How Should I Clean My Laminate Floors?

How To Clean Laminate Floors

I'm loving my new laminate floors! I've found that cleaning them is easy but not quite as simple as dusting and dampmopping. They will dry kind of streaky if I don't use a small bit of some kind of cleanser that evaporates quickly.

So now I either sweep with a broom or dustmop with a dry microfibre mop, then I use a wet microfiber cloth on the mop to mop the floors. I lightly spray a touch of Seventh Generation Glass & Surface Cleaner to spots or when the mop gets too dry. It also helps to mop in the direction of the grain and not in circles or figure 8s like you might with vinyl or tile.

I searched around online and found tips from other laminate floor owners on how to clean laminate flooring:

Try a damp mop wrung out with very hot water, it evaporates better.
Try a vinegar/water solution.
Check with the manufacturer's recommendation: mine recommended a damp plain water mop but as I mentioned, that wasn't effective for me. Some manufacturers make their own floor cleaners.
A wet Swiffer cloth works well for some.
Don't use a soap based or citrus oil product, they don't clean laminate well or could even damage the shiny finish.
Don't use any type of abrasive cleaner.
If a stain is resistant you can try a tiny bit of acetone.

Hope that helps. Enjoy your new laminate floors!