Vinyl flooring is one of the most used floors in kitchens and bathrooms. The manufacturers are making vinyl tiles and planks with different colors, patterns, and designs. Some perfectly simulate hardwood. Thus vinyl floors are now used in other rooms as well. The flooring looks beautiful, elegant, and is easy to clean and maintain. Therefore, are most people’s favorite. Though the vinyl floor is easy to clean, it does get stained pretty easily. No matter how well you clean the vinyl tile floor, you will notice yellow stains here and there. There are multiple reasons for that. The rubber backing of the carpets and rugs, lack of sun exposure, overexposure to sun, heat, hot water, harsh chemicals, and the list of reasons has a few more. So, here we are going to share with you the ways of how to clean yellow stained vinyl floors.
Methods to Clean Yellow Stained Vinyl Floors
Contents
Removing yellow stains could be a matter of concern for you as none want to end up with a discolored floor, faded and full of scratches. Once ruined, it stays that way unless you are ready to replace the vinyl floor. That tedious and costly step is hardly taken for obvious reasons. Hence, it is better to choose natural ingredients and have patience while removing the stain as it’s a slow process, and you need to do it multiple times.
With Lemon
Citric acid removes yellow stains like no other. It’s very effective but doesn’t damage a surface unless you go overboard. The most natural but potent source of citric acid is lemon. To remove yellow stains from the vinyl floor, you will need just a slice.
Before you are ready to use the lemon, make sure to do the thorough dusting. Not only the spots, better to dust the whole room to stay on the safer side.
The next step is to damp the spots. Use a damp pad or cloth, and wipe the stain with it. There must be no standing water, just wet yellow stains.
Now take a lemon piece, a little bigger, to have a good grip on it while scrubbing the yellow stains. We do not prefer letting it sit and work. The lemon will do its work as long as you are scrubbing the spot with it, no need to let it sit and count minutes. The citric acid may ruin the vinyl material if you allow it to set.
Take a soft scrub pad, damp it, and rub it on the yellow stain. After a while, you will see the yellow stain fading. It will not outright disappear, though. We have already talked about patience. Have it because to remove the yellow stain, you will need ample.
A Little Tip
Better to use the already consumed ones. Even after a thorough squeeze, there is a lot left in the lemon slice. So, you can easily use those. But that is just a feasible idea for all, you conserving minds.
With Baking Soda
We all have baking soda in our kitchen cabinets. More than using it for baking, we use it to clean stains. From frying pan, oven to yellow stained vinyl floors, baking soda is going places, all right.
The method is simple, and the first step is always the dusting. You can either make a paste by mixing water in baking soda or damp the stains by sweeping the spots with a damp cloth and then sprinkle the powder.
If you are using the paste, make a thick paste, and use water, depending on that. There is no specific measurement. Now apply the paste on the stains and let it sit for 15 minutes. Do not exceed 15 minutes.
Or just keep a check on the paste and do not let it dry out. You have to start the scrubbing when it’s pretty much dried out but still has moisture left in it. Otherwise, removing a dried out paste will be difficult to remove and harmful for the floor as well.
Sprinkling baking soda requires the same steps to follow. Let it set on the surface for 15 minutes and then take a scrub pad and do the thorough but gentle scrubbing. Do not over scrub in one day. It is a multiple-day mission. Now, clean the residue with a damp clean cloth or pad and pat the spot dry.
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A Little Tip
Do not use those steel scrubbers. Using those on any surface will result in bad scratches, so leave the vinyl floors away from those no matter how yellow and ugly they look. Rather purchase a bigger carpet or rug than the actual size of yellow stain and keep it covered.
With Bleaching Powder
Cleaning yellow stains with bleach are just the same as baking soda. However, bleach is better to use after mixing with water. Please do not use it directly. Make a thick paste and make sure not to keep it more than 5-10 minutes on the spot. Now, rub, sweep, rinse, and pat dry the stain.
The Little Tip
If possible, keep it for a lesser time, and increase the cleaning days. Say the stain needed a ten-day constant cleaning. Make it 15 days by letting the bleach sit for 3-5 minutes only. Bleach is comparatively harsh, thus requires cautious use.
With Dishwashing Soap
Dishwashing soap mostly works on oily stains. However, the cleaning agent gently but effectively cleans the vinyl plank floors too. A cap full in a gallon of warm water is the perfect measurement, no matter what type of flooring or stain you are cleansing. Use a scrub pad, rub it, and wipe the suds with clean water. Make sure to use a clean, dry pad to dry the surface.
The Little Tip
We prefer using only a few drops directly on the stain if it is too yellow and is there for a long time.
With Sunlight
We have already mentioned both non-exposure and overexposure to sunlight cause yellow stains on the vinyl floors. Carpets and rugs covering the areas, no sun exposure, and you end up with yellow stains. Direct sunlight hitting the floor, daily, for a couple of hours; the vinyl floor gets yellow stains. So, you have to strike a balance. Exposing the yellow stains to the sunlight will gradually make those stains match the rest of the floor, which is clean and unstained. Make sure of no direct sun exposure. A slight opening of the window and sun rays reaching the stains through that gap every day for a few days will start doing the trick.
The Little Tip
Continue daily dusting. The sunlight method will work better on a dust-free surface.
We have shared multiple methods and different components to clean the yellow stains from the vinyl floors. However, the one common thing in these various methods and factors is the slow-going process. Being patient and cautious is the key to restore your yellow stained vinyl floors.
