Laminate Floor Maintenance

Laminates have become a popular flooring option with increasing prices of other flooring. Laminate flooring is known to offer a wide range of variety which makes them a favorite pick of many homeowners while installing new flooring or working on a home improvement project. Laminates are a cheaper alternative to the expensive hardwood floors.

Designs that closely resemble hardwood floors are the hot selling pieces in laminate floors. Apart from this, you can find an array of designs which can be used to create floors with wooden, stone, granite, ceramic or marvelous mosaic effects. With these and many other benefits, ease of maintenance is another factor where the laminates score more points.

Let me tell you that the floors need to be maintained well so as to keep them in a good condition. But the task of maintenance is not at all tough and time-consuming. Here are some points that will help keep your classy floors clean and great looking.

The process of upkeep can simply include vacuuming of the total floor area. When you just want to clean off the floor dust and small particles, dry cleaning is enough for these surfaces. A vacuum is all that you need for dry cleaning the surface daily. Cleaning rods with microfiber pads or a dry mop is also sufficient for cleaning the surface.

These are good alternatives if you don't want to invest in a vacuum cleaner. If your floors do not get much dirty, buying a vacuum cleaner is not actually essential. Of course in case you are using floor mats and rugs, having this appliance is essential.

In case of stains and spills you would like to opt for a more thorough floor cleaning process. In this case, dampening the floors is important. Often, you might need to use a cleaning solution apart from the plain water so as to get rid of tough dry stains and spills.

Using a damp mop to clean the floors after vacuuming is a good idea. Cleaning off a spot as soon as anything spills on the surface is helpful to avoid dry and tough stains which can become difficult to clean off later.

You can use a cleaning solution made by mixing equal parts of rubbing alcohol, vinegar and water for laminate floor maintenance. A mixture of water and dish washing liquid is known to give good results. Commercial floor cleaners are definitely good products which can be used for keeping your laminates fresh and clean.

No matter which cleaner you use, make sure that you spray it section by section as you go on mopping the floor. Do not keep laminates wet for a long duration. Make sure that you do not scratch the floors while cleaning them as the same can damage the surface finish.

Protection of the floors is the first step towards maintenance and the best way to increase its life. There are a number of floor accessories which can protect your laminates and help keep them in a good condition. Add protective mats with non-slip backing at entry points so that the dirt from shoes is not carried in.

Adding carpet runners in heavy traffic areas like passage, staircase and entryways is another good way to keep the floor from damaged and scratched due to small dirt particles. Adding area rugs to floors will not only protect the surface but also heighten the overall beauty of the interior flooring.

Areas of the floors on which the furniture pieces rest are most prone to damage. An important maintenance tip is to add felt pads below the legs of chairs, tables, sofas and other furniture pieces which are placed on these floors. Also, clean these pieces every 15-30 days.

How to keep laminate floor clean and how to maintain their beauty is not a tough task with the aforementioned tips. So get ready to work on the instructions given in the previous sections with the right cleaning products and instruments.