Vinyl wood plank floors are turning into everyone’s top pick. Why will it not when even with multiple glances and close looks, you cannot differentiate between a real hardwood floor and a vinyl plank wood floor. The similarity is uncanny, and the vinyl one is an absolute replica of the hardwood. But with better ease on your pocket and your body and mind. Pocket, because they cost a lot less yet durable, do not need expensive cleaning machines and hardwood cleaners to upkeep and body because they hardly need meticulous cleaning.
How to Clean Vinyl Wood Plank Floors
Contents
We here will share the whole process of how to clean vinyl wood plank floors better in simple ways, keeping a few points in mind and safeguard them; please try to follow what you read, and we hope you will know how easy and beneficial it is.
Regular Cleaning – Point#1 – Dusting
A broom and a dustpan will always be your companion when it comes to dusting the vinyl wood plank floor. The motive is to remove the dirt so that it doesn’t scratch the surface or doesn’t get a chance to turn into in-ground dirt coming in contact with the humidity or moisture. Also, we often clean our house, do the dry dusting when the guest arrives. But many of us do not understand how important it is to dust off the dirt from the floor when the guests leave. When the amount of dirt before the guest arrived was way less, yet you did the dusting, it’s important to dust off the dirt after they left as the arrival resulted in heavy foot traffic.
Frequency – Every day, in the morning or evening
Regular Cleaning – Point #2 – Vinegar with Rubbing Alcohol
Many might not like how vinegar works as a cleaning agent and want to double its cleaning power.
Some of you must be searching for a better alternative than just vinegar or rubbing alcohol or dishwashing soap or plain warm water.
Both are disinfectants and kill germs and bacteria even better when combined.
Making The Perfect DIY Solution – You will need a spray mop with a reusable microfiber pad. Fill the half-liter water tank with warm water, one cap-full of rubbing alcohol, and 1-2 tablespoon of vinegar. If the grime is super hard to remove, add dishwashing soap in the solution, a few drops only.
Regular Cleaning – Point #3 – Spray Mopping with Microfiber Pads
Spray the trigger of the spray mop. It will release the solution. Make sure you are using little at a time. If it’s stuck-on filth, wait a few minutes and rub a bit hard. Continue moving the mop gently, if needed, a few times on the same spot. Also, make sure you buy a few spare microfiber pads, washable and reusable, of course. When one gets too dirty, replace it, do not use an unclean one just by rinsing it. That sort of haphazard washing doesn’t work. An uncleaned pad must be cleaned thoroughly in a machine with detergents and dry properly. Otherwise, you are only spreading the germs and bacteria in the rest of the rooms. To remove the residue, you can damp a clean pad in clean water and mop the floor once again. But if diluted rightly and used sparingly, the solution will not leave a residue.
Frequency – Thrice a week, in heavy foot traffic areas and once a week in rooms with less foot traffic
Regular Cleaning – Point #4 – Drying
The spare microfiber pads were not just for wet mopping different areas or mopping with clean water but also for drying the floor. Though rubbing alcohol dries fast, you are using vinegar and water, which will keep the floor wet no matter how thoroughly you wring the mop or how quickly the rubbing alcohol dries. Also, you will once again use water to clean the residue. We often forget vinyl wood plank floors are water-resistant but not waterproof. So, right after you mop the room, switch on the fan, and attach a clean, dry pad to the spray mop and continue mopping to dry the floor.
Frequency – Every time after you wet mop and also when you find standing water on the vinyl wood plank floor
Safeguarding The Vinyl Wood Plank Floor
Use a lot of carpets, rugs, and mats. Those not only protect the floor from getting filthy or work in beautification but also keep your shoes clean and dry as you are continually wiping your shoes and slippers on them.
Never walk with wet shoes on the floor. Dry it well on the mat. Also, never enter the home wearing the shoes you wore outside. Use the mat kept outside to scrape off the loose dirt particles from the shoes.
Enter the house and immediately take off your shoes in the doorway. Place the shoe shelf right there or just take the shoes on your hands and keep them inside the shelf.
If you can’t use carpets beneath the furniture, use furniture pads, grippers, or floor protectors under every piece of furniture. No matter how lightweight or small the piece is, you need to place something beneath it to keep the floor on the safe side.
Immediately clean the spilled drinks and foods thoroughly. Do not be like, let’s clean it a bit and will do the rest the next day. It requires immediate removal not to let the substance stain the floor.
Do not use any harsh chemicals, bleach, detergent to sweep your vinyl wood plank floor. Avoid a steam mop too. No, it’s not just superfluous. In fact, its heat causes damage, bends, and warps the wood plank, if not designed to clean vinyl wood plank floors.
Never use an abrasive cleaning tool. Some of you might feel like using one as these are affordable. When we haven’t even talked about microfiber scrub pads, you know how harsh stainless steel ones or the rough plastic ones will be.
If you thought wax would work on the vinyl wood plank floor as it does on a linoleum floor, then know that it’s the complete opposite. Wax makes the vinyl wood plank sticky and prone to attract dirt and badly stick on the surface.
We tried to split the discussion into sections. One talked about the methods, tips, and tools to clean and the other precautions. The former will let you know everything about regular cleaning and sweeping the filthy portions. The latter will help you to safeguard the floor and avoid dirt and scratches. We all need to understand better than thorough cleaning; it’s the precaution that saves the day much better.
