Best Way to Clean Laminate Wood Floors?

mmoo1978

12 years ago

Hello! I have laminate wood floors, and dust them with a dust mop. However, I'm not sure what to use to really *clean* them thorougly. I am afraid to use too much water or that might ruin them... Advice?

Thank you!

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Comments (3)

gabbythecat
12 years ago
What are the instructions from your flooring manufacturer? That is what I would follow - assuming you *have* those instructions. Otherwise, I think vinegar/water is always safe, or the cleaner from one of the flooring manufacturers - I think I use spray cleaner from Bruce (Laminate) flooring. I put it in the holder for my damp mop, dilute it with water (random amounts) to make it stretch - and clean away! Vinegar/water is more inexpensive, but the flooring cleaner really doesn't cost much since you aren't flooding the floor with it!

You have to be careful with other cleaners - some people use ammonia, or Windex for instance(shudder) - they might void the flooring warranty and probably risk ruining the finish on the floor.
stir_fryi SE Mich
12 years ago
I use no cleaners. Just a well-wrung out (water only) terry cloth bonnet and flat mop.
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When sweeping, the grit is being flipped along surface of the floor to an area and then picked up in a dust pan. At work or school, if you give the floor a "white glove test" (wipe with a white rag) after a wet mopping the glove/rag will be dirty. In other words a quick slinging of a wet mop across the floor will not remove all of the dirt. If your home floor is cared for in the same manner, it will not pass the "white glove test". I love a clean floor, socks don't get dirty, bare feet do not feel gritty and dirty. Dirt on socks or feet will transfer the dirt to the chair cushions, etc. if you tuck your feet up in the chair or sofa. Think about how dirty chair/sofa cushions will become if there are children running around on the floor and then getting on the furniture. Their little legs are too short to reach the floor in order to sit like adults.
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Mineral spirits is also great for the general grunge that is made up of dirt/dust mixed with skin oils, like you get on wood banisters, wood chair arms, etc. I've had much success with it: my folks learned this in a furniture refinishing class. If the furniture is just deeply dusty without grunge, though, it may not be necessary. I've brought furniture from the parental attic that was just deeply dusty in the carvings. For that I used a vaccuum cleaner attachment in the left hand and a clean white china bristle brush (stiff bristles) in the right, to dig out the dust while the vaccum nozzle followed behind. The vacuum attachment with bristles was too soft to be much good.
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I also use Bona. And I think you're making the cleaning process too difficult in your head..........if you had carpeting right up next to your wood floor, you would know immediately that the wood had to be cleaned with a dust mop and a wood floor cleaner, while the carpet needs to be vacuumed. You would just automatically go get different tools for the two different surfaces. But since both your surfaces SEEM like they could be cleaned the same, that's what's throwing you. Use whatever you normally use for your tile, then, go get a hardwood cleaner for your wood floor. Red
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A Hoover Floormate probably squirts out too much water to be safe for laminate. You also can't use a steam mop. I would get a microfiber mop pad and get it damp with just water. You can probably use 1 part vinegar to 5+ parts water also. I really despise Swiffer wet cloths and other floor cleaning products because they leave a residue. Even Bona for laminate will build up over time since you don't rinse it so if you use a ph-neutral laminate cleaner like Bona only use it occasionally for deep cleaning.
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tishkabibble
12 years ago
Less than year ago we had DuPont's Real Touch Elite laminate flooring installed in our kitchen. It appears that the seams are collecting dirt as they are getting darker. When I called DuPont, they were NOT at all friendly or helpful, and said this problem had never before been reported. I'd been using Bruce's Laminate Spray Cleaner. Wondering if any other DuPont Real Touch Elite owners are running into same problem?

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Best Way to Clean Laminate Wood Floors?

Comments (3)

gabbythecat

stir_fryi SE Mich

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