How to Clean Laminate Floors
Let Them Shine
When you love your laminate wood flooring, you want to keep it looking like new. Laminate floors are made to give the appearance of shiny hardwood. But, scuffing, wear and buildup of dirt, grease or grime can reduce shine and make floors appear dull.
The good news is that laminate flooring is durable and easy to care for. Read on for simple tips on how to clean, maintain and protect your laminate floors to ensure they gleam.
Laminate Floors Steps To Clean
Laminate floors are made to give the appearance of shiny hardwood. But, scuffing, wear and buildup of dirt, grease or grime can reduce shine and make floors appear dull.
The good news is that laminate flooring is durable and easy to care for. For a deep cleaning of your laminate floors, follow these steps:
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step1Mix 1/4 cup of Pine-Sol® Multi-Surface Cleaner with one gallon of warm water.
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step2Mop your floor with the mixture. But, first wring out the mop so it’s just damp, not soaking wet. Also, try not to let liquid pool on the floor, which can warp it and cause streaks.
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step3After mopping, rinse your mop in fresh, clean water and wring it out so it’s just damp.
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step4Go back over your floors to rinse away any remaining cleaner to prevent buildup of film or residue.
If some areas of your laminate floors need extra attention, you can use Pine-Sol® Multi-Surface Cleaner straight out of the bottle on stubborn floor stains such as grease. Just pour some on a sponge or old toothbrush and gently scrub the floor stain. Never use steel wool or scouring pads when cleaning laminate floors.
Cleaning hardwood floors varies slightly from cleaning laminate floors. Check out these tips for cleaning hardwood floors.
Laminate Floors
Tools For Cleaning
Cleaning laminate floors involves just a few steps. But, before you begin, it’s important to find the right cleaning products.
Pine-Sol® Multi-Surface Cleaner is safe for use on laminate floors. Just choose your favorite scent — we like using Original Pine on laminate floors. Pine-Sol® Multi-Surface Cleaner also comes in other scents, like Lemon Fresh®, Lavender Clean®, Sparkling Wave® and Tropical Flowers™. All of them will leave your floors smelling fresh and clean.
Check out the Pine-Sol® family of products for more information on our lineup of cleaners.
Before you begin cleaning your laminate wood floors, it’s recommended that you test the cleaner you plan to use on a small, inconspicuous part of your floor before you begin cleaning the entire space. Just apply some of the cleaner to the area, and wait a few minutes to ensure it won’t harm your laminate floors.
Along with using the best product for your laminate floors, it’s helpful to incorporate proper cleaning techniques. Prepping floors before you start mopping is a very important part of the cleaning process.
Start by sweeping and vacuuming floors to pick up dirt and other debris. Loose particles can scratch laminate floors and cause them to dull, which can be hard to reverse.
Sweeping and vacuuming are also things you can do on a day-to-day basis to keep floors smooth and unblemished.
Ingredients
Try Original Pine-Sol® for a deep disinfecting wash.
Laminate Floors How to Remove Scuff Marks & Stains
Stains don’t usually penetrate the finish of laminate floors. Stains are typically only on the surface of this type of flooring, so removing them shouldn’t require too much effort.
If there’s a spill, you can prevent staining by wiping up the mess right away. Just use a towel or paper towel to soak up any liquid and prevent it from seeping into the joints.
You can usually remove stains like scuff marks by using a bit of full-strength Pine-Sol® Multi-Surface Cleaner and gently buffing with a towel. Never use scouring pads, buffers or wire brushes to remove scuff marks. The same goes for harsh chemicals, as they can damage laminate flooring.
Scuffing is also a common issue on linoleum. Check out these tips for cleaning linoleum.
Laminate Floors Care
For day-to-day maintenance of laminate floors, you can prevent the buildup of pet hair, dirt, dust and crumbs by sweeping frequently with a soft bristle broom or wiping with a dry microfiber cloth. Then, vacuum harder-to-reach buildup with a soft bristle attachment.
It’s important to sweep and vacuum your floors regularly in between deeper cleanings. Depending on the number of people and pets in your home, you may need to clean floors anywhere from several times each week to once every week or two.
The same goes for deep cleaning laminate floors. You may need to do this anywhere from every week to every few weeks. Proper upkeep is the best way to keep your laminate floors looking clean, smooth and shiny.
Light damp mopping will also help keep floors clean if simply sweeping or wiping is not enough. Just make sure to avoid using a dirty mop head on your floors because this may cause streaking. Also, don’t use any cleaning products that contain wax, acrylic or bleach, as these ingredients could damage the floor’s finish.
Check out our ultimate downloadable Spring Cleaning Checklist for a helpful to-do list that includes every room in your home.
Laminate Floors Protecting
In addition to cleaning and maintaining laminate floors, it’s important to protect them. There are a few simple things you can do to prevent scratches, scuffs and stains, which can all make your laminate floors look lackluster or dirty.
- Make sure you clean up any spills right away so pooled water and liquid won’t stain or damage the floor.
- If you have a pet, it’s a good idea to put a plastic mat under its water dish to prevent spillage onto the floor.
- Don’t drag heavy objects, like furniture, across the floor. This is one of the leading causes of scuffing and scratching. Instead, place felt pads on the bottoms of furniture legs or other large, heavy objects.
- Trim your pet’s nails regularly to prevent floor scratches.
- Avoid wearing shoes on your floors to prevent scuffing, and avoid wearing high-heeled shoes to prevent scratching.
- Place a doormat at the door and encourage family members and guests to either wipe off or remove their shoes before entering your home. This will ensure dirty shoes aren’t tracking grime and other particles across your floors or creating scuff marks.
When it comes to carpets, protecting them can be trickier than protecting laminate floors. Check out these tips for removing carpet stains.
Laminate Floors Do's And Dont's
- DO: Take steps to protect your laminate floors.
- DO: Clean up spills on your floor immediately.
- DO: Vacuum up pet hair, dirt and dust before you deep clean floors.
- DON’T: Let your mop get too saturated with liquid, or let liquid pool on the floor.
- DON’T: Use abrasive cleaning supplies like scrubbing pads or hard bristle brushes when cleaning your floors.
For information on the Do’s and Don’ts of cleaning your home, check out our Complete Spring Cleaning Guide.