Hybrid flooring offers you the best of both worlds. It looks like natural wood with innovative technology that improves durability and safety. If you do not care for the flooring or vinyl planking, you will soon find a few problems that you will need to address. You may even have to replace some of them if you let the issues go too long. So how do you clean and care for hybrid flooring and vinyl planks?
You will find the answer to that question in a second, but first, we need to cover a few essential things. The best way to care for your flooring is to be proactive rather than reactive. That is, of course, unless you have to act quickly to clean up a spill or replace a broken plank.
Pre-care For Hybrid Flooring And Vinyl Planks
It is imperative to take some steps to keep your floors safe from foot traffic. Keeping your flooring in good condition starts when you put the planks into your home. If you do not take a few moments to ensure that these suggestions are followed, you will have to clean and repair the floor more than you should have to. Everything is a large circle that connects together. The circle breaks open if you skip one section, leaving a hole that brings in nothing but problems.
- Welcome Mats – These handy little mats that you place at the entrance of every door helps keep a significant amount of mud and debris outside where it belongs. Of course, they only work if people coming in use them, so make sure that all your family and friends know that they do not come into the house if they do not wipe their feet off.
- Shoes Off Policy – Implementing a ‘shoes off’ policy is an even better way to ensure that the outdoors stays there. That means that everyone coming into the house has to remove their shoes at the door. You will need to supply a mat or shoe shelf for them to store their shoes; otherwise, they will be thrown around and get into the way of others trying to come and go through the door.
- Clean Up Spills Immediately – Most people are guilty of spilling a drink or some sauce when cooking and leaving it to clean up later. If you want to protect your floors from staining, you need to clean up all spills immediately, if not sooner. You will also need to teach everyone in your home to follow the same routine.
These are simple, basic steps that you can take to protect your hybrid flooring. It allows you to prevent any significant damage, making it possible to follow the easy cleaning routine below.
Cleaning Hybrid Floors And Vinyl Planks
If you have followed the tips above, you will find that your floors and planks are easy to keep clean. In fact, it will be so easy that you may feel tempted to clean less often, which is a bad idea unless you like to deep clean every month or so. It is much easier to keep up with the basic cleaning, which will also protect your hybrid floors and vinyl planks.
- Sweep – Take the time to sweep the floor a couple of times a week with a soft bristle broom or a dry mop designed to attract dust and particles. If you do go with a dust mop, keep an eye on the pad to make sure you are not scratching your floor with a big piece of debris collected.
- Vacuum – It may seem like an extra step, but a vacuum cleaner ensures that everything is clean. Run the hose around the edges of the room and use it to collect the pile of dust left over from sweeping. This ensures that all the dirt is picked up, which is next to impossible with a dustpan.
- Mop – Now, it is time to mop the floor. You will need to use a mop that you can wring out entirely because you do not want a ton of water to be used on the floor. Use a cleaner designed for your type of floor, and never use acidic cleaning products. And no matter what, never use a steam cleaning system on your hybrid flooring or vinyl planks.
That is all there is to cleaning your floors when you have hybrid or vinyl. Take your time, be diligent, and keep everyone off the floor until it dries completely.
Final Thoughts
That is all that there is to it. It is possible to care for and clean your hybrid flooring or vinyl planks without much trouble. It will require you to schedule a few minutes out of your day to complete the cleaning routine, but if you follow the protective measures discussed, it will be simple. Combine the two sections discussed, and your life with this type of flooring will be made much simpler and a lot less stressful.
