Linoleum flooring is one of the great inventions of modern times. It’s a great option for those who want the look of tile without the hassle or cost. It’s easy to clean and maintain, and it almost looks as good as the real thing.
You can often find linoleum flooring in places like restaurants, offices, and even homes. In your home, you might have this kind of flooring in bathrooms or kitchens, but they could also be found in living rooms or hallways.
They are so versatile that they can work in any room of the house. The great thing about them is that they’re very durable, which makes cleaning them easier than with other types of floors.
When properly maintained, linoleum will last for years. Of course, like any kind of flooring, you will still need to clean linoleum flooring sometimes. In fact, regular cleaning is the way to go. Not sure how you should be cleaning linoleum floors? Don’t worry, we’ll cover everything you need to know here in this post.
Cleaning Linoleum Flooring
Linoleum floors should be cleaned every week or so. This is because if you don’t clean linoleum floors regularly, you run the risk of getting dirty spots on them. These dirt spots can make your floors appear dull and unappealing. If you don’t clean them soon enough, these stains become permanent.
To avoid this, you should schedule an annual deep cleaning of your linoleum floors. This is especially true if you plan on having people over frequently.
Because linoleum is porous, it absorbs odors easily. As such, you may notice a musty smell emanating from your linoleum floors, especially after heavy foot traffic.
If you do notice this scent, you know it’s time to give the floor a deep clean. Below, we will go through how you should be cleaning your linoleum floors to get the best results.
The General Cleaning
You should maintain your linoleum floors by cleaning them weekly. To do this, all you really need to use is some cool or even lukewarm water. There’s no need to use boiling hot water. Additionally, you should use a mild detergent.
Make sure that you avoid any ammonia-based cleaners, too, as these can damage the floors. You can use white vinegar and some warm water for some impressive cleaning. Just add a cup of vinegar to the normal amount of water you would use and have at it!
On top of the general weekly cleaning, you should endeavor to do daily cleaning, too. Daily cleaning only means that you should do some dust mopping.
This will keep the floors free of dirt and loose debris. To keep things simple, you can just do this by vacuuming the entire floor, it’s that easy! Vacuum cleaners really are a great invention, right?
For The Stains And Spills
Spilled something recently? Linoleum floors can absorb a lot of liquid, and stains can be a real problem. If you spill something or notice a stain, you should try to remove it as quickly as possible.
You can do this by rinsing the freshly stained surface with clean water, then using a towel to dry it up. Always be sure to get rid of all excess water. This only works for immediate stains!
If you have some stains that have made their way into the linoleum, you will need to buff it out using a nylon brush. First, wash the stained area and polish it (we’ll go through polishing in the section below). You can remove any scuff marks by using a paste made up of water and baking soda.
By scrubbing at the scuff mark, it should eventually disappear. When it’s gone, you will need to rinse it with clean water, and dry it thoroughly. If that doesn’t do the trick, you can try using a small amount of WD-40 or baby oil on the area. This should lift the stain, and you will be able to rise and dry it.
How To Polish Linoleum Flooring
Polishing linoleum floors will keep them looking their best. However, there are two different ways to polish linoleum floors: buffing and waxing. We will discuss each method separately, but they both involve the same concept: waxing the floor will help make it shine.
To buff linoleum floors, you want to start by washing the floor first. Then, you will begin to rub the floor with a soft cloth.
Because the floor has been washed, you won’t need to worry about soap residue. Once you’ve done this, you will need to apply some water pressure onto the floor. In fact, you should press down hard with the cloth.
The goal here is to create friction between the floor and the cloth, which allows you to buff away the old finish. It might take some practice before you master this technique, but once you do, you will never stop buffing your floors.
Waxing Linoleum Floor may require more work than buffing, but it’s worth the effort. To wax linoleum floors, start by applying an appropriate brand of clear wax product to the floor. Next, you will want to buff the floor again, this time using a soft rag or sponge. After this step, you can repeat the buffing process until you’re satisfied with the appearance of the floor.
If you don’t like how your linoleum looks when waxed, you can always use another finish. Just remember to clean the floor before waxing, or else you could damage it!
Thing To Remember
There are some important things to remember when it comes to working with linoleum floors. We’ll go through them below.
You Should
- First, always use mats for objects like plants. If water seeps through a plant pot, it can cause water damage to the linoleum floor below. Additionally, try to move plants from one spot to another if they can handle it. If you keep something on linoleum for too long, it will start to turn yellow!
- Second, make use of doormats and some rugs, especially by entrances. When you track in dirt, it can do some serious damage to the linoleum flooring. As you walk from place to place with dirt coming off your shoes or feet, the granules will scratch the linoleum. This will result in the flooring becoming dull and unappealing.
- Finally, you should make use of pads for furniture. Doing this will prevent any scratches from occurring when the furniture is moved. It will also help prevent indents.
You Should NOT
- Firstly, you should never ever use ammonia-based cleaning products on linoleum floors. Using them will just strip any polish from the floor and cause damage.
- Secondly, never allow water to sit on linoleum floors. It will also cause some awful damage.
- Thirdly, choose any rug wisely. Do not get a rug that’s rubber or latex-backed, as it will stain. Only use rugs that have backings made of natural things.
- Finally, limit linoleum floor stripping to once a year. If you strip the floors too often, you will only damage them.
Final Thoughts
You made it to the end! Hopefully this post was helpful to you, and you now know a little more about linoleum floors. They’re super easy to take care of as long as you follow the simple rules. You can even DIY your own linoleum flooring at home. So, what are you waiting for? Start making your dreams come true today. Good luck.
