How to Clean Laminate Floors Without Leaving a Film: Quick and Easy Guide

What you will need to follow this tutorial?

There are many reasons that cause your laminate floors to lose their shine and become dirty, so in this tutorial, we’ll be going through every step necessary for cleaning them. Feel free to follow every step to get the best result or to tweak the given steps to better suit your personal preferences.

But nonetheless, here are all items that are required to clean laminate wood floors without leaving film:

• A vacuum cleaner for laminate floors – it’s really handy for collecting dust and debris on the floors. And make sure that the machine comes with the right brushes for cleaning your dedicated laminate floor surfaces.
• A floor mop with microfiber pads – you will need it to get rid of all remaining stains and marks on the floors. The microfiber pads will guarantee that you won’t scratch the floors.
• Cleaning solution - any all-purpose laminate floor cleaner would do the job and some rubbing alcohol is suggested if you want to improve the drying speed. In many cases, cleaning laminate floors with vinegar is also possible if you don’t have the cleaner solution.
• PU sealer solution – depending on your types of laminate floors, make sure to get the correct PU sealer solution to maintain the nice coating over the surfaces.
• A certain cross linker for the PU sealer – depending on your choice of PU sealer product, you should get the recommended cross linker.
• A small container – use this to mix and keep your PU sealer solution.
• A paint brush with soft bristles – you’ll need this to apply the coating to the edges of the floors.
• A microfiber paint roller – use this to finish applying the PU sealer.

With all the items and tools prepared, it’s time for you to move on to the next step.

Step by step instructions

Here, we’ll provide our step-by-step instructions on how to deep clean laminate floors and completely get rid of the annoying hazes and films.

Step 1 - Vacuum your floor

For those who are still unsure on how to clean laminate floors, here are the exact guides for you.

Start by cleaning the floors using a vacuum cleaner, in my case, I have the Dyson V10 which offers brilliant suction and a soft roller cleaner head that’s more suitable on the dedicated laminate floor surfaces. Feel free to learn more about this product with our Dyson V10.

Simply attach the soft roller and turn on the machine to freely move the cleaner head along the surface of the floor. Make sure to move backward from one end of the room to the other so you won’t step on cleaned areas and dirty them. Give the floor a few runs to completely remove any pieces of debris and dust, so you can prepare the floors ready for the next step.

You’ll need to vacuum the floor first before cleaning

Step 2 - Mop the floor

For mopping the laminate floors, I’m using a spray mop that offers soft and washable microfiber pads, which you can easily clean and reuse multiple times.

Start by adding the cleaning solution to the water tank on the spray mop, then proceed to dilute with a certain amount of water depending on the products that you’re using. And finally, I often like to add two and a half cups of rubbing alcohol, since it will help the liquid to dry quickly, which is really beneficial when cleaning laminate wood floors, as the material itself isn’t entirely water-resistant.

Once the cleaning solution is ready, all you need is to mop the floor by following the same patterns when vacuuming it. Make sure to avoid stepping mopped areas so you won’t smudge them and create hazels along the way. Press on the spray handle to apply the cleaning solution every once in a while, to fully cover the floor. When you reach the end of the floor, simply leave it to dry before moving on to the next step.

Mop it clean before applying the sealant

Step 3 - Apply the PU sealer

Most laminate floors come with a final coating layer from the manufacturer, which protect the wooden surfaces from any harmful substances, as well as providing them with a natural shine. But in most cases, this layer is often inadequate when handling the daily wear and tear. So, you’ll need to re-apply the coating every once in a while, to maintain the shine on the wooden floors and protect them from scratches. The following steps will show you how to shine laminate floors in the most thorough yet simple way possible.

With the floor already being cleaned and completely dry off, you can start mixing the cross linker with the PU sealer solution. Pour them out into the container and mix with a proper ratio until fully combine. Then start applying the solution to the edges of the floor using the soft-bristle paint brush. Simply dip and brush the PU sealer over the edges, and remember to only keep a thin layer of PU sealer. Next, you can simply pour out a certain amount of PU sealer and use the paint roller to apply it on the floor. Repeat the step a few times before you finish coating the whole surface.

It’s recommended that you leave the floor untouched for at least 2 hours so it can fully dry before you can start walking on them. For better coating effects, you can also add another layer of coating once the first one has fully dried.

Apply the PU sealer for better shine and protection

Step 4 - Take care of the floor

And last but not least, the most important step on how to clean laminate floors without leaving a film is to always take good care of the floor with your daily actions.

Start by treating the laminate wood floors with care, as you avoid walking on them with your hard shoes and heels. If you have pets, it’s really important to have their nails trimmed regularly to minimize their scratch damages.

Also, a properly shined and well-coated wooden floor surface only requires you to clean with water, but you should do this regularly. Simply follow the given instructions from the second step to continue mopping the floor daily. It won’t take too much time and you can help the floor always shine and stay spotless.

Conclusion

With simple and detailed instructions, you will definitely find the tutorial quite easy to perform. So, make sure to follow the steps to clean and shine your laminate floors. Depending on the current state of your laminate floors, you won’t essentially have to follow the entire process. Just make sure that you perform the cleaning whenever needed and you can have the beautiful wooden floors lasting with your family for a very long time.