Vinyl Floor Care
General Care:
To take care of your vinyl flooring, vacuum regularly to remove daily dirt and grime. Wash your floor occasionally with the manufacturer’s recommended floor cleaner. Make sure to wipe up spills immediately. If floor begins to look dull, apply manufacturer’s floor polish to restore the original gloss. Ensure to never use abrasive cleaners, soaps, or solvents on your floor. Mats both indoors and outdoors can also prevent bringing in excess dirt and grime that will eventually harm your floor.
Specific Recommendations:
A question we receive often from those who do housekeeping and maintenance duties at businesses—-How do we clean our vinyl plank or vinyl tile (or VCT–vinyl composition tile)?
Right after installation do not “clean” your VCT for 72 hours. There will be grit and dirt on the floor so thoroughly sweep or vacuum the floor to remove anything loose. After 72 hours, mix a cleaning solution together of a pH neutral* cleaner with warm water…the ratio will depend on how soiled the tile is. It is better to use LESS solution. The trick is to rinse with clean water or clean mop after applying the solution mix to the treated VCT area. You can leave the cleaning solution on a trouble spot for 5-15 minutes (but do not let it dry on the tile) and can even apply pressure with a nylon or rayon mop to get some of the tougher stains out. Use a wet mop or vacuum to remove the cleaning solution and RINSE the floor thoroughly with clean water.
*pH Neutral is 7. Products that are close to neutral are Dawn dish soap, Bona & other “flooring brand” floor cleaners, and most stone cleaners. Some all purpose floor cleaners have pH’s near 7 and you can dilute them in lukewarm water (mixing it in HOT water will raise its acidity). Baking soda is pH 8-9 and is often used watered down to be more neutral or with vinegar to neutralize its acidity…but….DO NOT USE VINEGAR ON VINYL FLOORS!! EVER!! It will damage the vinyl’s surface over time. You will likely have to buy something that specifically states it is pH neutral or around 7. If it says it is closer to 10 then it may be too alkaline (Borax & several laundry products) and bleach and ammonia are also 11-13 and would be too alkaline or abrasive for vinyl flooring too. There are many DIY tutorials out there that tell you mixing vinegar into a homemade cleaner is neutral enough for just about anything….well, not vinyl floors!