Easy Guide On How To Clean Laminate Floors Without Streaking

It’s nearly impossible to not have a thing for the luxurious and lustrous beauty of Laminate Floors, thanks to those alluring designs and endless benefits. However, there does exist a rather dark side to our dearest laminate floors, too, which is the unsettledness experienced during and after its cleaning.

This technically cleaning and formerly maintenance issue aka “Surface Streaking”, has a huge possibility of dulling out the look of Laminate Floors over time and even generating irreversible damage, in most cases, too.

So let’s get to dig up the root causes as well as effective fixes to this commonly experienced Laminate Floor concern.

Reasons Why Your Laminate Floors Are Streaky

In the first place, there are multiple factors causing this situation and initially it isn’t easy either to figure out where exactly you are doing it the wrong way.

Anyhow, these are the major causes of you having to experience streaky Laminate Floors, just post a cleanup.

You May Need To Know: How Long Does Laminate Floor Last?

1. Excessive Is Bad 

And this is for those of you cleaning freaks out there, who don’t realize that they are going really too much with the cleaner. That’s because excessive usage of floor cleaner is the most likely to NOT BE CLEANED even after multiple attempts (which no one considers, at all!) and be left behind as a residue.

And eventually when anything goes over that cleaner residue, let’s say your feet or any object, you get to see those nasty and disturbing streaks, which apparently seem as if all of your effort was for nothing!

2. Watch Your Way

The technique with which you clean your floors, or simply the way in which you proceed your cleaning can hugely impact the consequences. Chances are that if you go over your floors in a non-uniform manner or keep making irregular and dirty strokes, you’re the most likely to end up with streaked and (freaking out!) floors.

3. Go A Little Exceptional

And care to change your cleaner which for some reason you’ve long been stuck to (without a purpose!), as often the only cause for streaked floors is nothing but an inappropriate choice of floor cleaner.

4. Let The Situation Dry 

Which means, LET THE FLOORS DRY completely before you step on them (even if it involves yelling or being somewhat mad!). And this goes the same for moving back of any objects or furniture, which you might have moved out of your way, before beginning the floor cleaning.

Do wait for the floors to get dry completely before you do any movement. P.S. You can be a little smart at this point and speed up the procedure by either a fan, air conditioner, dehumidifier or simply by opening your windows.

Dealing With Streaky Laminate Floors 

Here comes the focal point of the entire discussion of ours, i.e. How to prevent streaky Laminate Floors? And of course, we’ll be generating effective solutions for the times when situation is nearly out of hands too, i.e. What to do with streaky Laminate Floors?

Let’s begin with the need for careful maintenance of Laminate Floors.

Why Laminate Floors Need Extra Care 

The most mainstream reason for Laminate Floors requiring an additionally careful maintenance is the fact that they can’t be refinished like other floors, let’s say engineered hardwood.

And

• If Laminate Floors get stained or scratched, there’s no potential fix to the situation, except for having them replaced.

• Improper and irregular cleaning can lead to the surface dullness (fading) and in extreme cases, it can also cause bubbling or swelling of the floor.

• Laminate Floors are susceptible to getting damaged by sharp or abrasive objects. And apart from pointed footwear or objects, the nails/ claws of your pets are also a major threat to the floor surface.

Cleaning Mistakes To Avoid 

Let’s take a look at those wrong maintenance methods and inadequate product selection that you might have been practicing lately.

1. Abrasive Cleaning Tools 

This includes steel wool, stiff-bristled brooms, scrubbing brushes and most importantly vacuum cleaners that are used with beater brushes, as the consequences can imply severe damage to the surface.

2. Excessive Water Consumption

It leads to water penetration through the seams of Laminate Planks which eventually leads to the bubbling or swelling of floors. Besides, prolonged contact with water can also cause Laminate fading, so it’s crucial to drop traditional mopping when you’re dealing with Laminate Floors.

3. Irrelevant Product Usage

This goes for those cleaning products that aren’t intended to be used on Laminate Floors, like oil-based cleaners, polishes, waxes, acidic cleaners (with a pH above 7) or floor buffers, since the unsuitable choice can be seriously harmful for the planks. Moreover, the dedicated Laminate floor cleaner must also never be put directly onto the floor, rather it has to be sparingly applied to the mop or cleaning fabric.

4. Excessive Cleaner Utilization

It refers to the way too unnecessary usage of cleansing products or soap as it has the highest likelihood of not getting wiped off completely and leaving a residue behind. The residue, in turn, gets to attract dirt and dust, eventually causing nasty-looking streaking of the floors.

5. Soiled Pads Cleaning 

This goes for the times when the cleaning pad isn’t rinsed properly or replaced at right times, as it should be. The soiled mop pads or usage of dirty and murky cleaning solution simply circulates dirt all around, instead of wiping it off.

Streak-less Cleaning Of Laminate Floors

Here is a super simple and practical method of cleaning your Laminate Floors, without of course, causing absolutely no streaking. Besides, there is no additional effort or expenditure required, too.

DIY Method For Streak-less Cleanup 

Remember that these home-based material choices are there for helping the right selection of a streak-free cleaning product.

Points To Be Noted: 

• It’s a preferable recommendation if you mix each one of these ingredients to distilled water or at best warm water. This is the safest approach since tap water can cause depositing on the surface of your floors.
• Do not apply any of these natural cleaners directly to the floor either, and always go for the application on the mop.

General Cleaning Method

This is a basic yet extremely adequate streak-free cleaning method for Laminate Floors, which you can even consider carrying out on a day-to-day basis.

• Start by vacuuming the intended area to get rid of any of the loosened debris or buildup. For crevices and corners, ensure making use of the vacuum attachment.

• Spray your choice of commercial Laminate Cleaner on your mop pad and work your way in even, smooth and straight strokes, with a uniform pressure application.

• Let the cleaned area get dry completely and don’t miss wiping it off with a clean and dry mop or an absorbent fabric/ towel.

Bonus Tips On Laminate Floor Care 

Ensure benefiting the most from your Laminate Floors with these easy yet effective cleaning and maintenance guidelines.

• Keep the buildup at bay with regular and gentle brooming or mopping, according to the instructions from your flooring manufacturer.

• Clean every single spill or splash immediately and don’t let the stain stay on the floor. Mopping should ideally be done every two months. Allow complete floor drying to take place.

• While cleaning, try keeping your moving direction away from the area you’ve just wiped and be careful about regularly changing the mop pads and cleaner batches, as soon as they become dirty.

• Place welcome mats or rugs at the entrances and felt pads under the feet of your furniture. Avoid walking over the floors with shoes.

• Trim the nails or claws of your pets and try keeping them in specified spaces.

FAQs | Frequently Asked Questions

What Is The Cause Of Laminate Floor Streaking?

The most common cause of Laminate Floor Streaking is the excessive usage of soap or any other cleaning substance. This way, the product does not get cleaned properly and leaves a residue behind, which in turn gets to attract dust and dirt, eventually causing the floor streaking. Moreover, too much usage of water can lead to Laminate floor streaking, too.

Is It Safe To Use Vinegar On Laminate Floors?

Vinegar, as a matter of fact, is quite a safe and more of an effective material to be used on Laminate Floors, explaining its vast usage within most of the DIYs. Moreover, it also works a lot more effectively than most of the dedicated cleaners, without causing any damage, as well. However, it has to be used only after being diluted.

Which Mop To Use For Laminate Floors?

Microfiber mops with a flat pad are the best and most effective choice for Laminate Floors, since they don’t cause any residu. Such mops are excellent at absorbing excessive water and don’t require a water container, as well. Besides, it’s really easy to wet and wring them without making the floors too wet or causing any other type of mess.

What To Use Over Laminate Floors?

When dealing with Laminate Floors, you need to strictly avoid using any of the abrasive tools as they can cause serious surface scratching. Soft bristled brooms and dust mops are the safest options in this regard since they’re gentle to the floors. Besides, if you opt for using a vacuuming cleaner, do ensure that you use it without the rotating brush or beater.

What Is A Diy Cleaning Recipe For Laminate Floors?

One super effective DIY cleaning recipe for Laminate Floors is the dish soap solution, which you can make by mixing just a teaspoon of dish soap (get the unscented and clear one only) to a gallon of hot water and use it to clean your floors. In addition to that, you can also make a cleaner by combining about a cup of vinegar to the same quantity of hot water.

Why Does My Laminate Floor Look Dull?

The usage of improper cleaners is the foremost reason for dull-looking Laminate Floors. Other causes include the residue from cleaners, and wrong cleaning techniques which eventually provide room for dirt build-up, making the floors appear dull and unattractive. Also, you need to ensure not using excessive water as it gets difficult to clean, ultimately making the floors dirty.