During the warmer weather, we’re all naturally a bit more active outdoors, meaning more trips to the beach, more time in the garden, and even just more walks around town. As a result, we end up bringing more sand, dust, grass, and other outdoor debris into our home on our shoes.
And while the warmer weather hitting the UK is always something to be celebrated, it sometimes feels like we end up spending more and more time cleaning our homes.
With the flurry of nice weather we’ve had (followed by a mix of showers), the team at Online Carpets has also spotted a 590% increase* in the number of people searching for “how to clean laminate floors” suggesting that many Brits are searching for deep-cleaning methods for getting summer debris off their floors.
However, while laminate flooring is becoming increasingly popular for its price and versatility, Online Carpets have issued a warning to Brits thinking about scrubbing their laminate with a traditional mop or the popular steam cleaning mops going viral on TikTok’s #CleanTok.
James Higgins, eCommerce Manager at Online Carpets explains: “Most laminate floorings are made using a fibreboard core.
“They’re generally made of four main layers of wood fibre to give the closest replication of natural wood floorings as possible.
“However, because the core of laminate is a wood product, it can soften and swell when exposed to water.
“The swelling means that if laminate is exposed to lots of water, it generally won’t return to its original dimensions when it’s dried – meaning it’s not exactly the best candidate for hot, steam mop cleaning or classic mop cleaning with lots of water.
“If laminate flooring is continually steam cleaned or mopped using lots of water, it can peel and wear the design after it becomes waterlogged and, more often than not, water-damaged laminate flooring will need to be replaced.
“When your laminate flooring is water damaged, there will be many visible signs, including the edges between the joints looking swollen or blistered, any peeling to the finish of your laminate flooring, and walking over and hearing a ‘squishing’ sound.
“However, there are plenty of ways to care for laminate that are arguably less strenuous than the mopping, resurfacing, and polishing that traditional wooden flooring requires, making it an excellent choice for busy homes – especially for ones with pets and children.”
Below, Online Carpets, share the best maintenance steps to take to get your laminate flooring feeling squeaky clean without soaking it in water.
- Removing debris: First, you’ll want to remove any grit, debris, or dust from your laminate floors using a dry dust mop, wipe, or vacuum.
If you’re vacuuming, ensure your vacuum is suitable for hard-surface floors. Many modern vacuums have two settings on them – one for carpet and one for hard floors, which allows you to lift and drop the beater bar function.
While sweeping up any debris might seem like the obvious, cheaper choice, the bristles on a traditional broom can push the dirt into the cracks between the laminate boards, making it even harder for you to clean up.
How often you vacuum depends on your own personal comfort levels at home, but as a general rule of thumb Online Carpets recommends that you vacuum the stairs once a week, and everywhere else at least twice a week.
However, for high-traffic areas, like your entrance porch, hall, or kitchen, you should consider vacuuming daily to keep on top of things. Depending on where in your home your laminate flooring is, will depend on how often you should vacuum it.
- Spot cleaning: While how often you clean the debris off your laminate floor will depend on where the flooring is in your house, you’ll want to ensure you keep on top of spot cleaning your laminate floor daily.
This means immediately cleaning up any spillages as you go.
You can spot-clean any stains or spillages using a simple white vinegar solution. The acidic nature of white vinegar makes it powerful enough to dissolve grime, grease, and bacteria without damaging the stain on your laminate floor. However, be sure to dilute it, or use a pre-diluted spray when doing this.
- Deep cleaning: In addition to the quick daily maintenance you take on your laminate floors, Online Carpets recommends giving your laminate floors a deep clean at least once a fortnight.
When it comes to your deep cleaning, Online Carpets recommends that you use either a wet floor/ ‘speed’ wipe or mix your own DIY laminate floor cleaner and use a damp mop (also known as a microfibre mop).
Many popular brands offer speed mop wipes for hard flooring, including the viral ‘Flash’-brand mop. These are great solutions for laminate floors as they’re not wet enough for water to ‘pool’ on your boards.
However, if you’re conscious of adding yet another cleaning product to your routine, making a DIY laminate floor cleaner might be the solution for you – and you probably already have all the products sitting in your cupboard.
All you’ll need is some warm water, unscented dish soap, and white vinegar. The latter of which is often hailed as a secret cleaning weapon – with the likes of Mrs Hinch and the noughties cleaning gurus Kim and Aggie swearing by it.
Online Carpets recommend mixing the solution of one part white vinegar and a couple of drops of dish soap to around 3-4 parts water. Then, simply dip in your microfibre mop – ensuring it’s not holding any excess water – and sweep across your floor.
You’ll know your mop is too wet if the water starts to pool on the floor and has difficulty drying. If this happens, be sure to wipe up excess water right away so it doesn’t have time to soak into the boards.
