HowTo Clean Laminate Floors

Personally, I prefer the look of hardwood over laminate flooring, but after doing some research we decided to get rid of our ugly tile and go with a nice wood laminate.  I love it and am very happy with the result, but I must say it looks dirty very easily. Granted, I am not the best cleaner and don’t maintain it as I should, but laminate floor is made to look good for many years with a minimum of effort.  I’ve read that all you really need for cleaning are a broom or dry mop (like a swiffer), vacuum cleaner, and a damp towel for more difficult stains. I would add to that list a swiffer wet-jet with the wood floor cleaning solution.

Big pieces of furniture or toys can cause visible scratching. Also, dirt, sand and rocks that you may bring in with your shoes. These are usually easy to catch by having floor mats and foot brushes at outside doorway entrances. Dirt which gets past the mats and brushes can cause invisible scratching that eventually leads to dullness.  We are having this problem right now. To prevent the grit, you should vacuum and mop regularly.  Microfiber pads are also quite effective for cleaning and picking up dirt and dust.

Damp clean laminate flooring using a vinegar or ammonia-based solution.  If you don’t have the pre-made solution, you can pour 1/4 cup of vinegar into a 30 to 32 ounce empty spray bottle filled with plain water for a quick solution. Then, dampen a terry mop or a swiffer with water and mop, spraying the floor as you go along. When damp mopping, avoid standing fluids so you do not saturate the floor and wipe dry immediately.

Sometimes you will find hard to remove spots or stains. I have found many on my floor and have not yet been able to remove them all. To remove oil, paint, permanent marker, tar, rubber heel marks, use a neutral cleaner on a clean light colored cloth. If needed, use alcohol or a nail polish remover containing acetone. To remove blood, fruit juice, wine, beer, soda pop, pasta sauce, use warm water. If needed use a neutral cleaner on a light colored cloth. To remove candle wax or chewing gum, first harden with ice and then scrape very gently. Wipe the rest with warm water on a clean light colored cloth.

Have any floor cleaning tips I may have missed?