How to Clean Vinyl Floors: Complete Floor Cleaning Guide for New Homeowners
Vinyl flooring is extremely popular among homeowners these days. Not only are they beautiful, they can also withstand a lot of abuse. Unfortunately, there’s a limit to their durability. You need to take care of your floorings properly in order for them to look great through the years.
This beginner’s guide from TheKingLive can show you all of the basics on how to take care of your brand-new vinyl flooring!
How Frequently to Clean Vinyl Flooring?
Daily is the answer. Disappointing as it may be, by cleaning your vinyl floor daily, you’ll save a lot on repair bills in the future. Use a vacuum cleaner or a broom to sweep up all of the debris and grit that accumulate on the floor throughout the day. If you leave them be, sooner or later, they will scratch your floor.
Any spill that happens must be cleaned up quickly, else, they’ll cause a stain on the floor. Stains are notoriously difficult to get rid of once they have settled in.
We recommend you mop the floor at least once a week to keep it fresh.
If you have a steam mop, you can fit in a quick steam mopping session once every 3 or 4 months to sanitize the floor.
First, you’ll need to gather some tools for the job.
A vacuum or a broom
A good mop for vinyl floors
Several microfiber cloths
A water bucket
Then, gather the following supplies.
Mild dishwashing soap
Apple cider vinegar or distilled white vinegar
Step 1: Mop or Vacuum the Floor
Start by cleaning up any soil, debris, or dirt laying on the surface of the floor. They can scratch your floor and make them look dull over time. You can use a classic broom-and-dustpan combo for the job, or you can enlist the aid of a vacuum cleaner.
If it’s the latter, make sure to disengage the motorized roller brush. It’s very abrasive and may scratch up your floor.
Step 2: Mix Your Cleaning Solution
Fill a bucket with some warm water, then mix in a few droplets of mild dishwashing soap. Alternatively, if you want something a more natural cleaning solution, you can mix one cup of apple cider vinegar or distilled white vinegar with one gallon of warm water.
If you choose a commercial brand of floor cleaner, read the labeling carefully to ensure that it can work with vinyl. Certain types can irreversibly damage your floor, like those that contain ammonia.
Step 3: Mop the Floor
Mop the floor with the cleaning solution that you just mixed! Start in one corner and slowly make your way through the place. Try to avoid stepping on top of the place that you just mopped.
Step 4: Wait for It to Air-Dry
Allow the floor to air-dry over the course of an hour or two. To speed up the process, you can open up the windows or use a fan to circulate air better around the house.
Conclusion
That’s the basics of cleaning a vinyl floor. There are more things to know, of course, like how to fight different types of stains on vinyl floors and how to brighten up a dulled floor. These subjects will be covered in other articles. You can find them on TheKingLive's database, if you’re interested.
