How to clean wood and laminate flooring

Wooden and laminate flooring not only look great, it’s also incredibly practical and long-lasting if looked after properly. Here are some tips to keep your floors squeaky clean.

Wood flooring

Sweep floors regularly, you can use a vacuum with a brush setting although a dry dust mop could do the trick just as well.

Clean the floors with a damp mop, using a cleaning solution specifically for use on wood. Do not allow water to saturate the floor as this can cause damage – mop in the direction of the grain of the wood.

Wet-clean waxed floorboards sparingly, and use wax polish to improve the veneer. If you get a build-up of dirty wax then remove surplus with white spirit and re-wax.

Tip: rub scuff marks from wooden floors with a pencil eraser.

Laminate flooring

Laminate should be swept with a dry dust mop or hoovered regularly. Whilst laminate flooring is fairly scratch-resistant, excess dirt, hair and debris can cause damage if allowed to build up. Sweep in the direction the flooring is laid to ensure you pick up any debris that’s fallen between the grooves.

Never soak the floor with water – whilst laminate is water resistant, it’s not water proof and can stain or damage the protective wear layer of the laminate. The flooring can be cleaned with a damp cloth with a mild household cleaner, however if the stain is ink or permanent marker then use acetone.

It’s not advisable to use scouring pads to remove stains on the laminate flooring as this will scratch the surface, try to remove any liquid stains as quickly as possible.

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