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Housekeeping

Find cleaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Housekeeping forum.

Original poster

Vinyl floor, bugger to clean, can i steam it?

32 replies

MeconiumHappens · 28/02/2012 18:51

Hi there :)

We have vinyl flooring in the kitchen which has a sort of textured effect to it. The actual effect is that dirt gets in the texture and is a bugger to clean. Moping takes off superficial muck but doesnt really get it clean. The only thing i find effective is a scrubbing brush which works really well but is blooming hard work and at 7 months pregnant i cant face it.

Am thinking there must be an easier option. Saw advert on tv for steam floor cleaner, vax type thing, and wondered whether this might do the trick? Im looking for something non chemical if poss as have pets and soon to be little person.

Any domestic goddesses out there with tips?

OP posts:
CheeryCherry · 28/02/2012 19:21

Will watch this... Our kitchen/utility floor is just the same, dirt gets into the grains if the vinyl...and yes, only hands and knees scrubbing works. I was eyeing up that vax cleaner too!!

Original poster
MeconiumHappens · 28/02/2012 19:26

haha yes, i also saw that ad and thought a-ha perhaps this is the answer to my problems! Floor is a nightmare, i have to scrub in circles with scrubbing brush to get the dirt out and its such hard work. Really its probably a bloody good work out which i will need after the baby arrrives but im rather lazy and we have a dog so floor gets gubby quick. I have been checking out amazon and they have a steam mop for £35 with really good ratings from people who have bought it, so maybe will ive it a whirl.

OP posts:
IceCreamCastles · 28/02/2012 19:30

No answers but you have my sympathies- we had a floor like this an left it behind happily when we moved- hours of scrubbing was not my favourite way to spend time!

PPPop · 28/02/2012 19:35

I have a steam mop and I bloody love it. Use it on a stone floor though. I googled quite a bit before I bought it so avoid my wooden floors as its not recommended. I thought laminate was not recommended either. not sure about other vinyl though.

PPPop · 28/02/2012 19:36

My brief google suggests vinyl ok

Original poster
MeconiumHappens · 28/02/2012 19:44

icecreamcastles we put the vinyl down quick as had to move in quick and had never had it before, and will never have it again!
Thanks PP am going to impulse buy the steam mop on amazon right this second Grin

OP posts:
CheeryCherry · 28/02/2012 20:33

Ooh you raver you! Let me know how you get on!!

CheeryCherry · 03/03/2012 08:35

MH.....has it arrived? Have you used it?.....waiting for your verdict! :)

PigletJohn · 03/03/2012 20:46

avoid using a polish/gleam/shine product as they tend to trap dirt in and under the shine.

Blatherskite · 03/03/2012 21:00

Ooh, a £35 steam mop sounds like just what I need if it can be used on vinyl! Has it arrived yet MH?

mercibucket · 03/03/2012 21:04

My mum swears by them - she has similar sounding vinyl

mercibucket · 03/03/2012 21:04

My mum swears by them - she has similar sounding vinyl

bessie26 · 03/03/2012 21:56

oooh - we have exactly the same thing - I can get away with mopping with my magic mop most of the time (it has a little scrubby bit on it), but still need to get down on my hands & knees please please please work!

Original poster
MeconiumHappens · 04/03/2012 18:48

it should be coming tomorrow (i missed the first delivery, balls) so will let you know how it goes, will be steaming the living daylights out of crappo vinyl tomorrow!

OP posts:
CheeryCherry · 07/03/2012 19:37

MH we are waiting with baited breath! Or are you too busy steaming to reply?

Blatherskite · 07/03/2012 19:41

Either that or she's melted the vinyl and has been searching for flooring fitters since Monday :)

PigletJohn · 07/03/2012 20:33

I have some vinyl flooring which has gone into bubbles where furniture has been pulled around on it. I wonder if the heat of a steamer would soften it enough to lie flat?

bessie26 · 07/03/2012 21:13
DaisySteiner · 08/03/2012 10:36

Also waiting eagerly....!

Blatherskite · 13/03/2012 19:36

She must have melted the vinyl and welded herself to the middle of her kitchen unable to reach the computer to call for help and warn us of the catastrophe!

It's the only explanation Grin

GBR · 18/03/2012 19:35

Is vinyl the same as lino? I have a textured lino floor that I steam, and it comes up beautifully and is left practically dry too.

PigletJohn · 18/03/2012 19:44

Lino (linoleum flooring) used to be made by heating a mixture of linseed oil and ground cork and rolling it onto a sackcloth backing, with a shiny coloured surface.

It fell out of common use round about 1970, being replaced by various plastic flooring materials, of which the most ubiqitous is now vinyl.

Lino is still made in small quantities for a specialist market, in much the same way that hand-made reproduction Chippendale furniture is still made, though not at quite the same price.

It is possible, but very unlikely, that you have lino in your house, especially if it has not been touched for 50 years or more.

DorisVinyard · 18/03/2012 20:17

A friend of mine steam cleaned her vinyl floor tiles once and they stank of fish! I think it was caused by the hot steam melting the adhesive that the tiles were stuck down with, so maybe not suitable for vinyl tiles.

GBR · 18/03/2012 20:17

You are a mine of information, pigletjohn! Some of our house is untouched all right, but I must have a vinyl floor I think as it's quite recent. Steams beautifully, anyway!

bessie26 · 18/03/2012 20:34

Thanks for the info! What steaming machine do you have GBR?