How to Clean Vinyl Floors: 10 Tips You Need to Know 2#

If you’re here, you probably have some questions about how to clean vinyl floors. No worries! We have all the tips you need to keep your vinyl flooring beautiful for years to come. Let’s get started!

5) Tackle Tough Stains Gently

baking soda in bowl

Though we hope your vinyl flooring never gets stained, accidents do happen. Especially when kids or pets are around! Luckily, there are a few ways to take out those hard to clean stains.

Baking Soda Paste: Add a few drops of water to baking soda to create a paste. Apply the paste to a hard stain and gently rub with a soft cloth. Wipe clean when finished.

Isopropyl Alcohol: If you’re dealing with ink or marker stains, a small amount of alcohol on a soft cloth should do the trick.

Nail Polish Remover: Only use this when cleaning up nail polish spills, but dabbing a nail polish stain with nail polish remover should bring it right up.

6) Say No to Wax

pink spray bottle

These days, most vinyl plank and tile flooring is labeled “no wax.” This isn’t a suggestion, it’s a rule! Using mop-and-wax products can cause build-up over the years, trap grime, and can even discolor your vinyl flooring.

If you find your vinyl flooring is looking dull, make sure soap build up has not occurred by thoroughly cleaning and rinsing your flooring.

7) Don’t Forget to Rinse

TritonCORE vinyl plank flooring with water

If you’re cleaning with soap or vinyl flooring cleaners, don’t forget to rinse when mopping! Keep a fresh bucket of water available, or even a fresh mop for rinsing your floor after mopping. Not rinsing your flooring can leave soap stuck to your floor, and over time that will build up and actually trap grime.

While you don’t want to over-saturate your vinyl flooring with water, a rinse with a dampened or squeezed out mop should do the trick.

8) Use Furniture Pads

Soft touch felt furniture pads

It’s a good idea to use foam or felt pads under your furniture feet- especially heavy furniture. Furniture pads can help prevent dents, scrapes and scratches on your vinyl flooring. Additionally, it’s a good idea to lift furniture when moving and avoid dragging furniture across the floor.

Be sure and make sure you buy the appropriate pads for vinyl- some furniture pads use rubber, which can discolor vinyl.

9) Rub Away Scuffs

Scuffs can be scary to see on your vinyl flooring, but luckily these aren’t permanent with a few cleaning tricks!

Tennis Ball: Sure, it sounds kind of kooky, but it’s proven to work! Rubbing a tennis ball on the scuff in a circular motion can erase some scuffs.

Pink Eraser: Your kiddos big pink eraser might be just the thing you need to take our black scuffs. Just rub the scuff with the eraser and the mark may come up.

Oil: If you’re finding the scuff to be too stubborn for erasers and tennis balls, try an oil-based solution. Spray WD-40 or jojoba oil on a soft washcloth and gently rub the area until the scuffs are gone. Be sure to clean the area with a vinegar and water solution to remove any oil traces.

10) Avoid Steam

vacuum clean vinyl flooring

Steam mops are super popular right now for quickly cleaning floors. Unfortunately, they can damage your vinyl flooring. Even if your vinyl flooring is 100% waterproof, the high heat of the steam can warp or damage your vinyl flooring.

It’s best to stick to the trusty mop.