Laminate floors are considered by many as by far the best flooring to choose for your home! There are many positive and great advantages to choosing laminate flooring in your home. It is a cost effective and durable options but with all of its positive points you need to be extremely careful in how you care for and clean your laminate floors in order for them to maintain optimal shine and a lush looking clean at all times. Here’s a quick little guide with some great tips on how to care for your pristine laminate floors and we will even discuss caring for pure hardwood floors as well.
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Laminate Floor Cleaning tips to remember
The first and most important tip for caring for your laminate floor is to always remember that water and laminate are not a good pair and they do not mix at all. The reasoning behind this fact is the fact that laminate is made out of hardwood partially and wood and water don’t mix at all and water damage has the possibility to occur if too much water gets absorbed into the laminate for a certain duration of time. Different and deeper levels of damage can actually occur if the water spill is left unattended to and not properly taken care of according to proper maintenance steps. There is a specific procedure to be followed for your laminate flooring should a spill or water damage occur and the steps must be followed precisely. The steps of preventing the damage actually begins in the installation process of the flooring itself whether done by a professional or by yourself. You are to install certain pieces of the flooring first and ensure that the entire installation process is done according to the precise instructions given with the installation . And you always want to make sure you are very aware of where you decide to place laminate flooring in your home. It generally should never be placed near toilets, sinks or other water sources. You should always be careful to not install laminate flooring in high water areas of the home such as bathrooms and kitchens as the potential for damage is greater in these areas of the home. Laminate flooring is perfect for areas of the home such as the living room or bedroom or office. Laminate flooring can be a beautiful and highly durable option for these areas of the home. Usually if the unfortunate event of water damage does occur on a laminate floor then you generally need to remove the damaged piece/plank and replace it entirely. Sometimes you even need to replace all the planks on the affected area to ensure that all damaged pieces are remove and the affected area doesn’t spread to other areas of the floor. Again, if the installation process is preferably done by a professional the floor can be installed in such a way that the water damage can be entirely prevented and should damage occur it is more easily repaired.
With the primary tip being that water and laminate flooring do not mix at all our second step seems inevitable. You will never want to use a wet mop or steam mop on your luscious laminate floor. These processes and methods of cleaning leave too much water on the floor’s surface that the floor actually absorbs into the wood and this is where damage can occur. So a dry cleaning method with a specifically made cleaning solution always works best for your laminate floor to get it sparkling and shiny. Most cleaning methods for laminate floors will suggest using a good quality microfiber cloth or a dry mop in order to clean your laminate floors just remember to always skip the add water aspect to any of your cleaning procedures or methods for your floors.
What happens when spills or accidents occur?
No need to worry when spills or water damage occurs the key is to locate the spill or accident right away and in a quick manner and clean it up as soon as possible. Once you locate the spill and recognize it there are several effective cleaning methods to clean up the spills right away. If it’s water just simply use a dry cloth or micro-fiber cloth or dry mop or stiffer to get that spill taken care of right away and you should be good to go! Once the spill is cleaned you can go over your entire floor with shine solution to get your floors looking brand new! Let’s say you spill some other substance you can even make a home remedy of nail polish remover and a damp cloth to clean up certain spills like paint etc.
General Cleaning methods
To get a good and thorough daily clean of your floors make sure to always sweep with a traditional broom method and dust pan to get all dirt and grime off of your floors and you can also use a vacuum for this. You will then want to pick from one of the many specifically made laminate floor cleaner solutions on the market to apply to your floor’s surface and wipe with a dry, damp or micro-fiber cloth. Always test a small area of the floor first to see if the solution and method works for you and the floor looks to your complete satisfaction after the application. You can then follow up with applying a shine solution with a dry cloth or dry mop or swiffer and there you have it beautifully clean floors for years to come throughout your home!
Now let’s look at Hardwood flooring
Hardwood floor care can be very simple if you follow the easy cleaning and upkeep methods associated with this type of flooring. For daily care and upkeep you will want to simply use a microfiber cloth or moth to actually trap all dirt and grime on the floor’s surface. This is a very important step and process because if too much debris such as pet hair, etc. is left on the floor it can cause scratches and damage to the floor over time so you will want to repeat this step in the process daily or as much as needed to keep your floor completely swept and cleaned on a regular basis. You can also use a vacuum on your floor at least once a week to maintain cleanliness on the floor at all times and to ward off against damages and scratches. You can even make a homemade cleaning solution for the next step in cleaning your hardwood floors. You can simply mix water and a few drops of dish soap gently mix it together and scrub small sections of the floor at a time till the whole floor is cleansed completely. Or you may find one of the many hardwood floor cleaners on the market and repeat this same process with no water at all added to the solution. You can use a dry mop for all solutions used whether homemade or store bought versions of cleansers for your floor. You can even use old fashioned Murphy’s oil soap for a gentle upkeep and clean for your floor and it always leaves your home smelling fresh after it’s use.