Laminate is an excellent flooring choice for any home, particularly for homes that get high traffic throughout. Between the kids, their pets, and your busy lifestyle, your laminate floors will hold up well to wear and tear.
While they're durable, laminate floors respond poorly to many harsh chemicals and cleaning techniques used on other types of flooring.
Is there a secret to keeping laminated flooring looking like new?
Experts at Maple Leaf Flooring have put together a few quick tips on cleaning laminate floors. Please take a minute and learn how easy it is to maintain this attractive and popular flooring.
Avoid Cleaning Laminated Flooring With Water
While you can clean many types of floors with water—porcelain and ceramic tile, vinyl, linoleum, and concrete, to name a few—it's best to avoid cleaning laminate floors with H2O.
Laminate is a composite layer of wood particles held together with adhesive. When it absorbs moisture, laminate expands, causing bending, warping, and bubbling. Water may also cause a separation of the seams between each plank.
Laminate flooring has a water-resistant top layer. Even so, if you spill liquid on this type of floor and leave it to sit, water can seep into cracks between the laminate planks.
Can You Steam Clean Laminate Floors?
Perhaps you're used to steam cleaning your floors every week. The combination of high heat and moisture can damage laminate flooring.
The wear layer, the top layer of laminate, consists of a thin plastic sheet. The high heat from a floor steamer can melt the plastic. This causes the wear layer to peel and can weaken the bonding adhesive, which holds the composite layer in place.
Using a steam cleaner on this type of flooring may cause permanent damage. Sometimes, it takes only one cleaning with a steamer to ruin the laminate.
Minimize Scratches and Dull Buildup
Generally, a well-stocked cleaning includes tools and cleaners that take care of various cleaning needs. Many items found in a cleaning closet can harm laminated flooring. For example, using abrasive cleaners on laminate may cause scratches. Floor wax can build up, causing a laminate floor to take on a dull finish.
Prevent scratches by avoiding these cleaning tools and products:
· Abrasive cleaners
· Oil-based cleaners
· Ammonia-based cleaners
· Stiff-bristled scrub brushes
· Plastic scrubbing pads
· Steel wool
· Soap
Did it surprise you that soap isn't recommended for cleaning laminated floors? The reason is that soap often leaves behind a film. If you choose to use soap, use a small amount and remove the soap residue before it dries.
Easy Floor Maintenance for Laminate
Despite the rules about how not to clean them, taking care of laminate flooring is relatively easy. Make sure to stock your cleaning closet with the following items:
· Broom and dustpan
· Hand-held vacuum
· Laminate floor mop
First, sweep up dry dirt and debris. Then, use a microfiber cloth dampened with plain water or diluted white vinegar to clean up dried-on spills.
If you plan to clean the entire floor in a room, use the laminate floor mop.
Call a Flooring Specialist At Maple Leaf Flooring
Installing laminate flooring in your home means you'll enjoy a beautiful floor that doesn't require as much fuss as other flooring materials to keep clean. Maple Leaf Flooring, the leading retailer and wholesaler of laminated flooring in Calgary since 1998, can help you select the best flooring solution for your needs.
We'd love to meet you at our store, but we're also available by phone or email. Our team looks forward to working with you on your next flooring project.