Cleaning laminate flooring

[MrsDThomas]

I have laminate through the house. Its good quality and its 10 yrs old. But its dull.

i sweep/vacuum and spray mop it. But it needs a good clean.i don’t mind going down on my knees to clean!

can anyone recommend anything? I might need to get rid of residue.

[Purplerain1144]

I have always used boiling water from kettle with flash floor cleaner. No residue and cleans it really well. Do this once or twice a week (no pets). I would never use a spray mop for a proper clean as it just pushes dirt around!

[Anotherselfemployedcleaner]

@MrsDThomas Firstly, which cleaning agent have you been using on it - something that specifically mentions laminate flooring or a basic multi purpose (eg. says ‘hard floors and surfaces’, but doesn’t mention laminate)?

[MrsDThomas]

Not something specific for it. Ive done wrong big time! For years!

[Anotherselfemployedcleaner]

Some laminate floors are absolutely fine with basic multi purpose, others not (especially if you’re using a bit too much in relation to the water, which is easy to do if you don’t measure it - one I have is just 1 capful/30ml to 5 litres of water)!

White vinegar and warm water can work wonders if a film of residue has built up BUT test somewhere inconspicuous first! You only need to mix a bit up in a jug, say 50ml white vinegar/150ml warm water, then apply with a well-squeezed cloth/sponge. No need to rinse, but repeat until the patch is completely clean. If the shine doesn’t return, it might be that the top layer has worn away?

I use a separate spray bottle and microfibre pad system (as a cleaner, it’s easier this way as I might have 3 different hard floor types in a single house, so changing the bottle would take more time) - as long as the floor isn’t being over-wetted (think grip not slip), and the pads being changed regularly, I don’t find this just moves the dirt around? It’s hard to wring a traditional mop out enough to make it safe for laminate floors, and manufactures recommend pads and spray anyway. On a really dirty floor, I’d spray, mop, allow to dry (which takes no time), change the pad and repeat. Never had a problem this way, and I do a wipe test with piece of kitchen roll to check all is clean.

Stardrops laminate wood floor cleaner is a good budget choice - 99p for 1 litre, also works well on vinyl.