How to Care for Your Laminate Floors
Your Step-by-Step Laminate Care Routine
- Sweeping, dust mopping, or vacuuming reduces loose dirt and grit that can damage the surface of your floors. This should be done once per week per person or pet in the home. For example, if you have a family of four with two dogs and one cat, the floor should be swept, dust mopped or vacuumed every day of the week.
- If you vacuum, the head should be a brush or felt type, without a beater bar. If you have a beater bar it should be lifted so it is not scraping the floor as you vacuum. Be certain the wheels of the vacuum are clean and not carrying grit that could scratch the finish of the flooring.
- Remove spills promptly using a clean, soft cloth. Even if you have a limited waterproof warrantied laminate, spills and accidents must be wiped up or cleaned within 24 hours. Standing water, floods, and excessive moisture will damage all laminate floors and is not covered under any warranty.
- Dried spots should be removed by gentle agitation with a damp cloth. Blot dry.
- Occasionally deep clean the floor using a PH neutral cleaner specifically formulated for flooring. We recommend Bona® Hard Surface Floor Cleaner for Vinyl & LVT, Stone & Tile, and Laminate.
- Spray the cleaning solution onto a clean cotton or microfiber cleaning pad or cloth. This is preferred over spraying directly onto the floor as it will properly saturate the cleaning cloth or pad.
- Be sure to change the cloth as it becomes soiled and clean in different directions.
- Do not use any type of abrasive cleaning products like steel wool or an aggressive sponge.
- Never use oil soaps, liquid or paste wax products, or other cleaners that contain citrus oils, lemon oil, tung oil, silicon, or ammonia. These are not PH neutral and the warranties do not cover damage caused by these non-recommended products.
- Do not use products that are a 2-in-1 cleaner/polish, they may contain urethane or acrylics that may damage the finish.
- Do not wash or wet mop the floor with soap, water, oil-based detergent, or any liquid cleaning material. This could cause swelling, warping, delamination, and joint-line separation and void the warranty. Never use a steam machine or any other cleaning machines.
- Never mop or flood your floor with water or other products. This can severely damage the flooring and damage from these actions will not be covered under any warranties.
- Do not use the hard surface cleaning machines, steam machines, or any type of buffing or polishing machine.
Preventative Maintenance
- Use dirt-trapping walk off mats at all exterior doors to keep sand, dirt, grit, grease, and oil outside.
- Keep your pets' nails trimmed and paws clean, free from dirt, gravel, grease, oil, and stains.
- Remove shoes with spiked heels or damaged heels before walking on the floor.
- Rolling chairs, wheelchairs, heavy mobility aids, and scooters will damage your flooring surface. We recommend tempered glass chair mats. Mats need to be a minimum thickness of 1/4" or 6mm.
- When moving heavy objects or furniture, use a dolly and protect your floor by using plywood or other approved methods to prevent damage.
- Place protective pads beneath furniture legs and feet to reduce scratches and dents. Replace them as needed.
- Make certain furniture casters are clean, operate properly, and are at least 2" in continuous width (3" is recommended for persons over 250lbs).
Laminate Care Tips From the Pros
Laminate floors are built to be tough, and a little know-how goes a long way. In this short video, our flooring pros share the simple habits that keep laminate looking like new, from the front door to the kitchen. Hit play and see how easy it is to protect your floors for years to come.
How Do I Clean Laminate Floors?
Dust, sweep, or vacuum regularly with the hard-floor attachment (not the beater bar) to keep grit from scratching or dulling the surface. To clean, use a laminate-specific cleaner — S&G recommends Bona® — with a spray bottle and a clean cotton cloth, changing the cloth often and cleaning in different directions.
Can I Steam Mop Laminate?
No. Steam and standing water cause swelling, warping, and delamination, and they void the warranty. Never wet-mop or use a steam or cleaning machine — laminate’s biggest enemy is water sitting on the surface or running into the seams.
What Else Should I Avoid on Laminate?
Wet washing. Never wash with soap, water, oil-based detergent, or any liquid cleaning material — it can cause swelling and joint-line separation.
Abrasives and harsh cleaners. Avoid steel wool and other abrasives, and strong ammoniated or chlorinated cleaners.
Buffing or polishing machines. Laminate should never be buffed or polished.
Is Laminate Waterproof?
Most laminate is water-resistant at best — some newer lines add moisture resistance, but they aren’t fully waterproof. Wipe spills fast and never let water stand on the surface or run into the seams.
How Do I Handle Spills and Dried Spots?
Blot spills immediately with a damp cloth and never let liquids stand. Dried spots should be removed by gentle agitation with a damp cloth. Blot dry.
How Do I Protect Laminate From Scratches?
Use protective felt pads under furniture legs (replace as they wear), walk-off mats at exterior doors, and glass floor protectors under rolling office chairs — these are required, as rolling chairs will damage laminate. Keep casters clean and at least 2 inches wide (3 inches for anyone over 250 lbs), and trim pets’ nails. Wheelchairs and heavy mobility aids may damage laminate.
Proper care keeps your warranty valid. For the complete terms and coverage details, download the hard-surface warranty:
Common Laminate Care Questions
Questions About Your Floor? We’re Here to Help
Whether you’re planning a project or caring for floors you already have, our team is glad to help. Stop by a showroom to talk it through, or schedule a free in-home estimate, and we’ll bring the answers and the samples to you.