Table of Contents:
The Only Floor Cleaner That's Film Free
- How to Clean Laminate Floors Without Leaving a Film
- Understanding Laminate Floors
- The Only Floor Cleaner That's Film Free
- Choosing the Right Cleaning Tools
- Addressing The Film Left Over
- Frequently Asked Questions Laminate Floor Care
- Conclusion
How to Clean Laminate Floors Without Leaving a Film
Understanding Laminate Floors
Homeowners often select laminate flooring for its affordability, sturdiness, and variety of styles. It is essential to understand the basics of laminate flooring before diving into proper cleaning and care techniques. The primary components include:
- A high-density fiberboard (HDF) core. This provides stability and support for the entire plank.
- An image layer. A high-resolution photograph replicates the look of natural materials like wood or stone.
- A wear layer. A melamine resin protective coating helps resist scratches, stains, fading, and moisture damage.
Common Mistakes That Damage Laminate Floors
Preserving a laminate floor's day-one look is all about avoiding common pitfalls. Here are some common mistakes to avoid that can cause damage:
- Using too much water. Excessive water exposure can seep into seams between planks causing swelling or warping over time. Your mop should be damp, not wet, when you clean your floor.
- Selecting harsh cleaning products. Laminate cleaners can strip away protective layers on your floor. This can leave a film on your floor, dullness quality, or discoloration. Avoid cleaning products that require rinsing.
- Ignoring spills. Allowing liquids to sit on your laminate floor can cause staining or moisture damage. It's essential to clean up spills immediately.
Proper laminate floor care helps keep your floors looking beautiful and lasting longer. Selecting the right cleaning supplies will keep you one step ahead of an old dull floor look.
The Only Floor Cleaner That's Film Free
Use a 50-50 solution of white vinegar and water. One part water and one part vinegar in a mop bucket will never leave a film on our floor. Most laminate floors will get micro-scratches or have small layers of degradation from even the least-harsh flooring cleaners. Laminate flooring cleaners will leave a thin film after their application to help create a shiny finish. Whether or not you can see or feel this thin film, it's there. This film left by cleaners actually attracts more debris over time. More frequent cleanings mean you have to buy more cleaner more often. I wonder if that could be the plan. Next, we will discuss proper cleaning techniques and tools for laminate floors. These tips can help the beauty of your floors last while avoiding accidental damage. Laminate floor care is all about diligence and attention to detail. You'll enjoy the benefits for years to come.
Choosing the Right Cleaning Tools
Maintaining your laminate floors' pristine condition requires using appropriate cleaning tools. Selecting the right equipment can make sure you get a deep clean. These wood laminate cleaning tools help prevent damage to the surface of your flooring as well. In this section, we will discuss various types of cleaning tools that are suitable for laminate floor care.
Flat-style mops with microfiber heads
A flat-style mop with a microfiber head is the best way to clean laminate floors. They collect dirt, dust and dander without scratching or damaging the surface. Microfiber material is super absorbent to dirt and moisture. This combination helps prevent streaks occurring after mopping.
- Dust Mop: A dry microfiber dust mop is perfect for daily maintenance as it quickly picks up loose debris from your floor's surface.
- Damp Mop: When you need to clean spills or sticky spots, use a dampened flat-style mop with a removable microfiber pad that can be washed after each use.
Avoiding abrasive scrubbers
Laminate flooring is designed to look and feel like hardwood. The durability of laminate is not the main focus of this flooring product. Using abrasive scrubbers like steel wool or scouring pads can cause scratches and damage its protective wear layer, causing it to lose it's shine. . Look to use microfiber cloths or non-abrasive sponges when cleaning your laminate floors. Have you tried white vinegar and water as your flooring cleaner with soft tools? You may care to try the towel buffing method below.
Addressing The Film Left Over
Do your laminate floors appear streaky after mopping? Even after using an at-home vinegar solution? There are a few possible reasons for the streaks and some simple solutions you can try. In this section, we'll discuss implementing towel-buffing techniques.
Towel-Buffing Technique
In addition to using a homemade laminate flooring cleaner and using safer mops you can try this. Remove streaks from your laminate floors by buffing them dry with a towel after mopping. Towel buffing removes any remaining moisture or residue left after your deep clean.
- Gather materials: Prepare clean, dry, and absorbent towels or microfiber cloths for buffing.
- Work in sections: As you finish mopping a section of your floor, immediately follow up with the towel-buffing technique to prevent streaks from drying onto the surface.
- Buff using circular motions: Gently rub the towel over the laminate flooring in small circles, applying light pressure as needed to remove any remaining moisture or residue.
A towel buff added to your cleaning routine help keeps laminate floors streak-free. Some more questions people have about laminate flooring are listed below.
Frequently Asked Questions Laminate Floor Care
Is there a steam cleaner for laminate floors?
There isn't a steam cleaner on this planet that you can use on laminate floors. Steam cleaners, hot water, and wet mops will damage a laminate floor. Use a tiny amount of water with a microfiber cloth to pickup spills immediately. No standing liquids are allowed on laminate floors, they can soak up liquids in minutes. If you want to clean spilt paint, colored marker, or oils use nail polish remover with a microfiber cloth for clean up.
What is a good homemade laminate floor cleaner?
A 50 - 50 water and white vinegar solution is the best homemade laminate floor cleaner. Use a microfiber mop to prevent leaving streaks or a film on the surface.
What is the downside to laminate flooring?
Laminate flooring has some downsides such as being susceptible to water damage if not properly maintained. Laminate floors have a thin top layer of a protective coating that is susceptible to damage. It is difficult to repair damaged planks compared to hardwood options because laminate cannot be sanded down and refinished like real wood can.
A Film-Free Wrap Up
In conclusion, learning how to clean laminate floors without leaving a film benefits the appearance and longevity of your floors. By choosing the right tools, mopping correctly, and protecting against scratches you can keep your floors looking like new and free of dirt. Remember that Really Cheap Floors has a blog dedicated to providing tips on floor care as well as other flooring-related topics. Visit reallycheapfloors.com/blog for more information.
