How to Care for Laminate Flooring

Dust laminate floors frequently to prevent dirt and dust from becoming ground into the floors and causing scratches. Use a dust mop or a soft broom to remove dirt. Avoid using a vacuum cleaner that has a beater bar, as that can cause scratching. When necessary, use a mop that’s dampened slightly with either a solution of 1/2 cup of vinegar or 2 tablespoons of ammonia per gallon of water or a cleanser specially formulated for laminate floors.

If damp mopping doesn’t remove a stain from your laminate floor, try removing the stain with acetone-based nail polish remover or denatured alcohol. Never use steel wool, sandpaper, or scouring cleansers to remove stains from laminate floors, as they will scratch the floor.

Laminate floors don’t require waxing, buffing, or polishing of any sort, but they’re susceptible to scratching, moisture, and wear. Protect laminate floors by applying felt pads to the bottoms of chair and table legs, using doormats, and taking other precautions to prevent scratches.

Repair minor scratches in laminate floors using a laminate repair paste. You can send single planks of damaged flooring to a qualified technician for repair or replacement, but you can’t refinish laminate floors.