You should sweep and mop them regularly. Use a specialty mop to clean them without excess liquid. Though laminate floors are water resistant, if they are soaked in water, they can be damaged. The best way to clean laminate floors is to use products especially made for them.
Hardwood floor cleaners, waxes, all-purpose cleaners, and soaps leave a film on the floors and can cloud the laminate surface. Using too much moisture. Dripping mop buckets and steam cleaners used on laminate floors leave too much moisture, which can seep down through the joints in the flooring and cause warping.
Avoid Water
The top layer of laminate flooring is water-resistant. Even so, water can seep through the cracks between planks if it's left to sit. This means you should avoid cleaning laminate floors with large amounts of water like with a traditional wet mop.
Cleaning the floor using a Swiffer Sweeper and a dry, untreated pad daily can remove dust without damaging the laminate. Dry mop pads that are treated with detergent, on the other hand, can leave a thin film behind.
Step 3: Dry Floors, If Needed
For a homemade laminate floor cleaner, use a small amount of vinegar mixed with water. Never use wax, acrylic products, or bleach because they can damage the floor's finish.
Our top pick for the best overall laminate floor cleaner is Bona Hard-Surface Floor Cleaner for its expert approval, quick drying time, and impressive cleaning power.
Pine-Sol® Multi-Surface Cleaner is safe for use on laminate floors. Just choose your favorite scent — we like using Original Pine on laminate floors. Pine-Sol® Multi-Surface Cleaner also comes in other scents, like Lemon Fresh®, Lavender Clean®, Sparkling Wave® and Tropical Flowers™.
Things You Should Know
Fill a bucket with hot water and use a mop to give your laminate flooring a deep clean. Be sure to dry the flooring with a cloth when you're done. Spray a vinegar solution in small 1-foot (30.5 cm) squares and wipe the solution from the floor immediately with a damp terry or sponge mop.
Go Clean Co even asks followers to tag them in their "dirty water pours" because, apparently, people are fascinated by this stuff. According to the Go Clean Co pros, Tide is safe and effective to use on hardwood, engineered hardwood, tile, laminate, vinyl planks, and linoleum floors.
Follow with a floor cleaner and a damp, not wet, mop with a microfiber pad, Meska suggests. Then, dry mop to absorb any extra moisture on the floor.
Regular cleaning for laminate floors is pretty straightforward. You can still mop them, and even mop them regularly (once a week, or even daily). The difference between mopping laminate and other hard floors is opting for that fine squirt or spray rather than dousing your floors with a lot of water or a damp mop.
Mr. Clean Multipurpose Cleaner cuts grease and removes grime. Use this antibacterial cleaner to clean dirt on linoleum as well as bathtubs, floors, tile, and toilets. It is safe for use on glass, laminate, plastic, rubber, tile, and vinyl surfaces.
Dirty hard surface floors are usually caused by the environment, an overuse of chemicals, and a large volume of traffic. Fortunately, there are many things you can do to keep your floor looking and feeling cleaner for longer.
When your laminate floor has a dull, cloudy finish, it is most likely caused by a buildup of floor cleaner, polish or wax. Dirt and debris easily stick to the excess product, making the floor look cloudy and dirty instead of having an attractive sheen. Dirt and dust on the floor can also make the flooring look dull.
Why You Should Not Use (DIY Products Such As); Bona, Mop and Glo, Or Rejuvenate On Your Laminate Or Hardwood floors. Typical over-the-counter laminate/hardwood floor cleaners leave traces of residue behind, which over time, build up layer upon layer.
Not all the mops we tested on hardwood floors are suitable for laminate. Laminate floors should only be cleaned with a microfiber mop head and a few spritzes of water.
Yes, the Bona Hardwood Floor Cleaner is safe for your laminate floor. Bona Cleaners are safe for your floor as long as your floor is sealed or finished, and unwaxed or unoiled. Both the Hardwood Floor Cleaner and the Stone, Tile and Laminate Floor Cleaner are pH balanced and leave no dulling or sticky residues behind.
Floating laminate flooring can be installed in nearly any room, with a few exceptions. Because the inner core of the material is made with wood or fiberboard that is susceptible to moisture damage, installations in any room with a floor drain or sump pump should be avoided.
Cleaning Tips
Also stay away from harsh cleaners like rust remover, toilet bowl cleaner, and oven cleaner. If any of these happen to spill onto your laminate, wipe them up immediately. Hair care products can often stain laminate, so avoid spilling these as well.
When it comes time to wet mop your laminate floor, start by filling a bucket with a gallon of hot water and a teaspoon of dish soap. If using a specialty laminate floor cleaner, follow the product's usage instructions. Pre-soak your mop pads, wringing them out until damp-dry before using.
Most floor cleaners contain solvents to cut through dirt, and surfactants to suspend dirt and make it easier to wipe away, but they can actually be the culprit in leaving a sticky residue behind. If you're not diluting your floor cleaner properly, it can lead to very sticky floors.