Some methods to clean laminate floors in your home
Laminate floors require regular cleaning in order to protect them from scratches and wear and tear. The cleaning must be done, however, in a proper and efficient way which does not damage the flooring. A dry mop used daily will provide a fair bit of cleaning and keep them tidy but for proper cleaning, warm water or mild cleaners may also be used. This article provides some good and practical ways to clean laminate floors.
Do you have laminate floors in your house? Read this article!
General Cleaning
Regularly sweep the floor. Sweep a dry dust mop across the surface of the floor every few days to remove everyday dirt.
- Even though laminate flooring is fairly scratch-resistant, excess dirt, hair, and debris can cause scratches to develop if allowed to build up over time. Regular sweeping prevents such scratches from forming.
- Instead of using a dry dust mop, you could also use a vacuum with a soft brush attachment.
- Do not use a standard floor brush. The stiff, straw-like bristles on the brush could damage the surface.
- Sweep in the direction that the laminate floor tiles were laid. Doing so allows you to pick up any debris that falls in between the grooves of the laminate flooring pieces.
Clean up spills immediately. Use a cloth or sponge to immediately clean up any liquid spills.
- Do not allow any liquid, even water, to sit on the floor for prolonged periods. Liquid can stain or damage the protective wear layer of the laminate flooring.
- Soak up excess liquid with a dry cloth.
- Dampen the cloth or sponge before spot-cleaning the location of the spill to remove any remaining residue.
- Dry the spot with a dry, soft cloth. Do not allow the area to remain wet.
Warm Water
Fill a bucket with hot water. The water does not need to be steaming hot, but it should be more than simply lukewarm.
- A thorough, wet wash should be performed every few months or after a wide area of the floor has gotten muddy or notably dirty.
- Hot water is often considered one of the best ways to clean laminate flooring because, when done correctly, it will not leave streaks. It is also the least likely to damage the protective coating of the laminate, since water is the mildest cleanser possible.
Soak and wring out a mop. Soak a sponge mop in the hot water and wring it out so that it is only mildly damp.
- You could use a traditional-style mop, but it is easier to control the saturation level of sponge mops.
- The mop should be wrung out well before using it. Even water can stain or warp the laminate floor if it is allowed to sit on the floor in puddles. That being the case, the mop should only be mildly damp before you use it on the laminate.
Give the flooring a thorough mopping. Cover the entire floor, starting from the center and working your way out.
- You could also work from one side of the room to the other. The only method you should avoid is working from the exterior of the room to the center, since you will need to walk across the newly-cleaned floor as it dries in order to leave the room.
- Since the mop is only barely damp, you may need to re-soak and re-wring it a few times during the cleaning process.
Dry the flooring. If the laminate is barely moist, you can let it air dry. Otherwise, wipe it dry with a clean, dry, microfiber cloth.
- Do not use an abrasive cloth, since this may scratch the flooring.
- Do not let puddles of water sit on the laminate for long periods of time.
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