How to Clean & Mop Laminate Floors without Leaving Film
When you love your laminate wood flooring, you want to keep it looking new. While it’s made to simulate shiny hardwood, scuffing, hard wear and dirt buildup can dull its finish over time.
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.
You’ll want to sweep regularly to remove dirt and debris that can scratch and dull surfaces, and avoid using beater bars when vacuuming. Felt pads or coasters can help to protect laminate floors from furniture, and doormats and rugs in high-traffic areas can help reduce daily wear and tear.
See the steps below to give your laminate floors a good deep cleaning. We recommend Pine-Sol® Original Pine Multi-Surface Cleaner, but feel free to choose your favorite scent.
TIP: Be sure to check whether you’re using our new concentrated Pine-Sol® formula or the old non-concentrated formula, as that will determine your dilution ratio. See the chart below and get your ratios right!
Supplies
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Steps
- Step 1 Mix ⅛ cup of Pine-Sol® Multi-Surface Cleaner with one gallon of warm water.
- Step 2 Wring out your mop so that it’s damp but not completely saturated. Start mopping, taking care not to let liquid pool on the floor.†
- Step 3 After mopping, rinse your mop in fresh, clean water and wring it out so it’s just damp.
- Step 4 Mop over your floors again to rinse away any remaining cleaner to prevent buildup of film or residue.
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.
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.
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.
Do's And Dont's
Do'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.
Dont's
- 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.
With an improved concentrated formula that is 2x as strong* to last 2x as long*, you can use less for the same great clean.
| concentrated formula | Non-concentrated formula |
|---|---|
| ¼ cup in 2 gallons water | ½ cup in 2 gallons water |
| ⅛ cup in 1 gallon water | ¼ cup in 1 gallon water |
| ¹⁄₁₆ cup or 1 tablespoon in ½ gallon water | ⅛ cup in ½ gallon water |
- * When used as directed.
- † Do not use on wood that is unfinished, unsealed, unpainted, waxed, oiled or worn.
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2X concentratedTackle more messes per bottle.*
formula* -
5x cleaningOdor, grease, grime, dirt & allergens.‡
action -
removes 99% of allergens§Destroy dust mites & pet dander.
- * vs. previous Pine-Sol® Pine/Scented Formula when used as directed
- ‡ When diluted as directed vs previous Original Pine-Sol® Multi-Surface Cleaner.
- § Non-living dust mite matter and pet dander