How to Make Vinyl Plank Floors Shine: Discover the Best Practices

Here is the good news: with only 7 simple steps, you can make your floor look brand new again. The better news is you can try this tutorial at home without any help from a professional. How cool is that?

You can polish vinyl plank floors without the help of the professionals

Here is what we’re going to discuss in this post:

• An easy 7 steps tutorial on how to make vinyl plank floors shine you can do at home.
• Recommendation mops to keep your vinyl floor in top-notch condition.
• A Q&A section to satisfy all your curiosity about polish for vinyl plank flooring.

Let’s get started!

Things that’ll help your vinyl floor plank shine again

Here is what you need to prepare:

• A soft-bristled brush
• Clean cotton or sponge mops
• Scrubber
• Baking soda
• Apple cider vinegar
• Floor stripper solution
• Mineral oil or baby oil
• Clean water
• Any kind of dish soap

You can easily find these things in your house or at a local supermarket. Grab them all and begin your vinyl plank flooring polish process.

➜ RELATED: How to Shine Laminate Floors: The Best Practical Way

How to make vinyl plank floors shine in 7 simple steps

Cleaning vinyl plank floors is easy and so does polishing them. Here is a step-by-step tutorial on how to shine vinyl plank flooring:

Step 1: Choose the appropriate polishing solution

Even though the vinyl plank floor is resilient, you need to choose a suitable polish solution if you don’t want to damage the vinyl floor. Harsh chemicals can peel your vinyl floor’s protection layer and make it more vulnerable to stains and scratches.

The wrong polishing solution can damage your floor or leave stubborn residue on the surface afterward. To prevent this, you should follow the manufacturer’s recommendation on vinyl polishing products.

   

Choosing the appropriate polishing solution is an essential step 

Step 2: Remove the old finish (optional)

This step is only needed if you have a wax or commercial finish layer on your vinyl floor before. Move on to step 3 if this is the first time you try to make your lvp floors shine. For those who stay, let’s start by cleaning the floor first.

Use a vacuum or a dry mop to collect all debris on the floor surface. You don’t have to wet clean the floor because we will apply liquid later. This part will help you avoid scratches in the later process.

When the floor is clean, apply the floor stripper solution to the surface with a dry cotton mop. Keep the layer thin and evenly across the floor then let it sit for 5 to 10 minutes. After that, use a scrubber to remove the old layer and clean up the sloppy leftover with a damp mop. Then rinse the mop and let it dry completely before moving to the next step.

Step 3: Clean the floor

If you’re the one who skipped step 2, it’s time to clean the floor. Vacuum and dry mop the floor to remove all debris. Don’t forget to get the corner and under furniture as well. It would be easier if you move everything out for the polishing process.

Mix one cup of apple cider vinegar with 1.5 gallons of hot water to mop the floor. For particularly dirty areas, you can add some dish wash to the mixture. In the second round, you should only use the original mixture.

A few drops of mineral oil or baby oil in the second mop can make the floor sparkle so you can go on and add some. But that is not how to make vinyl floors shine so we will move on to the next step.

Step 4: Prepare the polish solution

There are two options for you here: using a store-bought polishing solution or mixing a homemade one. With the store-bought polishing solution, follow the instructions of the product and you should be good to go. But if you want something mild and safe for your vinyl plank floor, then we have two polishing solutions you can make at home.

Step 5: The baking powder solution

Here is how you can make your vinyl floor shine with a homemade baking powder solution:

• Mix 4 tablespoons of baking soda with a gallon of warm water.
• Stir the mixture until the baking soda is dissolved.
• Use a damp mop to spread the mixture across the floor and let it sit for around 10 minutes.
• Use a different damp mop to rinse the floor. Do this several times until you don’t see any whitish residue left on the surface.
• Leave the floor dry completely before using.

You can use baking soda to polish your vinyl plank floor

Step 6: The vinegar solution

How do you make vinyl floors shiny with vinegar and dish soap from your kitchen? Do these simple steps below:

• Add half a cup of vinegar, a tablespoon of dish soap, and some mineral oil or baby oil to a gallon of water.
• Stir or shake the mixture to combine the ingredients.
• Use a mop to apply the solution to the floor.
• Cleanse the floor with a clean mop using plain water.
• Let the floor air-dry to finish.   

Step 7: The household alcohol solution

Using household alcohol is a good way of how to make vinyl plank floors shine. Here is how to do it:

• Mix 4 tablespoons of household alcohol into a small bucket of lukewarm water.
• Dip a clean mop in the solution then squeeze the excess water out.
• Use that damp mop to wipe your floor like how you normally do.
• Allow your floor to dry completely.

Now that you know how to polish vinyl floors, don’t you think it is so easy to do? That’s why you shouldn't neglect this part if you want to keep your vinyl plank floor shiny and spotless. Speaking of spotless, we have some recommendations for mops to clean your vinyl floor in the next segment. Don’t forget to check them out!

The best mops for your vinyl plank floor

Mopping daily can keep your vinyl plank floor clean and shiny

We’d like to introduce two options: one manual mop and one electric mop. Let’s start with the one that everyone can easily use.

Rubbermaid Reveal Spray Mop Kit

For a manual mop, the Rubbermaid Reveal Spray Mop offers many cool features that help clean vinyl floors easier than ever. The first thing is you don’t have to carry a water bucket when using this mop thanks to the spray mechanism attached to the mop’s handle. This also means there is no wringing needed for the Rubbermaid Reveal Spray Mop.

The spray mechanism of this mop includes a manual trigger on the top of the handle so you can control the water distribution as you like. You can spray more liquid on the stain spot while keeping it casual for the cleaner area. The 22-ounce water bottle is enough for a regular cleaning session, and it is refillable so you don’t have to replace it all the time.

Say goodbye to hand wash cleaning pads because the Rubbermaid Reveal Spray Mop Kit provides up to 3 machine-washable cleaning pads. Not only you don’t have to spend much money on replacements but you also don’t have to wash the pads by hand. That’s definitely a win-win situation you don’t want to miss.

When it comes to scrubbing, just flip the mop to the side to use the non-scratch scrubber attached to the mop head. The Rubbermaid Reveal Spray Mop doesn’t require installing this attachment which will save you some extra time. And it’s really convenient since you can use it instantly when you spot a stubborn stain on your cleaning path.

In short, the Rubbermaid Reveal Spray Mop Kit is the best mop for cleaning vinyl floors in the manual categories.

BISSELL PowerFresh Steam Mop

If you want to keep your floor sanitized without using chemical solutions frequently, then using the BISSELL PowerFresh Steam Mop is the right choice. The heat from the steam kills 99.9 % of germs, ensuring your vinyl floor is clean and free from bacteria after every cleaning session.

You can choose different steam levels based on your needs. For example, you can set the level a bit higher than usual to cut through stubborn stains. Combine that with the flip-down scrubber equipped near the mop head and no stains stand a chance of staying on your beautiful vinyl plank floor.

Maneuvering this mop is also a breeze, thanks to the swivel head. You glide the BISSELL PowerFresh Steam Mop to tight corners and under furniture easily. Despite being an electric mop, customers say that this model is lightweight enough to carry up and down the stair without feeling tired.

Moreover, the 23-foot power cord lets you “roam free” while cleaning with no worry about tripping and tangling the wire. The last nice little thing about this mop is it comes with the Spring Breeze Fragrance Discs to make your room smell like a flower garden after each cleaning session.

With all those peaks, We’re sure you can tell that the BISSELL PowerFresh Steam Mop is definitely the best steam mop for vinyl floors.

Conclusion

We hope this post was informative to you on how to make your vinyl plank floor shine. Keep using this tutorial and amaze your guest when they step into your house with the vinyl plank floor that looks brand-new no matter how long you have it.