We've just had a laminate floor laid, and very nice it is too.
I've done a Google search in this group, and more generally in Usenet but there doesn't seem to be a definitive guide to the best cleaning methods/products/practice.
Can someone prove me wrong ?
TIA
I've never looked so no.
I sweep most days and occasionally wipe over it with a damp cloth.
Mary
Mark Carver has brought this to us :
I don't know the correct name for them, but SWMBO simply uses one of those static mop thingummies. It has a handle, a rectangular soft pivoting head, onto which you clip the static papers which collect the dust. Other than that a damp cloth occasionally.
We have exactly the same problem. We installed laminate because we couldn't afford anything more durable, and carpet simply isn't an option in a kitchen/dining area with small children. We're not just talking about food; even vinyl flooring would suffer with toy cars etc.
Most of the proprietry laminate cleaners seem to concentrate not on cleaning, but on polishing. Without the children this'd be fine: a sweep with a soft brush and then a polish is likely to get rid of most muck.
*With* the children however, it is a different story. Quite apart from sticky food on the floor (we installed the laminate when they were 9 months and 3 years) there's muddy feet, paint and play-dough to think about. The only sensible way to clean the floor is "wet" and yet the vast majority of laminates (including ours of course) have dire warnings on the packaging about never allowing the floor to get wet. There is a house a few doors down which is set below the level of the road; if you look over their wall you can see that the laminate in their living room is quite badly warped along the joins.Our current solution is twofold: as soon as possible after a spill you can usually get most of it off with a damp (not wet) cloth, or one of those large "Dettol" type floor wipes. The wipes seem to be alcohol-based which evaporates (dries) a lot quicker than water. If it has dried on or is too sticky for the above then we use a wet cloth (or well-wrung mop) with the other person following with an old towel to dry the floor.
Neither solution is entirely satisfactory. Given the same time and budget constraints as we had when we chose to use laminate we'd probably still do it (though we might at least cost-out a sealed variety), but next time we're in this situation we're going to be saving up and looking seriously at alternatives which don't mind getting wet and being scrubbed!
Hwyl!
M.
We had a similar problem recently when stupidly I put down a laminate floor before having some plastering work done.
The plasterer recommended Jeyes fluid for polishing the floor. I dont know if htis would work or is even a good idea but was merely something I was told.
Tim
Just don't use floor polish, otherwise you stand a good chance of breaking your neck if walking about in socks. I made that mistake.
I just sweep/vacuum, then wipe over with a damp cloth and a bit of Flash or equivalent. Laminate is far better than carpet even when it's got a few grubby areas. My new house has this almost white carpet throughout and I can't wait for it to become ruined so that I have an excuse to replace it with laminate. It's an absolute bugger to keep clean. I can only suppose those people whose carpets always appear spotless hardly move about in their houses and always religiously remove shoes and don slippers. Pain in the friggin' Arsenal, carpets are, if you ask me.
MM
Fine if you have a Jeyes Fluid odour fetish I suppose!
If you have cat(s), don't even consider it. JF is poisonous for cats.
No it isn't. We have filthy boots bringing in mud and chicken shit from the garden, I'm not careful when cooking and baking (daily) and am always dropping stuff - including grease- on the floor. and we have frequent visits from children of all ages. Sometiomes I decide to clean the floor, I sweep with a handbrush (the kitchen has lots of awkward intrusions) or a long handled broom in the sitting room then simply wipe over with a damp cloth. You NEVER need to wet the surface. Even dried on blood can be wiped off easily. Might take bit more effort than a beer spill but it's not onerous - believe me, I'm not a cleaning freak.
Much worse than playdough is beeswax. It either has to be scraped up when cold or warmed and wiped. But it's easy. I don't know what all the fuss is about.
Mary
That's very useful information! Now, where's my sprayer?
Goodness! I've yet to see the brush which will clean off wet mud without smearing it all over the place :-)
Actually your method doesn't sound too different to our normal one; brush then wipe with a damp cloth, but I still counter that some dirt doesn't respond well to this unless you sit there scratching with your nails at every bit of dried-on muck. This can take quite some time. I don't envy you your beeswax.
In our last house we had quarry tiles in the kitchen. Death to dropped plates, but much easier to clean. If a brush didn't get it off, out with the wet mop & Flash, a quick slosh over and most things lift off. It's the water which does it, you see, especially for something which has dried on. Leave the back door open for a few minutes to help the drying and all finished. Our second method for laminate isn't as wet as that (we aren't that brave), but it is a little more than "damp".
Hwyl!
M.
So have I. I don't sweep wet dirt. It dries.
Well, what kind of dirt do you mean? And I suppose it must depend on how fussy you are.
A hair drier and kitchen paper sees to it. Very effective.
Also expensive, cold to bare feet and noisy.
Well ...
The dirt which isn't picked up by the mop are spread round ... I hate mops with a passion. You can't rinse them effectively so can't rinse the floor effectively.
I know that I've been a bit flippant about my slovenly habits but when I do clean I like it to be done very, very well. I sweep, go over with a damp cloth, rinse the cloth and do it again and again until the cloth is clean.
With laminate floor if you don't do that you'll leave smears. Well, you'll leave smeared dirt anyway but on laminate it shows.
Mary
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