Installing vinyl flooring is one of the best things you can do for your home if you need durability and elegance. But, even though it can be exciting to have these features you have to take care of the floor. Proper maintenance of your vinyl floor not only extends its life but also keeps it as good as new.
Among the best vinyl flooring care and maintenance tips include using furniture pads to prevent dents and scratches, never using excessive water, never scrubbing with steel wool, and never pulling heavy furniture on the floor.
In this post, you will find the top 15 best tips for maintaining and caring for your vinyl flooring.
The Vinyl Flooring Care & Maintenance Tips
1. Use a doormat
Doormats are perfect reminders for your guest or family members to wipe off their shoes before removing or entering the house. They also help keep your vinyl floor away from dirt, mud, sand particles, or any other chemicals that might get dragged inside.
Therefore, with a doormat in place, you minimize brooming activities. It is important to note that the brooming grits act like scrubbers, which end up removing the finishes from your vinyl floor. Chemicals in your footsteps are great enemies to vinyl floors. If dragged inside your house, they cause a blemishing yellow color that discolors your floor.
2. Frequent light cleaning
It is important to get rid of dirt and dust by performing light cleaning frequently. By doing frequent light cleaning, your floors remain clean with no scratches. It is common for grains of dust or small sand particles to get dragged inside. The particles later cause scratches when you make movements on them.
Therefore, you need to keep the floor clean by sweeping frequently. The best way of cleaning is by using a soft broom on the vinyl floor every evening right after finishing your house duties. At that time, there are no movements, and cleaning can be easy.
Always pay attention to corners, beneath the furniture, and near the baseboards.
3. Avoid Abrasive Cleaners
It is important to avoid bleach or abrasive cleaners for vinyl floors. Abrasive cleaners are likely to blemish the shiny finish from your floor. Instead, use dish soap or apple cider vinegar, or a specialized cleaner for vinyl floors.
4. Use safe cleaning tools
Before you begin cleaning, always select safe cleaning tools that will not cause marks on the floor. Vinyl floors are tough, and the use of most mop types will work perfectly in cleaning. But the use of hot steam and abrasive brushes and cleaners can cause damage to the finishing.
Always consider the material type, handle design, and wringing mechanisms when choosing the ideal cleaning mop. Instead of using a bucket or spray bottle, consider using a spray mop for everyday cleaning.
The synthetic materials and classic cotton are best. Cotton is highly absorbent, while the synthetic fabrics are gentle in scrubbing power.
5. Use the right quality cleansers.
Vinyl floors can either be waxed or non-waxed. Therefore washing each of them takes a different approach. There are cleaners specifically designed for non-waxed vinyl floors, just as directed on the container.
For instance, there are commercial products that perfectly work with the type of floor. A non-waxed surface will need you to use dish soap which works perfectly in washing away grease and dirt. However, it would help if you did that once to prevent wear on the vinyl floor finish.
On a waxed vinyl floor, you will have to use apple cider vinegar products that help remove grime and dirt without leaving behind build-up wax/foam. The two work great in cleaning without wear or blemish on the vinyl floor finish.
6. Clean spills immediately
Always ensure to wipe off spills as they happen. It is by such practices that you will not have to deal with already formed stains later. Any liquid can seep into the seams causing discoloration and stains. Unfortunately, that can weaken the glue bond or develop a bad odor depending on the liquid spilled.
7. Avoid dragging appliances and heavy furniture across vinyl floors.
Heavy furniture (tables, sofas, and beds) & appliances (fridge, cookers, and freezer) can make significant dents when dragged across the floor. Therefore, for you to prevent that from happening, consider fitting the furniture with floor protectors. The use of felt tips can also solve the problem of dining chairs and tables.
However, before moving heavy appliances in your kitchen, consider laying a piece of plywood that will help you slide or push the items to your ideal position. That will leave your vinyl floor with no scuff or scratches.
8. Do not drench your vinyl flooring.
Despite the vinyl floor being tough, at some point, water can be its worst enemy. When water from an overly wet mob finds its way into the edges, cracks, or seams, it can weaken the glue bond that sticks down the vinyl. That will later cause floor loosening or curled corners. Therefore, you need to wipe off every corner and surface dry after mopping.
9. Always rinse vinyl flooring after mopping.
The main reason behind always rinsing the vinyl floor after mopping is to clear the soap scum that leaves a film prone to collecting dirt. It is important to stick to damp mopping with only water unless the floor is seriously dirty and needs a deep cleaning.
When doing the deep cleaning, consider having two mops, one to use in washing. Then use the second one in rinsing the floor. Ensure the floor is dry with no water traces left.
10. The place felt adhesive strips on your furniture.
The use of felt adhesive strips at the bottom of your furniture protects your vinyl floor from scratches. Furniture legs are prone to damaging delicate surfaces like vinyl floors. Fortunately, felt adhesive fabrics are softer and friendly to your floor.
They are more strong and last longer than the standard felt pads. You can easily move furniture during dusting without causing scratches on your floor.
11. Avoid steam mops
Despite using steam mops in some floor cleaning, they can also do significant harm than good. According to expert recommendations, steam mops can be destructive to vinyl floors by causing small cracks. The developed cracks can later cause irreparable damages like:
- Floor swelling
- Delamination
- Joint-line separating
- Warping
Note that you may end up void your warranty if the vinyl cleaning was done using steam mopping.
12. Learn low-impact cleaning techniques
It is wrong to blast away dirt with heavy-duty cleaners. Instead, consider using the mildest cleansers possible in blasting and mopping the floor. You can opt to vacuum or sweep and wipe spills as they happen. Whenever cleaning dirt, use a broom or vacuum where necessary.
Always go for detergents or soaps designed for vinyl floor cleaning.
13. Preserve the sheen
Having ‘no wax’ totally means ‘do not wax.’ A non-wax vinyl comes with a clear polyurethane coating that appears shiny. If you do wax the surface, it is difficult for the coating to adhere to the wax leaving behind a mess.
When your non-waxy floor loses the shining polyurethane coat, the ideal procedure is by restoring it with a polish or a sealant specifically designed for no-wax flooring. Ensure that the surface is thoroughly clean before applying one or two layers as per instructions.
A floor that needs waxing should be waxed when the floor loses its sheen. Only use the amount as instructed on the container label.
14. Avoid prolonged use of rubber
Vinyl floor and prolonged contact with rubber can cause a chemical reaction that stains your floor with a permanent yellow stain. The stain will appear at the point of contact, and cleaning cannot help remove the stain.
Therefore, it is important to keep check of your vinyl floor to avoid sustained contact with rubber. Move the position of household items like latex, rubber, bicycle, pram wheels, or any other object containing rubber that is left standing on the vinyl floor should be moved regularly.
15. Use rugs
Consider using rugs in pavements or high traffic areas as wear and tear are likely to happen, causing scratches on your floor. You can avoid that by placing a few rugs in those busy movement areas of your house.
Why should you choose vinyl flooring?
Vinyl flooring is the best in durability and is tough to heavy foot traffic. The aesthetic comes with reduced noise which can be a great concern to homeowners with kids or pets. Its cost is low enough for affordability as compared to other flooring options. Additionally, installing and maintaining is easy with very little to spend on cleaners and cleaning tools.
When selecting the ideal look for your home, vinyl offers you various colors and patterns that go along with any decor. Whether you are looking for wood or a stone finish, the vinyl floor provides you the benefit of selecting from an extensive selection of options.
The availability of tiles and planks gives homeowners the opportunity of choosing a style that fits their space. You also get luxury vinyl flooring and a floating floor with much ease in installing procedures.
Conclusion
Your vinyl flooring is not only beautiful but waterproof and durable. By taking good care and following simple maintenance tips, you can keep your floor beautiful for more than a decade to come.
Always ensure that cleaning is per vinyl floor requirements to avoid blemish and scratches. Use damp mopping with pure water and non-abrasive cleaners to clean the floor. Avoid harsh cleaning chemicals, for they can wear the finish or destroy your vinyl flooring.
The vinyl floor is tough on the sun and water-resistant, giving you humble time cleaning and worrying less. Always follow the best practices in maintenance and taking care of your floor to extend its life in serving you.