How to Eliminate Smears When Cleaning Pergo Floors

Sweep or vacuum the Pergo floor before cleaning it. Then, use a damp rag to scrub away areas with caked-on dirt, debris or food before cleaning the entire floor.

Use cleaning products recommended by the manufacturer. A damp rag or mop works well for everyday cleaning. For a more thorough cleaning, use Pergo's floor cleaner or make your own cleaner. According to the Pergo website, you can clean its floors with 1 gallon of warm water mixed with either 1 cup of vinegar or 1/3 cup of household ammonia.

Moisten a rag or mop with the water or cleaning mixture. Clean the floor in the direction of the grain so any smearing is less obvious. Rinse the rag or mop often in the water or cleaning mixture to avoid smearing dirt from one area to another. The rag or mop should be damp, not sopping wet. It's more likely to smear if you apply too much liquid to the floor.

Dry one section of the floor with a rag or dry mop before moving to another section. Again, wipe in the direction of the grain. Drying the floor manually before it air-dries reduces the likelihood of smearing.