It must feel like a leap of faith to abandon your favorite chemical cleaners that are being used for ages and instead start believing in vinegar. But trust me you will never regret or think twice about it once you try. Not only those chemical cleaner you can get over the counter are much harsher on your surface, but these cleaners are also harmful to the ecosystem and your body.
It harms your eyes and lungs, and it has been long proven. So, when it comes to the cleaning of the vinyl flooring, using vinegar to clean it is the best way to go. Because diluted vinegar is one of the best natural cleaners, you can use to deeply clean your way of getting a strain-free and shining vinyl floors as you wanted.
Why is vinegar a great option to clean vinyl floor?
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Vinegar is a great option because it’s a natural cleaner and does not have any anything artificially processed in it. Most importantly, it has antimicrobial properties to drive away from the germs from your vinyl floor. Vinegar is acetic acid with a PH of only 2.5. That makes it a strong acid. It destroys the cells of bacteria or other organisms that could harm you or your children. It can breakdown hard food spill or anything gliding on the floor.
Which kind of vinegar is the best fit?
Well, white vinegar is the strongest of all. If you want the vinyl floor to be sparkling clean, this white vinegar one makes it a perfect fit. You have the option of apple cider vinegar which is a little milder than the white vinegar, of course. If your surface is made of granite or wood, then do not use white vinegar. It will eat away the gloss of the floor.
The vinyl floor is perfect for the white vinegar as it is made to be withstanding and durable as well.
How to Clean Vinyl Floors With Vinegar
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Vinyl floor has a beautiful glossy finish to it, and as a house owner, you need to be extra cautious to retain its look for a long time. Because once its glossy look is gone, nothing can help to bring it back. So be careful not to do anything that causes the gloss ruin. One of the main things when taking care of vinyl flooring is not to let any dirt or debris come inside your house during the clean up. Keep a doormat outside your home to dust off. Also, do not allow family members to walk around with shoes that you go outside with. Also, it would be better not to walk with hard heels on the vinyl floor or shoes that can scuff the floor.
Vacuum and sweep is a must
Any dirt and debris being scrubbed to the vinyl floor will harm the finish. So before you go ahead to clean with vinegar, give the floor a good sweep or vacuum. It will not only save the gloss but also help the floor clean more efficiently. This step is a must if you want to retain your vinyl floor’s look for years to come.
Choosing and preparation of the vinegar
You need to deice now which vinegar you want to use. Apple cider vinegar smells better than white vinegar. And white vinegar disinfects the floor well. Mix a cup of vinegar into gallon of warm water . The water should be hot, neither boiling nor warm.
cleaning the floor
Get a soft microfiber cloth as it is what you need most to keep with you for cleaning your floor. Do not scrub the floor with mop intensely. It will not benefit but damage the floor. The acid is here to assist you, no need for force. You must have a cleaning tool that mops the vinyl floor. Soak that in the vinegar-water mixture and squeeze off excess. Keep the mop damp; it should not be dripping water. That will be dangerous if you do not follow it.
If you have been too lazy to clean your vinyl floor like me, then add a little bit of dish soap in the mixture. It will make the floor fresher, and some stubborn mess will come off quickly. You will notice that the grease and mess are breaking down easily because of the dish soap. If you use dish soap, then you have to go over again with mopping. This time only use vinegar and water. You do not want the floor with broken-down dirt and stickiness of dish soap.
Safety measures to take when clean vinyl floors with vinegar
Do not be tempted to use the unmixed vinegar to clean the floor.Directly applying it on your vinyl floor will harm the floor and your respiratory system at the same time. And your hands will become dry as a rock. Also, wipe the floor with a dry cloth as you finish with vinegar. Because a slippery floor can be quite dangerous and it can be devastating, especially if you are pregnant.
What to do if there is a stain on the vinyl floor?
First You have to understand what kind of stain is it. That will help cleaning the stain efficiently. Lipstick marks go away with alcohol and paint goes with spirit. Figure out what stain and you will be able to clean then much faster and easier.
Baking soda and vinegar paste can do all sort of cleaning and remove of any stain on your vinyl floor. Rub the mixture in a circular motion with a microfiber cloth. But you need to be careful not to scratch the floor. When the stain starts to appear lightened and gone, clean the area. But if you are not satisfied, then leave it for a moment. After a little time, the stain will start to breakdown. then go back to it again and clean thoroughly.
Conclusion
There is no bound of how much deep cleaning you can achieve with vinegar. But one thing we would like to remind you again is to never use undiluted vinegar directly on vinyl floors. So get your supplies right and make use of our step by step guide to clean vinyl plank floors with vinegar.
