Laminate floors look great and are easier to maintain. Laminate floors are made of wood composite (materials like saw dust etc pressed together) – which look like solid hardwood but are less expensive and still look like hardwood. They are usually finished with a clear protective layer on top which makes them easier to maintain than solid hardwood flooring.
If you have just installed laminate flooring at home or office and are looking at the best ways to clean and maintain it and want it to keep looking like new for years to come then we have the following Do’s and Don’t for you.
Daily Cleaning Of Your Laminate Floor
Laminate flooring though less prone to damage are still susceptible to scratch marks over time due to dust and other particles that may come in with shoes.
We recommend that you regularly vacuum clean the floor, sweep or use a dry mop. This helps in stopping the accumulation of dust and grit which scratch or dull the floor finish. While using a vacuum please remember to attach the hard floor attachment and not the beater bar. Hard bristles of the attachment can end up scratching and damaging the laminate floor finish.
Fluids a strict NO
Liquids can damage laminate flooring. Liquid and fluid spills should be blotted up with a damp cloth as soon as possible. Liquids should never be allowed to stand on the floor.
Also do not use wet mops or steam cleaners. These might cause irreparable damage and also might void your warranty. Do not wash or wet mop your laminate floor with soap, water, oil-soap detergent or any other liquid cleaning product. Liquids can cause swelling, warping, delamination, or joint-line separation. Laminate flooring as mentioned earlier are effectively wood and not like liquids and fluids.
Stains, Chewing gum and oil
For tough stains like oil, tar, paint, marker, ink, etc use acetone /nail polish remover dabbed on a clean microfibre cloth/cotton. Then wipe the area with a damp cloth.
For chewing gum and candle wax, use ice to harden the gum and then gently scrape it off the surface with a plastic scraper. Be very careful not to scratch the surface.
Monthly Cleaning Routine
Once a month you might want to give a thorough cleaning to your laminate flooring with a damp mop wipe. This helps in keeping off hard marks from forming. Areas like the kitchen, which see a lot of traffic might need more frequent cleaning.
You could also use special products which are designed for laminate floor cleaning.
Things to Avoid on your Laminate Flooring
Hard brushes, steel wool, abrasive cleaners and strong ammoniated or chlorinated type cleaners should never be used on laminate flooring. Buffing or polishing also does not work and will cause more damage than anything.
Special Tips to keep your laminate floor looking like new
- We would recommend that you use an entry matt to collect all the dust and grime off the shoes.
- More frequent vacuuming and mopping in sandy areas
- Laminate is essentially wood and hence prone to expansion and shrinkage due to the increase and decrease in humidity levels. You might want to use air conditioning and humidifiers to keep the floor looking like new
- The use of floor protectors and wide load-bearing leg bases are recommended for heavy objects.
- You might also want to trim the nails of your pets so that they don’t end up scratching the top protective layer.
- Use of steam cleaners is a strict no.
