Top Tips for Caring for Your Laminate Floors
With its wide assortment of styles & budget-friendly offerings, laminate flooring long has been and remains a popular flooring option for homes. More than just a stylish flooring choice that offers affordability and longevity, laminate also is an incredibly low-maintenance material that can withstand the wear and tear associated with children, pets, and general living. Offering both scratch, stain, and fade resistance, laminate flooring is strong enough to handle whatever modern homeowners may throw its way. With that said, some general care & maintenance is required to ensure that your laminate flooring consistently looks its best.
This blog post will highlight the top tips for caring for your laminate floors:
Sweeping
Daily laminate care starts with sweeping. Investing in a high-quality broom and putting it to work regularly, you’re actively working to prolong the lifespan of your laminate flooring. Sweeping is essential for laminate, any hard surface flooring, as dirt, dust, and other debris that is tracked into your home can scratch your laminate floors if left unattended, leading to long-term damage. Said debris can also give your laminate a grungy and unkempt look.
The first step to maintaining your laminate floor is to set up a routine where you sweep your floors daily.
Mopping
If you want to return your laminate floors to their shimmering “just installed” glory, then you’ll need to mop them every month or so. In doing so, you want to be careful not to use too much water to damage the subflooring or allow for bubbling or swelling of your laminate. A microfiber mop is recommended, but you can also use a traditional mop. But if you use the latter, be sure and wring it so that it is nearly dry. The last thing you want on your laminate floor is pooled water.
Spills & Stains
While laminate flooring is stain-resistant, the best way to ensure that your laminate floor is not damaged when a spill occurs is to act fast. Whether your spill is coffee, wine, tea, or another liquid, it is recommended that you address the spill immediately by wiping it away with a cloth or paper towel. For solid spills, put that broom mentioned above to work and then wipe away what remains with a cloth or paper towel.
Generally speaking, a liquid spill won’t stain your laminate floor unless left unattended for an extended period. As previously mentioned, whenever a liquid substance is left on your laminate floor, that is also the concern of damage to the subflooring and swelling or bubbling on the laminate surface itself.
Other Laminate Maintenance Tips:
- Place mats at the entryway and encourage guests to use them before entering your home
- Remove shoes whenever possible before walking on your laminate flooring
- Never use any substance to clean your laminate floor that isn’t exclusively for laminate flooring. When in doubt, consult your laminate manufacturer
- If you have pets, try to trim their nails whenever possible, as long nails could scratch or scape your laminate
At Flooring 101, we boast an incredible selection of laminate flooring that is expertly curated to meet your needs. Contact us today to learn more about our wide range of laminate offerings!
