How to maintain your laminate floors

We understand that not all laminate floors are created equal.

While some of the newer laminate flooring includes waterproof finishes, most do not so your care and maintenance routine must comply with the manufacturer’s guidelines. For example, Shaw laminate flooring includes wood, so you should never use excessive moisture or a non-approved cleaning solution while caring for their laminate flooring.

At Carpet Advantage, we recommend the following care and maintenance routine for your new laminate floors:

  • Daily care and maintenance of your laminate flooring could include sweeping, dry mopping or vacuuming with a hard surface flooring attachment.
  • Most common household messes like spills and soil should wipe or sweep away clean.
  • Blot and dry any liquid spills as quickly as possible to avoid warping.

For preventative laminate maintenance:

  • Use doormats at the entry to the room to capture any dirt, sand or grime that could be tracked onto your flooring.
  • Protect your floors from dents or marks by placing heavy appliances on mats and use wide dollies whenever you need to move furniture across the floor.
  • For stylish protection for your laminate flooring, add an area rug or two to increase its longevity with some flair!

For difficult stains and messes like candle wax and chewing gum, or oil-based stains like lipstick and olive oil, consult with the manufacturer’s guidelines for cleaning tough stains and messes. Many of these tougher stains have simple solutions like using nail polish remover or freezing with ice before gently scraping away with a plastic scraper. For specific guidelines, visit Shaw’s laminate flooring cleaning suggestions here (https://shawfloors.com/flooring/how-to/laminate/care-maintenance/how-to-clean-laminate-floors).

If you want to give your laminate flooring a deeper clean, use a manufacturer approved hard surface cleaner.

Additional resources:
Our experts here at Carpet Advantage have put together a list of additional care and maintenance tips plus stain removal resources to help keep your laminate flooring looking amazing:

Shaw Laminate Flooring Care Guide:
https://shaw.app.box.com/v/laminate-warranty-care

Care and Maintenance Tips:
https://shawfloors.com/flooring/how-to/laminate/care-maintenance/how-to-clean-laminate-floors

Repairing Laminate Flooring:
https://shawfloors.com/flooring/how-to/laminate/how-it-s-made/repairing-laminate-flooring

Shaw R2X Hardsurface Cleaner: 
https://shawfloors.com/shopping/r2x-cleaner