vinyl

Sweep or vacuum vinyl floors with a solid floor attachment. To clean dirt that won’t come up with a sweep or vacuum, use a non-rinsing cleaner that leaves no film and a mop. Never use an abrasive cleaner, oil cleaner, or dish detergent.

There are several steps you can take to help maintain your vinyl floor besides regular maintenance. • Use a doormat outside to collect any dirt, moisture or other substances that can harm your floor. • Use felt floor protectors on furniture to reduce scratching or gouging. • Rubber backed rugs and mats should not be used as they tend to make the vinyl floors appear yellow. Anything rubber stains vinyl flooring very easily. • All vinyl floors are affected by direct sunlight and are prone to color fading. Keep blinds closed and direct sunlight off the vinyl floor on sunny days when possible. • Keep large animals with long nails off the floor as they can scratch and damage the vinyl. • Keep liquids off the floor as much as possible.They can leak through seams and damage the subfloor which can also cause your vinyl’s adhesive to loosen. • If you are moving appliances or heavy furniture never slide them across vinyl flooring. • If you find a seam has opened, it needs to be closed immediately according to the manufacturer’s recommendations to prevent further damage.

It is not recommended that you walk on your vinyl floor after installation for at least 24 hours. If the seams in your new flooring are disturbed before the adhesive has set, you can damage your vinyl flooring. You should not thoroughly mop your floor until five days after installation to allow the adhesive to cure.

Generally all your vinyl floor needs to shine is a good cleaning. When this doesn’t do the trick, follow your manufacturer’s recommendations to restore the shine. Some manufacturers have a special gloss floor finish that you can apply. Others will recommend that you remove the wax layer and replace it. Only some vinyl floors have a wax finish, so be careful to follow the procedure that your manufacturer recommends.

Chips and deep scratches in vinyl generally cannot be removed, but can be hidden or concealed. Many vinyl flooring manufacturers have products specifically for repairing chips and scratches. These products generally work best, however there are some at home products that can be used to help conceal scratches and scuffs. To remove scuff marks try rubbing a drop of mineral spirits, turpentine, paint thinner, or baby oil over the mark. Then wipe the scuff away with a soft cloth. If you try any of these methods, be sure to wipe the vinyl floor thoroughly with a damp cloth afterwards, as these solutions can leave the floor slippery.