Anyone know to restore/clean a rubber floor?

[ahagwearsapointybonnet]

Wasn't sure whether to put this here or in DIY but here goes!

We have a section of shiny coloured rubber floor tiles in our house, the sort with raised circles like you more often get in schools or leisure centres, but only a small area (utility & toilet). However when we moved in, it already had a lot of grimy-looking build-up, especially round the walls and around the edges of the studs - I suspect it's at least partly limescale, but cleaning with normal floor cleaners doesn't seem to improve it at all, so it looks mucky all the time.

I contacted the manufacturers, but they have recommended buying a load of different products to strip/reseal it and then for the ongoing cleaning, but as these are meant more for commercial use (ideally with a floor-cleaning machine), they only come in massive bottles and would cost over £100! (And I'd still need to do all the work by hand after spending that).

So I was wondering if anyone knows of a good alternative or has found their own way to get them looking clean again? I wondered about trying vinegar to get rid of the limescale (if that's what it is), but wasn't sure if that would be too acidic as you are meant to avoid harsh cleaners. Thank you!

You need to use a neutral pH cleaner - degreasers or products with a high acid or alkaline base will damage the floor. Something like this:
www.amazon.co.uk/Jangro-Neutral-Floor-Cleaner-1x5ltr/dp/B00I3ERNZK?tag=mumsnetforu03-21

We once lived in a house with a similar problem - we removed most of the built up dirt with a solution of warm water and Fairy liquid. You have to be careful not to put too much water on the floor though as that can damage it too. Use a soft bristled brush to apply the solution and agitate the dirt without damaging the floor. Avoid scourer type sponges - they tend to be too abrasive. Rinse/wipe the floor afterwards to remove any residue of the solution. Then mop with the pH neutral cleaner, again rinsing/wiping afterwards to remove any residue. It's time-consuming (and a bit of a faff!) but does work. Good luck.

Thanks MsMama, I'll give that a try! Got some old nail brushes that would probably be good (if a bit smaller than ideal) as they have reasonably soft bristles. If it means I can save on all the fancy liquids that'll be great!

If it’s a small area I would rip it up and replace. I love rubber dot flooring and it’s cheap and easy to install and probably cheaper than those professional cleaning products

We used the official products and stripped and reseated. Looked amazing! It meant having the giant bottles but we could do it annually.

Ooh more options! OK, new plan of attack then - I will have a go first with Fairy etc and see how the results are (maybe try on a small section first, to save time if it turns out not to shift all the crud).

Then if that doesn't work I might look into the cost of replacing vs. buying the fancy products - though probably more likely to get the products I think, as based on my initial quick look it seems likely that replacing would cost more, and also, then I might still need the same products eventually to maintain the new floor! (Also, I would need to find a similar coloured floor, as it matches some of the other decor which would be hard to change). The current tiles are mostly still in good condition apart from the build-up, barring a couple of tiny damaged spots which aren't really noticeable.

Thanks for all the suggestions!