Ever since the advent of laminate flooring, it has become a highly prioritized product in the market. It is a quite popular yet inexpensive type of flooring that many use to enhance the ambiance of their home.
However, people who do not know about the concept of laminate flooring, it is nothing but a hybrid flooring option. It consists of a wood base particleboard with a transparent layer and image layer at its top. It is extensively used to cover the flooring of one’s hall, bedrooms, dining hall, and kitchen.
How can you make the shine better?
Following are the ways by which we can make sure to increase the shine of our laminate flooring:
1. Proper dusting
Whatever cleaning methods (vacuuming/sweeping) you use, make sure you do no damage to the flooring. Wiping the floor with a microfiber cloth can reduce the chances of chipping off of the top layer. While vacuuming, ensure that your vacuum does not have a beater bar, as it may lead to the generation of dirt and grit.
2. Find the right cleaner
Make sure you find the perfect cleaner. Some cleaners consist of strong contents, which instead of making your floor shine, becomes the very reason for its discoloration. Adding a combination of half a cup of water and a half cup of vinegar in a spray bottle can also be an effective and inexpensive method to instantly add shine to the flooring.
However, make sure that no member of your house is allergic to vinegar. Also, ensure that after using the cleaner, there is no residue left. Small residues of cleaners can lead to bumps on your laminate flooring and hence, would result in its damage.
3. Spraying and cleaning in sections
Spraying the floor with an adequate amount of water section-wise can also turn out to be an effective method to add shine to your laminate flooring. This method is also highly recommended, as very little amount of water is used in it, which makes sure that the flooring won’t have enough moisture trapped inside its creaks.
4. Footwear
The main source of dust on the laminate flooring generally comes from the type of footwear that we wear. Discuss with your folks and try to implement either a type of “No footwear” policy or wear comfy home slippers that are used only within the house. You can also purchase a thick dust absorbing welcome-mat to combat the dust issue.
5. Spillage
In case someone accidentally spills a glass of water or tea on the laminate flooring, ensure that it is taken care of and cleaned immediately. Delaying the cleaning process could lead to the liquid to get absorbed within the creaks of the topmost layer of the flooring, which can cause permanent damage to the flooring.
Also, if a spillage is left unattended and is not cleaned properly, it can lead to dimming the shine of that particular section. We should always remember that most laminate floorings can be water-resistant but can’t be waterproof.
6. Use concealers
If we do not use furniture pads on top of the laminate flooring, heavy furniture can lead to denting of the flooring. To combat this issue, we can purchase a maintenance touch-up kit. This kit generally consists of filler tools like color pencils and crayons.
The appropriate use of these filler tools can help in concealing wear and tear, dents and scratches on the laminate flooring.
7. Residue removal
Residues, no matter how tiny, can be a very major factor for your laminate flooring to lose shine. Small traces of hair, threads, and other particles that get left unnoticed during cleaning can also be very off-putting to the ambiance of the room.
8. Using appropriate pest control services
Little behemoths like termites and ants can instantly lead to the destruction of your laminate floorings. These insects can also create an abode of their own inside the floor creaks, which might lead to a number of other diseases.
Make sure that you apply for proper pest control services every now and then. Also, let the pest control people know about your laminate flooring so that they do not use any type of strong chemical or pesticide, which might damage your flooring.
9. Baking Soda
Just like vinegar, adding a pinch of baking soda can work wonders on your laminate flooring. Add half a cup of water and one two-third cups of baking soda along with white vinegar and store it in a spray bottle.
Spray in sections and clean the floors with the help of a sponge. Use the sponge gently so that it does not leave streak marks on the floor. You can see the result almost instantaneously.
10. Drying time
After the cleaning process is done, make sure that the room is left unattended for at least 15-20 minutes, so that it dries up properly. Walking on damp laminate floors can leave footprints, which directly takes away its shine.
No matter how expensive/inexpensive a product is, if we do not take proper care of it, it is going to be spoiled. Hence, make sure that you adhere to all the above-mentioned do’s and don’ts and keep your laminate floor shining.
Here are some of the pros and cons of laminate flooring:
Pros
- When compared with other types of floors, it is quite easy to clean.
- Mostly, these types of floorings are scratch-resistant.
- It is quite affordable and is easily available.
Cons
- Sometimes the moisture can cause the laminate covering the base to swell up. If left untreated and unnoticed, it could result in fungal infestations, which might lead to a number of allergies and skin related diseases.
- Since moisture can be an issue, it is not recommended to go for laminate flooring for laundry rooms or washrooms.
- Though laminate flooring is scratch resistant if not maintained properly, it can lead to chipping off of the upper layer.
The concept of laminate flooring is quite an inexpensive way to make the interiors of our house look exquisite. However, many of us either do not put much effort into its maintenance or are unaware of the blunders we make during its cleaning. This leads towards making the laminate flooring a bit dull.
What ruins the look of laminate flooring?
Here are some of the common mistakes which makes the laminate flooring look dull:
Moisture
As we noted earlier, moisture can be a huge issue that might disrupt the top layer of the laminate flooring. If we use excess water, it could get trapped inside the planks through the cracks.
Hence, while cleaning the floor, make sure that you do not use much water. It is recommended that you either use a dry mop or could spray water near the dirty areas and mop that particular area with a cloth.
Inappropriate cleaners
Many individuals have a misconception or a sort of pre-conceived notion that the more the amount of solution they use, the cleaner their floor gets. Not only is this school of thought entirely wrong, but it also is one of the major reasons why their floors start losing shine.
All we need to know are the ‘contents’ and ‘method of usage’ of the cleaners. Generally, the most attractive looking cleaners turn out to be the very reason for the early discoloration of your laminate flooring. Do proper and adequate research on cleaners and then proceed to purchase it.
Improper sweeping/vacuuming methods
Laminate floorings need to be kept clean from time to time as it acquires dust quite easily. Many times, improper sweeping/vacuuming habits can lead to dullness or chipping off of the laminate floors.
If you use a vacuum, make sure that the brush roll is switched off, as it may lead to chipping off of the topmost layer. On the other hand, for sweeping, we should try to use a microfiber dust mop instead of bristle brooms.
Type of mop
Since we have established the fact that moisture is one of the biggest reasons to ruin your laminate flooring, we need to be aware of the type of mop that we use. We should choose the mop according to the type of cloth. The mop cloth should be able to absorb most of the moisture and should not be sopping wet while cleaning the floor.
Furniture
While a sleek set of furniture could really compliment the flooring, it could also be one of the reasons for the destruction of the material. Heavy furniture could cause a sort of a dent or wear and tear on the laminate flooring. To combat this issue, we can use furniture pads which are placed at the bottom of the legs of the furniture, which protects the floor.
Sunlight
Usually, people open their windows and withdraw the curtains in the morning to soak in some of that Vitamin D. However, if this is done on a regular basis, it might eventually lead to the fading of the exposed section of the laminate flooring. It is highly recommended to use thick curtains or blinds to save the flooring from excess sunlight.
The post Make Your Laminate Floors Shine: A Complete Step-by-Step Guide appeared first on Crafty Club.
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