How do I Clean a White Vinyl Floor?

White vinyl flooring goes with many types of decor but it does show dirt easily.

Vinyl floors provide a softer surface than stone or ceramic but are usually as easy to clean. White vinyl may look crisp and pristine but shows dirt more easily than colored vinyl. To keep a white vinyl floor looking clean, you must clean them more often than colored vinyl flooring. Vinyl can handle many mild floor cleaning solutions, but you do need to make sure you don't use abrasives which could scratch or dull the surface.

Things You'll Need

• Broom
• Vacuum
• Vinyl floor cleaner
• White vinegar
• Bucket
• Mop
• Mild dish soap
• Sponge

Instructions

1. Sweep the floor well to remove as much surface dirt as possible. You may also vacuum vinyl floors, but make sure your vacuum cleaner's wheels and other parts touching the floor aren't scraping debris over it--this could scratch the floor.

2. Mix either a commercially prepared vinyl floor cleaner or white vinegar in a bucket with water. If using a commercial product, dilute according to the label instructions. If using White vinegar, Mrs. Clean USA recommends using equal parts warm water and vinegar.

3. Start mopping in one corner of the room, furthest away from the door so you don't end up having to walk over a wet floor.

4. Scrub stained areas, that don't respond to the mopping, with a sponge dampened in the vinegar and water. You can add a few drops of a mild dish soap to the sponge if scrubbing with vinegar and water alone is not helping.

5. Rinse areas on which you used soap or other floor solutions besides vinegar and water. To do this, rinse out your mop in clean water and mop over the areas. Dry the floor with a towel to get the best polished look.

Tips & Warnings

• Clean up spills on white vinyl immediately so they do not leave stains.

• Keep floors swept clean--in high traffic areas of the home, this may mean sweeping the floor every day. Keeping the floors swept means you shouldn't have to mop as often.

References

• World Floor Covering Association: How to Clean Vinyl Flooring
• Mrs. Clean USA: Cleaning Vinyl Floors