Vinyl flooring has become very popular over the last couple of years, especially in areas where traditional wood floors cannot be installed due to certain environmental conditions or concerns regarding moisture damage.
But to keep your vinyl floors looking great and lasting, you need to maintain them properly. Steam cleaning is an effective way to clean most of the hard floor surfaces. But is it safe for vinyl floors?
It is questionable whether steam mops are appropriate for use on vinyl floors because the heat from a steam mop can cause damage to the vinyl surface. In this article, we will explore both sides of that question. We will also discuss how to care for your vinyl floors, so they stay beautiful and healthy throughout their life.
Best ways to clean vinyl plank flooring
1. Use doormats to keep abrasive materials out of the house.
Doormats are always very important in preventing dirt and water from reaching the floor when anyone gets into the house. Doormats prevent the story from having scratches. When choosing a doormat, just make sure it is not small, choose a full size that is absorbent and easy to clean
2. Sweep or vacuum the floor.
Before using a vacuum cleaner, clean the house first. This helps to get the dirt that might remain from the air as you continue with the vacuum process and also make sure that you clean and finish every corner of the house. If the edges are unreachable, then you can sweep the places.
3. Clean the spill immediately.
If there is any spill on the vinyl floor, then clean it immediately because this can damage your story quickly. Spills happen.
4. Clean using a mild cleanser.
As we know, vinegar consists of acid, so it’s preferred in cleaning vinyl flooring since it removes fixed stains and loose dirt. And this makes it safe for the floors.
5. Use the right commercial cleanser.
The right commercial cleaner will make the vinyl flooring extend its durability. For ease of use, one should be able to identify if the carpet is waxed or not; this is because a waxed cleanser is only allowed on waxed flooring.
6. Use a sheet of plywood to prevent scrapes.
When moving the furniture, use a sheet of plywood or a piece of wood to prevent scrapes when you don’t use the cloth, then when pushing the furniture, it will damage the vinyl flooring.
7. Use felt tips to avoid scratches
Use felt tips to avoid scratches on the surface, and scuff some chairs slide when someone sits on them as an example like plastic chairs and other products. And this can cause scratches on the vinyl floor, so to avoid this, use felt tips underneath furniture.
8. Always vacuum or dry mop the floor.
Firstly, one should understand the difference between dry mopping and vacuum cleaning. Dry mopping is whereby you use a mop without water to remove loose dirt. How can one do this in good order then one is advised to dry mop and then wet mop to remove fixed dirt. When choosing a mop, just make sure it does not cause scratches to the vinyl floor. The nonabrasive mops are the ones recommended to be used while cleaning the vinyl flooring.
Can Vinyl Plank Flooring be Cleaned With a Steam Mop?
The steam mop is not only allowed on Vinyl flooring but also laminate flooring. As we know the PVC in it is waterproof, steam can manage to enter through the groove and destroy it. Instead of cleaning the vinyl plank flooring using a steam mop, a microfiber is allowed instead.
Steam Mops Damage Luxury Vinyl Planks
Before you start to clean using a steam mop, one should understand how the vinyl floor was made. Steam cleaning always comes with a lot of advantages; it is fast to clean, and also, the vapor it produces kills germs quickly. The luxury vinyl planks are synthetic fibers, and they are made of plastic. It has some great features like waterproof and heat-resistant. The problem with this type of flooring with planks is that when water is left on the floor for a long time, it starts to produce a smell. Such as the Armstrong Luxury Vinyl Plank floor may damage due to use of steam mop.
Precautions for Steam Cleaning Vinyl Floors
The producers of steam cleaners such as Shark recommend using steam to clean vinyl flooring; this is because the shark one is made by tailors and can be used for this type of flooring. When the shark steam is handled nicely, it can prevent the floor from damaging compared to hot steam cleaning.
How to steam clean vinyl flooring
1.Steam at half-power
If you have to use vapor, then choose the one that comes with a different setting that can give you an easy time to control its example, the one that you can reduce heat. When using it to clean a vinyl plank, structure it to half because this helps to prevent the planks from bending, and also the floor will last long.
2. Steam with a light steam setting
It is advisable to use light steam because it’s the temperature that does well on the vinyl floor. This is because when it is set to scrub mode, it destroys the vinyl planks.
3. Use a microfiber cloth or mop
A microfiber cloth is used to prevent direct contact between the steam and the vinyl plank flooring. And this is done by placing the fabric on the head of the mop. This makes it easy when cleaning the house.
Conclusion
With the above precautions, still, not advise someone to use steam to clean the vinyl floor. There are many disadvantages when using steam with the above example, one can choose the best ways to clean their vinyl flooring; for instance, use a vacuum cleaner, use a microfiber cloth while cleaning. And this will help your floor to last long, look attractive and also will not get damaged.
Hope you have now clear idea of why can’t you use a steam mop on vinyl flooring. Happy cleaning and be aware of unwanted dust, dirt, and harmful bacteria/viruses.
