How to Deep Clean Vinyl Floors?

Vinyl flooring is an exquisite addition to home and they can last between 10 to 20 years. That is if they are cleaned and maintained regularly and correctly.  Vinyl floors are widely known for their durability, water resistance, and their realistic likeness of natural wood and tile floors.

To ensure that your vinyl floors continue to look beautiful for all those years mentioned. You need to learn how to take care of your type of flooring. Taking care of any floor involves a lot of light cleaning and occasional deep cleaning.

Light cleaning vinyl floors is an everyday task of picking up loose dust and dirt off the floor. It is about attending to a spill immediately that is if you want to ensure that your vinyl floors maintain their striking appearance.

But, do you know how to deep clean vinyl floors without damaging them?

In this article, we will discuss the best products that are safe to use on your vinyl floors. We explore the best way to clean vinyl plank flooring, vinyl tile flooring, and luxury vinyl tile. We also cover a few tips for dirt prevention that you may use.

Sweep your floors

Give your floor a good sweep to remove the loose dust, dirt, and human or pet hair before moving on to damp mopping. Try to be as gentle and as thorough as you can. Sweep under and around the furniture and clean every corner of the vinyl floors.

A great tool for the sweeping task of your vinyl floors is a dustpan and broom combo that clips together for easy storage. It has a 52” long handle, the perfect height that removes the need to bend down to pick up the dirt. The broom and dustpan will also not leave scratch marks on your floor. The dustpan comes with a rubber lip and the broom has soft bristles that are perfect for safely cleaning vinyl floors of all types.

Damp wash removable dirt

Next, move onto damp washing your floor to clean the removable dirt from the floor. Make sure you do not use too much water on the floor as this can cause them to crack or peel. If you are faced with solving these types of damages, the only way to fix it is to replace the flooring.

The perfect vinyl floor cleaner tool for this job is a microfiber mop with a rotating spin head and a bucket of rinsing water for the pads if you are far from a washbasin that is.

The microfiber mop has a long, lightweight handle with Velcro on the head for easy removing and replacing the washable pads. You can use this handy mop for dry sweeping or wet cleaning your floors. Making this mop the best way to clean luxury vinyl plank flooring and the best way to clean textured vinyl flooring.

Remove stubborn dirt and stains

There are many commercial vinyl floor cleaners available on the market. When choosing the right commercial cleaner be sure to read the label for the type of flooring you have.

Take note if the product can clean old vinyl floors, usually for waxed floors or for modern vinyl floors, which are no-wax cleaners. It is also best to stay clear of products that have a pH level, as they are corrosive and can damage your floors.

It is best to go with a non-toxic cleaner that is safe for all floor types such as the Better Life Concentrate Floor Cleaner. This cleaner will extract the dirt, clean, and restore your floor’s natural shine.

Simply squirt the cleaner on the floor once diluted or directly on the stain and wipe off with a damp mop or cloth.

Alternative solutions that are safe to clean vinyl wood floors and can even be used for cleaning luxury vinyl tile are basic household products. Products such as

• Vinegar- white or apple cider vinegar
• Baking soda paste is a natural stain remover
• Dish soap is gentle on your floor but breaks down grime and grease

Sometimes these products work out to be the best products to clean vinyl floors. They work effectively to get rid of those stubborn stains without damaging the floor.

But you may ask, how do you clean vinyl floors with vinegar?

Mix a cup of vinegar or apple cider vinegar in a gallon bucket of warm water and use a damp microfiber mop to wipe the stains. Be sure to keep rinsing the mop with hot water as the acid in the vinegar can cause damage to your floors.

The vinegar or apple cider vinegar breaks down the dirt, removes it without leaving streaks of soap or wax. If there is still a sign of the stain, add two or three drops of dish soap to the vinegar and water solution, then damp mop again.

If there are some scuff marks that you are having a hard time removing, apply some WD-40 on a microfiber cloth. Remove the scuff marks by rubbing the area gently with the cloth.

If it is a shine you are after and want to know how to make vinyl floors shiny. You can choose a vinyl floor-cleaning product that cleans and shines your floor. A product such as Better Life concentrated floor cleaner or you can add two to three drops of baby oil to your water with the vinegar.

Dirt prevention Tips

• Clean spills on your vinyl floors as soon as they occur
• Sweep dust and dirt daily
• Place foot mats in front of exterior doors
• Use a vinyl runner in areas prone to get dirty quickly, such as in front of the kitchen sink
• Add felt foot pads to your furniture to avoid scuff marks and dents

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