Caring for laminate flooring in the kitchen How to care for laminate in the apartment

The floor covering, which is commonly called laminate, is a panel obtained from boards based on MDF or chipboard and several layers of paper, which are impregnated with melamine resins and pressed under high pressure and at high temperature. This is a modern coating, which is designed to meet the requirements of modern consumers. Manufacturers took care of the wear resistance of the material, for which they used a topcoat with melamine or acrylic paint - lamination (hence the name). Caring for laminate is quite simple, but you should remember some rules for using the material.

Laminate will last longer if you follow simple rules for caring for it.

Laminate floor care and durability classes

Material wear resistance classes are designed to allow consumers to choose products according to their needs and financial capabilities. In order for a laminate to be assigned a wear resistance class, a coating must pass about 18 tests. There is a commercial laminate on sale - a material of increased wear resistance, which is intended for flooring in institutions and organizations (wear resistance class 32). If you buy it for your home, the coating will serve you for at least 30 years (while the manufacturer's declared service life of this coating in commercial establishments is 3-5 years). There is a waterproof and non-waterproof laminate, an ordinary laminate and a high-strength laminate.

Cleaning should be damp, but not wet, excess moisture can cause serious damage to the coating

Regardless of the wear resistance class, laminate care is essential. Do not forget that this is primarily a wood material, and excess moisture can adversely affect its properties and service life.

How to wash laminate

Floors are recommended to be vacuumed with a soft mop. If you feel that more serious cleaning is needed (for example, you need to remove sticky or greasy stains from the floor), use a damp mop. It should be exactly wet, but in no case wet, from which water can flow. The movements of the mop should be longitudinal relative to the laminate panels. The floor should be washed with warm water, and at the end of cleaning it is better to wipe it with a dry cloth. Change the water frequently to keep it clean. Laminate polishes or waxes are not required.

During wet cleaning, the joints between the plates suffer first of all, moisture must be carefully removed from them

Try not to let water remain on the floor, as it can seep through the joints and cause deformation of the laminate boards. Therefore, the care of the laminate is only wet, but not wet cleaning. Take special care when cleaning in places where there are water taps or flowerpots. If liquid gets on the laminate, it must be wiped off immediately.

Laminate care products

Laminate Cleaner Spray makes cleaning more efficient

Avoid abrasive cleaners, do not use soap-based solutions and cheap soap concentrates to clean laminate floors. Soap gradually corrodes the protective top layer, and it is very difficult to completely wash off the soap from the laminate. Acidic and alkaline cleaners and bleaches will also corrode the top layer, so do not use them for mopping. As a rule, the laminate manufacturer recommends a certain brand of detergent. Be sure to purchase them, especially if the product has a warranty period. It is better to use only plain warm water than products that are not suitable for laminate: the floor will lose its shine and dirt will start to stick to it.

In general, dirt is the main enemy of laminate flooring. Therefore, do not walk on it in street shoes and do not allow members of your family to do so. Due to sand particles or small stones that are brought on shoes, clearly visible scratches appear on the floor after a while. If scratches still appear, you can get rid of them with a special mastic.

For proper care of the flooring, it is better to use tools and devices specially designed for this purpose.

On sale there are a number of products designed to care for the laminate. As a rule, it is a spray or gel. Not only do they clean the laminate floor, but they can also remove tough stains (eg Loba, Laminatclear). If you do not have these products, you can use the usual neutral pH floor cleaner (usually the packaging indicates that this product is suitable for all types of floors) - Mr. Muscle or Mr. Propper. They will help remove juice, wine, fat, chocolate. If there are traces of a pencil or felt-tip pen, lipstick or shoe polish, varnish, ink or cigarettes on the laminate floor, you can’t cope with the usual means. You need a thinner, acetone or nail polish remover, methanol or the aforementioned Loba or Laminatclear laminate products.

If chewing gum gets on the laminate or wax from a candle drips, wait until it hardens completely and carefully clean it with a wooden or plastic scraper, and then apply a restorative paste. To speed up the hardening process, you can put an ice cube on top.

How to extend the life of laminate flooring

Vacuum the laminate every other day if the level of soiling is low, and more often if necessary.

It is not recommended to walk on laminate flooring in high-heeled shoes, and it is better to stick special felt pads on modular furniture. In places that are actively exploited, it is better to put rugs. It can be a place to play in the children's room, the area at the front door in the hallway, a place near the sofa or bed.

Try not to drop heavy objects on the laminate. If you spill something on the floor, wipe it up quickly, otherwise you may ruin the coating.

The top layer of the laminate repels dust, so you can vacuum once every two days. If you clean floors and use detergents, be sure to wipe down the laminate after cleaning with a dry cloth. Do not use mastic or wax - they will not penetrate the material, but will remain on the surface in the form of stains or stains.

Is one of the tiles damaged? It can be replaced, and it is not necessary to go to the building materials store. You can take the stove in an inconspicuous place (under the sofa, for example) and swap with the damaged one. Of course, only someone who knows how to lay a laminate with their own hands can do this.

If you decide to put flowerpots on the laminated floor, use special stands and trays for flowerpots.

Metal brushes or washcloths, aggressive alkaline cleaners are not suitable for cleaning laminate flooring. Use only soft brushes and cloths.

The matte finish is the hardest to clean. Manufacturers of such coatings recommend wiping the surface daily with a soft brush or cloth.

Laminate is a modern floor covering, which is a high-strength fiberboard plate treated with a decorative film and a protective layer of melamine or acrylic paint. This type of coating is multifunctional and has good wear resistance, therefore it is widely used in rooms for any purpose. To prolong the life of the material and maintain its presentable appearance, it is necessary to provide it with proper care.

Laminate classes

The wear resistance class of a laminate is a universal indicator of the service life of a coating with varying degrees of load exerted on it.

According to European standards, all products are divided into two groups of operation:

1. 1. Commercial (grades 31-34) - for use in public institutions. Possesses high durability and the increased degree of protection. When used for its intended purpose, it lasts from 3 to 5 years, at home this period increases to 10-30 years.
2. 2. Household (grades 21-23) - spreads in private houses, i.e. rooms with little traffic. Serves an average of 2 to 5 years. The design is lightweight, thin, medium strength, but the price is several times lower.

The method of caring for it directly depends on the class of wear resistance of the coating. So, commercial laminate of 33 and 34 classes is allowed to be washed every 2-3 days. For copies of 31 and 32 classes, no more than one wet cleaning per week is allowed. Materials up to class 31 should not be exposed to moisture at all.

Cleaning features

Since representatives of the household operation group are sensitive to moisture, it is necessary to care for the laminate in the apartment as follows:

1. 1. Minimize water use. Use a vacuum cleaner, broom or soft brush to clean the surface.
2. 2. Carry out dry cleaning regularly - once every 2-3 days.
3. 3. If liquid gets on the floor, immediately wipe the surface with a soft dry cloth, making movements from the joints to the center and thereby narrowing the affected area.

When working with a commercial group coating, the use of a damp cloth is acceptable. Before cleaning, it should be carefully squeezed out so that excess moisture does not spread over the floor and does not lead to a violation of the integrity of the joints, delamination or swelling. Rubbing is carried out by longitudinal movements, without pressure. It is recommended to use warm (but not hot) water. The average temperatures cope well with dirt and at the same time do not damage the protective coating of the floor tiles. Fluid should be changed as often as possible. This will help avoid divorce.

At the end of cleaning, the laminate is wiped dry with a highly absorbent cloth.

Tough stain removal

In case of formation of complex stains, it is necessary to start cleaning the surface immediately.

To begin with, the chosen method must be tested on a small area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe laminate. Ideally, after the purchase, you should keep a small sample of the board for yourself in order to experiment with different cleaning products on it in the future. If it is not possible to find a piece of the slab, you need to test them somewhere in the corner of the room, where accidental damage will be invisible to the prying eye.

Note! After fixing the problem, it is recommended to treat the affected area of ​​​​the floor with a restoring paste.

Floor cleaners

On the modern market of household chemicals there are special care products for laminate:

• Loba;
• laminated clear;
• Emsal Floor Care.

Simpler, neutral pH options, such as Mister Proper or Glorix, will also work. You must carefully read the instructions.

As a rule, flooring manufacturers indicate the brands and names of gels or sprays suitable for the care of their products. These recommendations should be heeded, because an improperly selected product will very soon destroy the structure of the floor board and render it unusable.

Under no circumstances should parquet care products be used on laminate flooring. They contain beeswax in their composition, which adversely affects the structure of the protective coating. For the same reason, abrasives and glycerin-containing compounds should be abandoned.

Caring for laminate has its own characteristics, you can not forget about it. If everything is done correctly, the laminate floor, even after a few years after the repair, will look like new. On the other hand, a small oversight can lead to swelling of the coating, deformation, violation of texture, pattern and color.

Caring for a laminate in an apartment or house consists of three main procedures:

• daily removal of dust and dirt;
• weekly wet cleaning with special detergents;
• remedial action as needed or every six months.

It is better to use professional products for high-quality and safe care of the laminate, but in extreme cases, home-made, home-made ones will do. Read more about the intricacies of cleaning laminate flooring below.

Caring for a laminate floor will be easier if you understand what it is made of and how it is made. It is not natural wood, like parquet, but not a completely artificial material, laminate has its own characteristics. Professional builders sometimes refer to this material as a layer cake for its structure:

1. The bottom layer is stabilizing. This is a reinforced cardboard that is impregnated with melamine. Melamine enhances its strength and moisture resistance, sometimes kraft cardboard is additionally covered with a layer of soundproofing material.
2. The carrier layer is the body of the laminate, in budget options it is represented by a dense chipboard board, in premium materials - natural wood. it is in this layer that grooves and locks are cut out for a strong connection of the lamellae.
3. The outer layer is decorative. It is always made of thick impregnated paper and laminated, but the design can be anything - under natural stone, brick, wood, etc. The wear resistance and durability of the laminate depend on the quality of the laminated coating.

Recently, they have also begun to produce laminate with increased moisture resistance. Its body is not wood or chipboard, but a highly durable polymer in air chambers.

Caring for this type of laminate is extremely simple, but such a coating is many times more expensive. Therefore, if you chose the classic option when renovating an apartment or house, be sure to read on, the advice of experienced users will definitely come in handy for you.

Most middle-income consumers prefer to install economy-class laminated floors in their apartment - that is, with a chipboard base. Chipboard is strong enough, economical, but very hygroscopic.

The moisture resistance of this material is not very high; when strongly wet, chipboard will swell, increase in volume and deform. Therefore, such floors cannot be flooded with water - they will deteriorate, despite the laminated coating.

But this does not mean that wet cleaning is excluded. It is possible and necessary to wash laminate floors - adhering to certain rules.

1. You can use warm or cold water and liquid products designed specifically for the care of laminate flooring - for example, Mister Muscle or Propper.
2. You can not wash the laminate with hard brushes or use abrasive pastes and powders - only liquid gels and mops with a soft nozzle or a rag.
3. It is important to squeeze the brush or cloth well. Excessive moistening of the laminate will not only lead to its swelling - ugly stains will remain on the surface after drying.
4. After treatment with a solution with detergent, it is imperative to wipe the floor with clean water, again using a well-wrung rag or a special mop.
5. Finally, the floor is either wiped dry or left to dry naturally. It is not recommended to turn on the heaters and walk on the washed wet floor.

Do not forget that before wet cleaning, dry cleaning must be carried out - with a soft broom or a vacuum cleaner with a special nozzle, all dust is removed from the surface of the laminate and baseboards. By the way, you can not use a washing vacuum cleaner to clean the laminate. The exception is only the most advanced units, in which a similar function is provided by the manufacturer.

Alternative cleaners for laminate flooring

Some housewives, in order to save money or for other reasons, prefer not to use household chemicals for cleaning the house. Products from the supermarket in most cases are hypoallergenic and do not affect the well-being of young children or pets. But in some cases, precaution does not hurt. What home remedies can then take care of the laminate?

• pH neutral baby shampoo. It is enough to add two tablespoons of baby mild shampoo to a five-liter bucket and lather the water. Then wipe the laminate with a clean, damp cloth;
• table vinegar. You can use it in two ways. in the first case, half a glass of vinegar is added directly to a bucket of warm or hot water and the laminate is washed quickly. In the second case, a solution is first prepared for treating especially dirty areas: a quarter cup of vinegar is dissolved in a liter of water, the liquid is poured into a container with a spray bottle. First, the resulting product is applied to dirty areas and wiped with a wet cloth, then the entire floor is washed completely. Vinegar effectively removes stubborn stains, destroys bacteria and restores the shine of a dull laminate floor.

It is not recommended to use soda or citric acid to clean the laminate - the crystals of these substances can violate the integrity of the top floor covering.

Restorative measures for damage to the laminate

Laminate, like any floor covering, suffers during operation. The main damage to which it is subject:

• a variety of stains - juice, coffee, tea, fat, etc .;
• chips and scratches - shoes, animal claws, pieces of dropped dishes or other objects can easily damage the top protective film on laminate floors;
• swelling - the cause is spilled liquid, improper cleaning, high humidity in the room;
• drawings with a marker, felt-tip pen, paints - a glossy floor, especially if it is in light shades, is very attractive to young artists in the family.

Having found one of them, you should not be upset - for every problem there is a solution. You can remove scuff marks, scratches and cracks with a special wax pencil or paste, which can be purchased at a hardware store.

First, the damaged area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe laminate must be thoroughly cleaned of dust, and then treated with paste and pencil - the agent is applied until the recess is completely filled. Then the laminate should be polished with a dry, soft, lint-free cloth.

Pencil is more suitable for removing scuffs and shallow scratches. if the damage is severe, it is better to use a paste or mastic. please note: you can walk on the treated lamella only after a couple of hours, until this moment it is better to cover it with a napkin or a dry cloth.

You can choose the right shade by mixing several different ones. Then the restored laminate will look flawless again.

Chips on the laminate appear if a heavy object is dropped on the floor - a stool, a pan, a book, etc. Chip can be removed only with the help of a special putty. First you need to warm it up, then quickly apply it with a spatula, smooth it out and remove the residue. After drying, the treated area is rubbed, ground and polished.

A variety of stains on the laminate are removed using the following tools:

• felt-tip pens and markers - with toothpaste or nail polish remover;
• blood - glass cleaner;
• drinks and food - alcohol or lemon.

And the last tip: a colored mastic based on natural wax, which is used to mask scratches and scuffs on a laminate, should be applied every six months, even if the coating is not damaged. Such products will restore the color and gloss of the floor, protect it from mechanical stress and moisture, and extend the service life.

But you should not be too zealous: Excess mastic will lead to the formation of ugly stains on the surface and tarnishing of the laminate.

There is an opinion that the laminate is quite a capricious coating. In fact, this is not entirely true, laminate flooring is a great alternative to parquet or board. It has sufficiently high performance characteristics, the material is warm and easy to maintain. It does not require additional painting or varnishing. In order for the floor to last for many years, you need to know how to care for the laminate.

Minimum water, maximum precision

In order for the laminate to serve for many years, from the very beginning of its operation it is necessary to properly care for it. Most coatings are afraid of moisture, which has a detrimental effect on the quality of interlocks, leads to swelling of the panels and a deterioration in overall performance. Recently, a waterproof laminate has appeared, which has a special coating that effectively repels water and protects the floor from damage.

Note! When choosing a laminate with a waterproof coating, it is very important that the protection is also present on the interlocks.

In addition to eliminating excess moisture, there are a few more rules to preserve the appearance of the coating:

As you can see, the care of the laminate is quite simple, the main thing is to avoid excess moisture, mechanical damage and use the means suitable for maintenance of the coating.

Care products

The main care of the laminate is to remove dust and dirt. An ordinary vacuum cleaner with a gentle brush is perfect for this. Wet cleaning is desirable to carry out no more than 3 times a week. A soft cloth, a mop with a pile or a foam nozzle is suitable for it. They are soaked in water and squeezed thoroughly. For cleaning, you can use special products for the care of the laminate, or you can wash it with plain clean water.

Note! Wipe the floor in the direction of the slats.

The use of powders, aggressive alkaline agents is unacceptable. When cleaning with concentrated soap solutions, a white coating may appear. Remove it simply with a glass cleaner containing alcohol. You can just use an alcohol solution. Soak a cloth in it, wring it out and wipe the coating. Now there is a large selection of products, especially for laminate.

How to remove stains on the coating:

• Wine, beer, juices should be wiped immediately with a soft cloth.
• Marker, nail polish, paints can be removed with acetone solution. It is important to apply only to the stain itself and not go beyond it, so as not to dissolve the protective film of the coating.
• Various stains can be removed with special means, for this they are applied according to the instructions. You can try washing with a concentrate for washing the coating.

When removing stains, it is important not to use sharp or hard objects. If the stain is not removed and greatly spoils the appearance of the coating, then only a partial replacement of the laminate will help.

Elimination of defects

The most common defects on the laminate are chips, scratches and bumps.

Chips on the laminate are formed when heavy or sharp objects fall, if possible, then the damaged lamellas are changed. If replacement is not possible, then cover with pastes and cover with a composition for laminate. In specialized stores you can buy tools for repairing laminate.

For repair use:

• Putties. Most often they come in a set with a spatula and several dyes.
• Soldering kits. In addition to a special soldering iron, the kit includes wax plates for filling chips. Repair is carried out according to the instructions, which must be present in the kit.
• Wax briquettes or pencils. Allows you to quickly repair a scratch, a choice of colors is available in stores. The only negative is that they wear out quickly. Therefore, for the durability of the repair, the filled recess must be covered with a fixative or varnish.

Regardless of which repair agent is used, the damage is thoroughly cleaned of dirt, degreased and only then filled. Lacquering is done only after complete drying. For greater strength, you can cover 2-3 times.

When the coating swells from moisture, cosmetic repairs are indispensable, and replacement of floor sections will be required. Also, local repair of the site will be required if irregularities appear, if there are gaps at the joints, or if the laminate protrudes above the surface.

Video

You will learn tips for caring for laminate flooring by watching the following videos:

Laminate is the best flooring for apartments and cottages. It is an environmentally friendly, externally attractive, practical and affordable material that goes well with any type of interior decoration. One of the main advantages of laminate flooring is ease of maintenance. In order to preserve the original beauty of the floor covering for many years, it is enough to follow a few simple rules, clean it in a timely manner and use suitable products for this. Caring for a laminate in an apartment does not require much effort and high costs: the domestic market offers a huge range of special products designed for laminated floors.

When choosing a laminate in a particular room, you need to take into account the load on the floor, traffic and other features, since the durability of the laminate and its service life depend on the strength class. Will increase service life and - unique material on the basis of natural raw materials. There are separate groups of laminate for residential premises, offices and public places. The rules for caring for class 32 laminate and laminate of any other strength class are the same.

How to care for laminate in the apartment

It should be borne in mind that the most expensive and most difficult to maintain is a light-colored laminate, which most often has a glossy surface and is widely used as flooring for living rooms and bedrooms. On such a floor, dust and footprints are clearly visible, stains and stains are more noticeable. Laminate flooring in darker tones is much easier to care for, since this material most often has a relief surface, on which dirt is much less noticeable. No matter how durable, practical and high-quality a laminate is, proper care is of great importance for its safety and durability.