How to Clean Linoleum Floors
October 26th, 2006 (Cleaning)
The first step in washing your floors is to remove as much of the furniture as possible from the room to obtain a clear path and eliminate the need for shifting things around. Prepare two buckets, one with hot water and the cleaning solution, the other with fresh water for rinsing the mop or scrub brush as you go. For the washing solution use an all-purpose detergent such as Pine Sol or Mr. Clean. Add 1/2 cup of sudsy ammonia.
Divide the floor area mentally into segments using various features of the room as guides. Do one segment at a time, first scrubbing with detergent, then rinsing; squeeze out the mop in clean water and rinse the washed area before going on to the next segment. Discard the dirty rinse water when necessary - the detergent should remain clear throughout. It is not usually necessary to wipe the rinsed floor absolutely dry (except for wood floors) unless traffic into the room cannot be restrained for the needed drying period.
Many homemakers prefer to scrub the floor on their knees with a fiber-bristle brush, and their efforts obviously are justified by the splendid results. Tiles with embossed surfaces or pattern indentations usually require this more direct scrubbing effort. Waxing helps keep dirt from sticking to the surface, saves wear of the floor covering, provides an attractive, shiny surface, and not least, makes routine floor washing easier.
To clean a linoleum floor there are three essential steps:
1. Sweep up all the loose dirt.
2. Mop thoroughly with hot water and a detergent such Top Job or Mr. Clean. (Wring the mop frequently, so that there will not be too much water left on the floor).
3. When the floor is completely dry use an applicator pad on a long handle to apply a thin coating of Klear or some other floor finish that is expressly designed for linoleum floors. One method of application is to pour a small quantity of the Klear into a shallow tin dish. Dip the applicator into the dish and smooth over the floor. Allow this to dry thoroughly before walking on the floor. The coating of floor finish will protect the linoleum from heel marks, scratches and ground-in dirt, and will make it much easier to keep the floor clean and glossy with only a few light sweepings. If the wax surface turns yellow, be sure to remove all the old wax, mopping with hot water and detergent before putting on the new coating.