Make your laminate flooring shine with just a few minutes of work
Laminate flooring is a great choice if you’re looking to spruce up the floors of your home. However, it comes with one major caveat: Refinishing is not an option with laminate, so you’ll have to clean it regularly to keep it looking on point. So, what’s the best way to clean laminate floors? By following some important laminate flooring cleaning tips, you can learn how to clean laminate floors quickly and get to the fun parts of your day.
The most important step to cleaning laminate floors is to educate yourself on the dangers associated with improper cleaning methods. Similar to cleaning hardwood floors, laminate flooring is durable but reacts poorly to certain cleaning tools and chemical agents. Avoid using anything too scrubby or scratchy, like scouring pads and steel wool, as these items will damage the flooring.
Additionally, avoid harsh cleaners, as the active ingredients may strip the laminate of its protective coating. You should even avoid brooms with stiff bristles and steam mops. Stick with gentle cleaning agents made for laminate flooring, and soft tools, such as mops with microfiber heads.
"Most laminate flooring have a variable grade of 'wear layer' (top coating on the floor that protects the flooring from damage and may include water resistance or waterproofing)," says Asya Biddle, Expert Review Board member and manager of The Dust Busters janitorial company in Williamsport, PA. "In order to safely clean the laminate flooring without damaging the protective wear layer, a non-abrasive cleaner should be utilized for cleaning."
Repairing laminate flooring costs $870 on average, so you’ll want to take care to keep your floors looking great. You can also consult the instructions that accompany the flooring for more cleaning and maintenance information.
Most laminate designs feature plenty of tricky spots between sections and near corners where food debris, pet hair, and other icky junk congregate. The first step in your cleaning mission is to remove this debris using gentle cleaning methods to avoid scratching the top layer of the laminate.
Grab a canister vacuum and suck up any debris hiding in these corners. You can also use this tool to capture any dust and pet dander located anywhere else on the floor. Then, try a broom or mop with a microfiber head to rid your floor of additional surface debris, like crumbs from last night’s dinner. If you lack any of these gentle tools, use a standard microfiber cloth and dust your floors by hand.
Now, it’s time to focus on getting your floors looking shiny. Whip up a gentle cleaner that will still get you plenty of results. Mix 1 gallon of hot tap water with 1 cup of vinegar in a medium-size bucket. Finish it off with just a few drops of dish soap and mix. Go easy on the dish soap here to avoid dulling the appearance of the floors.
Your DIY solutions for cleaning laminate floor cleaners are rather broad. Other laminate-friendly cleaners include:
1 gallon of water and 1 teaspoon of baby shampoo
1 gallon of water, 1 tablespoon of dish soap, and 1 teaspoon of isopropyl alcohol
Commercial cleaner specifically noted as safe for laminate floors
1 gallon of water, 1 tablespoon of dish soap, and a squeeze of a lemon
As we mentioned earlier, steer clear of harsh chemicals or abrasive cleaning supplies that can scratch the floor surface. Additionally, some commercial cleaners designed for waxing and polishing real hardwood can leave a slippery residue on laminate. And as a general note, do not pour too much soap into your bucket, as it can leave a soap residue on the laminate.
Once you are finished prepping the solution, start the cleaning process by sprinkling a thin layer of baking soda across the floor. Why do this? For the best results, you want some light abrasion so the cleaning solution picks up accumulated grime. As previously stated, the top layer of laminate is susceptible to scratches and scuffs, so using baking soda as an irritant gets the job done without risk of damage to your floor.
Catching a theme here? Gentle is the name of the game when dealing with laminate flooring. Use a mop with a microfiber head and dip it into the cleaning solution, practicing caution to avoid creating puddles on the floor. The top layer of laminate is resistant to moisture, but the lower layers are not.
Mop slowly and carefully, wringing the mop into the bucket as necessary. Avoid mopping yourself into a corner by starting at the back of the room and moving toward the front. Once finished, give the mop one final wring and run the dry mop on the floor to remove any traces of baking soda and cleaning solution.
Noticing some stubborn stains, scuffs, or marks that are resistant to the mop and cleaning solution? Here are some tips for cleaning up sticky floors, suspicious spots, or other resistant residue.
Use a plastic putty knife to carefully scrape away large paint, tar, or grease stains.
A simple tennis ball works to remove scuff marks. For even more scuff-removing power, carve an X on one side to create an opening and affix the tennis ball to the end of a mop or broom handle. Scrub gently to remove the marks.
Clean coffee, wine, and juice stains immediately by spraying the area down with water and vinegar (1 cup of vinegar for each gallon of water) and wiping it down with a microfiber cloth.
Once you finish mopping, dry the floor as quickly as possible to avoid any moisture seeping through to the lower layers of the laminate. Use another dry mop head, a microfiber towel, or some microfiber dish rags to get the job done. Paper towels are also useful in a pinch.
Double-check your work and go over the floor again if any moisture remains. Never, ever let puddles accumulate and sit on laminate flooring.
Hoping to cut down on your weekly cleaning checklist? Keeping your laminate floors clean requires a few extra behavioral changes throughout the week. For example:
Sweep your laminate floors every two days to remove basic grit, dust, and pet hair.
Keep the hand vacuum close by to pick up rogue dust bunnies.
Encourage a shoeless household or place doormats by each entrance.
When cleaning, avoid standing water or moisture to sit for more than a few minutes.
Check your pet's claws to avoid scratching the floors.
Keep your area rugs clean to avoid spreading dust and grit to the floors.
Address stains and sticky spots as soon as you can.
This process should be part of your regular house cleaning routine, as it is extraordinarily DIY-friendly. You’ll definitely want to call in the pros for more extreme scenarios, such as when you notice damaged flooring during the cleaning process.
However, the experts have access to more effective cleaning tools, which come in handy in the case of persistent scuff marks or stains. Plus, if cleaning your laminate flooring is just one of many cleaning tasks you’re having trouble keeping up with, hiring a local laminate floor cleaning pro could be time- and cost-effective. The cost of professional home cleaning is an average of $170 for the whole house, and you won't likely see any surcharges for basic laminate floors.
Lawrence Bonk contributed to this piece.
How often you should clean laminate floors depends on how often people walk on the floors, tracking dirt and grime behind them. Sweep away debris several times each week, and mop and deep clean your laminate floors every two months, increasing these intervals when necessary.
Using too much soap or floor cleaner can leave your laminate floors looking dirty or cloudy after mopping. Only use a teaspoon of soap or cleaning solution in a gallon of water. Additionally, always be sure to sweep or vacuum laminate floors before mopping to ensure you pick up dried grit, hair, and dust that can be harder to catch with a wet mop.
While every professional home cleaner will have their own preference, most will use a commercial floor cleaner specifically manufactured for laminate floors. They will also use a vacuum or microfiber cloth to remove loose grit before breaking out the mop. Some cleaners will also make a final pass with a dry and clean cloth to dry your laminate floors for a smooth shine.
