How to Clean Laminate Floors: Pro Advice for Spotless Floors

Laminate floors give your rooms a modern and natural look, but they also need to be cleaned regularly to prevent dirt and stains. Otherwise, you'll end up with a dirty and unwelcoming floor, which would defeat the purpose of having beautiful flooring in the first place. In addition, having your floors cleaned properly will help apply protective coating layers to the surfaces to protect them from scratches.

In this post, I'll share the secrets to keep your floors clean all the time, including how to clean laminate floors and other professional tips. Use these to keep your floors in tip-top condition.

Your home will look lovely and shining with laminate floors

What You'll Need to Follow This Tutorial

Starting your laminate floor cleaning routine requires the right tools. Each item makes the cleaning process easier and more effective. If it's convenient for you, I highly recommend getting all the best products to clean laminate floors.

To Regularly Clean Your Floors:

• Soft-bristle angled broom – You'll need this to sweep off dust and debris before moving to the more in-depth cleaning process. The soft bristles will protect your laminate floors from getting scratched. And although other brooms can do the trick, an angled broom makes it easier to work on corners.
• Vacuum – If you plan on using a vacuum to clean laminate floors, make sure you have soft-bristle brushes available. Otherwise, the stiff brushes will create scratches on your floors that are really difficult to fix.

To Deep Clean Your Floors:

• Shoe covers – While some people might not notice this, dirty shoes can cause your floors to get dirty immediately, especially when they are still wet. So you might want to put on some shoe covers before starting this.
• Laminate floor cleaner – Different cleaners may work best for different types of floors. You should really consider the manufacturer's recommendations to make the right purchases.
• Mop – You'll need this to start working the cleaning solution into the laminate surfaces. Make sure your mop comes with microfiber pads, which will be gentle on your floors to prevent scratches. If your mop doesn't come with a dry side, extra pads will be needed to dry the floor immediately after. Also, cleaning laminate floors with a steam mop can be helpful, but I don't find it all that necessary, since you can achieve the same results by putting in more effort with your regular mop.
• Spray bottle – Although it's not required, I always find that having the diluted cleaning solution available inside a spray bottle makes it easier to clean the room, especially large ones. You simply give the area a light spray and then wipe again with the mop to easily clean your floors.

To Spot Treat Your Floors:

• Spot cleaning solution – To effectively deal with stubborn stains that don't come off when you perform a deep cleaning session, a strong and more concentrated spot cleaning solution is needed.
• Microfiber cloth – Make sure to prepare enough microfiber cloths to clean and dry the targeted spots.
• Rubbing alcohol – In certain cases, rubbing alcohol works effectively for streaks that are often found on laminate surfaces.
• Vinegar – Cleaning laminate floors with vinegar isn't the best solution, despite its strong cleaning properties, since the acid in vinegar can damage the laminate flooring if used in large amounts. However, if you're dealing with tough stains, using a little vinegar can be really helpful when spot treating.
• Plastic scraper – For food stains that are stuck on your floors, plastic scrapers are needed to scrape them off.
• Ice pack – If you're dealing with grease or wax stains, an ice pack will freeze them and make them easier to clean.

To Apply the Final Polish:

• Laminate floor polish – Choose any polishing products you like and are suitable for your own flooring setup. These will further coat your cleaned floors with a natural shine and a layer of protection, allowing them to stay shiny and also make them easier to clean later on.
• Mop and pads – Use the same mop you've used to clean the floors, just change it with a new and dry pad for the polishing process.

Prepare all of the cleaning supplies in advance

Pro Tips

• DIY floor cleaner recipe - If you don't have your floor cleaner available and are wondering what to use to clean laminate floors, then the following remedy will really help. Simply prepare a teaspoon of dish soap in a gallon of warm water. Mix them well and leave the solution for a few minutes before you start using it to clean. Pour the mixture into a spray bottle and start working on your floors. I've tried this homemade laminate floor cleaner many times and was satisfied with the results.
• Avoid oil-based cleaners – Using oil-based cleaners isn't the best way to clean laminate floors since they will leave dirty streaks afterward. You should really pay attention to the ingredients of the formula before purchasing the cleaning products.
• Don't use acid-based cleaners – At the same time, acid-based cleaners can be harmful to laminate floors. You should follow the laminate floor care instructions and only choose products that can clean and also protect your floors.

Step-by-step Instructions

With all preparations completed, you can start learning how to clean laminate floors with our following instructions.

Start With Daily Maintenance

Although it's the first step of the deep cleaning process, I recommend that homeowners spend a couple of minutes every few days to casually clean their floors. Use your soft-bristle broom to work on the laminate surfaces to collect dust and debris that have accumulated over time. You can also use vacuums for large rooms, which will require more effort to clean. But do consider the effectiveness and convenience of both methods. And don't forget to learn how to clean laminate wood floors with a swiffer to make your daily jobs easier.

To remove grime, dust the floor often

Deep Clean With Water and Selected Solutions

To start mopping your floors, you can mix the cleaning liquid with warm water, making sure to check the provided instructions to get the right amount. Then pour the cleaning solution into the prepared bottle with a spray tip. Hold the spray bottle in front of you and start applying the cleaning solution over the targeted surfaces.

On the other hand, if you're using an electric mop, most of them will come with two separate tanks for placing clean water and cleaning solution. The mixing and distributing will mostly be automated so you only need to focus on mopping the floors.

For those who don't know how to deep clean laminate floors, it's actually quite easy. You just need to move the mop forwards and backwards to evenly apply the cleaning solution over the surface. Remember to apply a little weight onto the handle to work out stubborn stains, but finish the spots with a light touch to prevent any streaks. Make sure to run over the surfaces a couple of times before moving to the next areas.

Repeat the mopping process multiple times until you're satisfied with the results. Then immediately turn your mop pad over to the dry side to start drying the excess cleaning solution. This is the secret of streak-free results, as you'll be able to get rid of the remaining solution that often stains your floors later on. Do the same with your electric mop by switching the current mode to dry cleaning. Once you're done, your floor should return to its shiny and clean appearance.

All of this, while it might not be the easiest way to clean laminate floors, will ensure that your floors are properly cleaned and well protected.

To remove any stains, mop the floor

Spot Treating

Even with all those deep cleaning processes, there will be certain areas that need special care. These might be stains that have been around for a long time or tough spots that require more force to wipe off. Nonetheless, you can continue to learn how to clean laminate flooring with these following spot treating methods.

Start by looking at your floor at a slightly tilted angle and use a light to spot areas that are still dirty. Once you've identified them, you can start working on specific spots with the selected spot treating solutions. For most stains, your spot cleaner will easily help you get rid of them. Simply apply the solution and wait a few minutes. Then use the prepared microfiber cloth to wipe them clean.

As for wax or grime, which is a little difficult to work with, you can follow our guides for residue removal. Simply use an ice pack to cool down and solidify them. Then use a plastic scraper to clean off any residue.

To thoroughly clean the flooring, use spot cleaning

Apply the Floor Polishing Product

The steps above are just for cleaning your laminate floors. But if you really want to bring your old floors back to life, you'll need polishing products to help you with the job. So this part of the guide will focus on how to shine laminate floors and allow them to remain protected for a very long time.

After you've finished cleaning your floors and have them completely dried off, the surface should be ready for the final coating. Simply apply the polishing product onto the targeted surfaces using the recommended amounts by the manufacturer.

Then start running your mop or electric mop over the surface to work the solution evenly. Do this slowly and steadily to make sure you don't miss any areas. Once you're done, you can leave the area and let the laminate product continue drying on its own. It should take at least 2 hours before you can walk on the surface and up to 24 hours before you can place any heavy furniture on it.

Use a polishing product to give your floor a fresh appearance

Maintenance Tips

Once you're satisfied with the cleaning process, you should be really happy with our guides on how to clean laminate floors. But it doesn't mean you'd be happy to repeat the process over and over again just to keep the floor clean. Hence, it's always important to keep a few maintenance tips in mind.

Use the Right Amount of Water

This not only applies when diluting the cleaning solution for your laminate floors, but also when applying the mixture. You should never soak a mop with water, only keep the right amount of moisture and avoid mopping the floor with a soaked cloth. This can cause wooden surfaces to swell and even fade, which would defeat the purpose of cleaning it in the first place. Remember, this isn't a tutorial on how to wash laminate flooring but to clean it, effectively and properly.

Don't Use Cleaning Solution Too Often

While a cleaning solution makes your floor cleaner, there's no need to always clean your laminate floors with them. If you're wondering what else you can use for this purpose, warm water alone is also effective. If your floor is only mildly dirty with dust, regular stains, and other light residues, warm water should always do the trick.

Use Mats or Area Rugs Under Furniture

Placing heavy furniture and household appliances on laminate surfaces will cause them to scratch and leave unwanted marks on your floors. Hence, if you're planning to reposition your couches, closets, tables, or any other furniture, make sure to get yourself some protective mats or area rugs to place under them. These will not only make your house look nicer but will also protect your beautiful floors.

Always Clean Spills Immediately

One of the reasons why tough stains become tough is because of our failure to clean them immediately. It only takes a short while for the stains to dry and become sticky on our floors. So it's important to clean them immediately after you spill them. Remember to use a clean microfiber cloth to wipe off the spill and clean it again with warm water.

Trim Pet Nails

Sometimes, your pets can be the reason for marks and scratches on your beautiful laminate flooring. You should trim their nails regularly if you wish to keep the shiny, clean, and natural look on the floors. It won't take too much of your time, and you can also save other furniture from your active animals.

Take Off Heels

The habit of wearing heels inside the house will really cost you a great deal of money and damage your laminate floors. The sharp and narrow heels can easily scratch and damage the surfaces, just like how pet nails would. So make sure to take them off and put on something more comfortable for your feet.

Keep Your Floors Looking Professional Year-Round

I hope you're satisfied with our in-depth guides on proper floor maintenance. Check our articles regularly to discover what is the best way on how to clean laminate floors. At the same time, I'm interested in your feedback and would love to know your cleaning experiences. Share your thoughts and results in the comments below.