Laminate is a beautiful, high-quality floor covering and easy to install. Therefore, when choosing the material for finishing the floor, people often select its favour. However, the laminate needs some care if you want it to retain its original appearance for a long time. If you just put it on the base and occasionally wipe it with a towel, the material will quickly lose its appearance. To let the laminate shine, it needs special care.
Laminate characteristics to be considered before wet cleaning
Laminate flooring is a floor covering that is a small panel made of wood fibres. It is a multilayer material with a paper layer on which the coating is printed directly and a protective top layer covering the paper itself.
We sometimes call it laminate flooring, but this is a fundamental misconception. It is about the structure and the substances from which it is made. The parquet is made entirely of wood, and the laminate has a layered structure with paper and polymers.
Advantages of the laminate:
- low price;
- beautiful appearance;
- easy to install;
- choice of different colours;
- sufficient wear resistance with proper care;
- the possibility of implementing any design solutions.
Basic rules for washing laminate, essential nuances of the process
Refrain from washing the laminate in the same way as traditional floors, and do not use untested methods and tools. Fortunately, there are now specific rules for caring for this coating. People should learn to manage the laminate after making mistakes or encountering specific results from improper work. For example, whitish-coloured spots appear on the coating surface, or the edges of the slats become unstable and wavy.
You can prevent this by taking care of the material in a particular way. The cleaning of the coating depends on the type of material. A few sorts of laminate differ in strength and water resistance. That will make the more expensive material easier to clean from contaminants because you can wash it with plenty of water and detergent. It is better not to experiment with the simplest and cheapest materials.
Humidity on the laminate
You should not wash the laminate daily. Perform wet cleaning only if the material is heavily soiled. Using detergents, clean the coating once a week at the most. Do not polish, and do not rub the laminate.
Cleaning the laminate with a product containing abrasive substances is not preferable. They spoil the coating by scratching it. If you take care of the laminate, there is a chance that the coating will fade, be stained and no longer have this beautiful look as in the beginning.
You should use only special tools to clean the laminate, remove stains, and give it shine. Among them, there are both professional cleaners and homemade ones. You can get acquainted with them by reading below.
The vinegar solution
Add 2-3 tablespoons of vinegar to a large water bucket. It is important to use vinegar, not acetic acid. You can use lemon juice or alcohol instead of vinegar.
Dishwashing liquid
Dilute it in small amounts in a bucket of water. However, remember to test the resulting solution on a piece of laminate.
Special products for laminate
They aim for cleaning and gentle care of the laminate, which will not damage the material if you use them exactly as instructed. Some of these products you do not even need to wash from the floor surface – on the contrary, they will give shine to the coating.
Laminated cocktail
To prepare this product, mix 2 cups of vinegar, warm water, lemon juice, and two tablespoons of dishwashing liquid. The composition will make the coating shiny. In addition, it will not damage the material.
Generally, if you treat the laminate carefully, the coating is easily cleaned with plain water and a soft cloth. And if you use a chemical to clean the coating, it is important to read the instructions before proceeding and acting strictly on it. Too concentrated and saturated solutions can damage the laminate.
What you need for cleaning
Before cleaning the laminate, buying everything helpful for this procedure is essential. For cleaning, you will need the following:
- brush or broom with soft bristles;
- one mop;
- vacuum cleaner equipped with a special brush;
- sponge without abrasive side;
- rag (you can use a microfibre cloth or t-shirt);
- bucket of water at room temperature;
- laminate cleaners or prepared according to popular recipes.
What is better to avoid
When cleaning the laminate, you cannot use some known means. They can cause irreparable damage to the coating. Here is a list of such tools:
- products containing ammonia (ammonia corrodes the upper protective layer of the laminate and hopelessly spoils the coating);
- all abrasives (excluding cleaning powders and pastes, even in the presence of severe contamination);
- surface polishing agents (those agents used for rubbing other floor coverings are not suitable for laminate);
- a large amount of water (water penetrating the structure of the coating can spoil the appearance of the laminate and deform it);
- hot steam;
- products containing aggressive chemicals – alkalis and acids (they quickly destroy the protective coating layer, and the surface ceases to shine);
- liquid with chlorine (also harm the layer of protective laminated coating);
- silicone products (negatively affect the top layer of the coating).
How to choose the suitable detergent
Among the wide variety of cleaning products, a wide range is designed for cleaning laminate. Choosing the means that will meet the needs of the laminate takes a lot of work.
To make the right choice:
- Determine the consistency that is comfortable to work with. The products are available in the form of gels, powders, etc .;
- Assess the environmental friendliness of the product, especially if there are children in the house;
- See the product’s composition, and ensure no hazardous substances exist. The floors in rooms with different purposes you wash at different intervals. For example, you often clean the laminate in the hallway and kitchen, but in other rooms – less often. However, even in a clean house, dust quickly accumulates on the surface, which increases the frequency of cleaning with water.
Fortunately, antistatic agents are now available. Of course, they will only partially stop the dust from accumulating but will allow reducing its amount on the floor.
A tip! It is convenient to use robotic vacuum cleaners programmed to clean the house without the owner’s presence. They are reliable helpers and perform meticulous floor cleaning.