Keeping your floors clean will help keep them looking their best for years to come. But you do need to make sure your cleaning methods don't do more harm than good. This is especially true when it comes to vinyl floors, which are not quite as durable as other options like tile or stone. Here are some important tips to help you minimize damage when cleaning vinyl floors.
Steer clear of abrasive cleaners.
It may be tempting to reach for the scouring powder or even some baking soda to scrub away caked-on grime. But this approach may remove more than the stuck-on gunk. It may also remove the top layer of the vinyl, leaving it looking scuffed and old. A better way to remove anything sticky is to simply put some water on it, let it sit for 10-20 minutes, and then wipe it away with a medium-textured cloth. You can scrub a little as long as your cloth is not overly rough. Vinyl is impervious to water, so this method should not do any damage.
Use milder cleaners when possible.
You may want to occasionally clean your floor with a stronger solution like bleach, especially if someone in your home has been sick or you have reason to believe the floor has been contaminated. However, you should save these stronger disinfectant cleaners for occasional use and use milder cleaners when possible. A squirt of liquid castile soap in a gallon of warm water works well. You can even use a mixture of vinegar and water.
Vacuum before you wash.
Use a vacuum to suck up any larger pieces of dust before you wash the floor. If you don't remove these pieces of dust, the friction between the dust and the floor will slowly wear away at the finish. Use a soft brush attachment or a floor attachment when you vacuum the floor. A carpet attachment with standard, rotating brushes will eventually scratch the floor, too.
Get the edges.
When you are vacuuming and washing the floor, make sure you don't neglect the edges of the room. Dirt tends to get caught between the floor and the baseboard, and here, it can get caked onto the floor, making it harder to scrub away. If you clean this "crease" every time, you won't ever have to scrub and do damage.
Follow the tips above, and your cleaning procedures will do minimal damage to your vinyl floor. If you need help, contact a floor cleaning company like Fresh Start Cleaning.