Cleaning old linoleum floor

[ms. tonya]

Really need some tips on what to use to clean my kitchen linoleum floor.

My refrigerator was replaced with a smaller version and now you can see build up black guck where larger one stood. The floor was installed in 1971 I believe, a dark colored outdated eyesore but only new tenants get the honors of moving in to a fresh gutted out kitchen now.

I tried Pet Agree Elite Orange Cleaner last nite but only made the whole downstairs smell like an orange for a hour.

Was reading a woman used hot water mixed with bleach & Joy took up years of grim and builded up gunk but am afraid this would discolored my floor.

Any tips??-also going to applied a wax afterwards.

[Debra]

I wouldn't use bleach. Your best bet may be to use plain dish detergent and hot water. Let it have 10-15 minutes to soak in and loosen the gunk. Then wipe up what you can. Repeat if necessary. No fumes to worry about and it isn't likely to damage the flooring. Debra in VA See my quilts at

[B McGee]

We used full strength ammonia on an old old green linoleum floor in a mobile home a few years back. You have to be sure to ventilate and wear gloves for sure...and don't breath it in, but if you spray it on full strength and let it sit for about 10 minutes, then come back and use a scrubby sponge on it, that may do the trick. I still will clean our new linoleum floor with ammonia from time to time. It is the only thing that truly gets all the dirt out of the "nooks and crannies" of the linoleum. This method got off years of dirt rubbed into a floor that had been covered with Future and Mop and Glo for years by my grandmother...that stuff is like hardened on nail polish and the floor was completely stripped like new with ammonia.

Good luck...just be careful not to asphyxiate yourself!!

ms. t> Really need some tips on what to use to clean my kitchen linoleum floor. >

[ms. tonya]

Thanks for info.

Weather is getting nicer here - Detroit- so might open window/door & put cat in basement and try this method.