Keeping Your Vinyl Flooring Looking Great — Part 2

For the larger or more rambunctious families, here are some added tips to cleaning vinyl flooring.

The Dos:

• On difficult scuff marks try jojoba oil or WD-40 on a towel. Rub the area until the scuffs fade away. Remove any traces of the lubricant(s) by cleaning the area with a water/vinegar mix.
• On food stains from ketchup, mustard, tomato sauce or grape juice, etc., make a paste of baking soda and water and gently rub the stain until it disappears. Again, remove any traces of baking soda using a water/vinegar mix.
• To remove some stains try a soft, nylon-bristle brush with common household solvents. Try to remove lipstick, hair dye, and ink stains using rubbing alcohol. Mineral spirits can help to remove crayon, paint, and marker stains. Magic Eraser may also work and liquid hairspray has shown to work but use it carefully. Use a nail polish remover that contains acetone to remove nail polish stains.

Caution: if you are concerned about a cleaner damaging the flooring, try rubbing it on a hidden area to test it first.

The Don'ts:
You should be aware of a number of things and products to avoid when cleaning vinyl flooring:

• A “beater bar” on a vacuum or vacuum attachment can damage a flooring surface; don’t use the beater bar.
• Highly-abrasive scrubbers or steel wool can damage flooring so they are to be avoided.
• Detergents, abrasive cleaners, or “mop and shine” products can leave a dull film on the floor. Avoid these also.
• Don’t use solvent-based polishes or paste wax.
• Ammonia or ammonia-based cleaning solutions can break down the material and cause cracks in vinyl flooring. Shun these.

There are certain commercial cleaners especially designed for vinyl floors. These include Pine-Sol Multi-Surface Cleaner; Pledge Tile & Vinyl Floor Cleaner and Pledge Tile & Vinyl Floor Finish with Future Shine; Pine-Sol Multi-Surface Cleaner; Armstrong’s Once ‘n Done Resilient and Ceramic No-Rinse Floor Cleaner and Armstrong Shinekeeper Floor Polish.

Your vinyl flooring can remain attractive for years if you consistently take a little time and use some what mom called “elbow grease” to care for it.

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