Caring for & maintaining your new Vinyl

In order to extend the life of your vinyl flooring and keep it looking as good as new, you need to clean it regularly. Dirt and grime on the floor can work their way into the surface of the vinyl, making it dull in appearance and act like sandpaper, wearing away the vinyl. If you follow a few basic guidelines, keeping your vinyl flooring clean can be relatively easy.
Maintain a Regular Vinyl Flooring Cleaning Schedule

• Sweep or vacuum your floor at least once a day to avoid dirt build up.

• Once a week, or when dry cleaning doesn’t pick up all the dirt, mop the floor with plain warm water, rinsing the mop out regularly and replacing the dirty water as necessary.

• Avoid using a vacuum that has a beater bar. This can scratch the floor and cause wear. When washing the floor, do not use scrub brushes and never use abrasive cleaners.

• Once a month, or when you feel your floor needs a thorough cleaning, wash it with a water and bleach or ammonia solution. Ammonia is generally considered to be the best, but be sure you have plenty of ventilation. You can also use commercial “no rinse” cleaners, but do not use detergents. Also, avoid those “mop and shine” products. While they initially look great, over time older layers of wax become grimy and it is very difficult to strip them from the floor.

After thoroughly cleaning and stripping your vinyl flooring, use a professional wax product to make the floor gleam and give it long lasting protection. Two coats of wax is ideal. Be sure to let the first coat dry thoroughly before you apply the second coat.

Occasionally, you will need to spot clean vinyl flooring. The best way to do this is to follow the guidelines above. First thoroughly wash the surface. If that doesn’t remove the stain, you will need to wash it with an ammonia or bleach solution. Finally, rinse it with hot water and dry it thoroughly. Prevention is better than cure – Most of the dirt and grit we bring into the house comes from the soles of our shoes. Lay mats with special vinyl flooring backing in strategic locations and encourage everyone to use them.

While having a regular cleaning schedule may sound like a lot of work, it really only takes a few minutes per day to sweep the floor and the periodic stripping and waxing doesn’t take long if you do it regularly.Regular maintenance of your vinyl flooring will pay big dividends when you floor looks sparkling new for years.

Regular maintenance of your vinyl flooring will pay big dividends when you floor looks sparkling new for years.