How To Wax Laminate Wood Floors

Laminate wood flooring is a popular choice for homes and businesses. It's significantly cheaper than hardwood flooring and is much more resistant to stains, scratches and damage. A laminate wood floor is easy to clean and works especially well in dry climates where it can last a very long time. Still, the sheen of laminate flooring can fade over time with lots of wear and tear, but there are ways to restore the faded laminate floor to its original shine.

Once you've installed laminate wood floors, you've already saved a bundle on material costs by not using hardwood, so the best thing to do is to make sure you keep the laminate wood floor in the best possible condition you can. A key part of that is maintaining the cleanliness of the floor and polishing it regularly.

Sweep your laminate wood floor daily with a soft-bristled broom. An accumulation of dirt and grit can cause scratches to the surface of the floor and dull its sheen. Then, clean your laminate wood floors with a commercial laminate floor cleaner or mix your own by combining a cup of white vinegar and a gallon of warm water.

Many people assume that using floor wax for laminate floors will help bring out a lustrous shine. Unfortunately, this isn't true. The ingredients and agents in the kind of wax that you might use on a hardwood floor to increase gloss and shine will simply cause a waxy buildup on laminate, making it look dirtier.

This is also a consideration when buying commercial cleaning products for laminate wood floors. Many manufacturers don't realize that wax is counterproductive when attempting to clean laminate wood floors and include wax in their formulas anyway.

These sorts of wax-containing commercial cleaners may make the floors look shiny for a very short while, but after some time, the wax gets dirty and causes a buildup on the floor. Dust and other particles can also stick to the waxy finish and become embedded in the wax, causing them to scratch the floor.

A cheaper and better way to keep your laminate wood flooring looking new is to use a homemade laminate floor shiner. Not only is it significantly cheaper than buying a commercial cleaner, but you also have the bonus of knowing that you're using all-natural ingredients to keep your floor clean and shiny.

Aside from vinegar and water, you may wish to add some lemon juice to your cleaning agent to increase shine and add a fresh scent to your cleansing water. Be sure not to saturate the laminate floor with the cleanser, as the moisture can seep between and underneath the laminate floor tiles, causing them to peel up or come unstuck.