Laminate Flooring Care & Maintenance
Keep your laminate floors looking great year-after-year by following these simple maintenance guidelines.
Sweep or Dust Mop Regularly
Keep your laminate floors free of dirt, grit, and dust by vacuuming frequently with a hard floor attachment (not the beater bar) or sweeping with a broom or dust mop. Keeping your floors clean reduces wear from grit and dirt. Dirt and grit can scratch or dull the floor finish.
Spare the Water
Never soak or wet mop a laminate floor. While the wear layer is highly water resistant, the gaps between are not, and wetting them can permanently damage your floors. Simply clean periodically with a clean, damp cloth using a product made for cleaning laminate or vinyl floors.
Clean Spills Immediately
Laminates clean up in a snap. Simply blot up spills and mess with a clean, damp cloth. Never allow liquids to stand on your floor. Be sure to soak up liquid spills immediately to prevent moisture from soaking into the gaps between planks.
Tough Spots
For tough spots, such as oil, paint, markers, lipstick, ink, or tar, use acetone/nail polish remover on a clean white cloth, then wipe the area with a damp cloth to remove any remaining residue. For spots such as candle wax or chewing gum, harden the spot with ice and then gently scrape with a plastic scraper, such as a credit card. Be careful not to scratch the flooring surface. Wipe clean with a damp cloth. Do not use steel wool, abrasive cleaners, or strong ammoniated or chlorinated type cleaners. And, do not use any type of buffing or polishing machine.
Pad Furniture Feet
Cover your furniture feet with adhesive felt pads to protect your floors from dents and scratches. Even though laminates offer high scratch resistance, it is best to lift heavy objects when moving them to prevent damage.
Trim Pet Nails
Keep pet nails trimmed to prevent scratching.