How to Clean Laminate Wood Floors Without Streaking: Pro Tips

So, naturally, you might be wondering how to clean laminate floor without streaking.

The answer is a lot simpler than you'd think! In this detailed guide, we will tell you all you need to know about how to clean laminate wood floor without streaking.

What Are Streaks?

Laminated floors are a cheap alternative to hardwood floors. It gives you virtually the same properties as hardwood for a fraction of the price. These synthetic floorboards are stable, durable, and on top of all, they are beautiful.

But one problem with them is that they are prone to streaking (smearing). Streaks are unsightly and can ruin the look of your floors. Without the proper technique, every time you pick up a mop to try and clean it, the mop would just leave them everywhere.

It's not uncommon for people to just get so fed up, they just ignore it altogether and just let the streaks build. Streaks—other than looking ugly—decrease the longevity of your floor. They're a combination of water, dirt, and chemical residues from cleaners and soaps. Letting them soak into your floor damages the protective laminate layer over time.

Why Do Streaks Appear on Laminated Floors?

Laminated floors are especially susceptible to streaks because of the tiny grooves on their surface. These grooves are porous, retaining moisture, soap residues, and dirt. It's often made worse by your mop dragging them across the floor, leaving streaks and smudges everywhere.

The little grooves on the surface of laminated floors make them particularly prone to streaks

What Cleaner to Use for Laminate Floors?

Picking the correct type of cleaner is a crucial step in learning how to clean laminate floor without streaking. Using the wrong kind of cleaner could create streaks, dull the color of your floor or worse, damage your floor.

Natural vs. Commercial Cleaner

The first step is to select the right cleaning agent. Since chemicals don't work well with laminated floors, we recommend using natural cleaners. Natural cleaners tend to be more effective than commercial cleaners since they don't contain a lot of chemicals. This means they would leave fewer streaks in their wake.

Another benefit of using natural cleaners is that they are cheap and accessible. As a matter of fact, you can make them at home!

But this doesn't mean that commercial cleaners are bad. For cases of heavy stains that natural cleaners aren't capable of dealing with, you may have to resort to commercial cleaners.

Despite being filled with chemicals, they are effective at tackling tough grime. A spritz of the stuff on a stained laminate floor and you'll have yourself a clean floor in no time. However, like we said earlier, they are more likely to cause streaks on your floor.

Fortunately, there have been many commercial cleaners that are advertised to be "streak-free". Results may vary, but if you choose to use commercial cleaners, pick only these types.

How to Make DIY Laminate Floor Cleaner at Home

Remember how we said you can make natural homemade laminate floor cleaner? This short section can show you how!

All in all, here are four different recipes that you can test out depending on what you have available to you.

Important note: you should only use distilled water to mix these cleaners.

Tap water is more convenient, but it may contain dissolved minerals inside that will cause streaks to form. One of my clients learned this the hard way after months of wondering why her floors stayed cloudy—she switched to distilled water and the difference was immediate. Distilled water has been filtered from these minerals and so will be more effective at cleaning your floor without residue.

White Vinegar

In a spray bottle, mix equal parts white vinegar and distilled warm water together. So, one cup of white vinegar for every gallon of warm water.

Shake the bottle to blend the two ingredients together. You now have a decent streak-free laminate floor cleaner in hand.

One thing about this mixture: it could be a bit smelly if you don't like the smell of white vinegar. If it turns you off, you can add a few droplets of essential oil to the mixture to make it smell better. Something pleasant like lemon will do a good job at masking the smell.

One issue about this combo is that if you dislike the scent of white vinegar, it could be a little offensive

White vinegar cleaner can be kept for a month and it will still retain its cleaning effect.

Baking Soda

Baking soda can be found in virtually every supermarket and all baking supply stores. This ingredient becomes a powerful cleaner when properly mixed. However, unlike white vinegar, you will need to use several different ingredients.

Here is a list of everything that you will need:

• Baking soda
• Dishwashing powder
• White vinegar
• Warm water

In a spray bottle, combine ⅔ cups of baking soda, ½ cups of dishwashing powder, and two tablespoons of white vinegar. After that, pour a gallon of warm water on top. Shake the bottle to mix them all together.

Almost all supermarkets and baking supply businesses carry baking soda

The combined cleansing effects of the dishwashing powder, vinegar, and baking soda will wipe out even the strongest stains.

➜ RELATED: How To Clean Tile Floors With Vinegar, Baking Soda, And Lemon?

Tea

It may be surprising to learn that the black tea you drink every day can also be used as a house cleaner. The natural tannins in tea—the compounds that give tea its color and slight bitterness—can cut through dirt and stains effectively. Additionally, tea also has a polishing effect on laminated floors. But nevertheless, since tea is quite expensive compared to other ingredients in this list, you should only use this method in emergencies.

For this use, purchase the least expensive variety of black tea available. There's no need to waste that expensive Earl Grey.

Brew the tea as you normally would. Put the teabag in the cup and pour hot water on top. Steep the tea for around 3 or 4 minutes. You will want all the tea essence to be extracted from the dried leaves. Remove the tea bag after 3-4 minutes.

You might be surprised to hear that the tasty black tea you drink on a daily basis can also be used to clean your home

Allow the tea to cool.

Once it does, pour it into a spray bottle. Top the bottle with warm water. You can now use it as a cleaner!

Baby Shampoo

Manufacturers formulate baby shampoo to be as gentle as possible. As a result, it is often used for cleaning sensitive floor types, including laminate flooring.

Pour around a gallon of warm water into your spray bottle. Then, add a tablespoon of baby shampoo and mix it into the bottle. Shake the bottle to let it blend. You will know the moment it has mixed when the liquid inside begins to bubble.

How to Clean Laminate Floors Without Streaks

For general cleaning, this is the best way to clean laminate floor without streaking. Perform this cleaning procedure once every two weeks.

Step 1: Check the Effectiveness of Your Cleaner

After you have purchased or mixed your bottle of laminate floor cleaner, you should test it to see how effective it is, first. You don't want to apply it all over your floor and find out later that it doesn't work or, worse, it negatively affects your floor.

One trick you can use is to find an out-of-the-way spot on the floor. For example, at the corner of the room or behind the couch. Spritz a little bit of your cleaner there and wipe.

Leave it there for a few minutes, then check back. If the spot is cleaned, then proceed. However, if the floor looks dull, streaky, or otherwise damaged by the cleaner, find or mix a different cleaner type.

If nothing works, you may need to consult a floor cleaning professional.

Step 2: Vacuum the Floor

One of the causes for streaking is excessive dirt and dust. So, before you take out a mop, use your vacuum to clean up the surface.

Excessive dust and dirt are some of the causes of streaking

The lamination layer is hardened to resist scratches, but abrasive particles can still damage it. Most vacuum cleaners will come with an option to disable the motorized brush roll. Do so before you vacuum.

Haven't had a good vacuum cleaner yet? We have several reviews for the best vacuum cleaners out there, some of which are great for laminate floors. Check out our Dyson V7 for more detail.

Track your vacuum cleaner across the floor while following the wood grain. This will maximize the amount of dirt being picked up.

Other than the floor itself, pay attention to the corners and crevices. Dirt and debris could build heavily there since they are the areas that are often neglected.

Step 3: Use the Cleaner

Once everything has been nicely vacuumed up, it's time to bust out your cleaner.

Pick one wall and stand in front of it with your back to the rest of the room. This will allow you to apply the cleaner without stepping onto the freshly-applied cleaner as you move backward.

Spray the cleaner onto the floor so that it leaves a faint mist on the surface. Do not apply too much so that the floor becomes soaking wet. Too much cleaner is harmful and can cause the floor to be damaged or become streaky.

With your back to the rest of the room, choose a wall and stand in front of it

Step 4: Mop the Floor

Once you have applied the cleaner, it's time to mop. Use straight, even movements. Keep the pressure gentle and don't press down too much on the mop.

Give every area of the floor equal treatment. Streaks would form if you focus on scrubbing an area too much and neglect others.

If you concentrate too much on cleaning one area while ignoring others, streaks will appear

Step 5: Dry Immediately

This is the most important step in this guide.

Once you have mopped the entire floor, take out a dry microfiber mop pad and dry everything immediately. Do not wait. If you do, the cleaner will have the time to soak into the floorboards and cause streaking.

Doing so will give the cleaner time to penetrate the flooring and result in streaks

Go through the whole floor and ensure that by the time you're finished, there's no wet spot on the floor. Buff the floor while you're at it, too, to give the surface a nice shine.

That's how to clean laminate floor without streaking during day-to-day cleaning! In hindsight, it's simple. All you need to do is to choose the right cleaner, be careful, and everything will work out.

This cleaning routine can be applied to virtually any kind of laminate floor (this is also how to clean PERGO floors without streaks, if you're looking for info on this particular type.)

How to Spot Clean Laminate Floor

Another thing that we're often asked about cleaning laminate floor without streaking is how to deal with localized stains and spots. Normally, you can treat it using the exact cleaning method above: spritz a bit of cleaner, mop, then dry.

However, it may not work for tough stains. In that case, you will have to use rubbing alcohol.

Rubbing alcohol is a powerful cleaner that will wash away any stain in only a minute or two when it's used correctly. But you have to be careful with it. If it's used in too high concentration or left for too long on the floor, the alcohol can strip away the protective top coating of the laminated floors.

So, the way to do it is this.

First, take a cotton ball and apply a few drops of alcohol onto it. Then, rub the alcohol-laden cotton ball against the spot until it clears. Once it does, immediately dry up the spot from alcohol residue with a dry mopping pad.

How to Remove Stubborn Stains on Laminate Floors

Things like wine stain, crayon traces, and heel marks are difficult to deal with on laminate floors. Depending on the type, you need to use the right kind of chemical or tool in order to deal with them effectively and streak free.

Beverage and Alcohol Stains

These are the simplest to deal with. If the drink has just recently been spilled and hasn't had the time to soak into the floorboards, use a dampened microfiber pad to wipe across the wet spot. It should come off without any fuss. Remember to dry thoroughly afterward.

Don't forget to completely dry afterward

On the other hand, if it has developed into a dried, persistent stain, you can use the rubbing alcohol trick above to deal with it.

Stuck-on Chewing Gum

If a chewing gum is stuck tight to the laminate floorboard, use a plastic knife or scraper to dislodge it. Don't use anything metal to avoid scratching the delicate surface.

Once the chewing gum has been lifted, clean up any residue with a dampened microfiber mop. If the chewing gum residue doesn't come off, add a bit of mineral spirits to the mop.

Dry the spot carefully so that there's no moisture left on the surface.

Crayon or Ink Marks

If you have children in the house, this small tip will probably be the most useful one in this guide.

Use a microfiber mop pad with a small amount of mineral spirits for crayons

For busy parents dealing with artistic toddlers, here's what works: add a bit of mineral spirits to a microfiber mop pad for crayon marks. Scrub the crayon marks and it should come out easily.

As for ink, it is a little bit more complicated. If you have mixed a natural cleaner solution like we instructed earlier, spritz it on top of the ink marks. Scrub carefully with a mopping pad, then dry.

An alternative is to use specialized commercial ink remover solutions. Make sure that the brand you choose is compatible with laminated floors. Read the instructions on the bottle and apply it to the ink.

As always, dry carefully after you're done.

Nail/Shoe Polish

Nail or shoe polish stains on laminate floors can be removed using acetone.

Acetone is similar to rubbing alcohol. While its cleaning power is great, you have to be careful while you're using it lest you damage the top lamination layer.

Add a few droplets of acetone nail polish remover to a microfiber mopping pad. Mop up the stain until it comes out. Immediately mop up the acetone residue with another damp mopping pad.

Dry the spot thoroughly to take care of extra moisture.

Heel Marks

Dark heel marks can be cleaned with a standard eraser. Scrub on the mark gently with the eraser until the mark is lifted.

Although the lamination could handle the scrubbing action, it's still best that you be gentle.

It's best to be gentle even though the lamination could withstand the scrubbing motion

Grease Stains

The way to remove grease stains is a little bit more unconventional. It is difficult to lift grease from the surface of laminate floors even with the aid of strong cleaning chemicals. One thing you can do is to freeze it. Once the grease has been frozen, you can scrape it off the floor like you do with a piece of chewing gum.

Fill a plastic bag with ice and leave it right on top of the grease stain for a few hours until it solidifies. After that, just scrape it off with a plastic knife. Do not use metal utensils. They will damage the floor.

There will still be some leftover residues. To deal with them, spritz some window cleaner onto a microfiber mopping pad and scrub them off. Wipe for a second time with a dry mop to clear up any excess moisture.

How to Shine Laminate Floors

Laminate floors do not need to be polished or waxed. If you apply polish or wax to laminate floors, streaks and ugly hazes can form. They will make the floor look dull and lifeless.

Instead, just clean and mop the floor regularly (and more importantly, properly). The lamination layer on top—if it's well-maintained—is more than capable of protecting the wood fiber underneath and keeping the floor shiny.

How to Maintain a Laminate Floor?

The better you maintain your floor, the less you have to work to clean it. Your floor will also benefit from good laminate floor care and maintenance, too. It will look better and will be more durable over time.

Combine this with your knowledge on how to clean laminate floor without streaking and your floor will remain beautiful for a long time!

Take Care of Any Spill Quickly

When you spill something on your laminate floors, clean up the spill immediately. If it sits for long enough on the floor, a stain will develop that is going to be difficult to get rid of.

To do this, dampen a cloth and place it right on top of the spill to soak up the liquid. Rinse and repeat until the area is fully cleaned out. Mop up the area thoroughly afterward until there's no trace of moisture left.

Enforce a "No Shoe" Policy

Dirty shoes will bring dirt into the house and leave them all across the floor. As a result, if you care about the state of your floor, enforce a "No Shoe" policy.

Tell anyone coming inside to leave their shoes at the door. Place a doormat there, too, so that people can clean their shoes and feet before coming inside.

Unclean shoes will spread dirt all over the floor and carry it inside the house

Avoid Direct Exposure to Sunlight

You might not realize it, but too much sunlight can be harmful for your laminate floors. Prolonged exposure can make the affected floorboards become sun-bleached. Its color will fade and look dull after a few months.

That's why, if you wish to protect your floor, it's best that you set up curtains for your windows. Close them in the middle of the day or early afternoon. The sun is usually the harshest during these times.

Are Laminate Floor Cleaner Machines Worth It?

The job of cleaning laminate floors is difficult enough that people have come up with specialized machines for the job.

But are they worth it?

The short answer is: yes, definitely. The best laminate floor cleaner machines will make day-to-day cleaning a whole lot easier. However, it is important to pick the correct kind of cleaning machine. There are so many types out there.

Some models will automatically apply detergent as you sweep the floor. A few have steam cleaning modes that can help you deal with stubborn stains.

For sensitive, unsealed laminate floors, there are some models specially designed to be as gentle as possible to minimize damage.

All in all, look through the product description of each cleaner model before you make your purchase to make sure that it works with your floor. Choosing the wrong one could damage your investment. For example, if you were to steam clean an unsealed laminate floor, the board could warp from the heat.

Keep Your Laminate Floors Streak-Free and Beautiful

Hope this guide on how to clean laminate floor without streaking has been helpful for you! Taking care of laminate floors is challenging, but ultimately rewarding with its natural beauty and cheap installation cost.

Plus, as you can see, it is not as complicated as most people think it is. You really only need to be careful and have proper knowledge to keep it shiny (which you now have!)