Laminate flooring is one of the best floorings you can easily install and manage. However, when the shine begins to wear off and you are faced with the task of restoring it, the options can be further thinned down.
This article is a guide on how to shine dull laminate floors; restoring the lost shine and with inexpensive and natural remedies.
Can You Make Laminate Floors Shine?
No doubt that once the flooring begins to wear out, your pessimism begins to turn to doubt. You question the possibility of having that shiny surface that has been a beauty to behold for some time now.
So yes, you can get rid of the dust and debris buildup that have made the flooring dull. When you are ready, using the right products and following through a routine maintenance process helps to restore the shine to the floor.
What Can Make Laminate Floors Shine?
Now, let’s get to the “meaty part” of this guide, where we show you just how to make your dull, hazed, or faded laminate floor shine brighter than the stars.
1. Vacuum the Floor
This is the first step and one thing some homeowners overlook is that the flooring gets dull not just because of dust, but also because of debris particles. When you let these stay on the surface for a long time, it doesn’t take a lot of time before the floor begins to wear out.
To sweep the floor, do these:
- Remove any obstacles, including furniture. This leaves the flooring bare; providing a “bird’s eye view” to seeing every corner at a glance.
- If you’re not comfortable with using a broom, get a hard floor attachment to remove the debris, without causing scratches.
- Sweep the laminate planks thoroughly to get rid of the particles that may have lined up along the lines.
- The sweeping should be in the direction the flooring is laid. This allows for most of the debris particles to be caught in between the interlocking pieces.
- Use a vacuum cleaner to get the bulk of the particles out of the surface.
2. Prepare the Cleaning Solution
Since we are talking about how to clean and make laminate flooring shine naturally; we highly recommend using a homemade remedy. The white vinegar and water in your home can go a long way to make this work.
To prepare the solution, you need the following:
- Half a cup of rubbing alcohol
- ½ cup of white vinegar and;
- Half a cup of warm water.
- A spray bottle
Pour and mix those ingredients in the spray bottle. Shake the bottle thoroughly to mix the solutions. Allow the ingredients to settle for a few minutes before applying.
3. Apply the mixture to the Laminate Flooring
Before applying the mixture, here are a couple of things worth noting:
- Dividing the floor into smaller sections helps to concentrate the mixture’s application in one place at a time.
- You need to spritz the solution to a discreet or inconspicuous part of the floor to test the reaction before using it wholly.
Here is the guide to applying the DIY solution to your laminate flooring:
- After patch testing on a smaller area and validating that the solution doesn’t change the floor’s original outlook; proceed to use it on the larger areas.
- While at it, concentrate on smaller sections at a time. This way, the solution doesn’t stay for a long time on the surface and neither soaks into the flooring.
4. Wipe the Solution off the Floor
Do not allow the solution to sit on the flooring for a long time. Once it has soaked into the planks and had the filth removed, start the process of getting it out:
- Use a microfiber cloth to wipe the floor in a circular motion. If you choose to use a cloth, for hand-cleaning purposes, it must not be high in lint, as that causes streaks when you are done cleaning. Also, do not use string mops, sponges, or steam mops, as they overly saturate the floor and leave streaks behind.
- Continually wipe until you’ve absorbed most of the moisture from the flooring.
5. It’s Time to Use a Laminate Floor Polish
Sometimes, wiping the cleaning solution off the floor doesn’t cut it. In such cases, getting an “extra hand” in the form of a laminate floor polish helps.
The benefits include leaving the flooring shinier and preventing wheezing, in the course of cleaning.
Here’s how to use the best laminate floor polish:
- Use a soft rag to apply a thin layer of the polish to the floor.
- Using a circular motion, spread the polish across the length and breadth of the floor.
- After the polish has formed a layer; allow it to sit on the floor for some minutes. With time, it will completely dry off.
6. Allow the Flooring to Dry
There are some suggestions for buffing to take place as soon as the floor has been wiped with a polish. But we will suggest leaving it to dry. Ideally, leave it to air dry for a few hours – assuming you cleaned during the day. If you cleaned in the evening, allow the floor to air dry over the night.
Here are precautionary measures to follow:
- Keep away any object, pet, or kid from the floor within the period it is air drying.
- Avoid walking on the surface within this time too.
7. Buff the Floor
In the morning, assuming you let the floor air dry overnight, start the process of buffing it. Here is how to go about it:
- Clean the surface with a clean, microfiber cloth, which absorbs the liquid.
- Inspect to see if there are still some areas yet to be dried. Go over the area again with the cloth until it is completely buffed.
Read: How To Clean Laminate Floors That Are Not Waterproof
Other Ways to Restore Faded Laminate Floor
Although the vacuuming, cleaning solution application, and buffing work; some extra measures wouldn’t hurt. If you succeeded with those methods, then, keeping the maintenance techniques detailed below is a sure way to repair faded laminate flooring.
a. Implement a No-Shoe Policy
Dull laminate flooring happens when the floor has been exposed to a wide range of discoloring agents, such as dust and debris particles. What could be a better way to stop that to some extent than using the “no-shoe” policy?
You see, the moment you step into the house with a shoe, you are not only bringing dust particles inside – you are also scratching the floor while walking on it. But when the shoes are left outside, all that wouldn’t happen.
If the shoes must be anywhere close to the floor, then doing the following helps:
- Position a footwear organizer close to the entrance. That way, family members and guests get to leave their shoes at the door and walk barefoot into the house.
- You can also provide an indoor slipper or any suitable footwear to be worn while in the house.
b. Wipe Spills Immediately
Never allow spills, be it from water or food, to sit on the laminate flooring for long. The rule of thumb is to handle such immediately – lifting the food from the floor and wiping it with a clean cloth or mopping the floor with a clean cloth, in the case of liquid spills.
c. Do not Wet-Clean Laminate Floors
It is not advised to clean laminate flooring with the wet-cleaning method, which introduces more liquid presence. For context, the more liquid is left on the surface, the higher the chances of the following happening:
- Wet flooring boards are susceptible to warping and swelling.
- The glue holding the laminate flooring, upon being wetted by the liquid, will come off.
The wet-cleaning methods to avoid include using:
- Spray mops
- Steam mops and;
- Dipping a clean cloth into a bucket of soapy water.
d. Be Choosy with the Cleaning Tools
Not all cleaning tools are ideal for use with laminate floorings. For example, you shouldn’t use the following, as they open up the floor to dents and scratches:
- Scrubbing pads
- Steel wools
- Scrubbing sponges
e. Regular Cleaning is Recommended
How many times is ideal for cleaning laminate flooring in a week? It all boils down to the usage. If you have a busy household, it also implies high traffic – the movement of you, your kids, and every other member of your household to and from the floor. A frequent cleaning, say, thrice a week works.
However, if you use the area less, then cleaning once or twice a week is okay.
f. Introduce Floor Mats at the Entrances
In addition to providing a shoe organizer/rack; introducing floor mats also helps to keep off dust particles. Position these at the entrance to the house and see them catching:
- Moisture
- Dirt and;
- Dust particles
g. Avoid Wax – and Polish
When the topic of how to repair faded laminate flooring comes up, one of the recommendations is to use either floor polish or wax. While those may have been claimed effective, they are not entirely the best options.
Here’s why:
- Wax only creates the problem of making the laminate flooring stickier – opening it up to dirt particles.
- Polishing the floor alters the original shine and with time, dulls it.
Note: If you must use floor polish, then it has to be one dedicated to laminate flooring. Also, only purchase from reputed brands.
h. Install the Flooring Indoors
Due to their versatility, laminate floors can be used anywhere in the home – both indoors and outdoors. But you are better off using it inside, especially if you are particular about retaining the shine for a long time.
Leaving it outdoors, especially where it is directly exposed to the elements, only aggravates the chances of dulling due to constant rays from the sun.
i. Install Furniture Pads
Shoes, bristled brushes/cleaning tools and abrasives do damage to the laminate floor, as much as the pieces of furniture do. If you are in the habit of moving or rearranging the furniture in your house; installing furniture pads will help retain the shine in the floor. Here’s why:
- With the protective pads at the bottom of the furniture, you can easily keep away the floor from having direct contact with the rough edges.
- The anti-slipper or felt pads are the best for this purpose.
Tips: If you must change the location of or move the furniture, then, lifting them instead of dragging along the flooring is advised.
FAQs
1. Will Rubbing Alcohol Damage Laminate Flooring?
A mixture of rubbing alcohol, white vinegar, and warm water helps to make the laminate floor shine again. On a standalone basis, the alcohol is effective for getting rid of stains on the floor.
2. Can I Use Laminate Floor Polish Spray?
This type of polish spray is not only easy to apply but also helps to restore the shine to the floor. You must only shop from reputable hardware stores and go for reputable brands.
3. Which is Better, Cold or Warm Water?
It is better to use warm water for cleaning laminate floorings because cold water tends to leave streaks behind.
4. What Causes Haze on Laminate Floors?
The major causes of haze on laminate floorings are a wrong choice of cleaners (such as oil-based cleaners and soapy water), and an inappropriate mixture of the cleaning solutions.
5. How to Remove Haze from Laminate Floors?
The best way to tackle haze on laminate floorings is by using a mixture of 50/50 white vinegar and warm water.
6. Why Does Laminate Flooring Look Dull?
The shine in the flooring begins to wear out when using a roller brush, or overly using a cleaning solution, which causes buildup and exposes the floor to direct sunlight.
7. How to Extend the Lifespan of Laminate Flooring?
Your laminate floor can serve for many years if you clean it regularly, clean the spills immediately, install a rubber pad at the bottom of furniture, and use a touch-up kit, such as pencils to conceal damages caused by streaks and dents.
Final Thoughts on How to Make Laminate Floors Shine Naturally
By using the cleaning products in your home – or the ones readily available in hardware stores, you’d be able to restore the shine in your laminate floor. We hope that you got valuable tips from this guide and look forward to your implementing them.