Our easy guide on how to clean vinyl floors will show you the best way to clean textured vinyl floors as well as smooth varieties too. We will also give you advice on how to prevent them from getting dirty in the first place.
Benefits of Vinyl Flooring In The Home
What is vinyl flooring you might be asking? Well, vinyl flooring is a manufactured sheeting board made from compressed sheets of wood shavings and resin, compacted tightly together and topped with a decorative layer of vinyl in a range of different effects, textures, and colours.
Vinyl is soft to touch and beautiful to walk on and is therefore an extremely popular choice for many South African homeowners. Other benefits of vinyl as flooring include:
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Waterproof (to a point)
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Resilient and can be placed in high-traffic areas of the home
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Easy to maintain and simple to clean
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Durable and hard-wearing
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Well-priced and affordable
What You Need to Know Before You Begin Cleaning Vinyl Floors
Get yourself ready with all the tools and products you need to tackle how to clean stained vinyl floors by following this easy checklist:
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Soft micro-fibre cloths and mops
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Dishwashing liquid
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A mixture of apple cider vinegar and distilled water
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Old, soft toothbrushes
Step #1 – Sweep
Give your flooring area a sweep to remove any excess dirt and debris off the floor.
Step #2 – Wash
Mix a tablespoon of dishwashing liquid, like Sunlight, into a bucket of clean, warm water. Dishwashing liquid is able to cut through any grease or grime on vinyl flooring without being too harsh on the vinyl or tarnishing it at all. Use a clean microfibre mop to clean the flooring with this solution. We also recommend Handy Andy floor cleaners to provide you with acti-shine technology, which cuts through dirt and grime leaving your floors clean.
Step #3 – Stain Removal
If you have areas of particularly deep stains or you want to know what to use for cleaning vinyl floors with grooves, here’s how. For removing deeper stains, pour one cup of apple cider vinegar (which has been called nature’s gentle cleanser) into a bucket of warm water. Mop as per above for great results. If you have stubborn dirt in the grooves or joins of the flooring, dip an old, soft toothbrush into this solution and scrub the grooves, removing the built-up dirt.
Step #4 – For Scuff Marks
We often hear that scuff marks from dark shoes are a tough problem to get rid of on vinyl floors. You will most likely have WD-40 in the garage for oiling hinges and other mechanical things. Dot a little WD-40 onto a soft cloth and rub the scuff mark directly. This should lift the scuff mark off instantly.
Step #5 – Rinse
Once you’re happy with the state of your floors, give the surface a once-off rinse with a clean mop in a bucket of clean, warm water just to remove any left-over soap or residue on the flooring. If you want to leave your floor with a beautiful smelling scent, why not add a few drops of your favourite essential oil into the water? Lavender, Rose Geranium, or Sweet Orange are our favourite scents to use.
How Not to Clean a Vinyl Floor
When it comes to some definite no-no’s in terms of how to deep clean vinyl floors, here is a list of things to avoid when cleaning your vinyl flooring.
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Avoid a lot of water when cleaning vinyl. Even though it’s waterproof, if you use a lot of water on this type of flooring, it could seep in between the grooves or joins and seep down into the layers of the vinyl. After all, vinyl is highly compacted wood shavings which makes it porous to a point.
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Avoid harsh chemicals. Vinyl is, well vinyl, which does not mix well with harsh or abrasive chemicals. Never use bleach or any kind of bleaching product on your vinyl flooring.
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Never use abrasive sponges or scourers. Anything that can scratch the surface of something like an abrasive sponge, steel wool or a scourer, will scratch vinyl which can leave it permanently damaged.
Apart from vinyl flooring, laminate is another great home choice for many DIY home décor lovers. Do you need tips on how to clean your laminate flooring too? Read our blog on The Best Laminate Flooring Cleaners for more information.
For more cleaning tips and tricks, visit Cleanipedia today.