How to Clean & Whiten a Linoleum Floor

Your old linoleum floor is in great shape, but you might notice that it never looks clean, no matter how hard you scrub it. Linoleum floors are durable, but they tend to accumulate buildup from household dirt, cleaners and wax. It's not too tough to clean and whiten a linoleum floor; the trick is to strip the old residues off the floor so you can restore it to its original color.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Oxygen cleaner
• 2-gallon bucket
• Mop
• Scrub brush with stiff bristles

1. Sweep or vacuum the floor to remove any loose dirt and dust.

2. Mix 4 oz. oxygen cleaner into 1 gallon of very hot tap water until all of the cleaning crystals have dissolved.

3. Dip a mop into the cleaning solution and wet a 4-foot strip of linoleum along one wall of the room. Repeat until the entire area is saturated. Let it stand for 15 minutes.

4. Scrub the wet area of the floor vigorously. All of the built-up residue will lift from the floor.

5. Mop up the solution from the cleaned area, changing the rinse water as soon as it becomes cloudy.

6. Rinse the stripped area of flooring, using a mop and clean water.

7. Repeat the soaking, scrubbing and rinsing process on the rest of the linoleum floor, working in 4-foot strips so the solution doesn't dry during the process.

8. Complete the job by rinsing the entire floor one more time, again changing the water frequently. Allow the floor to air dry before resuming traffic.

Tips & Warnings

• Once the floor has dried, seal your bright white floor with a protective wax-type product, applying two or three coats of sealer according to the manufacturer's directions.