Laminate flooring was invented in Sweden in 1977 and sold under the brand name Pergo. Most laminate floors at the time were simply called Pergo just as at one time all vacuum cleaners were Hoovers. In the late 90s, glue-less interlocking systems were invented to make installation easy. The advantages of owning a floor that looks like wood, or stone, but comes at a fraction of the cost are self-evident.
Laminate needs care to look its best. Some people claim the best way to clean them is with a with a micro fiber or terry cloth mop dipped in warm water. Some even use vinegar or ammonia, which can be harsh and by its very smell encourage pets to forget that they are house trained. Some people resort to spraying Windex or soap solution and then mop up sticky areas. Others resort to water jets and even spray-on polish to make them shine. All of these solutions beg the question, is that really the best way to clean these types of floors?
Laminate floors are essentially made up of compressed layers of materials like fiberboard and resin, photographic material and a clear protective layer all fused or laminated together. There's a good reason laminate is also referred to as floating wood tile. You can do better than putting your whole floor at risk by slopping water on it, inevitable really when considering the bucket and mop solution. Even if the water doesn't enter the top layer, it can very well seep between the planks or tiles causing the laminate to swell and warp. Keep in mind too, that if you have an interlocking system for your floor the damage to one tile entails replacing the whole floor.
Some people prefer to play safe, they think the best way to clean these floors is by either using a dry mop like the Swiffer or by using a vacuum cleaner with a soft bristle brush attachment. This could work, provided you place long bristle mats at every entrance and police them by making everyone wipe their shoes thoroughly, or else impose a no-shoes policy inside your home. Not a very practical solution and certainly not the best way to clean your floors.
When you go online you will find a slew of contradictory suggestions and any number of complicated ways that you will be told are the best way to clean laminate floors, from contacting the manufacturer to creating concoctions one-third this and two parts that.
The best way to clean laminate floors is to use a steam mop. One of the consistent complaints by people who try to use a hand mop and other means to clean their floors is the streaking and spotting that ensues. The steam mop is the best way to clean engineered wood flooring because it does the job twice as fast as conventional cleaners and your floors will shine like new. Now you wont have water all over your floor or spots and streaks, just the shine you saw in the shop when you bought it.
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