Maintenance Tips for Vinyl Flooring
With the rise in popularity of installation of vinyl flooring in homes, it is important to understand ways to help clean and maintain the flooring so that it looks clean and brand new!
Rinse well to remove all soap
Soap may get your floor clean, but soap leaves a film that can actually collect dirt. Wait until your floor needs a serious cleaning, stick to damp mopping with just water. When you do need to wash the floor, use two mops. One for washing and a second one just for rinsing.
Use the right cleanser
If your no-wax vinyl needs cleaning, wash it with a cleaner made specifically for no-wax floors, following the directions on the container. If you have older vinyl that requires waxing, clean it with warm water and detergent. Dampen a mop or sponge with the mixture, and rub the floor just enough to loosen the dirt. Try not to rub off the wax because you’ll just have to reapply it. Rinse with clean, cool water—no matter what the soap label says about not needing rinsing— otherwise you’ll leave a residue on the floor.
Don’t soak your vinyl
Water from an overly wet mop will work its way into the cracks, seams, and edges. Once there, it can destroy the glue bond that holds down the vinyl, causing it to come loose and the corners to curl.
Before big moves, put appliances and other heavy items on a plywood path
More often than not, when we replace or move appliances, we drag or push them across the floor rather than lift them. Doing this will only scratch and scuff your vinyl flooring. To keep your vinyl in great condition, lay a piece of plywood sheeting along the floor path that you are going to take out of the room, and push or “walk” the appliances out along the plywood path rather than drag and scratch your flooring!