How to care for vinyl flooring
Keep out dirt and chemicals with a doormat
A doormat helps keep out your vinyl floors two greatest enemies: dirt and chemicals. Tracked-in dirt means extra broom time. Grit acts like sandpaper, removing the finish from your floor. And even though you can’t see them, chemicals from asphalt can stick first to your shoes and then to the floor, causing it to yellow.
Keep your floors clean
The key to keeping any floor in good shape is to keep it clean, and vinyl is no exception. Get the dirt off before it gets ground in, and your vinyl will last longer. Sweep frequently. It’s a good idea to get in the habit of quickly running a soft broom across the kitchen floor every evening after you put the dishes in the dishwasher.
Shampoo away your hairspray
If you have hairspray buildup on your vinyl floor, just shampoo It away. It works on your hair, doesn’t it? Mix a squirt of shampoo with a gallon of warm water. Mop, then rinse with a damp mop.
Learn low-impact cleaning techniques
Resist the temptation to blast dirt away with heavy-duty cleaner. Instead, clean your vinyl floor using the mildest possible method. Sweep or vacuum it every evening, and wipe up spills right away. To clean dirt that the broom or vacuum can’t get, use a mop dampened with warm—not hot—water. If all else fails, use soap, but make sure the soap is designed for your flooring.
Use the right cleanser
If your no-wax vinyl needs cleaning, wash it with a cleaner made specifically for no-wax floors, following the directions on the container. Rinse with clean, cool water—no matter what the soap label says about not needing rinsing—otherwise you’ll leave a residue on the floor.
Don’t drench your vinyl
Water from an overly wet mop will work its way into the cracks, seams, and edges. Once there, it can destroy the glue bond that holds down the vinyl, causing it to come loose or corners to curl.
Outfit your furniture and large appliances with protective “feet"
The weight of heavy items (such as tables and refrigerators) that occupy permanent places in your kitchen can dent vinyl flooring. Prevent these dents by fitting your furniture with floor protectors, which you can find at hardware stores and home improvement centers.
Forgo rolling casters
These, too, can damage the surface of your floor. Instead, consider fitting chairs with felt tips, which won’t harm your vinyl.
Before big moves, put appliances and other heavy items on a plywood path
More often than not, when we replace or move appliances, we drag or push them across the floor rather than lift them—but dragging them will only scratch and scuff your vinyl flooring. To keep your vinyl in tip top condition, lay a piece of plywood sheeting along the route that you are going to take out of the room, and push or “walk” the appliances out along the plywood path.
A doormat helps keep out your vinyl floors two greatest enemies: dirt and chemicals. Tracked-in dirt means extra broom time. Grit acts like sandpaper, removing the finish from your floor. And even though you can’t see them, chemicals from asphalt can stick first to your shoes and then to the floor, causing it to yellow.
Keep your floors clean
The key to keeping any floor in good shape is to keep it clean, and vinyl is no exception. Get the dirt off before it gets ground in, and your vinyl will last longer. Sweep frequently. It’s a good idea to get in the habit of quickly running a soft broom across the kitchen floor every evening after you put the dishes in the dishwasher.
Shampoo away your hairspray
If you have hairspray buildup on your vinyl floor, just shampoo It away. It works on your hair, doesn’t it? Mix a squirt of shampoo with a gallon of warm water. Mop, then rinse with a damp mop.
Learn low-impact cleaning techniques
Resist the temptation to blast dirt away with heavy-duty cleaner. Instead, clean your vinyl floor using the mildest possible method. Sweep or vacuum it every evening, and wipe up spills right away. To clean dirt that the broom or vacuum can’t get, use a mop dampened with warm—not hot—water. If all else fails, use soap, but make sure the soap is designed for your flooring.
Use the right cleanser
If your no-wax vinyl needs cleaning, wash it with a cleaner made specifically for no-wax floors, following the directions on the container. Rinse with clean, cool water—no matter what the soap label says about not needing rinsing—otherwise you’ll leave a residue on the floor.
Don’t drench your vinyl
Water from an overly wet mop will work its way into the cracks, seams, and edges. Once there, it can destroy the glue bond that holds down the vinyl, causing it to come loose or corners to curl.
Outfit your furniture and large appliances with protective “feet"
The weight of heavy items (such as tables and refrigerators) that occupy permanent places in your kitchen can dent vinyl flooring. Prevent these dents by fitting your furniture with floor protectors, which you can find at hardware stores and home improvement centers.
Forgo rolling casters
These, too, can damage the surface of your floor. Instead, consider fitting chairs with felt tips, which won’t harm your vinyl.
Before big moves, put appliances and other heavy items on a plywood path
More often than not, when we replace or move appliances, we drag or push them across the floor rather than lift them—but dragging them will only scratch and scuff your vinyl flooring. To keep your vinyl in tip top condition, lay a piece of plywood sheeting along the route that you are going to take out of the room, and push or “walk” the appliances out along the plywood path.
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