A good cleaning and applying a laminate polish can give your floors that brand-new shine. Laminate flooring, loved for its durability, price, and range of color choices, is relatively low maintenance when compared to other types of flooring. Despite this, the laminate can lose its shine over time, typically due to a buildup of dirt and grime. Unlike wood floors, you cannot wax it, and using any type of soap-based product will actually make the floors duller. A good cleaning and a product specifically meant for laminate floors will make the laminate look like new. Thoroughly sweep the floor, removing any crumbs, dust, pet hair, or other dirt. Clean along the walls and underneath furniture, as dirt and hair tend to slide across laminate flooring; if you just get the visible areas, any slight change in the air can push dirt out from its hiding place and onto the floor, causing you to have to sweep all over again. A dusting mop or broom and dustpan are typically best for this; however, a vacuum with a hard floor setting can also do a thorough job.

Add one cup of distilled white vinegar to a gallon of warm water. Clean the floor with this mixture using a soft mop. Although there are laminate flooring cleaners on the market that are not soap based, good old-fashioned vinegar tends to produce the best results. Fill up your bucket with clean, warm water and go over the floors again. This will help the vinegar smell dissipate more quickly and ensure there’s no build-up on your floors. Use a clean, dry, lint-free cloth and dry the floor in a circular motion by hand. Shake a bottle of laminate floor polish gently and then squirt, spray, or pour some on the floor, starting in the farthest corner of the room. Spread the polish with a lint-free clean mop, microfiber towel, or the apparatus that was sold with the floor polish. Apply the polish in small sections, working your way backward out of the room. Let the product dry according to the manufacturer's directions, and then apply a second coat in the same manner if necessary. Avoid walking on the floor for at least 24 hours for the best results.

Things You Will Need Broom and dustpan (optional) Dusting mop (optional) Vacuum with hard floor setting (optional) Bucket Distilled white vinegar Mop Clean cloth Laminate floor polish Lint-free cloth mop Tip Photo Credits Burke/Triolo Productions/Brand X Pictures/Getty Images Suggest a Correction Be sure to consult the manufacturer of your flooring, for the recommended cleaning and waxing products. This guide is about making laminate floors shine.All ArticlesQuestionsNewestOldestMost HelpfulLeast HelpfulMost AnswersFewest AnswersBest AnswersRelevanceQuestion: FlagBy marsha0How can I get my dull laminate floor to shine like it did when new? By Marsha Answer By akc2005 Flag0Have you tried mopping with vinegar? 1 cup per gallon of water Reply By Janelle Flag0I had that same problem, and someone told me to clean it with soap and water, which worked great, but I was on my hands and knees and that was just too much work! So then I bought a Shark, the cleaner that cleans with steam, and then mop it all with mop & glow.

The floors looked like new again! Reply Flag0The best and safest place to find this answer is to call two or three laminate flooring companies. Using anything other than what they recommend can harm the floors over time and will void the flooring warranty. Cabin Toilet Bowl BrushOne of the products not recommended for some laminates is mop and glow. Used Book Stores Pueblo CoI've had laminate flooring in the past and one of the recommended safe solutions is the vinegar and water suggested by another poster here. T Shirt Life Cycle AssessmentReply By Joan Flag0I find that mopping with vinegar and water or steam cleaning works very well, but the floor must be thoroughly dried or it will be streaky. I tie a towel to my dust mop and dry each section as I clean it.

Seems like a lot of work, but it's worth it and I only have to do it about three or four times a year. Reply Question: FlagBy jules0I have dull laminate floors. I have tried a lot of solutions made for laminate floors which leave it dull and filmy. I have heard a solution of vinegar and water works best, but hate the smell. By Jules from Phoenix, AZ Answer By Amy Crowley Flag0Well, Orange Glo works and smells great, but I don't know about laminate-mine are real wood. I think they make a cleaner, but it's pricey. You might add some essential oils to scent-maybe something from the dollar store-or even liquid potpourri. I use vinegar water to clean up after dogs, and I put a little sandalwood oil in it to keep the smell down. Reply By Alicia Flag0You can add pure vanilla extract to the vinegar solution to take away the smell of the vinegar. Reply By brutusesmom Flag0Don't use so much vinegar. It only takes about 1/2 cup to a bucket of water. Never use orange glow on laminate. Reply By helen.wyllie17 Flag0Where can I buy Orangeglow?

Reply Question: Flag0I have a laminated flooring that was installed about 5 years ago. My problem is that when I clean the floor with the suggested cleaning liquid by the manufacturer, or now the new Clorox or Swifter cleaners that I have also tried, the floor retains a dull film that I can't remove back to my shiny floor. Has anyone else experienced this problem and found a remedy for it? Could it possibly be a hard water problem?Ruth from Jackson, MI Answer guest (Guest Post) Flag0I haven't tried it myself, but a co-worker said she adds vinegar (sorry, I don't know how much) to her water and that it eliminated the problem for her. Reply guest (Guest Post) Flag0I use 1 cup vinegar per 1 gallon of water. But it has not taken away the dull look. My laminated floor is only a year old. I did not know I could not use oil soap. Reply By Dolres Flag0Do you use white vinegar for the cleaning or the browner types of vinegar? Or does it make any difference what kind you use? Reply By mulli Flag0My floor film was so bad I was ready to replace the floor but I called Bruce's Floor Cleaner and they told me they don't tell it but the film can be removed with 1 cup water in a gallon of warm water Scrub with white damp cloth to remove film.

The thing was I was using Bruce's floor cleaner (dry thoroughly) which was what I had to do to remove. Cleaned it 3 times but if you look under Bono Floor cleaner for a Laminate flooring you also will find they also sell a polish for a Laminate flooring. My opinion I don't believe we need to purchase a floor cleaner and just use the vinegar and water solution and the Bono polish. Best for you to Google and get your own opinions. I do know somewhere in here they are recommending vinegar and water for a cleaner. I will do more research before I do this but right now I am leaning toward doing that. Reply Question: FlagBy suan0I have laminate wood flooring and it always looks dull. I use Bruce cleaner. What will make it shine? By Suan from Blue Springs, MO Answer Flag0Laminate floors by nature simply are not shiny. You need to contact your (and/or other) laminate flooring manufacturers to answer this question because if you use anything other than what they recommend not only could your warranty be null and void but you risk ruining the floors.