An Expert Guide to Taking Care of Your Vinyl Floor…
Care and Maintenance
Nothing is easier to keep clean than vinyl. Just wipe up spills, sweep, and mop regularly. Watch the seams, though. Dirt and moisture can collect there, causing problems with the bond of your adhesive and with the subfloor. Following are a few do’s and don’t for the long term care and maintenance of your vinyl floor:
- Before moving heavy objects across your floor, always lay plywood or underlayment sheets down to disperse the weight.
- Before placing chairs or furniture on your new vinyl floor check the condition of all the casters or rollers before setting them on your floor. Replace any worn casters or rollers.
- Protect your vinyl floor by covering the legs of furniture with felt protectors.
- Remove dust, sand and grit particles frequently by sweeping or vacuuming your vinyl floor.
- Don’t use a vacuum with a beater bar as it may scratch your floor.
- The attachments that come with your vacuum are useful to clean the edges or to get to hard to reach areas
- When sweeping or vacuuming does not remove the dirt, mop the floor with clean warm water.
- Rinse the floor thoroughly with fresh water. If water alone does not clean the surface, use cleaning products recommended by the manufacturer. If you are unable to determine the manufacturer’s recommendations, use one tablespoon of liquid dish washing detergent to one quart of water. Or use one tablespoon of clear ammonia to one quart of lukewarm water. Make sure you rinse the surface to avoid leaving behind a film.
- Think prevention. Place non-staining, walk-off mats or rugs at every outside entry to your room. This will help keep sand and grit from being tracked on to your floor in the first place. Just be sure to avoid using rubber-backed mats or rugs as they can damage and potentially discolor your floor. Instead use mats or rugs made especially for vinyl floors and remember to treat them accordingly. Shake, shake, shake!
Oops! How to clean up spills.
For spots or spills, wipe them up immediately and use a clean cloth to wipe the cleaner onto the floor.
Make sure the floor’s manufacturer recommends the cleaner and that the product label indicates “self-cleaning,” meaning you will not get an accumulation of wax on your floor.
Rinse the spot or spill area thoroughly and wipe dry with a clean cloth.
Avoid using abrasive scrubbing tools as they will leave scratches.
Never use abrasive cleaners, soaps, paste waxes, or solvents on your vinyl floor.
Use the manufacturer’s recommended floor polish to restore your vinyl floor to its original gloss level.
If you purchased a PVC vinyl floor you should consider placing 2-3 coats of the manufacturer’s recommended floor polish on the floor immediately.
Any vinyl floor with a PVC wearlayer will show scuffs, scratches and other marks very easily. By adding the coats of floor polish you will make the floor easier to maintain.
Last, what to do about serious scenarios.
If you have a seam open, cover it immediately, do not wash that area, and consult your retailer for a vinyl floor covering professional to repair the seam.
If your floor gets a cut or gouge in it, cover the area immediately and call your retailer. A professional installer can repair the area, but if the cut is filled with dirt it may be difficult to repair correctly.
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