Maintenance 101: How to Clean and Care for LVT Flooring
Keeping your home clean and tidy helps to keep an aesthetically pleasing environment and a clear mind frame. However, not everyone has the time or ability to carry out a rigorous cleaning routine every week.
Luxury vinyl tile is a favourite flooring choice amongst busy homeowners. Thanks to its easy maintenance properties, high-end look and quick installation, LVT is often fitted in many homes throughout the UK.
With LVT flooring, you can rest assured knowing you won’t have to be on your hands and knees scrubbing the material every day to achieve a pristine look. Instead, LVT is known for being easy to clean and maintain.
After being installed, keeping your LVT flooring clean ensures its luxury appearance is maintained as well as its longevity. Cleaning LVT doesn’t require any fuss or hard work. The more you keep on top of caring for your luxury vinyl flooring, the easier it will be to keep clean.
Table of Contents
Luxury vinyl tile care and maintenance tips
Can you steam clean LVT flooring?
How to remove stains from LVT flooring
Can you use bleach on LVT flooring?
Can you get scratches out of LVT flooring?
How to get paint off LVT flooring
How to make my LVT floor shine
How to clean LVT flooring
One of the key benefits of LVT flooring is how easy it is to keep clean. The easiest way to keep luxury vinyl tile flooring clean is to sweep the surface with a soft-bristled brush frequently. Doing this helps keep the flooring free of dirt and debris. Alongside regular sweeping, we recommend deep cleaning your LVT at least once a month.
Our flooring experts are here to help you keep your flooring clean with these LVT flooring maintenance tips and tricks. Here’s a quick LVT care guide to follow:
- Sweep or vacuum your LVT flooring every other day.
- Use a lightly damp microfibre cloth or mop to go over the floor once a week.
- Use a cleaning solution specifically made for LVT flooring for a deeper cleaning once a month.
- Place a mat or rug in high-traffic areas to help protect the floor, especially where muddy shoes may walk.
- Avoid dragging heavy furniture on LVT flooring to reduce the risk of scratches.
Luxury vinyl tile care and maintenance tips
The best way to maintain your LVT is to care for it from the moment it is fitted. As soon as the luxury vinyl tile is installed, it can be walked on, meaning loose dirt will end up sitting on the floor’s surface. To keep your LVT in tip-top condition, read through some FAQs our flooring specialists have answered.
Can you steam clean LVT flooring?
Although known for being durable and hardwearing, you should not steam clean your LVT flooring as it may cause detrimental damage. The protective top layer of LVT flooring helps to prevent dirt and stains from ruining its overall aesthetic. However, the steam’s heat and moisture can penetrate the various layers, causing irreparable damage throughout the material.
Using a steam mop on your LVT can increase the chances of warping and discolouring. That’s why our experts will tell homeowners to avoid steam cleaning their LVT if they want to keep it in a high-quality condition for longer.
Can you mop LVT flooring?
The key to mopping LVT flooring is not using excessive water. After dipping your mop in water, you must wring it out so the mop head is slightly damp rather than soaking wet.
After sweeping the floor, first mop in the farthest corner of the room to avoid walking over the wettened surface. Throughout the process, you should repeatedly soak and wring the mop to prevent moving dirt and grime from one place to another.
If you accidentally spill water from the bucket or have too much water in the mop head, mop up the excess water where needed to prevent the floor from becoming oversaturated. When too much water is used to frequently clean LVT flooring, it may become buckled and lose its colour.
When using a spray mop to clean LVT flooring, ensure a suitable floor cleaner is diluted to the manufacturer’s guidelines. A spray mop can be used on LVT like any other flooring type; simply use the mop to spray the cleaning solution on the floor and push and pull the mop in a back-and-forth motion.
How to remove stains from LVT flooring
LVT is naturally resistant to most common flooring stains as long as spillages are cleaned quickly. Some typical household stains, such as spilt wine or coffee, may collect on the flooring’s surface and stain if not cleaned properly. However, if cleaned immediately, most spillages will not become stains. For those instances where you don’t get to the spillage quickly enough, here are some tips:
- Start with a small amount of regular washing-up liquid and warm water, and use a soft, damp cloth to rub the stained area.
- Use water to rinse the area and repeat the above step if needed.
- If washing up liquid doesn’t work, try using lemons instead. Cut one in half and squeeze some juice onto the stain before lightly rubbing it in.
- Leave the lemon juice to sit for a couple of minutes before rinsing.
- If you have baking soda, make a paste by combining a small amount of powder with water.
- Apply the paste to the affected area by rubbing it in with small circular motions.
- Rubbing alcohol can also be used to remove stains from LVT. Apply it directly onto the stain with a soft brush or clean cloth before rinsing with warm water.
Can you use bleach on LVT flooring?
Bleach and other harsh cleaning products should not be used on LVT. Bleach contains harmful chemicals that can damage luxury vinyl flooring, with many flooring manufacturers stating that it will remove the finish.
Can you wax LVT flooring?
Due to how LVT flooring is constructed, it is recommended that homeowners do not use wax to clean it. Some waxes contain harsh ingredients or chemicals that can damage the flooring’s protective layer. As the wax would not benefit your LVT, it’s best to skip this step completely when cleaning.
Can you get scratches out of LVT flooring?
Whether or not you can reduce the visibility of a scratch in LVT flooring depends on how deep it has cut into the protective layer. For minimal surface scratches, it may be possible to fix the appearance and regain its overall luxury look.
- You must first clean the affected area.
- Gently smooth and polish the scratch with a fine-grit sandpaper.
- Apply a small amount of wax directly onto the area you have sandpapered.
LVT is known for being resistant to frequent scratches. However, floor protectors should be used under furniture to prevent unnecessary damage.
How to get paint off LVT flooring
One common mishap when renovating your house is spilling paint on the floor. Removing paint from LVT once it has dried is a relatively easy process. You can use the baking soda or rubbing alcohol methods mentioned above to remove paint from luxury vinyl tile.
How to make my LVT floor shine
The pristine appearance of new LVT flooring can be upheld with regular cleaning. If you want to increase the overall shine of LVT, you may wish to look at polishing the flooring after it has been cleaned. A luxury vinyl tile restoration polish can bring back the original shiny appearance, giving a gleaming glossy finish.
What is the best way to clean luxury vinyl tile?
When cleaning luxury vinyl tile, no singular method is best for keeping your flooring’s luxury appeal. We recommend keeping on top of your flooring maintenance with regular sweeping and occasional deep cleaning, helping to prolong your LVT’s lifespan.
These LVT cleaning methods can be applied to various types of luxury vinyl flooring, including click LVT, stick-down LVT and LooseLay LVT.
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