What Can Be Done to Bring Back the Sheen on Laminate Floors?

What Won’t Work

• When you had your laminate floors installed, you probably were told never to use household cleaners on the floors and instead to use just water. This is because many cleaners actually can harm the laminate coating on the floors. Of course, using just water is how you ended up with dull floors. You can’t continue to use just water and expect to get the sheen back. Soap-based cleaners and polish cleaners will just end up attracting more layers of dirt on the floor. They could even damage the floor.

Layers of Grime

• To remove the layers of grime left from cleaning with water, you need to use a special laminate cleaner. You can get such a solution from a local laminate floor shop. Other specialty products that you can find at most retailers include special gentle laminate cleanser and a sweeper mop with laminate cleaning solution. Such products are designed for use on laminate floors, which means you can clean the grime without damaging the floors. Depending on how many layers of dirt you have built up on the floor, it might take a little elbow grease to get the grime off the floors. Follow the manufacturer's instructions on any cleaning solution you buy.

Natural Cleaning Products

• If you are trying to be frugal or just prefer to use natural cleaning products in your home, you do not need a special laminate cleaning solution to bring back the shine. You can mix equal parts hot water and vinegar to make your own cleaning solution. Use this solution with a mop or rag to get the dirt and grime off the floors and make them shine. For areas with a lot of buildup, you need to do a little scrubbing to remove the residue or you will not see any shine when you are done.

Precautions

• If you are trying a cleaning solution for the first time, it is advisable to test it on a small area of the floor first. This will let you know if it is safe to use on the rest of the floor. If you are using water or a very wet cleaning solution, you also need a towel or dry cloth. Use this to dry the floor so that moisture does not get into the cracks and damage the floor. Drying with a cloth can also give extra shine, just as when you wax or wash a car and dry it with a cloth.