The floors are brand new laminate floors, only about 2 months old. We just moved in here and our realtor told us to use Orange Glo to make them shiny. Biggest mistake I have ever made. It looked great at first but now the floors look like crap. They are hazy, no longer shiny, and collect dirt like you wouldn't believe. I just now used ammonia, vinegar, baking soda and water to remove the left over wax build up. It helped a little and right after I did that I went over the floors with Bruce laminate cleaner. I thought it worked really well until I walked over the floor and then looked back and saw my foot prints all over the floor. So my question is, why on these newly cleaned floors can you see my foot print where ever I walk and what can I do to stop that? Also, do you have any suggestions on removing the wax buildup? Thanks
Hi, Mit. Yeah, a pox on the rec for Orange Glow. Suggest you find out the flooring manufacturer's recommendations for floor care products (with such a new floor, someone should know who made it). I suspect the Bruce product is OK, just has to be repeated to get more of the residual Orange Glow & etc. We like the Bona line, but there are several good product lines. Persevere.
Sure. It's quintessential to replace rotten floor boards when applying laminate. You probably have carpet now the little dips in any warped boards isn't visible. Laminate will not stick thoroughly to the wood if it has numerous tough spots or knotholes. Also, relying on the age of your condo you can also want to don't forget having it leveled earlier than placing in new flooring. To inform if your apartment needs leveling may be very easy. In case your doors swing open or close by means of themselves is an handy method to inform. Or in case your doors are difficult to open or shut.
Biggest problem with laminate floors is knowing what KIND they are! are they totally smooth or have a grain to them? Are they almost plastic' or feel like real wood. the totally smooth kind have to be treated like no-way floors-- but not until they are cleaned properly.... use regular floor cleaner like 409 or Mr. Clean--- THEN use a Barely Damp Mop with JUST clean water- rinsing frequently... you want all the old gunk OFF! Drying with towels helps too. Then use something for no-wax floors. Ask at Home Depot or Lowes for a good product. If they are the more realistic' wood laminate-- follow the first steps, clean, rinse, dry.... then use something made FOR laminate floors... again, ask at Home Depot/Lowes and explain the previous issues.... in between mopping- use a dry push dust-mop to keep up dust (or a swiffer- but I don't like buying the refills!) You can even use a light mist of spray cleaner on the floor with a dust mop to get up foot prints and 'spruce up between mopping! Good Luck!
Scrub the floors with plain water and microfiber cloths or a microfiber mop. Repeat if necessary. The microfiber will remove the build up without using chemicals. Laminate floors are very low maintenance. Ironically, if you use a lot of cleaning products on them, they will actually look worse...they will get smudges and streaks, like you're experiencing. And steam can absolutely ruin laminate floors. It can cause warping and even cause the veneer to peel right off. Having said this, exactly how do you maintain a laminate floor? Mostly just by vacuuming it. When you need more than a vacuuming, use a microfiber mop and plain old water. No cleanser, no vinegar, no nothing...just water. Let the mop do the work. Microfiber is fantastic at removing dirt and streaks and doesn't need a cleanser to help. And you want the microfiber very wet, but you don't want to have pools of water on the floor....a wet cloth or mop, but not dripping. If you don't already have a microfiber mop, you can buy them at Walmart, Target, Kmart, Home Depot, and even Dollar General. I've never used anything but a vacuum and a microfiber mop (plus water) on our laminate floors and they still look fantastic after many years and many cleanings. Hope this helps. -
