subject: How Do You Keep Vinyl Flooring Clean And How Do You Repair Any Damage ? [print this page] Vinyl flooring is becoming ever more popular, in fact in the USA vinyl flooring has become the most popular flooring material and by far outselling all other types of flooring.
Because of its widespread use a whole industry has been created in the cleaning and maintenance of vinyl flooring. So what is the best way of looking after vinyl flooring ? Before deciding what products to use and how to maintaining it its good understand what vinyl flooring is made of.
Vinyl flooring is made from varying amounts of vinyl and comes in 2 grades Solid and Composite. Solid Vinyl is the more expensive and a better quality as it is made from pieces of vinyl set in a vinyl base. This differs from solid vinyl as it is also made from vinyl pieces but it is embedded in non-vinyl fillers. The top layer of vinyl flooring is a wear layer that gives it a protective layer with a clear finish. This wear layer also gives the vinyl flooring a non slip surface and resistant to scratches and stains.
All types of vinyl flooring have a cushion backing in varying thicknesses which gives it a sound proof and comfortable surface to walk on.
Vinyl flooring comes in tile and sheet form. Tiles come in different sizes generally approx 18 square. But this means there are more edges that can allow water and dirt penetrations which can make the edges lift. Tiles normally have a peel off backing while others require glue applied to the floor over a large area. Vinyl flooring is really hard wearing and is expected to last between 10-15 years
So what is the beast way to clean vinyl flooring ? Because of its surface this makes cleaning quick and easy. The best tools to use are a dust mop and a dust cloth, a damp mop. A scrubbing brush that is non-abrasive is advisable, although vinyl flooring is robust it is possible that with overly robust rubbing with a rough implement scratching can occur. This might let water penetration into the vinyl flooring.
Before starting to clean any vinyl flooring it should be swept or vacuumed first to remove any debris from the floor. This will eliminate any damage to the floor as it is possible there might be a sharp loose object on the floor and any rubbing of a mop or cloth will cause the vinyl flooring to be scratched.
To maintain your floor in good condition, wash regularly with a mop in a soluble soap cleaner to remove any spotting stains or scuff marks This needs to be 250 ml to 5 litres of water. For regular use a solution of 50ml to 10 litres of water is sufficient. When the floor is dry you can buff-up the floor with a clean dry cloth.
This method will keep your vinyl flooring in tip top shape. Occasionally things can be spilt on it that can not be removed using the previous method such as paint or nail varnish. If the solution is still wet, you can clean any water based spills with a dry or wet cloth. Any oil based spillages can be removed with white spirit using a dry cloth. If the spillages have dried they can sometimes be picked off using your nail, if this does not work a matching piece of vinyl flooring can be grafted in. This should only be carried out by a professional fitter.
