Things to Avoid with Man Made Laminate Flooring

When caring for a man made laminate floor, never finish it with wax or floor finish. This can cause unsightly permanent damage. For example, I know a lady who put a no wax floor finish on her floor and the edges of it warped and curled up permanently. It did this because she left the wet floor finish on the surface too long. It soaked into the cracks and fibers of the flooring. When it dries and hardens the floor will remain that way forever. I once saw another floor with some sort of finished over it and the finish was very streaked. If you put wax on these floors, they become dangerously slippery.

You can’t remove a floor finish from these types of floors. Most of them are made up of a particle board type material and floor stripper will destroy them as well. The top layer of the flooring is extremely strong and durable. It will usually last many years of good wear and tear but the layers beneath are softer and absorbent. There are tiny cracks in the seams so don’t let any liquid stand on the floor for an extended length of time.

If you are installing laminate flooring in your home, avoid putting it in the kitchen or bathroom area. I’ve seen this done in rental homes and if the dishwasher or plumbing leaks the floor is ruined. Once this happens you can’t just remove a few boards in the center of the room and replace them. They lock together so you have to start from one end and remove all the boards up to that point.

All cleaning products are not equal when it comes to man made laminate floors. The proper way to clean them is by using plain water. I have been successful with a couple drops of dish soap in a bucket of water for greasy or sticky messes. In order to get the best results go over the floor with plain water after using the soapy water. Do not use pine cleaner, it will leave the floor with an oily finish.

If you have glue or some other very sticky substance that won’t come off with plain water, a product that works well is furniture polish. You don’t need to purchase a fancy brand, any furniture polish you already use will do just fine. You need to spray the spot and rub the polish in. Just let it set in for a few minutes then rub the spot out with firm pressure and a soft cloth. Sometimes it takes a lot of rubbing. When the spot is gone the area will be very slipery. This is when the dish soap comes in handy, remember to wipe again with plain water to remove the soap. Dry the floor thoroughly, you’ve put a lot of moisture on this spot.

The mop you use makes a big difference in the finished look of the floor. A regular string type mop head will leave too much water and you will be left with odd shaped water spots. Damp dusting mops that have throw away cleaning pads will usually leave streaks. They also don’t pick up the dirt as well. Next in line is the flat terry cloth wood floor mop. These work reasonably well and you can pick one up for a good price. They are easy to find in your local stores. The mop I prefer on this type of floor is a microfiber flat mop head or a french mop. While they are not as readily available you can find them at most home improvement stores. I have only seen the french mops at my local fair but they are essentially the same. When using these flat mops be sure to remove the mop head and wring them out thoroughly between rinses. you’ll want to use them barely damp.

One last tip. If you are energetic or plan on having guests over, try drying the floor with a soft cloth immediately after mopping it. This will give you the best result by far and your floor will look very smooth and shiny.