Cleaning laminate wood floors can be a challenge. It’s easy to get them streaky. Laminate floors have become increasingly popular over the years.
Not only because they are easy to maintain but also because they are affordable and can be designed to look like real wood.
But one of the reasons why people choose laminate wood floors is because they are very easy to clean.
This blog will look at the tips and tricks to clean laminate floors without streaking them. So, let us discuss how to clean laminate wood floors without streaking.
Tools that need to Clean Laminate Wood Floor
Use Microfiber Mop Head
Microfiber mops tend to be the best type of tool for cleaning laminate flooring. They have super absorbent and dirt-trapping properties and one should definitely use a flat head microfiber mop as they are easier to maneuver over the floors during a cleaning session.
You will additionally need to make sure that your microfiber mop of choice comes with spare refill pads so you can be on top of keeping clean floors at all times.
Vinegar
White vinegar is a natural environmentally friendly disinfectant for any surface found in your home. It’s mild and gentle on any laminate flooring and due to it not being strong.
It’s great for cleaning up tough stains and other messes that spoil the look of countertops as well as linoleum floors in residential homes.
Rubbing Alcohol
Rubbing alcohol is a common household item in doctor’s offices that can double as an effective disinfectant. In addition to being effective at removing the grime from hard-to-reach places.
It’s also great for sanitizing other surfaces and objects such as kitchen appliances since it leaves no residue. It has a very neutral pH level, making it safe for use on almost any surface. The fact that it dries very quickly makes cleaning with rubbing alcohol even faster and easier to do.
Dish Soap
If a kitchen floor (laminate) has taken on the kind of grease that leaves a layer visible in between the tiles, there’s one cleaning solution you can try dish soap.
While the original source of grease may not be apparent, putting dish soap in your regular cleaning solution will help break that greasy residue loose and get rid of it.
To effectively clean your kitchen floor with soap, make sure you use one that specifically mentions that it tackles grease like Dawn or Palmolive so you know they have properties that clean grease off of surfaces.
Steps to Clean Laminate Floor
Find a Cleaning Solution
The most important step of any cleaning process is testing for sensitivities. It’s imperative in order to find the right floor cleaning solution.
But don’t stress yourself out about trying different products; it’s good to know your choices, and why you might be considering them, but we know things get busy and there aren’t always enough hours in the day.
This is why we suggest testing home remedies to see how your floors fare with them first because it may save you a whole lot of time if something ends up not working as well as necessary.
Start Vacuuming
Vacuum the floor to get rid of any fine dust or dirt particles that can cause the paint to streak. Switch the vacuum attachment to “bare floor” – this will help you prepare your floors for painting, making sure that there are no built-up layers of fine dust, grime, or debris.
Ensure all corners and crevices are covered with the special corner attachment; otherwise use a narrow brush and/or cleaning rags.
Vacuuming will help reduce random scratches and damage caused by scuffing your furniture back into positions while also ensuring easier clean-up afterward.
Read: 5 Best Vacuum for Laminate Floors
Apply Cleaner
Position yourself so that you’re facing one wall. Stand with your spray bottle or microfiber mop against the wall with your back facing the rest of the room.
Read: 9 Best Mop for Textured Tile Floor
You can clean in front of you while walking backward. This will keep you from stepping on top of the fresh cleaning solution when you walk and leaving footprints or other messy marks behind.
While there are many methods for applying the cleaner, make sure to dampen your surface with just enough liquid so that it does not saturate your flooring.
Make sure to follow the recommended number of products needed and the optimal ratio of cleaner to water so that you won’t risk creating a corrosive chemical mixture once you spray it on your floor.
We also suggest using a microfiber cloth or mop pads made out of cotton material or other fabric species as they are washable and reusable so that they can withstand multiple uses without showing signs of wearing down or falling apart.
If you have a spray bottle, hold it about a foot above the surface and mist lightly. Just make sure that floor is damp, not soaking wet otherwise you’ll end up with streaking and warping on your hardwood floors.
Mop the Floor
Begin cleaning the floor by moving a small amount of cleaning solution from side to side on the grout lines of your tiled floor. Let the grout soak for 5 minutes.
Read: How to Mop a Floor?
Then scrub lightly with a brush to loosen any dirt, and wipe away with a cloth. Never pour water onto the grout as it’s sure to cause stains.
To prevent streaking, use even strokes and take care not to over-wet or over-dry your tiles if you’re working in an area that isn’t absorbing the solution well, move the mop to another area before dripping fresh solution onto it.
Dry the Surface
Dry your floors right after cleaning them. When you finish applying a cleanser to the floor, walk backward towards your starting point, and use an absorbent mop or microfiber cloth to pick up any moisture left behind.
This will help you minimize footprints on the floor since you’re walking away from where you’ve just cleaned. Make sure to buff out footprints as you go.
You should make note of marks that need extra care & attention, and concentrate on most of your areas first – so leave these unfocused parts for when you finish cleaning up the other areas completely – that way there is less risk of dirt being brought in from outside onto a still wet area.
Use Cleaning Pads
Use fresh towels (or mop pads for a household mop) when needed to keep your floor clean. If using a microfiber mop, a clean pad is desired for the drying stage.
Otherwise, more dirt will be left on the clean surface. To allow cleaning cloths and/or pads to dry properly, gently wash and hang them out to dry or lay them flat to dry (no fabric softener).
Why Laminate Floor Shows Streaks?
Excess Water
Modern cleaning necessities and techniques do not require large volumes of water. This can cause streaking, and prevent the floor from drying.
If possible, consider using mops that are sponge-equipped, string, or spinning mops. This will make it easier for you to wash your floors without having to use as much water as a flooding bucket mop would take.
Read: 8 Best Spin Mops
Improper Cleaning Solutions
It takes a proper cleaning product and the right cleaner-to-product ratio to keep your floor sparkling in an easy, convenient way.
Using improper cleaners will strip away moisture from your floors, leaving behind a damaging residue that isn’t easily removed.
When you use insufficient cleaning products to clean your floors, you run the risk of streaking across them and causing damage without realizing it.
Water Impurities
When you clean your home, it is only natural for you to gather water from your faucet. Local water supplies are often full of minerals and inorganic impurities.
Those impurities may cause streaks. To address this problem, you can buy distilled water or prepare it at home for free.
Distilled water does not contain the minerals and impurities that you have from tap water. Using filtered hot and warm water options reduces the number of built-up impurities on your flooring surfaces.
FAQs Related How to Clean Laminate Wood Floors without Streaking?
Conclusion
Laminate wood floors are a great flooring option because of their versatility, durability, and affordable price. Laminate wood floors are often used in homes and offices.
They are easy to install and maintain. Keeping your laminate wood floors clean is just as easy as long as you don’t overlook the importance of cleaning regularly.
Over time dirt and grime, dust and debris can collect on your laminate wood floors. These can be easily cleaned with a few simple tools.
You can easily follow the steps to clean the laminate floor mentioned in this article. I hope after reading this article you will understand how to clean laminate wood floors without streaking.