How to maintain and clean laminate flooring

Maintaining and cleaning laminate flooring is crucial for keeping its appearance and extending its lifespan. By following the right cleaning and maintenance routine, you can easily keep the laminate flooring for years without needing repairs or even renewing the flooring. In this article, we will guide you on prolonging your laminate flooring lifespan by introducing easy but effective flooring maintenance solutions.

Daily and weekly laminate flooring maintenance

First, you need to have a daily and weekly laminate flooring cleaning plan to get rid of dust and dirt.

1. Regular sweeping or vacuuming

By daily or weekly sweeping or vacuuming the surface of the laminate flooring, all the dust and dirt that has been recently accumulated will be removed. This routine always helps to have a clean and shiny surface and it is especially necessary for the pet owners and the families with kids that are more vulnerable to health risks due to dust and dirt. Avoid using the vacuum beater bar to prevent possible scratches that may be caused by it. The sweeping or vacuuming frequency completely depends on your environment and traffic area. If you are in a low-traffic area, it is okay to keep the routine weekly, but if you are for example a pet owner, it is highly recommended to do sweeping or vacuuming daily.

Vacuuming laminate flooring regularly

2. Dry mopping

Another daily or weekly laminate flooring routine is dry mopping. It means you can clean the laminate surface with a dry cloth without needing to use a special flooring cleaner. This helps to have a shiny laminate surface without any stains or dust. Using a towel or soft cotton cloth are suitable choices for daily flooring cleaning.

Laminate flooring deep cleaning

By keeping the weekly or daily cleaning routine, it is also necessary to have a deep laminate flooring cleaning process.

1. Damp mopping

Cleaning laminate flooring with a damp cloth (impregnated to cleaners or even normal water) helps you to get rid of deep dirt from the flooring surface. However, you should consider that using a wet cloth does not mean you can freely use water on the laminate surface. Because by using too much water, you will strongly damage the flooring cover and by passing the time, you will see uneven or broken spots. Just use a piece of cloth and a mix of warm water with some drops of cleaner or soap and clean the floor with the damp cloth, ensuring it is only slightly moist.

Cleaning laminate flooring with dry soft cloth

2. Homemade laminate flooring cleaning solutions

There are always homemade solutions for cleaning laminate or other types of flooring such as vinyl flooring. In this case, there is an eco-friendly and cost-effective cleaner! A mixture of vinegar and warm water. Just use a small cup of vinegar and a gallon of warm water with a soft cotton mop or towel to remove all dirt and dust from the surface.

💡Do NOT overuse the vinegar mixture or change the measurement ratio, as the vinegar has an acidity feature and can cause damage to your laminate flooring if it is not correctly used.

3. Using laminate flooring commercial cleaners

Another way for a deep cleaning solution is to use commercial flooring cleaners that are produced for this aim. In the rest of the article, we will introduce some of the popular cleaning products. Please consider that for using chemical cleaning materials on the laminate flooring or any other wood-based flooring type, we strongly recommend you consult with flooring professionals to ensure you have chosen the right product for the flooring cleaning.

Avoid using bleaching, ammonia-based, and abrasive cleaning products on the laminate flooring, as they can easily damage the laminate finish.

Laminate flooring spot cleaning

Another effective way to have clean laminate flooring with a long lifespan is to get rid of stains, spills, and sticky substances immediately after they happen.

1. Spills and stains

Wipe the spills and stains immediately after they happen with dry cloth from the laminate flooring to prevent moisture damage. If the stains are deeper, you can use a semi-wet mop (impregnated with warm water or the vinegar mixture) to remove them.

2. Sticky substances

If there is a sticky substance like gum or wax on the laminate flooring, first try to freeze it, then remove it gently using a plastic tool. Avoid using sharp tools as they can scratch the surface and damage the finish. After removing the sticky material, clean the area with a damp mop.

Instant cleaning of the stains, spills, and sticky substances from laminate flooring surface

Laminate flooring protection and prevention tips

In addition to the regular laminate flooring cleaning program, it is also important to consider tiny points with which you can prevent damage to the flooring. Here are practical tips for laminate surface protection and damage prevention:

1. Furniture pads: Try to use felt pads under the legs of the furniture. This helps the furniture not make scratches on the laminate finish.
2. Rugs and mats: It is a good idea to place a small rug at entrances to get at least a part of dirt and dust before entering the laminated floor area. It is also a great idea to use rugs in high-traffic areas where there is laminate flooring in order to prevent damage.
3. Humidity control: Keep the humidity levels of the indoor environment between 35% and 65%. The humidity of more than 65% can cause damage like swells and uneven spots on the laminate flooring.

How to choose the right laminate floor cleaner?

There are different points to consider before choosing the right laminate flooring cleaner product. Here are some of the important points:

1. Ingredients: The first and most important thing in a flooring cleaner is the ingredients. Try to find cleaners that are non-toxic and eco-friendly. Laminate flooring cleaner should not contain harsh materials like bleaching or ammonia.
2. pH level: Find a laminate cleaner with a 7 pH level (neutral). A cleaner with more acidity affects the laminate finish over time.
3. Scent: Try to find scent-free or light-scent laminate flooring cleaner products to prevent any possible allergies that can be caused due to the cleaner scent.
4. Easy to use: Find laminate cleaners that are easy and ready to use without any need to make a mixture or make extra effort to make it ready to use.
5. Trusted brands: Finding a trusted cleaning product brand is important, as many people have experience using them, and their comments can help you go for the right product.

Choose the right laminate flooring cleaner products to prevent damages to the laminate finish

Best homemade laminate floor cleaners in Australia

Here are some of the best laminate flooring cleaners that are available in markets and online shops like Amazon and are broadly used and recommended by most customers in Australia:

1. Bona hard-surface floor cleaner
2. Black Diamond Stoneworks wood & laminate floor cleaner
3. Quick shine multi-surface floor finish
4. Weiman hardwood floor cleaner
5. Better life naturally dirt-destroying floor cleaner

Conclusion

By keeping a laminate flooring cleaning routine, you can have a clean and shiny surface, and also you can prevent future damages that lead to repairs or flooring replacements. Sweeping and vacuuming regularly, deep cleaning, using the right laminate flooring cleaners, and considering damage prevention tips such as using felt pads for furniture or controlling environment humidity are simple but worthwhile solutions to keep the laminate flooring for years.