Caring for your Laminate floor.

Laminate floors require a special kind of maintenance to keep them gleaming. 
Our top tips. 

Protect ‘Em

• No stiletto heels on laminate. Pop those foxy shoes on at your front door on your way out!
• Wipe up wet spills immediately. Water + Laminate = Disaster
• Place mats under your furry friend’s water bowl and consider a mat under your baby’s high chair.
• Don’t use anything that promotes a shine. These cause waxy buildup that is very difficult to remove.
• Avoid pine scented cleaners. These cleaners leave a dull, soapy residue
• Steer clear of Murphy’s Oil. It leaves major streaks on laminate.
• Vinegar is widely debated. It’s acidic which isn’t the best for your laminate surface, but many people swear by a little bit of vinegar and a lot of hot water to cut pet grime. Used in abundance, though, it can remove the protective seal on your floors.
• Traditional wet mopping is a no-no!
• Trim pet nails. The mad dash to bark at the mailman can scrape off the protective layer on your laminate, allowing water to intrude at cleaning time.
• For the same reason, place furniture pads under all table and chair legs.

Maintenance Tips.

Sweeping a laminate floor is a mistake.

It may sound strange, but a traditional broom is not your best bet with a laminate floor. You need a dry dust mop,  or a vacuum cleaner to get the job done. Regular brooms will leave behind too many particles. Particles mix with the wet mop and get spread around on the floor. At best they'll leave streaks and residue behind. At worst, they'll scratch and pit the surface of your floor. Either way, a broom is not the way to go. If you do decide to use a vacuum cleaner,

a machine that has an on/off brush roll button or a hard floor setting will be best. Brush rolls are capable of scratching and damaging laminate over time.    

Laminate floor cleaner is not a necessity.

Some people have a specific brand that they love and won't give up, but an expensive laminate floor cleaner is not always the answer. Choose a cleaner that is designed to work with your floor type and fits your budget.Our Dishwash deluxe is perfect for the job and a fraction of the cost of so called specialist products.
Scuff marks from rubber soles can be easily removed using micro fiber cloths, if you are really stuck our tilebrite stripper  will do the job but be careful, do not over use- take a wet micro fiber cloth and add a little squirt of tile brite stripper, apply using circular motion by hand then rinse off immediately with a clean damp micro fiber cloth.

Give homemade mopping solutions a try. Sometimes just a little water goes a long way. Whatever you do, don't use too much cleaner. Using too much soap is tempting when you really want something clean, but all it does is leave a residue behind that dulls the finish of the floor. The residue is the leading cause of dull looking laminate floors.

Liquid isn't good for laminate.

How are you supposed to clean something without water? Water and other liquids can actually seep in between the laminate boards and cause swelling, damaging the laminate. You don't need a ton of water or liquid to clean these floors. Be cautious about having too much. Try only spraying as much as you need on a section of the floor as you mop. Micro fiber mop heads are far more efficient at picking up water and residual dirt than traditional cotton mops.If a lot of water or liquid is left behind after you mop a spot, you're using too much. The floor should be able to dry on its own within 1-2 minutes of you mopping it.

Buff the floor to shine it.

If you really want to make sure that your floor shines, you'll need to take a few minutes to buff it dry. Try using an absorbent cleaning cloth or mop head. Cloth diapers and microfiber cleaning cloths make the best buffing rags. Gently buff the floor to a nice shine.

Protect the floor.

Now that you know how to make the floor look great, keep it looking great by protecting it. Make sure you have indoor and outdoor mats positioned at the entrances of your home. Consider a no-shoe rule in the house. Wipe up spills and messes right when they occur. Use furniture protectors and watch out for overfilling plants that may leak onto the floor.

These are simple things to do with your laminate floor that will prevent it from aging or being damaged prematurely.

• To grab the hard-to-reach dust in the corners of your rooms, use a soft-brush attachment on your vacuum.
• Use a damp mop: This means less water has the chance to seep in between your laminate seams. Use very hot water and a few drops of dish wash deluxe.
• For slightly damp cleaning, spray our Dishwash deluxe and wipe off with a cotton, terrycloth, or microfiber cloth. Avoid wet-mop cleaning with water or liquid cleaners.
• Use protective window coverings to block fade-causing UV rays and excessive heat from direct sunlight, and rearrange rugs and furniture periodically to help your floor age evenly.
• During inclement weather, avoid exposing your flooring to water as much as possible.

In A Pinch

• Use a steam mop occasionally for a very deep clean. Not daily, though, because the repeated use of steam can cause the laminate to buckle.
• You can use our window cleaner occasionally for spills but don’t over use ammonia, which can strip protective sealant.
• Use ice to harden tough substances like wax or chewing gum, and then gently scrape with a plastic scraper or a credit card. Be careful not to scratch the surface and wipe the area clean with a soft, slightly damp cloth.

Your tool kit for maintaining your laminate floor

• Vacuum
• Spray bottle
• Micro fiber dry mop
• Microfiber cloths
• Micro fiber mop heads
• Dishwash Deluxe
• Window Cleaner

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