How to Clean Vinyl Tiles and Remove Stubborn Stains?

Vinyl flooring looks amazing and should stay that way forever. Maybe forever is a bit much! If you want your vinyl floor to not get stained permanently or keep its shine glowing then make cleaning a habit. Keep the mop ready at hand. There are vinyl-specific cleaning products available in the market but you can’t keep using them every day or with a two to the three-day gap. Two things would happen – first, you will quickly run out of vinyl disinfectants. Second, the floor may be harshly affected with too much use of the disinfectant.

We bring to you a simple technique of cleaning vinyl flooring and also removing stains. It’s easy and the products used are available too. For deep cleaning that is needed once-a-month or two months, you can use vinyl-specific cleaning products. So, let’s get started with what needs to be done.

Gather the floor cleaners and mix them up!

What do you use to clean and mop the floor? A non-abrasive floor cleaner! Do not use harsh chemicals. Any one of these natural cleaning ingredients based on your cleaning goals will do.

• Essential Oils, baby oils, and Lemon Juice: These oils or lemon juice are used as a scent to the floor cleaner. You can add a few drops but not much or else it will build upon the floor.

• Vinegar: Apple cider vinegar is eco-friendly and helps rid away grime and dirt. To disinfect and clean at the same time, use distilled white vinegar instead of apple cider.

• Dish Soap: Dish soap can be used for deep cleaning. Soap tends to stick to the floor, so make sure that the floor is rinsed with water after cleaning with dish soap.

Now, here’s how you mix it up! If you are using 2 gallons of water then add ½ cup of rubbing alcohol, ½ cup of white vinegar, and 1/8th tsp of dish soap. Do not add oils, bleach, or moisturizer to the dish soap.

With this mixture in place, you will be able to clean your vinyl floors thoroughly. However, these cannot necessarily clean and remove stains. If there are kids and pets around the house then you’ll need something more effective than vinegar or dish soap.

How to remove stains from vinyl flooring?

You need to be more careful with stains. Using the wrong ingredient to remove it can only make it worse. Try to be more preventive than having to constantly take the mop in your hands. However, if staining does occur, rush to the spot immediately with any of these essential ingredients.

• Nail polish remover: If you’ve spilled nail polish on the floor, use a nail polish remover. 

• Baking soda paste: In the case of a stain that is stubborn and hard, add a few drops of water to baking soda. Mix it up and create a paste. Apply this paste to the firm stain. Use a soft cloth to gently rub the paste on the stain. Wipe it clean when you have finished removing the stain.

• Isopropyl alcohol: Keep this chemical in your cabinet, especially if your child has started learning to use ink pens or markers. A bit of alcohol on a soft cloth will help remove the ink or marker stains.

Test the above ingredients on a small portion of the floor before you use them wisely. This will help you rule out any further damage or discoloration to the vinyl flooring.

Extra tips and ideas to keep your vinyl floors clean

Apart from the above effective cleaning techniques, it is crucial to adopt a few good habits.

• 1. Keep the dirt outside. Use a doormat so you can shake off any dirt from your shoes before entering your home.

• 2. Take off your shoes before entering. It’s a good habit to keep your outdoor shoes outside while you use a pair of indoor shoes or slippers.

• 3. Place furniture pads. Use furniture padding under heavy equipment or furniture. This can help prevent marks, denting, or damage to the vinyl floor. Do not use rubber pads as they can discolor the vinyl flooring.

• 4. Spill, clean, repeat. We mean don’t keep spilling but if you do, make sure to be on your feet to clean up the spill. You need to clean it before it dries up and turns into a hard stain.

• 5. Rub away scuff marks. Scuffs can be rubbed away using tennis balls or a pink eraser. You can also try oil-based solutions like jojoba or WD-40. Spray it on a washcloth and gently rub the area until the scuff comes off.

The use of floor wax, harsh chemicals, steam mops, or vacuum beater bars/bristle brushes is a big no-no. These can cause grime build-up, damage to the flooring, or scrap the floor.

Well, that is all there is to know about keeping your vinyl flooring cleaning and removing stains effectively. We hope you’ve learned a lot from this post.