Here is how to clean a dirty and stained linoleum floor step by step.
No home will remain habitable without proper maintenance. Maintenance in this sense refers to floor cleaning. Here, we’re focusing on home floors with a special interest in those made of linoleum.
If you’re reading this, it’s likely that you have such floors and want to learn how best to clean them.
We’re all about informing the reader about how best to carry out both routine and thorough cleanups on linoleum floors. As such, you should have fewer problems if any at all, after reading through.
We know you can’t wait and neither can we so let’s delve right into the details.
What Are Linoleum Floors?
Linoleum floors are made from eco-friendly flooring material and are found in lots of homes.
These are produced in varieties of styles and colors to fit various customer needs. Its ability to bounce back or return to its original position after compression makes it great for flooring.
Materials used in making linoleum flooring or tiles include cork powder, linseed oil, limestone dust (in some cases), wood flour, and pine resins.
Some high-quality linoleum flooring materials come with an added protective coating. This helps prevent scratches and other forms of deterioration.
Now it’s common to confuse vinyl flooring with linoleum flooring materials due to their identical look. However, there’s a clear difference in the sense that linoleum sheets are known to be stiffer.
Cleaning Linoleum Floors That Is Yellowed
It was necessary to provide a little background on linoleum floors. This helps you better understand the material you’re dealing with. So, to clean linoleum floors, you’ll need to know and have the necessary supplies.
Before we get into details on floor cleaning supplies, it’s important to know that there are basically three cleaning options available. In other words, you have three alternatives when faced with a cleaning situation.
These include general cleaning, deep cleaning, and calling a cleaning service.
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General Cleaning of Linoleum Floors
This cleaning process isn’t as thorough and involves much frequent cleaning. Basic supplies include the vacuum cleaner, microfiber mop, soft-bristled broom, some dish soap, 1 cup vinegar, and some dish soap.
To begin, you’ll need to look out for high traffic areas. These receive the most dirt due to the constant movement of occupants within a home. Get your dry microfiber mop and scrub off all sorts of dust and debris from surfaces.
The same action is taken for all linoleum floor surfaces.
An alternative is to use a soft-bristled broom to avoid scratches on flooring. Vacuum cleaner attachments can also serve this cleaning purpose. With these, all forms of dirt and debris are gotten rid of.
The next action involves the use of a damp mop to clean the floor.
To make the mopping solution, add a cup of vinegar to about a gallon of hot water. A few drops of your dishwashing soap will suffice. With cleaning completed, get rid of the mixture and replace it with fresh water.
The floor should be mopped a second time using a damp mop.
It’s important to avoid stepping on cleaned linoleum floors until they’re completely dried. Doing otherwise could lead to avoidable accidents. Plus, the floors could easily get messed up.
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Deep Cleaning Linoleum Floors
The name alone says what’s involved. Deep cleaning linoleum floors should be performed less frequently. Such cleaning can be performed yearly or twice a year.
In a nutshell, deep cleaning frequency should be determined by how much foot traffic is involved.
The basic supplies for deep cleaning include a microfiber mop, vacuum cleaner, old towels, baking soda, dish soap, soft-bristled brush, hot water, and bucket. With these complete, it’s time to get to work.
All loose debris covering linoleum floors should be vacuumed or swept off. The next action involves sprinkling baking soda all over the floor. This should be followed by mopping using a mixture of a gallon of hot water mixed with a few drops of mild dish soap and a cup of vinegar.
You might require a scrub brush for tough dirt glued to high traffic areas when mopping. With initial mopping completed, you’ll need to repeat the process with clean water. This helps get rid of all forms of residue left behind.
If you can’t wait for the floors to dry out, consider using old clean towels to dry such floors. This deep-cleaning procedure ensures your linoleum floors are preserved for longer.
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Calling a Cleaning Service to Handle the Job
Not everyone will find cleaning enjoyable. For some people, this is a stressful activity they can’t really handle. For others, the luxury of time is something they can’t afford. Whichever category you belong to, there’s a way out.
Cleaning services exist to serve clients. Your linoleum floors receive the best possible care.
Also, you won’t have to worry about what’s safe to use or not because the experts take such responsibility. If you have a preference for environmentally safe cleaning methods, you should let such cleaning services know about it.
There are various cleaning plans you can choose from. For some, a one-off cleaning task is performed. However, if you need scheduled visits, this can be easily arranged. Cleaning costs are determined by the plan you choose.
You’ll need to contact the nearest cleaning service to your location. If you have no idea if any, a basic online search should bring up lots of helpful results.
Benefits of Linoleum Flooring
Having discussed the basic cleaning procedures for linoleum floors, we’ll now focus a bit on the advantages of such floors. These are popularly known for their durability, comfort, eco-friendliness, as well as water resistance.
In terms of water resistance, linoleum floors will withstand water spillage under normal use. However, it isn’t entirely resistant to water damage as it can give way under excessive exposure to moisture. This isn’t common for most homes.
Comfort is one of the reasons why linoleum floors are popular. These floors provide a cushioning effect when stepped on. Durability is among the key features of linoleum floors.
Even worn-out areas don’t show much and can be fixed.
We’ve seen the three approaches to cleaning linoleum floors. Each of these has their benefits and are well suited to various situations.