How To Remove Stains from Vinyl Flooring

Vinyl flooring is one of the stain-resistant flooring to install in your home. However, there comes a time when the dirt becomes much and the floor has no “choice” but to allow it to take a significant.

In this article, we teach you how to remove stains from vinyl flooring, both fresh and old ones.

What Ruins Vinyl Flooring?

Your vinyl floor can be stained by a wide range of “contaminants,” such as fruit juice, tomato sauce, and wine. Water damage is not left out and, in this case, it is mostly because the liquid penetrated the flooring and has started to decay from beneath the planks.

Have These in Mind before Removing Stains from Vinyl Flooring

Vinyl is one of the most popular floorings because of these reasons:

The lower maintenance.
The water-resistant capabilities, especially to different kinds of moisture.
You will appreciate vinyl flooring because of the ease of cleaning it.

1. How To Clean Vinyl Floors With

Dish Soap

You can count on liquid dishwashing soap as an effective ingredient for cleaning your vinyl flooring. Interestingly, it is one of the best and most affordable cleaners you can use. Besides, you can find the liquid dish soap available in your kitchen cabinet – helping you save more money.

Here are some good reasons for using the solution:

Liquid dishwashing soap, beyond being easy to prepare, treats tough stains on the floor.
The chemical properties make it feasible to break down the stains faster.

Follow these directions to prepare the solution:

a. Mix Dish Soap with Water

You need to make a few drops of the liquid dish soap into a bowl of water. For measurement purposes, the ratio to use is:

Ten (10) parts of water to one (1) part of liquid dish soap or;

Adding two (2) tablespoons of liquid dishwashing soap to a bucket of water.

Stir the mixture in the bucket until they lather up.

b. Wipe the Stain from the Vinyl Floor

This step involves putting the dish soap mixture on the stained part of the vinyl flooring. You will use a sponge or a clean, soft towel to transfer the mixture from the bucket to the floor.

Note: Make sure that the cloth or sponge is damp before transferring the mixture to the floor.

c. Distribute the Mixture

At this point, you will introduce a microfiber cloth – use it to gently scrub the stained area. Continue scrubbing down the area until you are satisfied that the flooring is clean.

d. Rinse the Vinyl Flooring

If you are certain that the mixture has done its job; then start the process of getting the suds out of the floor.

Use plain water to wash off the mixture from the area and ensure that none of the soapy residues are visible on the surface.

e. Dry the Floor

Grab a clean, dry cloth for mobbing the rest of the moisture out of the floor. Then, open the windows for air to dry the floor.

2. Rubbing Alcohol

Rubbing alcohol is popular for its versatility, hence, its usage for cleaning different kinds of floors, vinyl flooring inclusive.

This is how to make the most out of it:

Grab a bottle of rubbing alcohol.
Dip a clean, cloth or a soft-bristled brush into it. If you are using the cloth, it should be damp and not wet.

Gently rub the cloth or the brush on the affected part of the vinyl flooring.
Allow the alcohol to sit in the area for a while.
Then, rinse with water before drying with a clean towel.

3. Baking Soda

Baking soda is another versatile vinyl flooring cleaner. It is pretty simple to use too. That sachet or cup of baking soda in your cupboard can be helpful in the following ways:

The solution helps to lift greasy stains out of the vinyl flooring, without compromising the underlying surface.

You can count on it to tackle tougher stains, such as tomato sauce and fruit juice.
Baking soda solution easily dislodges dirt from the flooring’s surface.

To use it, here are the directions to follow:

Mix equal parts (1:1 or 50-50) parts of baking soda and water.
Stir both to form a consistent paste.

Dip a cloth into the mixture and transfer it to the stained part of the vinyl flooring.
Rub the paste over the stained area, using a circular motion.
Wipe the residue with another clean cloth and don’t hesitate to repeat the process if the initial steps didn’t work.

4. Use Vinegar and Water to Remove Stains from Vinyl Flooring

White vinegar never “misses in action” when picking the ingredients for cleaning floors. You can use it alongside water – and still get clean flooring after.

Here’s our walkthrough process:

Mix equal parts of white vinegar and water, using a cup of vinegar per gallon of water.
Dip a clean cloth into the bucket and wring out excess water to make it damp.

Rub the cloth over the stain until it is fully lifted.
Rinse the area with water and pat dry with another clean, dry cloth or towel.

5. Prepare a Homemade Vinyl Floor Cleaner

Some items readily available in your kitchen can feature in the making of homemade vinyl cleaner. Examples are white vinegar, baking soda, water, and lemon.

This is how to make the cleaning paste out of those ingredients:

a. Mix the Ingredients

This time, we wouldn’t just be using baking soda or white vinegar on a standalone basis. This is the ratio to use:

Add equal parts of water and baking soda. Turn the two to form a consistent paste.
If you think that water isn’t sufficient, consider adding an equal part of white vinegar to the mixture.
Add some lemon to the bucket and stir all to mix thoroughly.

b. Apply the Paste

To use this mixture, you have to get a clean cloth and use that to scoop some of the paste from the bucket to the affected part of the vinyl flooring.

Rub the paste into the stain; starting from the outer part to the innermost part.

c. Rinse & Dry

Clear the residues and suds of soap with clean water. Follow it up by using a sponge or a clean towel to dry the surface.

6. Use Lemon Juice for Vinyl Floor Stain-Removal

As you observed, we have used both white vinegar and baking soda in isolation – but we haven’t used lemon juice. We will do that now and here are the directions.

a. Prepare the Lemon for Juice

Extract the juice from the lemon by slicing it into two and squeezing it directly onto the stained area to bring forth the liquid to the surface.

b. Wait for the Acid to Act on the Stain

Lemon juice is recommended for removing stains from vinyl flooring, because of the citric acid content, which makes stain removal possible. The acid also tackles discoloration on the carpet, as well as leaves behind a citrus smell when done.

Once you’ve squeezed each part of the lemon on the affected area; allow it to sit on the surface for about 3 minutes.

c. Rinse the Flooring

Do away with the lemon juice by using warm water to wash the area before patting it dry with a clean cloth.

7. Treating Stubborn Stains on Vinyl Flooring

Different methods can be explored for stubborn stains. That is, the stains caused by the likes of food, tomato paste spill and wine can be tackled using different approaches.

Keep in mind that the treatment can involve using “toxic” chemicals, hence, moderation is the key to getting it right.

a. WD-40 Sprays

These are ever-reliable and can be used to tackle the stubborn stains on your vinyl floor. Here are a couple of things to have in mind:

These sprays are best used to tackle the scuff marks caused by dragging or sliding furniture along the vinyl floor.

You can also use it to get rid of scuff marks from shoes and pets.
You will find the WD-40 sprays particularly helpful in removing fresh scuff marks – without necessarily employing the use of additional cleaners or solvents.

With that being said – here is how to use the sprays:

Spray a small quantity of the WD-40 on the stained part of the vinyl flooring.
Let it sit for some minutes before distributing it with the aid of a sponge or a soft cloth. Make sure to rub over the scuff marks, using circular motions. You can keep at this until the marks are removed.

Wipe the area using a clean cloth. This handles the residues and keeps the surface cleaner.
Buff the area by getting a cloth dampened by soapy water. Continue until you no longer see the slick oily traces on the floor.

b. Use Laundry Detergent to Tackle the Tougher Stains

The detergent you kept aside the last time you laundered your clothes can be very helpful in the intensified efforts to do away with tougher stains on vinyl flooring.

This is how to use the less invasive cleaning method this presents:

Combine equal parts of the detergent with water to form a consistent paste.

Rub the paste from the outer edges of the flooring into the center. Use a clean cloth for this purpose.
Dry with a damp cloth and wipe with a clean, dry towel.

c. How to Use Oxalic Acid

This is also known as wood bleach. To use oxalic acid, follow these steps:

Dip an old rag into the acid.
Position the rag atop the stains on the vinyl flooring.

Allow the liquid to absorb on the area before using gentle scrubs to distribute further.
Wipe with a clean, dry towel until the rest of the stains fade away.

d. When to Use Bleach to Scrub Vinyl Floorings

The best time to use bleach is if you are tackling stubborn stains caused by wine spills, ink, fruit juice, and tomato juice.

Keep in mind that it could damage your floor. Therefore, following the steps we shared below will help you get the desired results, without damaging your vinyl:

Dilute the Bleach: Use two parts of water and one part of bleach to dilute. The dilution helps to reduce the harshness.

Drench a Rag with the Bleach: Dip a piece of old rag into the mixture and allow it to soak before removing.
Place the Rag on the Stain: Transfer the soaked rag from the bleach solution and place it atop the stained part of the vinyl flooring.
Rinse the Area: In an hour, the solvent must have dissolved on the area. It is then time to remove the rag from the area and prepare to rinse. Clean the surface with a damp cloth.

Dry the floor with a dry cloth or towel.

Suggestions for Removing Stains from Vinyl Flooring

The steps discussed so far will bring you closer to tackling the stains on the floor and restoring the shine. We have additional tips to guide you:

Make a Spot-Test

Do not be in a hurry to apply any of the cleaning solutions to the floor. Instead, do a spot test – applying a small quantity of the solution to an inconspicuous part of the vinyl flooring. Check whether the flooring is damaged or discolored in the process. That gives you an idea of whether the rest of the vinyl flooring would be negatively affected when you apply the rest of the cleaning solution.

Reserve the Chemicals for the Tougher Stains

If you are dealing with surface dents on the floor; it may be better to stick to white vinegar, baking soda, liquid dish soap, and or rubbing alcohol.

However, if the stains are deeper; using a chemical-based cleaner helps. Examples are:

Bleach
WD-40 sprays
Oxalic acid and;

Laundry detergent.

Introduce Doormats

Do not be like some homeowners who do not see the need to use a doormat – only relying on the stain-resistant capabilities of the vinyl flooring. Use the doormats to trap most of the mud and dirt particles that could have otherwise made their way into the home.

Wrapping Up

Stains can removed from a vinyl floor by clearing the area of dirt particles, before applying any of the mixtures discussed in this article. The professional carpet cleaner will be willing to help if you find the DIY approaches difficult to leverage.