How to Clean Vinyl Floors

• Dusting: Remove surface dirt from vinyl flooring by sweeping, dusting, or vacuuming. Don’t use stiff-bristled brooms or vacuums with beater brushes—these cause fine scratches in the finish that will dull vinyl floors.
• Washing: Damp-mop vinyl floors with a small amount of ammonia, dish detergent, or vinyl floor cleaner, or with about a half cup of white vinegar, dissolved in a bucket of water. For waxed vinyl, damp-mop with plain water or a cleaner designed for waxed vinyl floors.
• Waxing: Most modern vinyl floors are “no-wax” vinyl. Do not wax no-wax vinyl. Older vinyl should be waxed with a paste wax once or twice per year. Waxed vinyl was common from about 1950–1970 but is no longer used for new floors.
• Refurbishing: The finish on no-wax vinyl will dull over time. To keep vinyl floors looking fresh, use a vinyl floor stripper about once or twice a year to remove soap residue and deep-down dirt. After a few years, vinyl floor strippers will no longer restore the shine to vinyl floors. Purchase a polish made for no-wax vinyl floors and apply it according to the label directions.
• Removing stains: You can prevent most stains on vinyl floors by maintaining floors carefully and wiping up spills quickly. Remove tough stains by scrubbing with a cleaning cloth dipped in rubbing alcohol or mineral spirits. If this still doesn’t work, apply a vinyl floor stripper according to label instructions.