Laminate is made up of several core layers of hard-wearing, high-density fiberboard fused together through the process of lamination. It offers the look of real wood at a fraction of the price. Scratch-resistant, easy to clean, and low-maintenance, laminate flooring has become a popular option among homeowners.
Steps to Clean Laminate Flooring
Often dust build-up and residue from the wrong cleaner tend to be the biggest culprits in making laminate flooring lose its clean and shiny look. The good news is that the laminate is easy to clean. It requires 6 simple steps, which we list below:
- Sweep or Vacuum The Floor: Use a microfiber cloth to get rid of the dust on your laminate flooring. Alternatively, you can vacuum the floor using the hard floor attachment to prevent scratching the floor.
- Choose The Right Cleaner: Choosing the right cleaner is half your job. Soap and oil-based cleaners tend to leave the laminate flooring looking greasy and hazy. Choosing a cleaner specially formulated to clean laminate is the best bet to get ideal results.
- Spray The Cleaner Directly on The Floor: Apply a thin and even layer in small sections of the floor, one at a time. Avoid putting too much liquid on the floor as the laminate should not get wet.
- Wipe Away with Microfiber Clothes: Use a microfiber cloth to wipe away the cleaner. Make sure to wipe in the direction of the grain of the flooring and to use just enough water so the floor looks damp but not wet. This is exactly why a mop or sponge is not a good idea as they are likely to leave streak marks and excess moisture on the floor.
- Leave to Drying: Once you have cleaned the whole floor, leave it to the air-dryer for a while making sure there is no foot traffic in the area for the time period to ensure perfect shine restoration.
- Buff with Dryer: Any sections of the floor showing spots can have their shine restored by being wiped with an industrial drying machine after the floor has dried.
Tips for Laminate Flooring Maintenance
With these above 6 simple steps, your laminate flooring will be clean and shiny in no time. Now, you should try to preserve this look for as long as possible. Along with making sure to vacuum and mop your floor regularly, there are a few other things you can do to preserve the shiny look of your laminate flooring:
- Avoid pine-scented cleaners: These cleaners will leave a soapy residue on laminate flooring, dulling its shine in no time.
- Use floor mats at the entrance: The mats trap a lot of the outdoor dirt and grime reducing the amount that comes inside and keeping your floors shiny and clean for longer.
- Wipe up spills immediately: It is no secret that water and laminate are not a good combination. Wiping up any spills immediately helps keep the laminate’s exposure to moisture to a minimum, helping the floor retain its look for longer.
- Don’t shine the floor by waxing or polishing: Laminate is designed to be shiny on its own. Using wax or polish to add to its shine will actually damage and dull the floor. Stick to mopping with a cloth using a laminate-suited cleaner for shine-restoration.
- Place furniture pads under all furniture pieces such as table and chair legs: This will help protect the laminate as the furniture can easily scrape off the protective layering of the laminate and allow water to pervade into the core layers of the flooring.
- Follow the simple steps to clean your laminate flooring and abide by the rules of how to look after it, and your flooring will remain clean and shiny for a wonderfully long time, contributing to the aesthetic of your home in a delightful fashion.