What To Use To Clean Vinyl Plank Flooring

Vinyl plank flooring comes as a cracking alternative to hardwood. Cheaper to install, good-looking, and like shooting fish in a barrel to maintain, information technology appeals to many homeowners. If you've installed it, maybe you know already that information technology's easy to make clean. Simply how to clean luxury vinyl flooring the right style? Are there products that can damage it?

Like all flooring types, luxury vinyl floor requires regular cleaning. You should sweep your floors daily to keep your home pristine and deep-clean about twice a month. It goes without saying that whatever spills must be dealt with immediately – peculiarly if your floor isn't fully waterproof.

With this in mind, allow'south find out more than about the right mode to clean and maintain luxury vinyl plank (LVP) floors.

LVP Cleaning Routine

The first thing to learn almost when installing LVP floor is the cleaning frequency. Similar all floors, luxury vinyl planks require regular cleaning to maintain their appearance. But unlike hardwood or tile – two flooring options that are very resistant to scratches and scuffs – LVP runs the risk of serious damage if yous don't sweep away the clay and debris.

In fact, clay accumulating on the floor can scratch the LVP'due south protective layer. If your planks don't have a rigid core, which is fully waterproof, moisture tin find its fashion to the plank's cadre through these scratches. Excessive moisture tin lead to swelling and, eventually, rotting.

If your floor has a rigid core, the scratches volition still hinder the LVP's artful value. While you could cover the damaged areas with rugs, scratched floors can lower your property's resale value. To make things easy, stick to the cleaning routine below.

Cleaning frequency	Actions
As soon every bit possible	Wipe off any spills or stains
Daily	Sweep/vacuum and dry out mop the floors
Twice a calendar month	Deep cleaning with a wet mop

How to Deep Clean Luxury Vinyl Plank Flooring

A deep cleaning may audio intimidating, but the process is quick and easy. The only matter to pay attending to is the cleaning products you use – harsh detergents and floor cleaners can harm the protective layer on top of the planks.

Tools & Supplies

Vacuum cleaner (with hard floor brush)
Mop
Microfiber cloth
Soft bristle brush
Dish lather
Apple cider vinegar or vinyl plank cleaner
Bucket with h2o

How to Clean Luxury Plank Flooring

Offset the deep cleaning procedure with your daily routine: remove surface dirt. The easiest style to exercise this is with a vacuum cleaner, using the hard floor brush for more effective cleaning. Alternatively, you can sweep the floors with a broom or sweeper and remove the excess dirt with a dry mop.
Inspect the surface of the floor for whatsoever stains. Older stains are harder to remove than fresh ones, specially if your floor has a texture – that's why you should deal with any spills or stains as shortly as possible. However, if you've missed a spill or spot a stain you didn't know well-nigh, you tin use soapy water to remove it. Mix some dish soap with lukewarm water and use a soft bristle brush to scrub away the stains. For particularly stubborn stains, you lot can try scrubbing with blistering soda paste or isopropyl alcohol.
Once the stains are removed, wet mop the floors to remove any residual clay and grime. The best luxury vinyl plank cleaner is a homemade solution of apple cider vinegar and h2o (you tin utilise any kind of white vinegar if y'all don't have apple cider vinegar). Dilute a loving cup of vinegar into a gallon of water and mop the floor in the direction of the planks. Alternatively, y'all tin can utilize vinyl plank cleaner.
Whether you take water-resistant or waterproof flooring, it is recommended to dry out whatsoever excess water with a microfiber cloth as soon equally you're done with the mopping.
Repeat this procedure every two weeks to keep your floors in proficient condition for longer. Households with pets and kids may detect information technology necessary to deep clean the floors more frequently.

Does LVP Flooring Demand Waxing?

Loftier-end LVP floor can mimic hardwood then well that many homeowners wonder whether they should wax their floors or not.

In a word, no. LVP flooring doesn't demand waxing. Moreover, wax or wax-based products can actually damage the vinyl terminate. If your vinyl floor is older and looks worn out, y'all can freshen up its aspect with a coating of vinyl flooring sealer or transparent acrylic.

If you decide to use an acrylic finish, remember that loftier-speed buffing tin penetrate into the layers of the flooring and could cause them to divide over time.

LVP Cleaning Tips & Tricks You Need to Know

1. Use a doormat and sweep ofttimes

Use a doormat and sweep frequently

The easiest way to clean luxury vinyl plank flooring is to forbid information technology from getting dirty in the first place. Dry h2o and mud stains can be difficult to make clean. Your muddied shoes tin as well bring in minor pebbles and other debris that tin can scratch your floors.

A chump can help you remove some of the clay and cobblestone chemicals before yous step within the firm.

Furthermore, you should also sweep the floors as often as possible. Equally a rule of thumb, endeavour to sweep the dirt from the entryway at least twice a solar day and the kitchen and dining surface area subsequently each meal.

two. Clean makeup and hairspray with shampoo

Clean makeup and hairspray with shampoo

Cosmetics, makeup, and hairspray can sometimes country on your vinyl flooring, where they tend to grip to the surface. While you may struggle to remove these stains with vinegar or manifestly water, hair shampoo can do wonders in removing them. Scrub the area with some shampoo and a soft brush, rinse with apparently water and dry the floors with a microfiber cloth.

3. Rinse well afterward using soaps or detergents

Rinse well after using soaps or detergents

While apple cider vinegar is the best cleaning agent for vinyl flooring, you can likewise use commercial cleaners. If the bottle doesn't specify that the product needs no rinsing, brand sure to rinse any detergent traces off your floors.

You should also limit the use of chemical products. Until your floors demand a deep clean, limit to mopping with manifestly water if dry mopping doesn't remove the dirt and stains. When using a floor soap, it is recommended to use two mops, one for washing and another for rinsing.

iv. Outfit your furniture and appliances with floor protectors

Heavy furniture and appliances can harm your vinyl floors. These scratches can let moisture to accomplish the inner layers of the floor, only y'all can prevent scratches past plumbing fixtures your furniture and appliances with felt or rubber floor protectors.

Mistakes to Avert

Mistakes to Avoid

Never steam clean your floors

Mopping your floors can be tedious, especially if you live in a big dwelling. Using a steam mop could exist tempting; nonetheless, yous should never steam mop LVP floors.

While all vinyl floors are at least h2o resistant, none of them are designed to resist steam. Vinyl is a type of plastic, and, like all plastics, it tin can lose its shape when exposed to high temperatures. Hot steam can also damage the protective top layer.

Instead of steaming the floors, stick to traditional wet mopping and utilize apple cider vinegar to disinfect the surface.

Don't use highly abrasive scrubbers

Some stains may require serious elbow grease to remove, only yous should never employ highly abrasive scrubbers similar steel wool and other rough materials.

An like shooting fish in a barrel way to deal with particularly stubborn stains is by scrubbing them with a thick paste of baking soda and water.

Never utilize ammonia or bleach.

Choosing the right cleaner for vinyl plank floor can be challenging, mostly because most floor cleaners contain ammonia. Yet, this substance doesn't pair well with vinyl. Information technology can degrade the protective layer of your flooring and damage the inner layers.

Bleach is another common ingredient in floor cleaners. Like ammonia, bleach can lead to corrosion or harm the vinyl finish.

That'south why apple cider vinegar – or any white vinegar, as a matter of fact – is your best pick when looking for the perfect vinyl flooring cleaner.

Down to Yous

We promise you now know how to clean luxury vinyl plank flooring to go along information technology look new for longer and prevent damaging information technology. Do you have other tips or tricks to share with us? Or take you used some products that damaged your floor and desire to warn the others?

Tell u.s.a. in a comment beneath. And earlier you get, please share these useful tips and advice with your friends.