A simple vinegar solution has always been the go-to-solution for cleaning vinyl floors. I can not get my vinyl plank flooring clean. Much less expensive than the “name brands” and much quieter! And don’t forget to sweep the undersides of your chairs and furniture. If you want to use a wet mop, a microfiber flip mop or spin mop are your safest options. Below is a more in-depth guide on how to clean your vinyl plank flooring in the best way possible! Should I get a professional floor cleaner to come out and clean it? 21 Tips on How to Clean Vinyl Plank Flooring the Best Way Vinyl is a great material to use for flooring. While a simple vinegar solution is great for vinyl floors, using a commercial cleanser will prolong its shelf-life and give it a nice shine. Will be replacing as soon as possible. Before you take water to your floors, make sure … I have Shaw Coretec LVP flooring that was already in a new build spec house, I bought. Vinyl plank flooring pros. I purchased a product to clean and seal the surface of the flooring. Rollers make it easier to move furniture around the room, sure, but the wrong kind can still leave scuff marks on the vinyl floor. When I first put down my vinyl plank floors, I was immensely pleased. Ah, the ever-reliable baking soda solution. We just installed Nucor Dark Mahogany floor and it never looks clean, except when it is still wet from cleaning it. In our wish to provide you with the most actionable tips on the subject, we decided to go more in-depth by expanding on each of the tips mentioned in the infographic. Been moved in only 2 weeks. Luxury Vinyl Plank Flooring (LVP) Luxury vinyl plank flooring — or LVP — is a fan favorite for its convincing wood-like looks, high-quality construction and comfort underfoot. Even if you have one of the many waterproof LVPs, caution with water is never a bad idea. Spills happen. I have vinyl plank flooring in my brand new home. There are several stick and canister vacuums on the market designed with these features. A tablespoon of dish soap to your solution is all you need to remove tough dirt or stains from the floor. Some doormats actually make the problem worse by accumulating dirt over time and then using every visitor as a means to transport all that dirt into the home. To that end, we may be compensated with a small commission through affiliations with our endorsement, recommendation, testimonial, and/or link to any products or services from this website. Vinegar is also biodegradable and non-toxic, making it an eco-friendly option for your home. So, let’s get right to it! Loose dirt can scratch the coating on your tile, so it’s important to clean your floors frequently. Microfiber mops tend to work best on vinyl flooring. And yes, the kids can go back to playing now. Lots of love is the best way to prevent having to use scrub brushes or harsh products on old hardened grime. To help you maintain that "like new" look, we asked the "Clean Queen", Melissa Maker, star of the YouTube channel Clean My Space , to give you a few simple cleaning tips for vinyl floors. Avoid sliding, dragging, or rolling furniture. Luxury Vinyl Plank (LVP) is one of the most durable flooring types on the market however it won’t keep its good looks without your help. You can always save some time by using a … Just apply the baking soda paste on a soft towel and rub it on the floor until the stain is removed. Mixing a few drops of baby oil with apple cider vinegar works as well. Most experts will answer this question with a strong “no.”  Steam mops drive moisture down between the planks, which is exactly what you want to avoid. Also great that it goes under beds and most furniture. What is the best way to work on removing those types of marks? Do inform your house cleaner (if you have one) that your floors are LVP. Vinyl might be more sensitive than most flooring materials, but dish soap has been proven to be a gentle solution while maintaining its effectiveness as a deep cleaning solution. Using a vacuum with a beater bar on vinyl flooring is a bad idea. Water damage is one of the common causes of structural damage to flooring. Any suggestions would be appreciated. In such cases, an extension duster, preferably one with a bendable, detachable head made of electrostatically charged fibers, should help you clean those hard-to-reach places without breaking a sweat. Add an indoor doormat for good measure. So make sure that you buy a doormat that’s absorbent and easy to clean. Also, dirt can easily cling to soap scum, which could cause you problems down the line. Yes, you can safely run a vacuum cleaner on vinyl – but only if it’s designed for hard floor use. Drenching the vinyl floor will cause water to seep between the planks, eventually getting trapped under them. It bears emphasis: use only as much water that is needed. If you must clean with a wet mop, then dry properly afterwards. Our specialists are currently reviewing your case and will get back to you shortly. Baking soda might not do the job, either. One o… We talked about the best way, and our best way is to clean the LVP flooring with the vinegar-water solution. Just apply a simple vinegar solution on a piece of soft cloth and scrub away at the dirt gently until the dried substances are gone. Dry Mop You’ll prevent scratches and surface damage on your laminate floors if you make it a practice to dry mop your floors… For more intensive cleaning, here are a few tips and techniques: 1. It makes our home look cheap. Once they’re fitted, you don’t have to worry about the furniture causing dents or scratch marks on the vinyl floor. Moving large appliances or furniture inside your home may produce scuffs, dents, or marks on your floor if you’re not careful. Sure, acetone-based removers are more effective on account of their strength as a solvent, but they are likely to damage your vinyl floor. I will be replacing with engineered hardwood. Ask them to use your products and tools instead of their own. Again, only use soft materials when removing dirt and stains. The beater bar is the rotating brush that sweeps hair out of the carpet so neatly – but can scar the finish on your vinyl. The boards replaced do not have the luster that the others have. For one thing, putting too much pressure on vinyl floors always leads to scuff marks. Scrubbing too hard not only leave scuff marks on the vinyl floor, but it also takes the shine off of it. In fact, one of the best cleaners for your vinyl floors is a simple solution of an ounce of mild dishwashing soap in a gallon of plain water. In fact, applying wax to a floor that isn’t designed for it will just cause buildup and cut its luster. You can even say that they are a fact of life. I have been living with LVP for only 3 months. LVP flooring is crafted with four layers including a waterproof, PVC vinyl … Not so much. There are air pockets where the floor in uneven so it pops when you walk over it. I don’t know the best flooring solution but it isn’t dark lvp or hardwood if you have pets. Clean your floors using Shaw Floors Hard Surface Cleaner. I use it about every 4 days. We recommend cleaning vinyl flooring with a water and white vinegar solution. Exactly. Quick, effective, and minimal, steam mops are the favorite tool in many a homemaker’s broom closet. Sweep the mop in an S-pattern, without retracing your strokes, to maximize efficacy. Put down a … Dry microfiber mops work fabulously to remove the dust that gathers in corners and low-traffic areas such as under tables and floor lamps. Nothing I have tried cleans the floor always looks dirty. So, till the time you are using Pine-Sol on vinyl plank flooring by mixing 1/4th cup of it in a gallon of water, your floor is safe, clean… Ideally water should only be needed to remove persistent dried residue once the bulk of dirt and dander is gone. But what types of doormats should you use to keep dirt out of your house? Click the infographic to see it in a higher resolution. But first, I had to “reattach” the planks to the concrete. As much as possible, limit the amount of water that you’re using to clean your vinyl floor as it might damage the glue that keeps your vinyl planks attached to the subfloor, causing the planks to come loose. That way if one plank is torn or badly damaged, you can swap it with a fresh one. To clean vinyl floors or as a natural cleaning solution for linoleum floors, pour the apple cider vinegar and hot water into a bucket. You should avoid using a vacuum with a brush on your vinyl floor for the exact same reason. I have contract shaw about filing a claim and they said it didn’t warrant an inspector to come and look at it and I should use a hard surface cleaner such as zep or shaw. Before you know it, you have scratches, scuffs, and scrapes on your floor. When it comes to deep cleaning, you can always trust dish soap to do the work. It takes less time and doesn’t require any skills. Another way to use WD-40 is through a spray can. Add flat nylon or felt floor protectors to the legs of your furniture. Most LVP manufacturers advise against using a steam mop on their product. This, of course, can eventually damage your vinyl floor. This way you can “catch” the remaining dirt from the air with your cleaner as you proceed with the vacuum work. Some chairs have a tendency to slide when you sit on them. If you have just installed new luxury vinyl plank flooring in your home, you may want to know the best way is to clean it. By sumitting this form, you agree to be contacted about your project by Homeadvisor and / or other service partners using automated phone technology and / or email. CoreTec vinyl flooring products come as planks. Great tips for how to clean Luxury Vinyl Plank Flooring (LVP) – has mop, robot vacuum, and floor cleaner recommendations! Nope, you’re done! I just had some planks replaced in my new house because of a scrape. Hardest floor to keep clean. However, there is a counter argument in favor of steam mops: that they apply so little water compared with  traditional mops that the occasional use may be safe or even preferred. Vinegar is also biodegradable and non-toxic, making it an eco-friendly option for your home. The next thing you could do is mopping the floor. Despite its reputation as a cheaper alternative to hardwood floors , vinyl flooring has many qualities … Just spray the scuff marks with the solution and leave it for a few minutes before rubbing it out with a rag. Sure, it might get rid of dirt or stains more effectively than the regular vinegar solution, but it’s going to damage your floor in the long run, not to mention remove some of its shine. Do wipe up spills immediately, so they don’t dry and harden, requiring more aggressive cleaning. Pine-Sol floor cleaners leave a residue, might stain the vinyl floor, yet is a pretty good liquid cleaner to clean the vinyl plank flooring. It does a great job on our LVP flooring. I have used the Encore cleaner and doesn’t look any different. Another option is to attach vinyl coasters to the furniture’s underside so that you can move the furniture with little effort and without causing any damage. So, here’s a trick: make sure that you dust the room first. Much, much, much better. We will not contact you with anything else. Sweeping it daily does the trick, while regular damp-mopping … Bad idea. Better Life Natural Plant Based Best Hardwood Floor Cleaner – Best for Green Cleaning. Always vacuum or dry mop the floor to remove surface dirt, dust, and hair before moving on to wet cleaning; make sure you get under furniture, in corners, and along baseboards. Do not use too frequently. I have cleaned it so many times since I move in 4 weeks ago. This is even more the case when you have kids jumping onto your chairs all the time. If you want to clean and disinfect your floor … If your vinyl floor comes in contact with nail polish, you can remove the stains by using an acetone-free fingernail polish. I have a dog and you can see his paw prints all over the floor. We take pride in delivering high-quality information that help homeowners decide on which type of flooring they want in their house. Do apply felt tips to the legs of all your furniture. Once you’re done, use a vinegar solution to rinse the residue away. No surprise there. Do you have Luxury Vinyl Plank in your home? #OvercomingObstaclesScholarship: Let’s Put Mental Health on the Agenda and Change the Narrative on Social Media Together! Once the scuff marks are gone, rinse away remnants of oil or lubricant with the usual vinegar solution. Make sure to use a fresh cleaning pad, not the same one you used for dusting! Don’t use either on your vinyl floor as it can damage the top layer and make it prone to cracks. Once they’re removed, pick up your wet mop and wipe up your floor using a figure-8 pattern. See Today’s List of 5 Best Vacuums for Vinyl Plank Floors I would like to use a robot vacuum on my vinyl plank flooring. The last thing you want to do is void a warranty due to improper care. However, I have a large dog who sheds like crazy. Do wet mopping first and you’ll end up pushing the debris around. Remember, your goal is to reduce the amount of water applied to your floor as much as possible. Our website is supported by advertising. Moreover, the heat coming from steam mops can cause your vinyl floor to warp or bend, not to mention take away the shine from the finish. Maintenance. Keep those knives or any similar tool away from your vinyl flooring. If you choose to use a steam mop, use it on a hot setting so that the water evaporates as quickly as possible. Now, I have a finish which will work, but need suggestions on ways to clean the floor before hand. You should also sweep or vacuum the floor on a regular basis, preferably daily. Do clean frequently. I share your frustration Karen. When it comes to cleaning vinyl flooring, you can’t go wrong with plain water and a sponge mop! Your floor will thank you for it. Lightweight vacuum cleaners are best, especially those with rubber or felt wheels that won’t leave marks. The Best Vinyl Floor Cleaner Deep cleaning a vinyl floor takes a little elbow … I am ticky about my floors since the sun coming thru the windows highlights all dust particles. 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