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kaisermust

I've asked this before--maybe someone has a new way re: laminate

kaisermust
11 years ago

I know I've asked this before but maybe some new readers or some regulars have some new ideas. How do you get the shine back to a laminate wood floor? I regularly clean my laminate kitchen floor with the Bona mop and handwood floor cleaner. It looks fantastic--when it's wet!!! Then it dries and even though it is mostly clean it is dull looking and "looks" dirty again. With two four-legged members of the family it gets a lot of dirt, sand and debris from the yard tracked in (yes, we do have mats outside and just inside the doorways). But Have any of you with laminate floors been able to bring back the shine your laminate had when you took it out of the box a few years back and installed it? Just wondering what will work, if anything. Thanks.

Comments (11)

  • krissie55
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Most often, the shine is just hidden under a haze caused by using incorrect cleaning methods.

    Dampen a rag in plain white vinegar and rub the floor until the shine is restored. If this restores the shine, you'll just need to clean the floor properly. If the shine has worn down due to wear, you'll have to use a laminate floor shine restoration product.

  • krissie55
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Most often, the shine is just hidden under a haze caused by using incorrect cleaning methods.

    Dampen a rag in plain white vinegar and rub the floor until the shine is restored. If this restores the shine, you'll just need to clean the floor properly. If the shine has worn down due to wear, you'll have to use a laminate floor shine restoration product.

    Do a test area.

  • callie25
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I agree with Krissie about incorrect cleaning methods. If you will read on the Bona labeling, it states to frequently change/clean the pad (I've found that Bona does leave a haze if you don't do this). The haze is difficult to get rid of. Somewhere on this site there is a laminate discussion. Glass Plus is my favorite multi-purpose solution for cleaning. But you probably need something different to remove the haze, while being careful not to strip the laminate's shine. Whatever you decide to try, start with a small area to determine if the product is going to get rid of the haze.

  • emma
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Someone told me that she was using special cleaner for hers and the laminate got sticky, turns out she is suppose to be using just soap and water. She brought the shine back to hers.

    I just hired someone to clean my floors, vacuuming and mopping. She said she had special cleaners for my laminate floors, entry way, bathrooms and laundry area. I told her no just soap and water, they are not laminate they were linoleum's. She couldn't believe it, she got down on her knees for a closer look. LOL

  • mary_c_gw
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Yes, you have asked this question before.

    You are getting the same answers now as you did before, but you're evidently still using the Bona hardwood cleaner.

    This is directly from the Pergo site:

    "Pergo's exclusive LusterGard TM surface protection ensures dirt and dust will not adhere to your floor and guarantees it will not stain or fade like other flooring surfaces. For day to day maintenance an occasional damp mop, quick sweeping or light vacuuming with the hard floor attachments are usually all it takes to keep your Pergo floor clean. Do not use soaps, detergents, or cleaners with wax because they may leave a film, dulling the floor. Difficult spots like nail polish, markers, tar and cigarette burns can be easily removed with Pergo's Laminate and Hard Surface cleaner. Another option is to mix 1 gallon of water with 1 cup vinegar or 1/2 cup of ammonia per gallon of water. Pergo floors must never be waxed, polished, sanded or refinished and never use a wet or jet mop when cleaning."

    Here is a link that might be useful: One of your previous threads

  • meek95
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I have wilsonart laminate that wasn't very shiny to begin with but is pretty indestructible. I use a Shark steam mop occasionally which makes it more shiny, however, the mfr. told me not to use one. A friend with laminate flooring recommended it to me. Doesn't seem to hurt it any.

  • valtorrez
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I have laminate floors. when we first got them my husband purchased all these products that took so much time to use. I read somewhere, probably on here, about using vinegar/water. I tried this with a drop or two of lavender oil and my floors come out perfect. At first my husband was doubtful but after he came home and saw floors, he threw away all his products.

  • mommabird
    11 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I just use a damp rag to clean my laminate floor. I crawl around every few days with a handful of damp paper towels or a damp terry rag. I don't use any type of soap or product. They come clean and look shiny. The sheet that came in the Pergo packages said to just use a damp rag, no products.

  • creedence
    10 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I know you posted this a while ago but I had the same problem and I just figured out how to fix it a few days ago and thought i'd share it....
    We recently moved into a beautiful new home with laminate floors in the dining room, entry way, living room, kitchen and breakfast room and last but not least the bedroom. Long story short we have about 900 sq ft of laminate flooring.
    The floors looked fine when we looked at the house, during the inspection and when we moved in.
    When it came time to mop the first time I wasn't sure what to use on laminate floors so I thought I’d play it safe and use water only.
    When the floors dried it looked like there was a dull haze on them and after a few hours you where able to see every foot and paw print (we have 2 big dogs)
    I was confused as to what I did wrong and started to research online.
    Come to find out I am not the only person with this problem. There a so many forums and blogs with this subject I didn't know where to start.
    A lot of people suggest putting a water/vinegar/dish soap solution in a spray bottle and mop the floors with a slightly moist microfiber mop. That is a great way to MAINTAIN your laminate floors but in my case it did not fix the dull haze. By the way, I figured out that the dull haze is most likely residue left from products that the previous owners used. Damn you previous owners!
    I was desperate, annoyed and ready to rip out my laminate floors! I tried said water/vinegar/ dish soap solution, I tried bona for laminate floors, I even read somewhere that the magic eraser mop is supposed to take the residue off (it didn’t) I then tried bona laminate floor polish in the bedroom only and it looked great until it was time to mop again. The floor polish came right off and the nightmare started all over again.
    Then one day I was pinning around on Pinterest and saw a pin that lead to a cleaning blog and the girl was talking about cleaning soap scum in the shower with a 1:1 vinegar and dawn dish soap solution. She warmed up ½ cup of the vinegar mixed it with ½ cup of blue dawn dish soap (for some reason she insisted that it has to be the blue kind) sprayed it on her shower glass and scrubbed away and apparently it works wonders.
    So I thought to myself, since I basically have soap scum on my laminate floors and I don’t have anything better to do I will give it a try.
    I mixed up the miracle spray, sprayed it on a small area and scrubbed the hell out of it with one of those dish sponges that has a rough surface. My husband was freaking out and said I might scratch the floors but I didn’t care, I was in a scrubbing frenzy! I then wiped the solution off with water and vinegar, let it dry and walked over the cleaned area, jumped on it, made my dogs walk over it and lay on it and guess what? No dull haze and no foot prints! (And no scratches from the sponge)
    So far I have cleaned my dining room with this routine and I’m not gonna lie it’s the most annoying tedious thing I have ever done but it is worth it. I will try to finish my whole downstairs this week and then I will never ever use anything other than water and vinegar with a splash of dish soap to clean my floors. Some people even put a splash of alcohol in it to keep the floors from streaking.

  • awyles8179
    7 years ago

    I have just tried everything you guys have suggested and nothing has worked for me. This is a 1 yr old home and getting the laminate wood floors to shine is so frustrating. Any other suggestions?