If you love the look of wood or natural stone but want a low-maintenance floor, laminate flooring is a really practical choice. Popular for its tough and hard-wearing nature, laminate is easy to fit and ideal for little feet or paws. It can also be used in most rooms, even a busy hallway and with a little FILA TLC, your surfaces will age well. Whether your flooring is new or old, here are eight do’s and don’ts when it comes to cleaning laminate floors.
1. Do use a welcome mat
A doormat’s primary function is to hold onto dirt and moisture from shoes so that they don’t get into your house. Besides looking great, doormats add a lot of character to your entrance, but how well they keep your laminate flooring clean is really what matters most.
2. Don’t forget to protect the surface from furniture damage
As we said, laminate floors are great for high-traffic spaces, and like PVC, are a durable choice. The only downside, however, is if a little damage does happen, unlike hardwood, this type of flooring can not be refinished. Still, the use of furniture pads can help prevent your flooring from scratches when heavy items need to be moved. Things like dining tables and chairs can take their toll on a floor but if they’re protected with extra cushioning, wear and tear will be less.
3. Do trim your cat or dog’s nails
A gentle clattering of paws may sound cute, but your cat or dog’s nails can potentially scratch laminate flooring. Alleviate this by keeping them short, and you’ll feel better as they wander around. On the subject of pets, you should tackle accidents fast to prevent any lasting damage. Urine is surprisingly acidic, and over time, it can affect your floor’s protective coating.
4. Don’t neglect a regular mop
Whether you live by yourself or you’re frequently out, it’s still important to keep your floors clean if you want them to stay that way. Over time, debris and dirt can start to build up as you move between rooms, and nobody wants to live amongst dust and dead skin cells, right? For this reason, we recommend giving your floors a sweep and a mop at least once a week to keep laminate in prime condition. Microfiber mops are also gentle enough to use on this type of floor, but what detergent should you use?
5. Do use a pH-neutral cleaner…
When it comes to the type of detergent you need for laminate floors, we’d recommend using a pH-neutral cleaner. Often, generic oil-based products can leave residues, but FILA’s CLEANER PRO will stop dirt clinging to the surface and make it even easier to get rid of. With its delicate formulation, this gentle cleaner can be used on laminate and sensitive natural stones like marble. It’s essential these surfaces are thoroughly cleaned but without causing damage and pH-neutral products are ideal for this task.
6. … but don’t use too much water
The problem with laminate floors is that they’re susceptible to swelling and damage caused by too much water seeping into the cracks between the planks. Pools of water can also cause staining or fading, so when it comes to cleaning your floors, stick by the rule ‘less is more’. Thankfully, FILA’s CLEANER PRO is a highly concentrated cleaner so a small amount goes a long way. Only a little water is needed, and it also doesn’t need rinsing, nor will it leave residues.
7. Do avoid non-eco-friendly cleaning products
When you use eco-friendly cleaning products, you lessen the chance of toxic chemicals entering your home. Formaldehyde is a form of poisonous gas found in many everyday cleaning products and, along with chlorine bleach, is harmful to the skin, eyes, throat, and lungs. By developing our products with the end-user in mind, we are happy to say our FILA GREEN LINE emits low levels of volatile hydrocarbons. As such, our eco-compatible products are environmentally friendly and will not only respect the natural characteristics of the material being treated but will also respect the environment and your health too.
8. Don’t use abrasive tools or leave spills to worsen
As we mentioned before, this type of flooring isn’t resistant to scratches, so steer clear of anything abrasive (i.e. steel wool). Liquids can also damage laminate floors, so tackle spills as they happen with FILA’s concentrated cleaner, CLEANER PRO.
Discover the FILA cleaner for your laminate flooring
To find out more about FILA’s CLEANER PRO, please get in touch with our team. Thank you for reading.
One Reply to “How to Clean and Maintain Laminate Flooring | 8 Main Do’s and Don’ts”
Its interesting when you said that laminate floors are great for high-traffic spaces. I want to get some laminate flooring for my house and I am still looking for some nice designs. Thanks for the information on cleaning and maintaining laminate flooring and I hope that I can find a suitable flooring service near my area soon.