How to wash laminate flooring at home

The appearance of the floor in our apartments and houses greatly influences the overall impression of the entire interior. Laminate is one of the most durable and practical options. It is a laminated material of medium and high density fiberboard, lined with a decorative wear-resistant film.

This type of flooring is very widely represented on the market, both in budget options and quite expensive, as a result of which it is popular among buyers. For all its advantages, it requires careful handling and special care. Therefore, after laying laminate flooring in the house, the owners think about the problem: how to wash the laminate without harming it.

Features of laminated flooring

The advantages of using laminate flooring include the following factors:

• Aesthetics and rich assortment;
• Wear resistance, moisture resistance, impact resistance. These characteristics are determined by the class of the product;
• Simple installation method, after which no processing is required;
• Affordable price.

However, there are also disadvantages such as:

• the harmfulness of the top layer of resin or paint to health;
• the coating is slippery;
• if the laying technology is violated, a creak may appear over time.

When installing a laminate floor, individual panels are connected to each other along the side and end sides using locks, which are a protrusion on one side of the panel and a recess on the other. Thus, during the assembly process, the panel is simply inserted into the groove of the other panel. And if the surface of the element itself is covered with a film that protects against external influences, then this film is absent on the sides. Therefore, joints are the weakest part of a laminate floor.

Inexpensive laminated panels are not treated with water-repellent solutions, so moisture should not be allowed to accumulate on the locks. However, in expensive versions, the joints are factory-treated with wax-containing compounds.

Based on the foregoing, an important condition for the durability of the coating is proper care.

How to clean a laminate floor

To keep your apartment clean, of course, regular cleaning is essential. Washing of the laminate should be carried out in such a way that the surface protective layer is not damaged. Compliance with cleaning rules, as well as the use of appropriate tools, will have a beneficial effect on the durability of the floor. In addition, you need to have a detergent for laminate flooring.

Pre-cleaning

Dry cleaning is required before washing the laminate.The first step is to remove anything from the floor that might scratch the flooring during the sweeping process. It happens that there are plastic or metal pieces or pieces of broken glass lying around. Dried dirt and sand brought on shoes from the street and similar dirt must be removed using a wooden spatula or spatula. Next, sweep up the remaining large debris and carefully scoop it up using a scoop.

After that, it is necessary to remove dust, hair, wool, etc. using a vacuum cleaner.

Important! The broom and vacuum cleaner brushes should be made of soft bristles to avoid scratching the laminate.

Use a vacuum cleaner to clean all corners of the room, crevices under furniture, and other hard-to-reach places.

Laminate cleaning rules

Having finished with the dry cleaning stage, proceed to the washing, during which follow these recommendations:

• minimize the amount of water falling on the floor and the duration of exposure to moisture so that it has time to evaporate from the laminate before it gets inside its joints;
• take microfiber or some other material that absorbs water well and does not leave streaks. Squeeze the cloth more often and thoroughly. Do not use fluffy material, unnecessary T-shirt or other things - because of this, the surface of the coating may tarnish;
• open the window in the room while cleaning the floor - this will facilitate quick drying;
• when the laminate is heavily soiled, wash it in two stages: first with a solution with detergent, and after drying, simply with tap water.
• in case of light pollution, wash with hot water, which also contributes to its rapid evaporation;
• in children's rooms, for the purpose of disinfection, clean without special means, but simply with water, the temperature of which is above 70 degrees. Remember to use gloves and a mop with a special wringing mechanism to avoid burns;
• wash the room, moving towards the exit with your back, so as not to stand on a damp floor;
• mop movements should be carried out parallel to the long sides of the panels, and not across - this will minimize the amount of water that gets inside the joints;
• if you wet the floor too much, wipe it dry.

The better to wash laminate flooring

So that there are no streaks on the coating, what is the best way to wash the laminate? This is the question every housewife asks for the first time when she looks at the dusty and slightly littered new floor. The answer, as usual, is as follows - you need to wash it with the help of special means suitable for this particular coverage. Strict adherence to all manufacturer's instructions is essential. Using too much or otherwise violating the instructions will result in new stains, white streaks, or even damage certain areas of the coating.

Detergents

On the shelves of our stores you can find the following proven varieties:

• Mellerud Bio. It is made with the use of natural salts, oils and wax, therefore it requires a longer action time on pollution and mechanical stress. With constant use on the surface, it creates a protective film, gives shine to the surfaces;
• Emsal Laminate. It is based on natural linseed oil, which forms a protective film on the laminate. The product has a pronounced antistatic effect;
• Pronto This manufacturer produces a product that contains solvents and acids. It gives shine to the laminate and cleans it perfectly;
• HG. An intensive treatment to help remove stubborn dirt, grease and food stains;
• Laminol. Alkaline concentrate. This substance softens water. Can be used for disinfection. After applying it, the laminate will shine like it was just installed.

In addition to specialized detergents, household detergents such as Grass, Mr.Proper and others can be used. However, be careful - their use may be unsafe to health, and may damage the laminated surface.

Folk remedies

In our country, people are not yet accustomed to using professional household chemicals, so the question often arises - how to wash the floors without streaks with some folk remedies. The most popular and effective method is the use of table vinegar, which is characterized by high antiseptic properties, then there is no need to rinse off the solution. To prepare the detergent composition, dilute hot water with 200 ml of vinegar in a bucket, and wash the laminated floor with the resulting solution. The resulting solution provides accelerated evaporation of moisture.

A small drawback of this method is an unpleasant vinegar smell, but it is worth noting that it quickly disappears.

Important! To prepare the solution, you need to purchase vinegar with a concentration of 3-9%. The use of apple cider vinegar or other types of vinegar with a color is not allowed.

What rag to use

If you are faced with the question of how to wash the laminate, pay attention to the importance of the fabric from which the rag is made. As mentioned above, a microfiber cloth is best suited for cleaning floors. There are other fabrics with good absorbency. You can not use hard fabrics, because soft ones prevent the formation of scratches on the coating.

Laminate mop

Using a mop is a good substitute for a regular doormat. The modern assortment pleases with fairly cheap options with adjustable handle lengths, which makes cleaning easier. If the surface area of ​​the laminate is large enough, then you can purchase professional mops that have a movable rectangular nozzle and are completed with covers made of various fabrics, including microfiber. The movable nozzle facilitates both the cleaning process and the subsequent polishing of the laminate. With such a mop, it is easier to wash places that would be difficult to reach with a static nozzle and where you cannot reach with your hands, as well as the corners of the room.

Washing vacuum or steam cleaner

Until recently, it was difficult to imagine that such a painful occupation as cleaning could be automated, making it as easy as possible and reducing the time spent on it. But, time does not stand still, and a miracle of technology has appeared on the modern market - washing vacuum cleaners. But, we draw your attention to the fact that for cleaning the laminate, a washing vacuum cleaner can be purchased only if the panel locks are treated with a wax-containing solution. Otherwise, when cleaning, it will spray water, which, pouring into the joints after a certain period of time, will cause the panels to swell.

Among the new products there are models that sprinkle water weaker, as well as equipped with a nozzle, suction liquid, and a brush to collect moisture residues. The use of such models for cleaning laminate flooring is allowed.

Also, when the joints of the panels are treated with wax, and the surface does not have any damage for wet cleaning, equipment manufacturers recommend steam cleaners.

How and how to remove stubborn dirt

Everything happens in life, and accidentally stained laminate flooring is not uncommon. Let's consider some types of pollution in more detail:

• Paint stains must be removed with special cleaners. As a last resort, it is possible to use solvents. A stain of oil paint can be removed well with white spirit, and a stain of nitro paint with acetone. When you have removed the paint, then immediately wipe the laminate dry and wash this place with a mixture of vinegar and water;
• Polyurethane foam or putty can be removed with a wooden spatula, and their remains can be washed off with white spirit;
• From stains of acrylic paints, the coating can be cleaned with plain water;
• Traces of glue, scotch tape must be washed off with white spirit;
• If there are stains of alcohol or brilliant green, the surface must be cleaned with alcohol;
• Traces of blood or grease stains can be wiped off with a cloth soaked in glass cleaner;
• Black lines from rubber shoes or bicycle wheels can be removed with an eraser;
• Before removing the gum or gum, it must first be frozen and then carefully removed.

Important! In most cases, the successful removal of stains is influenced by how quickly the action is taken.

How to remove scratches

Scratches not only make the appearance of the flooring unkempt, but also lead to premature decommissioning, as moisture and dirt entering them will destroy the panels.

If the damage is very small, even olive oil, which needs to polish the damaged area, can remove them.

Laminate polishes are also an excellent tool. They come in the form of liquids, aerosols, or mastic. Another popular method is the use of WD-40 grease familiar to all motorists. It must be applied to the scratch and cleaned with a brush.

If the laminate was walked on with heels, it has deep cuts after careless rearrangement of furniture or equipment, or is badly damaged by something sharp, such simple methods will no longer help. In this situation, only repair with special means will help to restore the laminated coating. In stores you can buy wax crayons for laminate flooring, paste for restoring laminate coating, acrylic varnish, putty.

What can not be washed

You should keep in mind that there are tools that should never be used and there are good reasons for this.

• when using whiteness or chlorine-containing household chemicals, the laminate will discolor;
• acids and alkalis erode the protective film;
• products containing ammonia will permanently lose the original gloss of the laminate;
• the use of abrasive powders and pastes will lead to scratches, and as a result, will lead to rapid wear;
• a large amount of water promotes the penetration of moisture into the joints of the panel, to their swelling or heaving.

General Laminate Care Guidelines

Whatever devices and means you use, do not forget that there are general rules for caring for laminate flooring:

• observe the dosage of special detergents indicated on the package;
• do not use the substances mentioned in the previous section;
• initially test an unfamiliar substance on an inconspicuous small area of ​​the coating;
• do not wet cleaning more than 2 times a week;
• excess liquid must be wiped off immediately with a dry cloth.

To make the laminate look fresh and effective, does not require repair and replacement, take care of it correctly, following the advice above. Having studied this topic, you can purchase equipment that is suitable for caring for the floor covering and will give you the pleasure of the process itself.

Video: how to properly care for your laminate