How To Clean Vinyl Plank Wood Flooring

Vinyl flooring has become a favorite for most homeowners because of its characteristics if a professional review of Lifeproof vinyl plank flooring is anything to go by. It is tough, durable and tin can be used fifty-fifty in loftier traffic areas.

This flooring, however, is susceptible to impairment if it is not well maintained. Cleaning it is easy and you don't require a lot of expensive and sophisticated cleaning materials.

With time, any floor, including vinyl, gets dirty. You lot can, notwithstanding, minimize this by taking the necessary measures to keep the clay out, like placing mats on doorways and balconies.

You can also use a mop and h2o to remove dirt and ensure that spills are wiped immediately they occur if you don't desire stained floors.

What Is Vinyl Plank Flooring

Vinyl plank flooring has been there for decades and continues to grow in popularity. It is a super versatile flooring option and the fact that information technology is more durable than classic wood has made it a improve pick in structure and domicile renovations.

Today, it can be installed in bedrooms too every bit living rooms and other spaces that traditionally take wood floor.

In the never-ending battle of vinyl plank vs laminate flooring , the major selling signal for vinyl plank has to be the fact that information technology can exist installed in high moisture areas like bathrooms, basements, garages and kitchens where forest and laminate would warp when exposed to h2o and high humidity.

Compared to hardwood floor, vinyl plank is not but like shooting fish in a barrel to clean but maintain also and tin can be installed in homes that have pets and niggling kids.

Benefits of Vinyl Plank Flooring

If y'all are having a hard time choosing between hardwood, laminate and vinyl plank, hither are a few reasons why you may want to settle for vinyl plank compared to the other flooring options:

Highly Durable

One of the advantages of installing vinyl plank is that the planks are tough and because of that they are very durable and you don't accept to call up about replacing your floors for the next couple of years.

The fact that they are highly durable makes it possible to install them in high traffic areas like corridors and living rooms.

Can Be Installed Anywhere

While hardwood flooring is expensive and gives the house a sophisticated finish, there is a limit every bit to where you can install it.

Vinyl plank, due to its tough characteristics, can exist installed anywhere from bedrooms to high wet areas similar kitchens and bathrooms.

This is considering vinyl tin withstand loftier moisture content without warping. You, however, have to ensure that spills are wiped immediately they occur similar in kitchens since this tin can stain the floors.

Easy to Clean and Maintain

Vinyl plank flooring doesn't accept a lot to clean and maintain. Daily sweeping and maybe weekly vacuuming help maintain a make clean looking floor.

When dirty, all you demand is water and a microfiber mop to become the cleaning done but similar you would use a mop on laminate floors and the fact that waxing is non required on vinyl makes the flooring very easy to maintain over fourth dimension.

As mentioned earlier, vinyl plank flooring is past far the easiest to make clean and maintain. Hither are a few tools that you lot need when cleaning it:

Broom

Whatever flooring is spring to get dingy over time and the worst thing yous tin can practise is to allow dirt to accumulate over time.

If you have a vinyl plank, you can utilize a broom daily to remove whatsoever surface dust that may exist dragged from exterior.

Vacuum

A broom can but practice so much in terms of cleaning your vinyl flooring which is why it is recommended that yous use a vacuum that gets rid of grit and helps with allergy or any specialized vacuum for carpets and rugs at to the lowest degree once a week.

Yous tin can use any potent vacuum for laminate floors or check out Shark vacuums for deep cleaning reviewed online to make the most informed selection.

A vacuum tin can go rid of whatever dirt that the broom may have left out and the adept news about using a vacuum is that it gets the dirt stuck within the grout that overtime may brand your floors look dingy and unkempt merely like when vacuuming hardwood floors in every room .

Microfiber Mop

At the end of the day, every one time in awhile your floors require that deep cleaning that a vacuum or a broom can't offer.

With vinyl flooring, a microfiber mop and water will practice the play tricks. The reason why you need a microfiber mop and not a regular 1 is that vinyl plank flooring isn't entirely scratch-resistant and the final thing you desire is to live with a badly scratched floor.

Best Products for Cleaning Vinyl Plank Flooring Safely

If you have installed or are thinking about installing vinyl flooring, here are the all-time products you can use that will be safe for your floor:

Vinegar

Vinegar is a common floor cleaner, simply there is a limit to what surfaces you can utilise vinegar on without causing damage. Fortunately, vinyl plank isn't one of them.

Apple cider vinegar makes for an excellent vinyl plank flooring cleaner. The acidity works for vinyl floors by removing whatever dirt and droppings without leaving backside the residuum that lather does.

The only thing you demand to ensure is that y'all are non using full-strength vinegar every bit this ane ends up dulling your terminate and at that place is no way of polishing the vinyl to bring back the original shine.

One time 'N Done

You can easily make your vinegar at dwelling house but if you want an already made cleaner, then you can buy the Once 'N Done.

This liquid detergent is gentle and cuts through crud and grease with ease, simply ensure that yous rinse the floor since information technology leaves behind a thin layer of scum that will dull the smoothen of your floors with time.

While lather scum can be removed, the process is not an piece of cake one. Because of that, it is recommended that you lot salve the Once 'N Done for grease stains and oil spills and rinse the spot with water when washed.

Baby Oil

Babe oil cleaner has been recommended by so many people. Information technology'south a floor cleaner that y'all can hands brand at domicile and is highly effective on vinyl floors.

Despite this, however, this cleaner has a few shortcomings. For i, it is not soluble in water and y'all are going to end up with a few drops spread on the flooring because it will not dispense through the solution.

The second downside is that information technology makes the surface slippery and will crusade anything that comes into contact with it to stick to the floor. The cleaner, however, evaporates, in the finish, making information technology a good option for cleaning vinyl floors.

Bona Cleaner

Bona Cleaner is fix to utilise cleaning product that is designed for hard floors like vinyl planks. It removes dust, dirt as well every bit grime.

Different other cleansers, Bona Cleaner doesn't leave backside whatever residue and it dries fast. The good matter about it is that it maintains the original shine of your vinyl plank flooring.

How to Do an Everyday Cleaning of Vinyl Plank Flooring

Step one – Vacuum

To remove surface dust, dirt and hair use a broom or a shag carpet vacuum cleaner and ensure that you get under furniture, forth baseboards and corners.

Step two – Moisture cleaning

The best cleaner for vinyl is vinegar since the acerbity helps remove grime and dirt without leaving behind a soap residue.

If y'all want to clean and disinfect your flooring, then you can use apple cider rather than white vinegar.

Step 3 – Removing scuffs

Use jojoba oil or WD-40 lubricant on a towel and rub the scuff until it disappears and then use water and vinegar to remove any traces of the lubricant.

Step iv – Nutrient stains

For food stains like tomato sauce, ketchup, mustard or grape juice, mix baking soda in h2o, make a paste and rub the stain until it is gone and then use h2o to remove the baking soda residues.

How to Deep Clean Vinyl Plank Flooring

If your floors are too muddy to use a vacuum or broom, then y'all can exercise with some deep cleaning.

Footstep ane – Vacuum

Vacuum the floors to remove any surface dust, dirt and when cleaning pet hair with a vacuum. After that, practice a piddling research to find out what cleaning products the manufacturer recommends so that you don't damage your vinyl floor in the procedure.

Step ii – Water and dish soap

Put h2o in a bucket, add dish soap and so using a microfiber mop, beginning the cleaning. You can as well add white vinegar to the solution to go the smooth dorsum on your floors.

Footstep 3 – Rinse

Subsequently you have cleaned the floors, use a make clean wet mop and become over your floors once again to remove any soap residues that may take been left behind.

How to Clean Vinyl Floors with Vinegar (DIY Method)

You can easily make your vinegar at home by mixing a cup of apple cider vinegar with a gallon of freshwater.

Step ane – Mopping

Use a damp microfiber mop to clean your floors. Rinse the mop frequently with hot water while y'all are cleaning.

Footstep ii – Disinfecting

If y'all have fiddling kids and want to disinfect your floor, utilise white vinegar rather than apple cider choice.

Step 3 – Grimy floor

If your floors are all grimy, ensure that you lot add a few drops of dishwashing soap to the vinegar mix and then proceed to mop the floor.

After y'all are done, use a make clean wet mop to remove any soap residues that may have been left behind as this can cease up dulling your floors with fourth dimension.

How to Maintain Vinyl Plank Flooring

Keeping your vinyl floors looking new will have a lot of piece of work but in the terminate, it will be better than replacing the floors.

Rather than permit dirt and debris to accrue, use a broom regularly to clean your floors and then yous tin can deep clean them maybe in one case a month.

Additionally, you should brand sure that you use furniture pads nether heavy furniture to avoid scratching and denting your floors over time.

Pace i – Mopping

A soft mop works wonders on vinyl floor. When you are buying a mop, ensure that the i you go doesn't have a scrubber attached as this tin can stop upwardly scratching your floors.

While you tin maintain tiles with a steam mop , they aren't recommended for vinyl flooring since they soften the adhesive sheet. The steam tin can too damage the substrate below the surface if it is made of wood.

Stride ii – Stain removal

Stains on vinyl flooring are caused by spills that are left to sit for likewise long. The best way you tin can prevent this is to wipe spills immediately they occur. You lot could also use baking soda to remove acidic stains from foods like wine and tomatoes.

WD-xl lubricant and jojoba oil are too used to remove scuff marks on vinyl floors. Use some lubricant on a towel and rub the scuff until information technology disappears.

Follow that up with a quick cleaning with water and liquid soap and so rinse with water to remove any soap residues.

Some stains can be removed with a soft bristle brush and solvents like mineral spirits, rubbing alcohol and acetone. The only thing y'all need to ensure is that you utilize these solvents sparingly as also much can dull the floors.

These solvents can hands get rid of stains from makeup, crayons, markers and boom smooth.

Step 3 – Waxing

Most vinyl floors today don't crave whatever waxing to maintain the polish. Older floors, all the same, may require to be waxed in one case in a while.

When that is the case, ensure that you purchase wax that is specific for your kind of floor and follow the instructions of the manufacturer.

One thing you volition note, however, is that nigh waxes will say that you don't need to rinse the floor after cleaning but you don't have to follow this.

This is because a majority of soaps including the mildest ones tend to build up on the wax over fourth dimension and can rob your floors of their shine.

Be careful when you lot are cleaning these older floors every bit too much scrubbing volition remove the wax and you volition be forced to reapply once more.

How to Polish and Restore Smooth to Vinyl Plank Floor

Over time, vinyl floor will lose its shine depending on how it is maintained but this can be corrected with a little polishing.

Step one – Removing the soap film

Begin past cleaning your floors with vinegar and a solution of water. Yous can as well use commercial strength cleaning solutions, just ensure that your choice of cleaner doesn't add together a layer of wax.

Brand a paste using equal parts of baking soda and vinegar and and so gently scrub your floor. If that doesn't work, use ammonia rather than vinegar.

Step ii – Polishing

A mixture of baking soda and vinegar makes a slap-up smooth for vinyl too. All yous need to ensure is that you lot don't scrub the floor too much. Simply let the blistering soda practice its work.

You can use the mixture on a modest portion of the floor to run across if information technology restores the shine.

Does More than Spending Hateful More Quality

When yous are buying cleaning products for vinyl, in some way more spending does mean more quality.

Floor installation is an expensive process and you desire to install flooring that will serve you for years. How you maintain your floors will, nevertheless, decide their immovability and it all begins with choosing the right kind of cleaner.

Avert going for cheap products no affair how tempted you are equally these may end up dissentious your floors in the long run. If y'all are in doubt, and so follow the manufacturer'south instructions on the products that you can use.

Nigh of the fourth dimension, you can easily make your cleaning products at abode if you lot are on a upkeep.

Practise's and Don'ts When Cleaning Vinyl Plank Flooring

• Don't apply a vacuum cleaner with a beater bar when you are vacuuming vinyl flooring every bit this tin can damage your floor.
• Don't ever employ highly annoying scrubbers to make clean your vinyl floor as this volition go out scratches that may brand your floor look dingy.
• Don't use annoying cleaner, detergents or mop and shine products as these tend to leave a irksome moving picture on vinyl flooring.
• Do apply a microfiber mop to clean your laminate flooring.
• Do rinse the floor with water after cleaning to remove any soap and vinegar residues.

Quick Tips on How to Clean Vinyl Plank Flooring

The durability of your vinyl flooring will exist determined by the kind of maintenance you have. Here are a few tips to follow:

Use Doormats

If you don't want to keep cleaning your vinyl flooring every day, and then you demand to ensure that dirt and droppings don't make their style into the firm and the best way to do that is to use doormats. Grit acts like sandpaper and may scratch the flooring removing the shiny cease over time.

Frequent Sweeping

If you want to keep your vinyl floor looking clean and in good shape, and then yous demand to remove surface dust and the best way to practise that is through regular sweeping.

Low Affect Cleaning Techniques

Avoid using heavy-duty cleaner to remove dirt on your vinyl floors. Instead, learn how to clean using the mildest methods like sweeping and vacuuming every evening or using a moisture mop if you want to do a thorough cleaning.

Ensure That You Use the Right Cleaner

The secret to keeping your vinyl flooring looking new and shiny is to ensure that y'all utilize the right kind of cleaner. You can use vinegar and water or whatsoever commercial cleaners that are recommended for vinyl floors.

Don't Drench the Vinyl

While vinyl floor is the best flooring for kitchens and bathrooms compared to premium laminate floor , water isn't e'er the best cleaner since information technology can seep through the cracks and seams destroying the glue that holds the vinyl causing planks to become loose and the corners to coil.

Rinse Soap Well

When you are done cleaning, use a wet mop to remove any soap residues that may accept been left behind since this tin dull the shine of your vinyl over time.

FAQ Nearly Cleaning Vinyl Plank Flooring

Tin I use a stiffer mop when cleaning vinyl plank floor?

The reply is no. Most of the time, scrubbing with a stiffer mop will scrape away the shiny surface of your vinyl flooring making information technology lose its smoothen.

Can a safety backed rug be put on height of luxury vinyl plank flooring?

Avoid using rubber backed rugs on vinyl flooring equally they cease up staining and discoloring the floor and y'all may crave to replace the planks in that department.

Tin a cleaning solution exist used to treat scuffed upward areas, moisture paws and spots?

Most of the time, to remove scuffs, wet paws and spots, use jojoba oil or WD-40 lubricant on a towel and scrub the scuff until it disappears.

What temperature should the water be when I'thousand cleaning my vinyl plank flooring?

Just utilize warm water. Avoid using very hot water as it can damage the glue property the vinyl planks to the subfloor.

Tin can I use a steam mop on a luxury vinyl plank flooring?

No. Avoid using steam mops on vinyl flooring since the steam may seep through the cracks and seams causing the planks to warp. Over time the steam will likewise dull the smooth of your vinyl flooring.

Should I wax my vinyl plank flooring?

Near vinyl floors made today don't need to be waxed to maintain the shine. Simple cleaning volition practise all that. Older versions, still, can be waxed but ensure that y'all follow the instructions of the manufacturer to the letter of the alphabet.

How to prevent scratches, clay, damage and scuffs on a vinyl plank floor?

Y'all can foreclose all these past using mats on doorways to prevent dirt from being dragged into the house. You tin can also apply piece of furniture pads nether heavy furniture and ensure that you lift and movement furniture rather than dragging it on the floor.

Tin can I utilise a neutral pH floor cleaner for my vinyl plank flooring?

The best way to maintain the natural expect of your vinyl floor is through regular sweeping of droppings that builds up. Every bit for cleaners, it is highly recommended that you lot utilize a pH neutral cleaner that is designed for vinyl flooring. Most manufacturers will recommend a specific cleaner that you lot can utilise.

Conclusion

Vinyl flooring has been at that place for years and continues to exist an ideal option for homeowners on a budget who are looking for flooring that can be installed anywhere. Vinyl floor is versatile, strong and durable and tin be installed in high traffic and high moisture areas like the bathroom and kitchen.

It is easy to maintain compared to hardwood flooring merely how long your floors serve yous will depend on how well yous maintain them.

Photos from: AndreyPopov / depositphotos.com, belchonock / depositphotos.com, annabieniek / depositphotos.com, annieeagle / depositphotos.com and urfingus / depositphotos.com.

Source: https://findmats.com/cleaning-vinyl-plank-flooring/

Posted by: morganhiguen.blogspot.com

Share this post