How to Deep Clean Laminate Floors to Help Sell Your House
A floor cleaning expert shares how to clean laminate floors using as few cleaning products as possible for a dazzling shine.
Being economical and durable are two hallmarks of the laminate floor, which came into existence in the 1970s alongside advances in technology and engineering. While laminate floors might not have the same appeal as other types of flooring like hardwood or marble, they have their place in many homes, even higher-end ones, thanks to continuous innovations over the years.
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Laminate floors are composed of a particle board base, an “image” layer with the visible print, and a transparent coating layer atop that. Prints on a laminate floor can be made to mimic wood, marble, stone, or present other man-made designs. Laminate floors can come in rolls or pre-cut squares, depending on how each manufacturer creates its products.
Though laminate floors used to be much more popular, they are not as common anymore, especially in certain parts of the United States, such as the southern areas. Despite its positive qualities, the humble laminate floor can have a bad reputation among home buyers.
As you prepare to list your home for sale, it’s important to get it looking its best. It’s important to know what to do — and what not to do — before deep cleaning laminate floors.
Why deep clean floors?
Clean floors convey a higher sense of value to buyers when they walk through your home. It shows the home has been cared for and well maintained. In contrast, a dirty floor is unappealing and can leave a bad impression. In fact, it may cause potential buyers to wonder what else may not be maintained in the house.
Dingy or faded laminate floors that have been worn down or neglected over time can still be made more appealing, at least enough to help sell your home. Buyers who have plans to make major renovations in the home may not mind dingy floors, especially if the floor style looks dated.
However, it’s still wise to make them as clean as possible and present them in their best light with a deep cleaning tailored to your specific flooring.
How is deep cleaning different from regular cleaning?
Regular cleaning includes dusting, organizing clutter, wiping down surfaces, and clearing dirt and debris from floors to give the home a fresh feel and a brighter appearance. Deep cleaning goes beyond surface appearances to remove dirt, grime, and scum in the house and focuses on sanitizing and disinfecting to help keep people healthy. It has longer staying power and more noticeable results, but it typically takes longer because it involves more detailed work.
Deep cleaning is also different from normal cleaning because it’s more intensive and not done as often. Regular cleaning might be performed once a week for the average household. Deep cleaning is applied less frequently — perhaps only a few times a year.
We consulted with Scott Johnston, the owner of Carpet Care of Carolinas in Raleigh, North Carolina, founded in 1970. Johnston has been involved in the family business his entire life and has become an expert on how to clean laminate floors.
He explains how to pay special attention to laminate floors to prevent them from becoming damaged, discolored, or warped. Floors that have been too enthusiastically scrubbed or neglected may require services like his to restore them beyond what the home DIYer can accomplish, or a professional may recommend replacing them entirely.
Before you start cleaning, make sure you know how to give your laminate flooring the special treatment it deserves to sparkle for years to come. “Identify what type of floor you’re dealing with first,” Johnston advises. “It’s a good idea to research and find out what type of floor you have because you can’t treat all floors the same, there are so many types of materials now.”
What you’ll need for deep cleaning laminate floors
Before you begin cleaning your laminate floors, gather the materials you’ll need for an easier session. Tools and products you’ll need to deep clean your laminate floor include:
