Your Vinyl Plank Flooring Needs Love!
Many people think that cleaning their floor is all about keeping it looking clean. And certainly aesthetics are the biggest reason that we clean our floors. Sometimes we need a deep cleaning on our vinyl floors. Other times you just need to spruce them up a little. Or just use a mop or cloth to dry a spill or a puddle of water. All of these tasks are part of a dedicated maintenance program, but looks are not the only part that we should be concerned about.
The reality is that the number one reason that people want to replace their flooring is because of a change in appearance. This change in appearance can be caused by staining, but usually it is a change in gloss level that is caused by abrasive wear on the wear layer of your vinyl floors. Imagine taking sandpaper to the areas of the vinyl flooring in your house where you walk the most. The grit in the sandpaper would change the gloss level everywhere that you touched it, making those areas look different than the ares of your flooring that were untouched. That is what makes your flooring look worn out.
But why would anyone scratch the surface of their vinyl plank floors with an abrasive?
We all do, every time we allow dust, dirt, and grit to remain on our LVP flooring. The dirt that gets tracked in is full of sandy, gritty soil, and those particles need to be removed from your vinyl flooring frequently.
Our concern is usually more about the spills and dropped food that mars the look of our luxury vinyl plank, but we must consider that invisible sandpaper as well.
We’ve come up with a few tips and tricks to help you know how to clean luxury vinyl plank flooring in your home.
Tip #1 Cleaning Your Luxury Plank Floor Daily
Don’t let pet hair and dust build up on your luxury plank flooring. You’ll want to vacuum or sweep daily. If you can afford it, you should invest in an automatic vacuum. This is perfect for those that have a busy schedule and can’t make time to clean their floor on a daily basis. In the long run cleaning your vinyl every day will help cut down on replacement costs.
Just making a few passes through your traffic patterns with a dry Swiffer will have a huge impact on the appearance and lifetime of your vinyl plank flooring.
Tip #2 Spot Clean Spills On Vinyl Flooring
There will be those days when something spills on your vinyl plank flooring. This is especially true if your flooring is in a high traffic area. Kids will almost always spill a drink or food when you least expect it. Do your best to spot clean your floor by wiping up any spills that may occur. You also don’t want to let the spill stay on the floor for too long as it can get tracked throughout your home, leaving stains on carpet or vinyl.
Tip #3 Establish Cleaning Zones On Your Vinyl Floor
One great tip you can try is establishing cleaning zones in your home to make your chores more manageable. You can clean the living room on one day and the mudroom on the next day. If you know you’re going to have a busy week, then you should try to save the dirtiest room for when you have the most free time.
Trick # 1 Use a Dry Mop to Clean Vinyl
If you want to know how to clean luxury vinyl plank flooring, then you should know using a dry mop can be really helpful when picking up dust. Hard bristle brooms can be the real enemy especially when you don’t want to scratch your plank vinyl flooring. Try using a dry microfiber mop with a pad to pick up dust. Use a mop that has an extended handle to get the hard to reach places.
Trick # 2 Find a Cleaning Product You Love
Luxury Vinyl Plank Flooring is incredibly water resistant, but that doesn’t mean you don’t have to worry about dirt build-up. When you are cleaning your vinyl plank floor you should use a cleaning product that you love to use. Homeowners with kids are more likely to use cleaning products that aren’t high in chemicals. You can take an all natural approach if you want to. Find a cleaning product that suits you and start cleaning your plank flooring regularly.
The Wrong Cleaners Are Bad For Your Vinyl Plank Floors
Over the years I have talked to literally hundreds of customers that were unhappy with the floors that we had sold them due to a loss of shine. Every single customer received the same question, "What are you cleaning it with?" And all of them came back with one of two answers: either "soap" or "oil". Cleaning your vinyl flooring isn't rocket science, but please do not use either soap or any type of oil to clean your flooring.
Think about using dish detergent to wash your hands, and how difficult it is to rinse all of the soap off. Now consider how much of that soap gets left on your vinyl floor after you wash it the attempt to rinse it with a few passes using a damp mop. That residue that you leave will build up quickly into a layer of soap, dirt, and grime that simple mopping with a standard vinyl cleaner cannot handle. This is what causes that loss of shine the customers are talking about.
Instead of soap or oil to clean your new vinyl flooring, use a no-rinse floor cleaner like Once 'n Done from Armstrong. Or one of the great cleaning products from Bona. Just a few days ago I was in the supermarket and saw a store-brand of no-rise floor cleaner with a vinegar and water solution that cost next to nothing. Any of these cleaners will be great for your floor. After mopping, dry your vinyl floors with a microfiber cloth for best results.
Bonus Tip: Helping Your Vinyl Plank Flooring To Stay Clean
One of the easiest ways to keep up the maintenance on your vinyl flooring is to keep the dirt and water outside your house, where they belong. You can accomplish this task by placing walk off mats at each outdoor opening. The way the mats are constructed allow the dirt and water to fall from your shoes as you step on the mat. The refuse is then trapped in the mat and cannot be tracked into your home. Keeping grit off your plank flooring will not only make them look better, but will help your flooring to last longer as well.
What If I Want To Buy Some Vinyl Plank Flooring?
These are all tips and tricks to show you how to clean luxury vinyl plank flooring. At ReallyCheapFloors.com, we have plenty of flooring options for you to check out. Find out what vinyl plank flooring we have in stock so you can get started on your next home improvement project. We are the largest true liquidator of flooring in the USA. and would love to help you find some vinyl flooring for your house at a great deal.