Linoleum v Vinyl Floor: What’s the difference?

Nearly every home has some vinyl floor, but most often it’s found in the kitchen. Many of us still refer to it by its old brand name, linoleum floor. When this type of flooring was first introduced, it was made from linseed oil, pine rosin, ground cork dust, wood flour and mineral fillers. In the 1980’s, polyvinyl chloride (PVC) was introduced.

Today, there’s a small movement back to linoleum simply because it’s made from renewable materials, whereas PVC is made from petroleum.

Cleaning a vinyl floor requires some diligence and constant care to keep it pristine, but it’s not hard too do.

How to clean a vinyl floor – 10 easy tips

  1. Sweep and dust every night. Simply make the floor part of doing the dishes. Each night, sweep or dust the floor to keep soil from staying on the vinyl floor. This soil is the enemy of your floor because it acts like sandpaper, taking the finish off of the floor.
  2. Use a doormat. A doormat, not just at the front door, but at the entrance to the kitchen will absorb some of the chemicals and soil that will destroy the vinyl floor.
  3. Use mild cleaners. Hard chemicals will ruin the finish. Use mild cleansers, like Castille soap. Dust the floor first, then use warm water and Castille soap to clean the floor. Don’t scrub. If there’s food stuck to the floor, let the water loosen it.
  4. Shampoo hairspray off of the floor. If you have a vinyl floor in your bathroom, it can often get coated with hairspray and other hair products. Just use shampoo to clean it off.
  5. No wax vinyl floor still need to be cleaned. Find a good quality no wax cleaner or use Castille soap. If you need to wax your floor because it’s older, try using Mop & Glo or something similar.
  6. No casters on your kitchen or bathroom carts. The hard wheels on kitchen islands and bathroom carts are murder on vinyl. It’s better to leave things in place or pick them up to move them.
  7. Put plastic feet on furniture and appliances. you can get protective sliders that can be put under heavy items and even chairs so that they don’t destroy the floor.
  8. Don’t pour water on the floor. Every vinyl floor has seams and can have cracks. The water will go into those spaces and cause the floor to mold and rot.
  9. Get all of the soap off. Keep rinsing the floor until you can’t see any sign of soap. If it’s left on there, the soap gets sticky and holds onto dirt.
  10. No wax floors can still lose their shine. There a polyurethane coating on the floor that gives it a shine. If it gets dull, you need to reseal the floor.

With a little bit of care, your vinyl floor can last you for years. Remember, be gentle and clean it every night. That floor you paid so much for will still look great in a few years.

If you’re in the Milwaukee area, please contact us at Golden Maids. We’ll clean your vinyl floor for you.