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Housekeeping

Find cleaning advice from other Mumsnetters on our Housekeeping forum.

How to keep laminate floors dust free!

21 replies

Sammie101 · 06/02/2014 20:48

Completely boring topic but I am being driven crazy by laminate floors!

How do you keep them nice and clean and dust free?

Everytime I go round to my friends house I always admire her mums perfectly pristine laminate floors (and very lovely, neat living room!) Why can my livingroom floor never look like that?!

There is a lot of clutter and furniture in our livingroom so it always looks messy but the corners of the room are always full of big chunks of dust that appear which makes it look even worse! We don't have a Hoover with a pipe so if I want to get into the corners I have to sweep it all and never get it all in the dustpan. And then the next day there is more dust that likes to gather by all the wires and it drives me crazy!

How do people have such lovely dust free floors?! Do they clean them every day? I am not a domestic goddess and I cannot handle cleaning :(

OP posts:
mineofuselessinformation · 06/02/2014 20:52

Invest in one of those big flat floor mops like cleaners use, with a microfibre cover on it. I got mine years ago from a discount warehouse but I think Lakeland do them.

badasahatter · 06/02/2014 20:52

I am interested in this too. Mine are a nightmare! Dustbunnies abound! Especially in the bedroom. Makes you realise how manky carpets are.

Mrswellyboot · 06/02/2014 20:55

I clean mine with a flat mop and lavender laminate spray. I have tiles (thank god) mostly downstairs but I know what you mean. I have to ft mop them everyday. It only takes a minute though.

Sammie101 · 06/02/2014 20:57

Ooh I have a vileda spray mop, is that the same type of thing? I normally use it after I've swept but admittedly not very often at all!

Badasahatter I know, but strangely I'd much rather have a carpet, at least then I can Hoover it, sweeping and mopping is such a faff Hmm

OP posts:
Sammie101 · 06/02/2014 21:00

Ugh, I know I should do them everyday, I'm just far too lazy!

Do people move all the furniture around and do under that as well? Looking underneath the settees is a bit frightening for me because all you can see is dust!

OP posts:
Lagoonablue · 06/02/2014 21:02

Buy a dust buster

LyndaCartersBigPants · 06/02/2014 21:55

Mine too, and my floor is dark so it shows dust and crumbs even more than a mid tone laminate would Hmm

My friend recently bought a steam mop. You still have to Hoover first but it's much quicker than conventional mopping and dries more quickly too, so easier to do when DCs are around (my usual excuse for not doing it!)

LEMmingaround · 06/02/2014 21:57

Arent you worried a steammop would cause the laminate to separate

gamerchick · 06/02/2014 22:00

Hoover with a pipe. It's the only way to get those dust bunnies without having to move stuff every day.

Or a pack of baby wipes might do it.

LyndaCartersBigPants · 06/02/2014 22:36

LEM you mustn't leave it in the same place for any length of time, a bit like ironing. It dries so quickly that it's probably better than mopping, which slops water into the joints and leaves water laying around for several minutes while it dries.

When you mop, once the water in the bucket cools a bit, it doesn't evaporate as quickly whereas the steam picks up the dirt and then it's gone straight away.

anapitt · 06/02/2014 22:40

HENRY!!

RebeccaJames · 07/02/2014 03:39

I Hoover mine every day to prevent those bunnies creeping out from under furniture... But then I only have hard floors downstairs. I do under the sofas too as if you don't you will see the dust bunnies emerge from under them as people walk past. I wipe the floors a couple of times a week.

I don't get the steam cleaning as a labour saver though, as I still have to give them a quick wipe afterwards. Just like knowing hey are properly clean and deodorised.

Sorry, OP, but if you want those pristine floors it's pretty much a daily task. But doesn't take long.

GoodnessIsThatTheTime · 07/02/2014 06:28

We've massively decluttered and that seems to have helped (less dust production? I don't really know what causes it).

We were ruthless and halved the toys/books/puzzles etc. Room is much neater and easier to clean...

Sammie101 · 07/02/2014 06:55

Ugh, I definitely need to declutter, my flat has no storage space for the Hoover, ironing board or ironing pile so it's like Tetris trying to fit it all in!

I do like the DustBuster idea, might have to invest in one Smile

OP posts:
RudyMentary · 07/02/2014 07:07

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Anatana · 07/02/2014 07:14

Decluttering definitely helps, and flat mopping or steam mopping. Also if you have electronic cables, get them into some kind of enclosed cable management system, and get an ioniser. It's the static that attracts the dust (you can buy special machines to disperse static but that is probably overkill - tidy up first!)

I do have one friend who has gleaming gleaming dust free floors, but she polishes her skirting board with Pledge and those anti static cloths. Life is too short, imo.

LyndaCartersBigPants · 07/02/2014 13:04

RoboMOP?! Wow, I was tempted but the idea of a Roomba, but a mopping one sounds even better.

LyndaCartersBigPants · 07/02/2014 13:05

*by the idea of a Roomba

delasi · 07/02/2014 13:06

Ecloth mop with the duster head. It has a huge surface area and all the little bits of dust and hair cling to it. Shake off into the bin and wash in the machine when grimey. I bought it specifically for this purpose and it is amazing.

I also have a basic dustbuster which is really good, but it's mainly for getting crumbs out of the highchair/cot/sofa (DS trails toast...). I would recommend the Ecloth mop over the dustbuster, we use it several times a day and it's very light and easy to move. It also goes really flat so you can easily get under sofas and the like. Any larger crumbs will be swept into a pile like a regular broom, only better.

It also has a cleaning head, I squirt the floor with a bit of cleaner then mop. I do this in sections and it takes me just a couple of minutes to do the whole living room as it's very effective and it also dries straight away. It massively appeals to my laziness.

canutesauntie · 08/02/2014 00:41

The dog sheds like nobodies business so I share your pain. I Hoover daily(ish) and every couple of days mop with a damp microfibre mop. I've recently bought a Dyson cordless - animal 35 - which is less faff than the vacuum cleaner and is very good on the hard floors. Alternatively do not look at the floor when the sun is out - low winter sun shows every speck Grin

Lagoonablue · 08/02/2014 08:45

Yes I love my DustBuster. Am saving for the. Dyson version. After every meal or once a day or whatever, sweep the floor, get all the dust balls in one place then suck them up! Also chase the little fluff balls into the corner with it.

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