What To Do With Always-Dirty Laminate Floors?

If your laminate flooring always looks dirty even though you keep cleaning them, perhaps the reason doesn't come from the cleaning frequency.

Maybe it is just you are using the wrong cleaning products. Floors of any type can get dirty and look dull or hazy, and most of the time, you can fix this with the right cleaners.

Get The Right Product For Laminate Flooring

Makers of floor cleaners try to sell their products by adding a wide range of polish, fragrances, and additives. As tempting as they are, you don't really need them to keep your flooring (including laminate) looking fresh and shiny.

Simple options like a mixture of water and neutral cleaners or products specialized for laminate tend to work best. They don't waste your money on unproven benefits while retaining the look of your floors for a long time.

It is impossible to avoid mopping on laminate flooring altogether, especially when you have children or pets.

That said, you should never go straight to your mop and bucket when your floors get dirty. There is no situation that needs much water. In fact, too much of it can damage your flooring by allowing water to seep into the seams.

The team at The King Live recommends a lighter option first, like a damp cloth, a spray mop, or a spray bottle. Use neutral clean like castile soap or dish soap.

Make sure you check out the cleaning instructions given by the manufacturer of your laminate flooring. If you can't find them on their website, call the installer or the retailer whom you bought the floor from.

Avoid using acidic or abrasive cleaners, such as vinegar or steel wood. The finish of your floor can get worn away by them, becoming duller and posing a huge risk. Use soft scrubbers and brushes that don't have hard bristles.

The common period between cleaning sessions is two weeks, but this isn't a strict standard. Adjust it based on the conditions of your flooring. With a lot of messes and traffic, you may even need to clean your laminate flooring several times a week.

If you don’t have much time, consider a robot model, which can clean your room on schedule. You can even pair it with your smartphone to enable more advanced functions. No connection? Just find out the solutions in the “What to do when Roomba not connecting to WiFi” guide.

Other Things That May Make Your Laminate Flooring Dirty

Other causes, like polish buildup and worn-in dirt, can make it far harder to clean your laminate floor too. Dirt particles may be small, but they are also hard and gritty. Once pushed around by your broom or feet, they cause tiny cuts on your laminate flooring's surface.

These cuts, in turn, make room for more grime and dirt to build up over time. It doesn't matter if you clean your flooring hard on a regular basis - they just sit there forever.

Generally, you don't need polish on laminate. It doesn't bring much while its buildup is always a huge problem. Wax-based polish or paint can create a haziness on a big area of your laminate floor or give it a milky color. Check out the guide on “How to get paint off laminate” if you run into this problem.

Things go wrong the most when you use the wrong cleaners or hot water on top of that. It may come to the point where you need a professional to remove it with a buffing machine or a stripper. To bring back the shine, they may also need to apply a sealant to protect the surface.

Conclusion

Place great emphasis on getting the right cleaning products and tools. They can help you keep your laminate flooring looking great for a long time.