Help me get off my hands and knees to clean my laminate floors!

15 years ago

We installed really gorgeous laminate floors about eight months ago. Love them -- a rich cherry plank with wonderful texture and beveled edges with a very low sheen. My problem is my dog's dribble. It doesn't disappear with a wipe from a wet cloth -- it requires major elbow grease, swiping back and forth over and over a few times before the spots disappear.

It wouldn't be so bad if his dribbles were limited to near his water bowl, but our 16 year old Bichon is nearly completely blind and has a somewhat limited capacity in getting around, so we keep several water dishes around the house to make it convenient for him. Let me assure you, those spots are everywhere and they look awful!

I've been cleaning the floors with Miracle cloths wrung out really well, using water and a bit of white vinegar. The results are terrific, but I can't keep cleaning my floors on my hands and knees!!! I work fulltime, will turn 60 in a couple of months, and I've got 2000+ sf of laminate on the floors!!!

I've tried one of those squeegie mops but find I can't wring them out well enough, which means I have to go over the mopped area with a dry cloth to prevent water spots. What am I doing wrong??? Is there a better kind of mop I should be using? Oh, get me off my knees, will ya?

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Comments (13)

jannie
15 years ago
Try the Swiffer WetJet mop, it's about $20 and there are various cleaners available - all purpose, wood floor, antiseptic (my favorite, smells great). I have wood , tile, and linoleum floors in my house, this gets me off my knees!
oofasis
Original Author
15 years ago
Thanks, Jannie. I have a couple of concerns about the WetJet. I wonder if it's too "wet" to use on laminate, and I wonder if it'll dry with the wet streaks visible. Can anyone tell me yes or no about this?
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jannie
15 years ago
Mine sends out a pretty fine spray, it's not too "wet" on my wood flooring, and the mop immediately soaks it up, so there really aren't any streaks from it. It leaves a little dampness/wetness behind which evaporates within about 5 minutes.
tsy72001
15 years ago
Wet jets are not good for wood or lam flooring. What I use is Bona or similar. Click below.

Here is a link that might be useful: Bona wood products.
arizonarose
15 years ago
oofasis, this is what I do.....I have an O cedar microfiber mop...(walmart) and I spritz glass plus or mild vinegar and water solution on the floor and run the mop over it. It cleans up most things and doesn't streak. We have a dog, and I know about the drool. But, eye boogers are the worst! Now for those I do have to get down on hands & knees and scrub. I don't think I'd use the wet jet on laminate. I tried my steam mop on our laminate & it made a streaky mess. Microfiber is the way to go...w/very little water.Rubbing alcohol may work on those spots too.
Cynthia A
15 years ago
I use Bona Kemi floorcare kit that comes with the microfiber that attaches with velcro. I truly love it and it's the best I've clean with my 2200 sf of hardwood/cork flooring. I just throw it in wash and hang dry everytime I use it. I don't care for Swiffer for the size and it leaves the squeaks.
Trust me, I'm not young anymore either! ;)

Here is a link that might be useful: Bona Kemi Site
earthie
15 years ago
I think you might like the Shark Steam Mop. It works great on any kind of floor mess that I've run across, and I imagine it would do fine with dog drool. I clean up all kinds of sticky, gloppy kitchen messes off my maple hardwood floor....it is amazing how dried up stuff dissolves with the application of the steam.

If you like the effect of the vinegar on your floors, spritz some on the floor before you use the mop, as you can't put anything but water in the mop chamber.

The Shark has a microfiber pad that you can toss to the floor and then put the mop right on it, as the velcro will grab the pad. You really don't have to bend over at all while using it.
lynne_melb
15 years ago
Laminate floor mfrs warn about using steam mops on laminate. However, my friend with cats and another with lots of dogs love the Shark steam mop for cleaning up after pets on laminate. Just don't let the mop stay in one spot. It dries almost instantly. They find it much easier than Swiffer or Bona. Good luck.
earthie
15 years ago
"Just don't let the mop stay in one spot."

That's the operative instruction for safety for your floors. It is not recommended that the steam mop be used on peel and stick vinyl floors either, as it is suggested that the steam will dissolve the glue and the edges of the tiles will lift. But I use it on mine all the time....no problems. They have to give warnings like that to people who have no common sense, since that big lawsuit where someone sued McDonalds for their coffee being too hot. Please. If you order coffee, you should expect it to be hot. Stupid legal system.
sherilynn
15 years ago
I posted earlier today. QVC.com has a terrific deal now in stock for the Shark Steam Mop with 7 replacement pads for $67. Now THIS is what you need! Because of a sick dog, I researched this forum to come up with a solution. You'll love it!
shaun
15 years ago
I bought the Shark Steam Mop for my laminate floors. I don't love it for these floors. I have problems with streaking. I even called the company and they sent me a new one and it still leaves large drops of water and streaks. So I only use the Steam Mop on the bathroom tile floors now. Works great removing any hair spray that gets on the tile floors.

I think the laminate floor cleaners work best, like the one mentioned above, PF Hardwood and Laminate Floor Cleaner used with a microfiber cloth.
chinook73
15 years ago
We have laminate and dogs and the best solution for me has been a really good microfibre mop and a spray bottle with 1/3 vineager and 2/3 water. It works great, gets the drool marks off and doesn't leave any streaks.

I originally had on of those big white rectangular Vileda mops and it was terrible, now I have a mop with those blue microfibre mopping pads.

I had some of my worst streaking with laminate cleaner, and it seemed like the more expensive the cleaner got the more it streaked. Go figure!
bodiCA
15 years ago
Impossible for me to get down on hands and knees, so, I Love my Scooba! I follow after it with a white cloth to get in corners and such, leaving the floor "white Glove" clean! The Scooba really does work!

Help me get off my hands and knees to clean my laminate floors!

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jannie

oofasis
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Help me get off my hands and knees to clean my laminate floors!

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oofasis
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