vinyl floor care

How to Clean Vinyl Floors

vinyl floor

vinyl flooring cleaning supplies

vinyl floor care products

move the chairs and rugs

dirt gathers in the scratches

a fan speeds drying time

vinyl floor polish

applying the floor polish

Vinyl flooring is popular in many homes. Over time, the no-wax finish becomes dull and floor care is needed to bring back the shine. Protect and extend the the life of your floor with a little elbow grease and a few hours time. Follow these steps to clean and polish your vinyl floor.

Gather your supplies. Use two sponge mops; one for cleaning and one for applying the floor polish. Use a bucket large enough for the cleaning mop to fit in. A nylon floor scrubbing pad helps remove embedded dirt.

Purchase floor care products from a store that sells carpet and vinyl flooring. Ask for a no-rinse cleaner and a floor polish made specifically for vinyl flooring. While they may seem expensive (locally $24.00 a gallon for the cleaner), they last a long time and are worth the investment to protect your floor.

Remove any movable furniture and rugs to another room. Secure pets and small children as needed. Tables and other large items can be worked around if the floor is maintained regularly.

Sweep or vacuum the floor. Note the finish in high traffic areas is dull where previous polish wore off and dirt is in the scratches. Pay extra attention to these spots as you clean.

Mix the cleaner as directed on the bottle. One to three capfuls per gallon of water is sufficient depending on how often you do your floor cleaning.

Take off your shoes and socks as you are going to get a little wet. Start at the opposite end of where you will exit ; don’t wash yourself into a corner! Clean about a 3x3 area at a time. Mop the surface, use the nylon scrubby for embedded grime, and mop again. There is no need to rinse. Continue on until you have cleaned the entire floor. The floor will look very dull after this step. Take the time to clean thoroughly or the polish will seal any remaining dirt onto the floor.

Drying time will depend on the humidity. With a fan the floor will dry in about ½ hour. Wash out the cleaning mop and bucket in a sink or tub in another room. Wipe up any remaining puddles with a towel before proceeding to the next step.

Time to bring back the shine! Start at the opposite end of your exit. Pour a small amount of the floor polish in the middle of a 3x3 area. It looks milky but will dry crystal clear.

Set your polish mop into the product and let it soak up into the sponge. Gently push your mop through the polish and spread it evenly around your space. Use the pattern on the vinyl flooring to guide your cleaning grids. A criss-cross pattern and overlapping slightly into the previous section will provide even coverage. Have a rag handy in case the product gets on your woodwork. If you start to get bubbles in the polish you may be going too fast. Slow down and mop gently.

Continue on until you have completed the entire floor. Set up your fan and let it dry. This will take about a half an hour or so. When it is dry, put on a second coat of floor polish. Use the criss-cross pattern for even coverage. You will notice the mop glides easier as you build up the polish. If a third coat is desired give a little more drying time for the second coat (45 minutes to an hour). A third coat will extend time between cleanings; I usually polish two to three times a year in a high traffic kitchen. Three thin coats are more desirable than two heavier coats.

Let the final coat of floor polish dry as long as you can before you put your furniture back, two or three hours would be ideal. Now your vinyl flooring looks like new!

Tips:

Vinyl floors are easy to maintain if kept up. When the shine begins to look dull, take the time to renew it!

Wipe up spills as they happen or mop with water as needed between major cleaning.

Sweep up dirt regularly before it scratches or becomes imbedded in your flooring.

If you keep your vinyl flooring maintained, you reduce or avoid the more arduous task of stripping the floor.

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