Vinyl Flooring Cleaning and Maintenance

General

Regular cleaning and maintenance are essential to maintain the long life and good looks of your flooring. In light domestic settings, it may be enough to simply sweep or vacuum regularly and then wash your floor with a damp cloth or mop and soapy water. We recommend using a pH neutral or slightly alkaline cleanser (pH 7-10). Dr Schutz floor cleaning products are ideally suited to our vinyl flooring range.

Please check any new cleaning agents on a small test patch of the floor in an inconspicuous area, and avoid using harsh abrasive cleaners, organic solvent-based detergents or alcohol/ammonia-based cleaning products including bleach. As a general rule, always follow the detergent manufacturers’ instructions and contact them for additional details when required.

When washing try not to use excessive amounts of water. To get the best out of your vinyl flooring, we recommend using the guidelines and products described below.

 

Daily cleaning

Sweep or vacuum regularly and then mop your floor using a non-felting wiper mop and a neutral detergent or a dilute solution of Dr Schutz R1000 floor cleaner (also contained within the Vinyl Floor Care Kit), according to the manufacturer’s instructions. For more stubborn stains use the Dr Schutz R1000 undiluted. For machine wet cleaning, use a brush scrubber dryer machine for best results. A pH–10 detergent can be used for cleaning heavily soiled surfaces. Then rinse with clean water and wipe dry.

 

If after a while your flooring is looking in need of a more thorough clean, we recommend using the products contained in our Vinyl Floor Care Kit. First clean thoroughly with the Clean and Strip solution, using a mop or the green pad supplied, following the manufacturer's instructions. Alternatively a rotary single disc scrubber machine with a red cleaning pad may be used. Then, after wiping the floor with clean water, use a non-felting wiper mop or the white pad supplied in the Floor Care Kit to create an initial protective coat on your flooring using the undiluted Floor Matt solution, according to the manufacturer’s instructions. For rooms exposed to high traffic, apply a second coat in a cross wise direction. Let the floor dry and cure, if possible over night but for at least 6 hours before exposing it to regular use and returning the furniture.

This basic cleaning can be repeated every 1-6 months, depending on how heavy the traffic on your floor is.

 

Stain removal

Take care to wipe up any spillages, spots or marks as quickly as possible to minimise the risk of staining. Always use a door mat near external doors. Do not use latex or rubber backed mats, rubber furniture feet or rubber wheeled castors. We suggest a non-staining vinyl-backed mat or colourfast rug.

As well as rubber and latex, other substances that can impregnate the PVC upper layer and cause discolouration include asphalt, crayons, printer ink, Biro ink, shoe polish, paint used in some plastic doormats, or even coloured plastic bags. When applying decorator's tape to the floor surface, test on a small area first to ensure it is suitable.

For stubborn stains, we recommend the use of undiluted Dr Schutz R1000 floor cleaner or Dr Shutz Elatex Universal Spot Remover. For limescale deposits, an acidic detergent (pH 3-5) can be useful for occasional application. Rinse surface thoroughly with clean water after use.

 

Avoiding physical damage

Like all floors, scratching can occur when dirt or sharp or heavy objects are pulled across the surface, so common-sense steps should be taken to avoid this possibility. The most common form of physical damage is indentation marking from pressure points such as high heels and legs/castors from furniture and appliances. We recommend the use of castor cups or plastic foot pads wherever possible. Special care should be taken with folding chairs to ensure their footprint is large enough to avoid lateral pressure causing permanent indentation.

In the kitchen avoid damage from appliances by placing a sheet of hardboard between the appliance and the floor. When moving the appliance simply slide from one hardboard sheet to another. Take care with dragging heavy domestic appliances or furniture across the floor as, without protection, it could also damage the floor. Pets' claws may also sometimes cause surface scratching. Take care with cigarettes, kitchen utensils, hot or heavy objects which if dropped can damage the floor covering. 

All floor coverings are affected by direct sunlight and are prone to colour fading. Keep blinds closed and direct sunlight off the vinyl floor on sunny days when possible.