Home renovations can be really exciting, but they also leave quite a bit of a mess that you’ll need to clean up later, especially if you have vinyl floors. While vinyl flooring is known for its durability and low maintenance, it still needs to be regularly cleaned and maintained. Here’s everything you need to know about how to clean vinyl floors after a home renovation!
How to Clean Vinyl Floor After Renovation
Step 1: Prepare the Floor
After a home renovation, your vinyl floor will need to be thoroughly cleaned to remove all the dirt that may have accumulated. To start, sweep or vacuum away all of the particles on your vinyl floor. This is a very important step that you shouldn’t overlook. With the amount of dust and debris that renovations leave everywhere, the last thing you want is for your pristine vinyl floors to get scratched and damaged.
Step 2: Prepare the Cleaning Solution
When cleaning your floor, you’re going to need a cleaning solution that’s gentle enough for your vinyl floor but still able to cut through all the mess that the renovation left behind. You have a few options when it comes to this:
- Commercial Vinyl Floor Cleaner: When choosing a commercial cleaner, make sure that it’s formulated for vinyl floors. Read the instructions carefully and follow them when cleaning.
- Soapy Water: Add a few drops of mild dish soap to a bucket of warm water and mix everything together.
- Vinegar Solution: Add one cup of white vinegar to a gallon of water.
Step 3: Mop the Floor
Dampen a mop with your chosen cleaning solution and start mopping the floor. When doing this, make sure that your mop isn’t soaking wet, as oversaturation can damage your vinyl floors over time. Depending on how dirty your vinyl floors are after post-renovation, you may need to rinse and wring out your mop several times throughout your cleaning session.
Step 4: Spot Clean
Once you’ve cleaned up all of the dust and dirt left behind by the renovation, if you notice any stubborn or tough-to-clean stains, create a paste by carefully adding a few drops of water to some baking soda. Apply the paste to the stain and use either a soft-bristled brush or a sponge to gently scrub it in. When the stain has been lifted, wipe the paste away with a damp cloth.
Alternatively, you can dampen a microfiber cloth with some rubbing alcohol and rub the stain in circular motions.
Step 5: Rinse the Floor
After you’ve finished cleaning your vinyl floor, use either a clean and damp mop or cloth to remove any residue that your cleaner may have left behind. This will also remove any particles and impurities that you might have missed.
Step 6: Dry the Floor
Dry the vinyl floor by wiping it down with either a microfiber cloth or soft rags. This will prevent any streaks during drying, while also catching any water or moisture that may have been left behind.
Additional Cleaning Tips
Here are some additional floor cleaning tips to help maintain the cleanliness of your vinyl flooring:
- Protect Your Floor During Renovation: The best way to keep your vinyl floor clean during renovation is to lay out a large temporary floor cover before the renovations even start. This will shield your floor from any dirt and impurities, while also making the post-renovation clean up much easier.
- Divide Cleaning Into Small Chunks: Rather than waiting for the whole renovation process to finish, you should instead get as much cleaning done as possible throughout the renovation. By dividing up the cleaning into small and manageable chunks, the post-renovation cleaning will be much easier and less time-consuming.
- Clean from Top to Bottom: By targeting higher items and surfaces first, the dust and dirt will naturally fall to the floor, making it much easier to clean everything in one go. This is a much better approach than cleaning your floor first, only for dirt from other cleaning tasks to fall on your freshly cleaned vinyl floor.
- Avoid Harsh Chemicals: Regardless of how dirty your floors are after renovation, you should always avoid strong chemicals and cleaners. Harsh and abrasive cleaning chemicals like bleach and ammonia can weaken the bonding agents used on your vinyl flooring, resulting in discoloration, cracking, and a significantly shorter lifespan.
- Have Your Floor Professionally Cleaned: Post-renovation cleaning can get very messy. If you don’t have the time or energy to handle the cleaning yourself, you can leave it to professional post-renovation cleaning services.
The Takeaway
While no one enjoys cleaning up after a messy home renovation, it’s something that you’ll eventually have to do to keep your vinyl floor looking its best. With this step-by-step cleaning guide, as well as a few additional cleaning tips, you’ll be able to get the most out of your vinyl floor and maintain its appearance for years to come.
