With its classic look and affordable price point, it’s no wonder that luxury vinyl flooring is becoming more popular. Homes and offices alike benefit from the heavy durability of LVP, but even these floors are bound to see some wear and tear. The good news is that you can improve the life of your luxury vinyl floors with the help of a few simple maintenance and cleaning tips. Here are five things you can do to keep your LVP looking as fresh and clean as the day you had it installed.
Maintenance
Scratches and scuffs will come up every so often on your floor, but don’t panic. You likely won’t need to replace your luxury vinyl flooring. In fact, these problems typically have quick fixes that will get your floor looking as good as new.
Moving furniture
Moving furniture is one of the worst offenders for LVP damage. Try to keep your furniture in place except to clean. When you have to move the furniture, be sure to always lift it. Dragging and pulling furniture across the floor will leave LVP with unsightly scratches and scuff marks. For extra protection, consider putting floor protectors on the bottoms of heavy pieces of furniture.
Scratches
Even with the best preventative measures, you may find a few small scratches in your LVP. If the scratch is shallow, you can rub the area with olive oil on a microfiber cloth. The microfiber will help remove any debris that’s gotten in the groove, and the olive oil will buff the floor. For deeper scratches, you may need to use a floor sealer or replace the entire plank.
Scuffs
Removing scuff marks from luxury vinyl flooring is easier than it sounds. You can effectively get rid of the scuffs with surprisingly simple methods.
- Tennis ball. Often used to clear gym and cafeteria floors, tennis balls are the unsung hero of removing scuff marks. Scrubbing with a tennis ball against the floor creates enough friction to erase the mark.
- Pencil erasers. Clean erasers can be all that you need to lift a scuff mark from your LVP flooring. Run the eraser over the mark until it’s gone.
- Rubbing alcohol. Go over the scuff marks a few times with a rag dipped in rubbing alcohol. This method is especially useful if tennis balls and erasers won’t do the trick. Just make sure that you don’t use rubbing alcohol with bleach!
- Baking soda. On its own, baking soda won’t do much, but add a toothbrush or sponge, and you can remove the scuff mark in no time.
Cleaning
Cleaning your luxury vinyl floors at regular intervals does wonders in helping your LVP last 10 to 20 years. Follow a routine of cleaning spills as soon as you see them, sweep and vacuum every day, and deep clean at least twice a month.
Weekly cleaning
Check your flooring warranty to see what your flooring manufacturer suggests. It will also give you an idea of what to avoid because it will void the warranty. For weekly cleanings, luxury vinyl flooring needs to be mopped with water and dish soap. Do not use a steam cleaner on your LVP. Though LVP is waterproof, steam will damage the flooring.
Deep cleaning
For deep cleaning, try a mixture of apple cider vinegar and water. The vinegar will help add some sparkle to the surface of your flooring. Don’t use vinyl wax. Your LVP or LVT already has a protective layer with a built-in shine. The vinyl wax will eat away at that layer.
Long-lasting luxury vinyl flooring
Luxury vinyl flooring is a luxury without the high cost. Keep these affordable and colorful floor materials in the best condition by removing scratches and scuffs, cleaning your floors weekly and monthly, and taking care of stains when they happen. With these simple tips, your luxury vinyl planks and tiles will better withstand the test of time. For luxury vinyl flooring installation and repair, reach out to our flooring team at GS Flooring in St. George!
