Got a streaky laminate floor? Well, it's time to get it clean. Learn a few easy techniques for how to clean your laminate floor and keep it streak-free. Get some tips on how to make your flooring last.
Materials to Clean Laminate Floors
Streaking in a laminate floor is caused by using improper cleaning products. These products will leave an oil residue that attracts dirt. To avoid streaking and keep your floor clean, you can find a few options at home.
- Dish soap (Dawn recommended)
- Swiffer
- Swiffer pads (wet or dry)
- Microfiber mop
- White vinegar
- Bucket
- Spray bottle
- Rubbing alcohol
- Essential oil
- Vacuum
- Ice pack
- Spatula
- Microfiber cloths
How to Vacuum Laminate Floors Properly
One of the best ways to keep your laminate floors clean is to sweep or microfiber dust them every few days. If you go the vacuuming route, you need to make sure you don't scratch up the floor.
- Turn off the beat bar on the upright or add a hose attachment.
- Work one area at a time, paying attention to the corners.
How to Clean Laminate Wood Floor With Swiffer
No reusable microfiber dust sweeper? No problem. You can use a Swiffer dust mop or a Swiffer wet dust mop. These work great on laminate floors.
- Pick up any large debris that the duster isn't going to clean up.
- Slap the pad onto the swifter.
- Run it across the floor in even strokes, running the length of the floor.
How to Clean Laminate Floors With Dish Soap
If you are just looking to give your floors a simple scrubbing, you can use a microfiber mop with a bit of water. This is all you need. However, if you have a bit of crud built up, it's time to reach for the dish soap.
- Fill a spray bottle with warm water.
- Add a few drops of dish soap.
- Shake it up to mix.
- Spray the area with the mixture.
- Use a soft, damp cloth and gently wash the streaked area.
- Follow up with a warm damp cloth to remove the soapy mixture.
- Use a soft dry cloth to buff the area dry.
Cleaning Laminate Floor Residue With Vinegar
Does your laminate floor look dull? This is typically from residue buildup on the floor. You can combat this with a little bit of white vinegar. While you may have heard that white vinegar can damage laminate floor because of the acid; this is true if you use it straight. However, diluting it is excellent for breaking down residue and removing streaks.
- Mix a gallon of warm water with a cup of white vinegar.
- Sweep your floor to remove any dirt.
- Stick your microfiber cloth in the mixture and wring it out well.
- Put it on your mop and use even strokes, following the pattern of the flooring.
- As your cloth gets dirty, put it in the mixture to rinse it out.
- Repeat until the entire floor has been cleaned.
- Dip the microfiber mop cloth in straight water and wring it out.
- Go over the floor again to rinse.
- Buff with a dry microfiber cloth and enjoy!
DIY Laminate Floor Cleaner With Rubbing Alcohol
If dish soap and white vinegar aren't cutting it, you can bring out the big guns with this DIY cleaner. You should grab the white vinegar, rubbing alcohol, and essential oil of your choice.
- In a spray bottle, add ½ cup of white vinegar, ½ cup of rubbing alcohol, and ½ cup of distilled water.
- Add a few drops of your favorite essential oil for a great smell.
- Mist onto the area you are cleaning and mop away with a microfiber mop.
- Work in small sections at a time.
- Enjoy that clean!
How to Spot Clean Laminate Floors
Spot cleaning your laminate floors is a constant task. You want to clean up stains and spills immediately to ensure they don't ruin your flooring.
- Use a microfiber cloth to clean up any stains immediately.
- Assess the stain.
- For wax or gum, put an ice pack on it to harden.
- Use a plastic spatula to scrape away.
- Add a bit of DIY floor cleaner and buff.
- For oil stains, add a bit of rubbing alcohol to a cloth and buff.
- Go over with a dampened microfiber cloth.
Can You Use This on Laminate Floors?
When it comes to laminate floors, there are a few different things you want to avoid. You'll also find that you can't use specific natural cleaners at full concentration on laminate floors.
Lemon Juice
You can use lemon juice on laminate floors. However, since lemon juice is acidic and can break down the seal on your floors, you want to make sure to dilute it with water. Typically, you can add a cup of lemon juice to a gallon of water to give your floors a good damp mop.
Fabric Softener
You shouldn't use fabric softener on laminate floors. Here's why. Laminate floors are prone to getting dull and streaky. It's one of the banes of cleaners all over the world. Fabric softeners add a buildup to the floor, making it look dull and dirt stick.
Lysol Cleaner
If you find a Lysol cleaner designed for laminate floors, you can use it. However, generally, you don't want to use harsh chemicals on laminate floors, including Lysol.
Steam Mop
Many laminate floor manufacturers discourage using a steam mop on laminate floors. It just uses too much water. And in some cases, using a steam mop can void your flooring warranty. So, it's always best to check your manufacturer.
Swiffer WetJet
Technically, you can use a Swiffer WetJet on your laminate floors. They even have cleaners specifically designed for laminate floors. However, you want to use the spray sparingly. Remember, less is more for a laminate floor.
The Dos and Don'ts for Cleaning Laminate Floors and Keeping Them Streak Free
Knowing how to keep your floors clean is only half the battle. You need to keep them that way. Check out a list of things you should do and avoid to keep laminate floors looking great.
- Don't use abrasive cleaners to remove stains or clean. Avoid things like steel wool or abrasive pads.
- Clean up spills immediately.
- Avoid using too much water when moping or cleaning.
- Avoid oil-based cleaners
- Don't use waxes or polishes on the floor
- Use a microfiber mop
- Add furniture pads to prevent damage and wear and tear
- Trim pets' nails regularly
How Often Should You Clean Laminate Floors?
It's essential to remove dirt and spills regularly. So, you want to vacuum or sweep your floor at least once weekly to keep dirt buildup. However, damp mopping is something you can leave every month or so.
Ways to Clean Laminate Floors
There are several ways you can clean a laminate floor. The best way is to use the products and steps the floor manufacturer recommends. With the know-how at hand, it's time to get cleaning.
