How to Remove Stains from Laminate Flooring

Laminate flooring is any type of flooring that has several layers used to mimic other floor materials, such as wood, tile, or stone. Because of the multiple layers involved, it can be difficult to remove stains from laminate floors without damaging the layers. Here are the most common stains found on most flooring and how to remove them safely without damaging your floors.

Wax

Remove wax from your flooring with a few simple steps. First place a paper towel over the wax on your laminate floors. Then place an old towel over the paper towel and plug in an iron. When the iron has heated, place it over the old towel to heat up the wax on the flooring. The paper towel should absorb some of the wax and allow you to remove the rest of the wax with a plastic scraper. Keep repeating this process until all of the wax is removed from your flooring.

Heel Marks

Heel marks may be an unsightly stain on laminate flooring, but it is one of the simplest types of stain to remove. Use a dry, rough cloth and buff the heel marks away. This will require some patience, but most heel marks should come off laminate flooring after a few minutes of work. If you have a stubborn or old mark, consider using a commercial laminate floor cleaner to help get your stain removal started.

Crayon

If you have children, crayon marks on laminate floors are almost inevitable. Luckily these stains can be removed easily. Begin by using a dry cloth to remove as much of the crayon stain as possible. If the crayon is stubborn, try a tiny bit of acetone on the cloth to remove the crayon thoroughly. If you do use acetone, be sure to remove any acetone residue with a damp cloth after the crayon is removed.

Wine and Fruit Juices

Most wines and fruit juices won’t stain if they are wiped up right away. However, some wines will stain if the finish of the laminate is worn or the spill is not detected early enough. For these more stubborn wine and fruit juice stains, use a commercial laminate floor cleaner formulated for your particular flooring.

Lipstick and Nail Polish

Both lipstick and nail polish can do serious damage to laminate floors, so it is best to address these stains immediately. To do this, use a soft cloth with acetone to remove the stain. Be persistent and scrub, if acetone does not remove the stain you must replace the flooring in that area.

Paint and Ink

With paint and ink stains it is important to soak up as much of the liquid as possible immediately. Once all of the paint and ink has been removed with a paper towel, try some paint thinner to remove the stain. Always apply the paint thinner to the cloth, not to the paint or ink on the floor and rub only on the area that is affected.

Your best defense against stain removal is quick action, so be sure to have some of these cleaning products on hand in case of an accident. In particular, a commercial laminate floor cleaner is a handy thing to have for quick stain removal. Of course, before trying any cleaning methods, you should be aware of what your particular flooring manufacturer recommends for your floor.