How To Take Care of Laminate Flooring

Laminate flooring are widely used in Singapore in both commercial and residential buildings because they are durable, easy to maintain, cost effective, easy to clean, available in different styles among many other things. Laminate flooring is made from a mixture of paper, plastic and board and it is widely installed in bathroom and kitchen. If you have installed laminate flooring in your house, it is very important to know how to maintain so that it can maintain its natural shiny look for a long period of time. If you want to get the best results from this type of flooring, then you must know how to properly maintain it. In this article, we are going to give you tips on how to take care of laminate flooring.

1. Ensure that the laminate flooring is well cleaned

The secret to keep your laminate flooring in good shape for a long period of time is by ensuring that it they are well cleaned. Regular cleaning will ensure that harmful substances that will degrade the structural integrity of the flooring are eliminated on time. Some important things that you need to do to ensure that the laminate flooring is clean and neat include:

· Sweeping the floor on a regular basis
This is a very important cleaning tip that most people often overlook. Sweeping the laminate floor on a regular basis will help remove dirt, debris and hair that can cause scratch if they accumulate over time. However, when sweeping the laminate flooring, ensure that you use soft brush or a vacuum to avoid damaging the surface of the flooring. When sweeping the flooring, ensure that you do so in the direction that the laminate tiles were installed. This will allow you to collect all debris including those that have hidden between grooves of the flooring.

· Ensure that you clean spills immediately
Most people usually clean spills hours later. That should not be the case especially with laminate flooring. Cleaning spills immediately will help keep the laminate flooring strong for a long period of time. If you allow liquid to settle of the laminate
floor for a long period of time, the liquid can form tough stains that may be difficult to remove. In addition to that, it may also compromise the protective layer of the flooring making it weak. It is therefore very important to clean spill immediately to ensure that the floor is always clean and dry.

· Clean the flooring with lukewarm water
Most people usually clean their laminate flooring with cold water but that should not be the case. Experts recommend that laminate flooring should be cleaned with lukewarm water. Lukewarm water is recommended because it does not leave streaks on the flooring. In addition to that, lukewarm water does not damage the protective coating of the flooring thus compromising its structural integrity. You can also use a suitable detergent to help remove tough stains such as grease. When cleaning the laminate flooring, ensure that you use less water especially when cleaning along the seams. This will help prevent water from penetrating into the laminate causing it to swell and eventually crack.

· Don’t use acidic cleaner
Don’t even for single moment use acidic cleaner like a tub cleaner or bleach to clean the laminate flooring. This is because acidic cleaners contain chemicals that can permanently alter the color of the laminate.

2. Place protective pads beneath furniture legs

This is also a very important factor that many people usually overlook. The friction that is usually created when moving table or chairs usually cause wear and tear on the laminate flooring. In addition to ensuring that the laminate flooring is well cleaned, it is also crucial to ensure that all furniture in your house that are directly in contact with the laminate flooring have protective pads beneath the legs. This will significantly reduce scratches that causes wear and tear. You can also use small pieces of rubber or carpet to help prevent your furniture from scratching the laminate flooring.

3. Trim pets nails

Laminate flooring is widely recommended for people with pets. This is because it has a hard surface that can easily withstand wear and tear caused by pets when playing. However, if you have pets in your house, it is very important to trim their nails on a regular basis. This will help prevent the pets from using their strong nails to scratch the laminate flooring making it weak.

4. Limit moisture

Do you know that moisture can make your laminate flooring expand and contract causing it to eventually weaken and break? If you have limited air conditioning in your house, then it is definitely time to call an expert to install an efficient air conditioning unit. The recommend moisture level should range anywhere between 35% to 60%. Anything more than that can cause your laminate flooring to get damaged.


5. Use rugs

Rugs not only help to decorate your house, they can also help to protect your laminate flooring especially in high traffic areas. Place them strategically in high traffic areas to help protect your flooring against wear and tear.

6. Have it inspected regularly by an expert

This is the part that most Singaporeans don’t like to hear. Most people usually think that is expensive and a total waste of time to call an expert to inspect the laminate flooring on a regular basis. However, that is not true. In fact, by ensuing that your laminate flooring is inspected on a regular basis by an expert, you will save your time and hard earned money. A well trained expert will help detect problems such as cracks and fix them on time before they escalate and become big problem that is expensive to fix. In addition to that, an expert will also give you professional tips on how to properly
maintain the laminate flooring to get the best out of it.

In conclusion, laminate flooring is a very unique flooring and suitable for both commercial and residential use. However, just like any type of flooring, laminate flooring requires good maintenance and care. If you follow the tips mentioned above, your laminate flooring will maintain its original look and will serve you for a long period of time.