Before you tackle caring for your new laminate flooring, it’s important to understand laminate flooring's elements.
Some of today’s newer laminate flooring includes waterproof finishes, but most do not, so your care and maintenance routine should follow the manufacturer’s guidelines. For example, Shaw laminate flooring includes wood, so you should never use excessive moisture or a non-approved cleaning solution while caring for their laminate flooring.
- Regular care and maintenance of your laminate flooring should include sweeping, dry mopping, or vacuuming with a hard surface flooring attachment.
- Blot and dry any liquid spills as quickly as possible to avoid warping. Most common household messes like spills and soil should wipe or sweep away clean.
- Use doormats at the entry to the room to capture any dirt, sand, or grime that could be tracked onto your flooring.
- Use wide dollies whenever you need to move furniture across the floor.
- Protect your flooring from dents or marks by placing heavy appliances on mats.
- Add an area rug or two for stylish protection of your laminate flooring.
For difficult stains and messes like candle wax and chewing gum, or oil-based stains like lipstick and olive oil, consult with the manufacturer’s guidelines for cleaning tough stains and messes.
Many of these tougher stains have simple solutions like using nail polish remover or freezing with ice before gently scraping away with a plastic scraper. For specific guidelines, visit Shaw’s laminate flooring cleaning suggestions.
Deep cleaning of your laminate floor shouldn't need to happen too frequently, but when you want to give your floor extra attention, we recommend you use a manufacturer-approved hard surface cleaner.
Looking for more information about the upkeep of your laminate flooring? Bookmark this list of additional care and maintenance tips and stain removal resources to help keep your floors looking beautiful.
