Owning a house means owning every part of it. Whether it came with the house or you had custom built the laminated floor according to your preference, they need to be taken care of.
Laminated flooring is a type of flooring where it is given a glossy, laminated surface using multi-layer synthetic products. With laminated floor you can have various textures in a similar smooth surface. Modern households are using this type of flooring to avoid hassles of managing a wooden floor as well as to bring the aesthetic to the house.
However laminated floors have their drawbacks too and these types of floors need taking care. Otherwise it could leave a bad stain that is not desired at all. But compared to other types of floors, the process is easier and way more convenient. In this article we will try to provide a guideline of how to keep your laminate floors clean.
Supplies you will need
First and foremost, you will need mops for laminate floors. Mops are your best weapon to clean laminate floors . You could use a typical mop for the floor. If you want to get something better, you might want to try the steam mops. This kind of mops produce a vapour like steam, that helps with cleaning sticky items off your floor.
In regular cases, you will mostly use a broom. For a dry sweep bristle-brooms are perfect. Use an angled brush to reach the corners that are usually tough to reach.
If you want something more effective and less laborious, get a vacuum cleaner. They are perfect for laminate floors. Adjust your vacuum to the right pressure to get the most out of it. You can get vacuums with advanced attachments to handle your various needs.
As for cleaning substances, laminate floors don’t go well with water. Using soap will not be of much help. But sometimes you can use window cleaning materials . But you must refrain from using ammonia products.
Jury’s still out on using vinegar to wipe off stains. It is acidic, and that is harmful for your floor. But at the same time, a lot of people recommend using vinegar with warm water. It pays off big time while washing off stains that are hard to get rid off. But fair warning, there’s a good chance that the protective chemical layer on your laminate floor could be damaged by this practice.
A major danger is Murphy’s oil. Used in households to remove stains, this remover can highly damage your laminate floors. It leaves a stain on laminate floors that can be unalterable.
Regular maintenance and practices
Best offense is the defense! What I mean is, abiding by some simple practices, which stops you from ruining your floor, is far better than scraping it after a disaster.
First of all, if you have a pet, designate a special spot and train your pet to remain there when idle. You can have a mattress or a rug, even a fancy pet bed at the spot. That way your beloved animal won’t be able to damage your floor. Another thing is to train your pet very well to eat, sleep and take a dump properly. This will help you conserve your floor big time.
Another point to keep in mind is to cut their nails and fur regularly. Animals have a tendency to scrape floors. You do not want your precious laminate floor to be ruined by your favorite pet.
If you have young children, try to put a mattress under their table while feeding them. Potty-train them at the proper age. These practices will help you to save your floor and at the same time will help in proper development of your child.
Place mats in front of every door, specially in front of the bathroom and the main door to avoid the floor getting wet. Have a rack at the main door for wet umbrellas or coats to be hanged. Another personal practice you should follow to protect your precious laminate floor- not using stilettos. The high heels may leave a dent on the laminate layer. Which not only ruins the aesthetic but also causes accidents. Your toddler or pet may trip on the small dents and hurt themselves. Use paddings under furniture and their legs to avoid floor denting.
Do not use floor shining materials. As the laminate layer on the floor itself is a chemical, there is no saying how it will react to other chemicals. In most cases they will leave a waxy buildup which will be hard to remove. Another material to avoid would be pine scented cleaners. These cleaners leave a nasty stain on laminate floors, despite their fair smells.
Cleaning
Regularly clean your floor. At least once a day use brooms to do a dry sweep. Get all the dust and unattached items in those sweeps. With a broom you will be able to clean the corners better.
Wash off wet materials as soon as you can. Foods and other types of biological waste needs to be cleaned as soon as possible. Delay in the cleanup process might leave a stain on the floor.
As we already mentioned, water and laminate floors are a hellish mix. So wet washing is out of the equation here. But with the help of modern technology you can still use hydro cleaning systems.
You can easily use steam mops to clean your laminate floors without letting it dampen. It uses warm steam to dissociate any sticky object.
If you do not fancy such a machine, you could use damp mops instead of dripping ones. So that, the floor is barely touched by water. Turn on the fan or ac to dry fast. You can add some drops of soap with the water. Do not use this technique more than once a week, otherwise you may damage the floor.
You can also use vacuum cleaners to clean up your floors. These machines use suction to take any kind of wastes, so this process is both water and hassle free.
As it turns out, laminate floors are quite fancy but require certain techniques to be taken care of. These types of floors demand care but they also last longer. So, use proper maintenance technique for your laminate floor and help it last longer.