One of the most used flooring types is Luxury vinyl tiles. Its demand in the market setting and questions about maintaining it keep skyrocketing daily.
In this post, we will reveal how to clean LVT flooring; to begin with, get the equipment and material ready, then remove loose dirt from the floor, select a cleaning solution; furthermore, mix the cleaning solution and finally, mop away the dirt.
Read on as we go into details on how to clean LVT flooring.
Related: Find out if vinyl flooring is good or bad?
How to Clean LVT Flooring
Table of Contents
1. Get the Equipment and Materials Ready
You would need to get the equipment for cleaning the luxury vinyl flooring; this includes a wet mop, bucket, dust mop or vacuum, microfiber cleaning cloth. And for the material, get a liquid dishwasher, warm water, distilled white vinegar.
2. Remove Loose Dirt
Sand and debris can make the LVT flooring scratch. In a place with high traffic, sweeping regularly, dust mopping, and vacuuming can help protect the LVT floor from scratch. If you are using a vacuum, remove the beater bar or use the type without a beater bar. This would help protect the floor from undue damage.
3. Select a Cleaning Solution
Different types of cleaning solutions work just perfectly for LVT flooring, but before using a commercial floor cleaner, check the label to ensure it is safe for LVT flooring. Products that have ammonia can damage vinyl surfaces. While mop and shine solution tends to leave a coating on the surface that attracts more soil. Hence, the need to be careful with your choice of cleaning solutions.
Read: Homemade vinyl floor cleaner
4. Mix the Cleaning Solution
Fill a bucket with warm water and add a tiny pinch of dishwashing soap. When it involves the kitchen floor, choose a liquid soap like Dawn, it would help get rid of the dirt on the floor. Apply sparingly because too many suds creates unnecessary work for you. And too many soapy foams might leave a film that draws in dirt and debris.
For floors in the room or living quarters, a blend of one cup of distilled vinegar in a gallon of warm water would make the floor sparkle.
5. Mop Away the Dirt
Place a mop inside the cleaning solution and wring out most of the liquid. It should be a not-too-wet mop. Start the mopping at one end of the room, ensure to create for yourself an exit point. Rinse and wring the mop regularly, as dirt is transferred from the floor to the cleaning mop.
Rinsing the floor is not necessary unless there is an issue of excess soap. If the floor is clammy, rinse immediately with water and distilled white vinegar solution to leave the floor clean. Give the room a chance to dry up.
While LVT is water-resistant, excess water might cause the floor to buckle if the liquid makes its way into the seam, which might lead to a mold between the subfloor and LVT.
Read: Wet mopping vs dry mopping
How to Remove Permanent Spills and Stains from LVT Flooring
Some stains and spills are just too stubborn and stuck to the floor that you can’t remove them with regular cleaning. Some steps would be needed to remove these tough stains and spills on the LVT flooring.
1. For tough stains like acid, alkali’s, ketchup, blood, strong soaps, mustard, food, dye and dye markings, cleaners, candy, grass, iodine, rust, excrement, and urine; brush the area with a full-length vinyl cleaner, a 10-to 1 dilution of water to bleach, or isopropyl alcohol. Lemon juice might work better on rust.
Be careful while using isopropyl alcohol since it is highly flammable.
2. When it comes to paints and mixtures like lacquer, dry cleaning fluids, latex paints, nail polish, oil paints, wood stains, or varnish, peel off the dry substance from the floor carefully. If the need arises, clean the area with a heavy-duty stripper and cleaner approved by the manufacturer.
You can also use mineral spirits, paint thinner or nail polish remover.
3. For substances that won’t wipe off the conventional way. Substances such as adhesives, chewing gum, asphalt, oil, grease, candle wax, or tar; follow the steps used in removing paint above.
4. For scuffs and smears from shoe polish and rubber heels, rub the floor with your fingertip to form friction. If this does not get rid of the stain, follow the steps for paint and solvent.
Related: Can you use swiffer jet on luxury vinyl flooring
Conclusion
Cleaning the LVT floor is not a challenging venture, as far as the steps are clearly outlined. The growing need to make the LVT floor last longer and maintain its aesthetic looks has led to people googling; how to clean LVT flooring. We gave a detailed format on how to go about it.
