found.

Nail polish, on the other hand, nail polish can be gotten rid of by using a nail polish remover. This is common in most households and can be used to keep your laminate floors free of nail polish or similar stains.

• Use Non-Abrasive Microfiber Cloth

The use of damp non-abrasive microfiber cloth is ideal for cleaning laminate floors. This completely removes dirt without leaving residues. There are also mops attached with microfiber material.

These are your best cleaning tools and are must-haves if you must keep a shiny and well-maintained laminate floor.

• Use Door or Entry Mats

Whenever you step out of your house, your shoes are likely to collect grit, sand, and other forms of dirt. Without a doormat, these will cling to your boots and cause abrasion to your floors.

Hence, you must get a doormat that helps collect all the dirt before you get in.

• Get A Humidifier For The Dry Season

During the dry seasons, the level of humidity drops significantly. This affects laminate floors as it causes shrinkage, which damages your floors.

One way to fight back is by getting a humidifier. This helps keep the air humid, thereby preventing shrinkage from happening. You might want to regulate the heat generated by electrical gadgets too.

• Avoid Pulling Or Sliding Heavy Objects

When moving heavy objects within a home, there’s the tendency to slide or push them across. This damages laminate floors easily. You might want to lift and move such heavy objects to avoid that.

Also, consider placing pads beneath heavy objects such as tables, chairs, and drawers.

• The Bottom Line

The cleaning of laminate floors requires soft and gentle procedures. Also, this should be devoid of water and heat.

We have mentioned cleaning products most suitable for this type of cleaning. The more you stick to using the recommended cleaning strategies, the longer your floors will last. Also, remember that using abrasives of any kind should be avoided.

Homeowners with laminate floors have always asked questions about the best ways to maintain their feet. As a result, many theories have been given as the best alternative.

One significant confusion stands out among such theories, and that is if the water is suitable or not for cleaning laminate floors. That confusion has been fully addressed in this article.

Using the above strategies extends the lifespan of your laminate floors through cleaning.