How to Clean Laminate Floors: Pro Advice for Spotless Floors

In this post, we’ll tell you the secrets to keep your amazing floors nice and clean all the time, including how to clean laminate floors and other amazing pro tips. Use these to keep your floors in tip top condition.

Laminate floors will make your house looks nice and shiny

What you will need to follow this tutorial

To start cleaning laminate floors, there are a few items that you need to prepare, each of them will make the cleaning process easier and more effective. So if it’s convenient to you, we highly recommend users to get all the best things to clean laminate floors with.

To regularly clean your floors:
 

• Soft-bristle angle broom – you’ll need this to wipe off the 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 any brooms can do the trick, an angled broom would make it easier to work on corners.
• Vacuum – if you plan on using vacuum to clean your laminate floors, make sure that you have the 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 doing this.
• Laminate floor cleaner – depending on the floors, there might be different cleaners that suit them best. So you should really consider the seller to make the right purchases.
• Mop – you’ll need it to start working the cleaning solution into the laminated surfaces. Make sure that your mop comes with microfiber pads, which will go gentle on your floors to prevent scratches. And 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 steam mop can be helpful, but I don’t find it all that necessary, since you can achieve the same results by putting in extra 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 will make it easier to clean the room, especially large ones. You simply give the area a little spray and then wipe again with the mop to easily clean your floors.

To spot treating your floors:
 

• Spot cleaning solution – To effectively deal with the 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 cloth to clean and dry the targeted spots.
• Rubbing alcohol – in certain cases, rubbing alcohol can work as an effective cleaner for streaks that are often found on laminated surfaces.
• Vinegar – cleaning laminate floors with vinegar isn’t the best solution, despite its strong cleaning applications, since the acid in vinegar can damage the laminated floor if used in a large amount. However, if you are dealing with tough stains, using a little vinegar can be really helpful when doing spot treating.
• Plastic scraper – for food stains that are sticking on your floors, plastic scrapers are needed to scrape them off.
• Ice pack – if you are 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 – feel free to choose any polishing products that you like and are suitable to your own flooring setups. These would further coat your cleaned floors with a natural shine and a layer of protection, allowing them to stay shiny and also make it easier to clean later on.
• Mop and pads – use the same mop that you’ve used to clean the floors, just change it with a new and dry pad for the laminating process.

Have all the cleaning tools prepared beforehand

Pro tips
 

• Alternative floor cleaner - 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 them to clean. Pour the mixture into a spraying bottle and start working on your floors. I have 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 wood laminate floors since they will leave dirty streaks afterward. So 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 laminated floors. So you should follow the laminate floor care instructions and only choose products that can clean and also coat your floors.

Step by step instructions

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

   ➜ RELATED: 8 Best Vacuums For Laminate Floors That Actually Work

Do casual cleaning

Although it’s the first step of the deep cleaning process, we 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 laminated surfaces to collect dust and debris that have accumulated over time. You can also use vacuums to clean laminate floors if you have large rooms, which will require more effort to clean. But do consider the effectiveness and conveniences between two methods. And don’t forget to learn how to clean laminate wood floors with a swiffer to make your daily jobs easier.

Dust off the floor frequently to get rid of dirt

Deep clean with water and selected solutions

To start mopping your floors, users 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 are 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 work on mopping the floors.

And for those who don’t know how to deep clean laminate floors, it’s rather 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 force out the 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 are 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 how to clean laminate wood floors without streaking, as you’ll be able to get rid of the remaining solution that often stain your floors later on. Do the same with your electric mop by turning the current mode to dry cleaning. Once you are done, your floor should return to its shiny and clean looks.

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

Mop the floor to clean any stains

Spot treating

Even with all those deep cleaning processes, there will be certain areas that will need special care. These might be stains that have been around for a long time or tough spots that require 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 out 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 with getting 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 on, you can follow our guides on how to clean laminate floors without residue. Simply use an ice pack to cool down and solidify them. Then use a plastic scraper to clean off any residue.

Do spot cleaning to completely clean the floors

Apply the floor polishing product

The steps above are just for cleaning your laminate floors. But if you really want to bring out the life in your old floors, 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 it completely dried off, the surface should be ready for the final coating. Simply apply the cleaning 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 slow and steadily to make sure that you don’t miss any areas. Once you’re done, feel free to 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 polishing product to brush off your floor with a new look

Maintenance tips

Once you are happy with the cleaning process, you should be really happy with our guides on how to clean laminate wood floors. But it doesn’t mean that you would 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 doesn’t only apply 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 water and avoid mopping the floor with a damped 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 is not 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 is no need to always clean your laminate floors with them. And if you are wondering what you can use to clean laminate floors, water alone is also possible. 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 laminated surfaces will cause them to scratch and leave unwanted marks on your floors. Hence, if you are planning to reposition your couches, closets, tables, or any other furniture, make sure to get yourself some extra 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 refusal 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 dirt and clean it again with warm water.

Trim pet nails

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

Conclusion

We hope you are satisfied with our in-depth guides on how to clean laminate floors. Feel free to check on our articles over and over to know what is the best way to clean laminate floors. At the same time, we are also interested in your own opinions and would love to know how you clean laminate flooring. So feel free to comment and send us feedback regarding our post.