Linoleum Help

http://www.mrscleannw.com/tips/clean-linoleum.html

LINK I FOUND, HOPE IT HELPS....YOU CAN ALWAYS GOOGLE INFO FOR WHAT YOU NEED. I FIND IT VERY HELPFUL ON MANY THINGS.

The best thing I found was just plain dish soap. Only about 3-6 drops in the mop bucket with hot water and my floors aren't sticky or dirty.

You may have too much soap in the cleaning solution you are using. If you have too much it makes the floor dirty.

Vinegar!!! I use a mixture of about 25% vinegar and 75% water to clean our floors and it does a GREAT job! They literally squeak when I'm finished and there's very little scrubbing necessary. It also disinfects so it's perfect for the kitchen. Hope this helps!

This may sound strange but have you tried scrubbing bubbles on it? My mom had the same problem and one day she dropped a can of it on her floor and it exploded. when she cleaned it up her floor looked new. I use it on my floors too and they are always pretty. Just be sure not to use too much because it can be hard to get it all off the floor leaving it slippery (my husband learned this the hard way).

Try the old fashioned way of using a rag instead of a sponge. It does require getting on your hands and knees, but the results will be more satisfactory.

K.,

If you are just using a mop (string or sponge) all the yuck just gets relocated regardless if you are cleaning the mop or not. It just gets pushed around. So, here is what I do.

If it is just getting up the surface dirt, have you tried a Swiffer Wet Jet? I LOVE Swiffer products mostly because they tend to not let the surface dirt just relocate. It "sticks" to the pads or whatever you are using. Of course, it is not a fool proof method, so if you have real high traffic issues you may need to change the pad a couple of times, but I really like it.

If you have the dirt in the little "dimples" in a textured linoleum, try a Magic Eraser....THESE are magical!! I love them, too. Kind of a pain to erase the whole floor, but maybe you can do it a little at a time if this is something you are having a problem with.

Good luck and happy mopping!!

In my bathroom where there is hairspray build-up I use straight rubbing alcohol to cut the gunk every so often.... Then clean it with regular mop stuff. A small toothbrush helps with the indentations and cracks...Works for me....

I used to have the same problem until I tried the Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. It was a little hard on my hands and knees rubbing the floor, but it worked. Now they have a Mr. Clean Mop with a replaceable head that's much easier on the knees! Good luck!

I have resorted to using a steam mop. It leaves no chemicals on the floor, and if used slowly, sanitizes the entire floor. It melts up the sticky messes in to a microfiber pad (washable, no fabric softener, please) dries almost instantly and is reasonable inexpensive (under $100). It works on all types of hard surface floors and can be used to fluff carpet in high traffic areas.

I just bought one of the steam mops and I have to say I love it! It's light, easy to use and gets my floor cleaner than I ever would I thought with only steam! The microfiber pads go in the washer and dryer after I am finished and are ready for next time. And it gets tough stains up too -- I have a 14 month and 2 other kids who get alot on the floor! good luck

Most linoleum is not exactly smooth. I have a small area with linoleum and every so many time I clean, I use and magic eraser. It can get down in the grooves and it seems to be alot cleaner. You will have to clean over it after you usr the eraser. Hope this helps!

Try rinsing the mop out, then filling a bucket with fresh water and add a cup of white vinegar. This should remove any residue left from mopping the first time.
P.S. I did not realize that others had suggested vinegar. this is ths first time I have responded to anyone. Hope you get the floor clean from the many suggestions!

I did not read through all your responses, I use vinegar and hot water. You might need to change your mop head, put a towel on it after you get it wet and see how dirty the towel is that will tell you if you need to change the mop head.

I have this issue in my bathroom I'am constantly cleaning it and it still looks dirty.I have used Mrclean magic erasers and it helps it gets into the tiny creases a mop or sponge can't.And belive me the eraser comes out to be just as dirty.

In addition to certain cleaning products, I find it helpful to vacuum before mopping. Sweeping just doesn't get up the dirt as well. I have a canister vac I use on my hardwoods, tile, etc. That way, you aren't just swishing the dirt around when you mop.

When I needed a break from daycare I worked at Merry Maids for a while. That is the best training anyone could recieve about cleaning. The way they clean floors is down on your knees, and its the best way...mops do as you have found out push around the dirt. Mix a solution of water and vinegar, use several rags, never dunk a dirty rag in your clean bucket of solution, and dry as you go. If it makes you feel any better I maybe do my floor on hands and knees twice a week and in between I do spot cleaning under areas like the high chair, and I do swiffer wet jet in between, but I never think it does as good a job as hands and knees.
Good luck!
= )
B.

we moved into a house that had a build up around the edges on the linoleum and looked really bad. My husband sprayed the lysol kitchen antibacterial cleaner on it and let it sit for a while and it came really clean. I don't know if it would strip nice shiny newer linoleums but that one was fairly old and looked really bad so we thought it would be worth a try and worked real well. It cleaned it so well that we didn't have to replace the floor and sold the house with that same old linoleum in it.

Good Morning K., I have used numerous things too. One I have found that works is vinegar in the mop water. Rinse it also. I have linolem in all 3 bathrooms, wood in the kitchen, I use swif-it for the batrooms and kitchen now. Works for me.

Will check out what others use cause there is always something better out there and great idea's.

God Bless your SONday
K. Nana of 5

Krud Kutter! You get at Lowe's. Seriously, it will make it look like NEW! My sister uses it on her linoleum. UNBELIEVABLE! Her floor looks brand new!

If you put ammonia on the floor and let it stand for a few hours I think it will come clean.
My friend moved into an apartment and we could not even see the pattern it was so dirty.
She spread straight ammonia on the floor and leaving it wet for a few hours and them mopping it 2 or three times with clean water each time it looked brand new.
Hope that helps

Hi K.,

I have the same problem with my linoleum and my hard wood floors. I use vinegar and hot water and the towel is still dirty when I go back over it and I think it gives it a dull finish. I don't know if this will work on linoleum but this is what I use in my shower that has a bumpy floor. I spray Easy Off Oven Cleaner and spray it in the shower and let it sit for an hour or so then I scrub with a brush it is GREAT getting out all the dirt. My husband is a pipefitter and comes home very greasy and dirty everyday, so my shower is ALWAYS black. You might try the Easy Off Oven Cleaner in a small area to see how it will work on linoleum. It's worth a try but it won't be easy having to get on hands and knees. That's why I haven't ever tried it. It doesn't seem like I ever have that much time to get that serious with scrubbing. I'm a mother of 3 ages 7, 5 & 3-----Good Luck----J. C

Make take awhile. I use this with my white tile in the entry way. Mr. Clean white erase sponge pads. They also work great for the bottom of the shower and tenny shoes.

Hi K.,

I had the smae problems when we were renting our first appartments, luckily I only have one bathroom now with linoleum. First, if you ever use clorox....you ruin the material deppending on how much you use, it ruin the coating and make the material more porous every time so the dirt stick and doesn't want to come off.
If yoy haven't, I woudl suggest to vacuum first, then use a new mop and go as natural as possible, most products have too much detergent or soap or chemicals that will keep on destroying the coating and material over time and it will make it worse each time.
Even lemon and vinegar are acids that will corrode the material.
So if your floor is already corroded, you can try borax powder with a brush (deck brush) every dirt will come off and then wash or vacuum the powder or powder mix. You can add water or lemon/vinegar if you want.
But if it is not ruined, my suggestion is to find a natural product without harsh chemicals, or just use water with a few drops of Dreft or any baby deteergent that is mild or doesn't make too many bubbles.
There is a great product that I buy through Melaleuca that is called Sol-U_Mel, it brings the new shine on linoleum and it is naturally based without any harsh chemical, I love this product, I use it for lots of things now, I even took sharpie out of my white leather couch! And they say that it does take sharpie out of linoleum too. I only had to take crayons for now:) and it worked!
Hope it helps, best of luck!
Mariana

K.,
This may not be the kind of help you are looking for, but I will tell you what I used to do. We needed a new floor in our kitchen, the linoleum would never come clean no matter what I did. So my husband took one of those green scrubbie things for washing dishes, and some comet. He scrubbed and scrubbed, and the kitchen floor looked almost good as new, the only problem was we had to start using wax on it so it would shine. It would stay clean for a time, then we'd have to do the comet thing again. We just did it till we got a new floor. I wouldn't suggest it if a new floor isn't in your near future but it worked for us in our situation.

Hi K.,
You might try a magic eraser. I have used them to clean ground in shoe marks and dirt that would not come up with just a mop.
K.