what do you clean your laminate floors with?

[ktgrok]

I used to use a steam mop, but the laminate is new, and my DH spent so much time putting it in that he doesn't want to risk the steam penetrating and warping it. I have swiffer wet cloths for quick clean ups, but I don't want the expense/trash/etc of only using those. We are messy people, with a preschooler, a baby that just started eating solids, and 2 dogs and 2 cats. Oh, and a teen boy. So dirty floors. I bought the rubbermaid "reveal" mop yesterday, that has a refillable container for water or cleaner. i just don't know WHAT cleaner to use. I used water with a little vinegar yesterday. I've heard there is a Laminate floor cleaner at home depot/lowes, don't know if that is worthwhile. I read somewhere to use baby shampoo because "if it is safe for baby it is safe for the floors" which seemed like a logical fallacy if I ever heard one.

 

So anyway, what do you clean your floors with? It's ALL laminate and tile.

[Pawz4me]

I've used a variety of things. I have laminate and linoleum, so I like to use something that can do both --

 

A little Murphy's oil soap diluted in a bucket of water for full mops is my favorite. I also keep a bit of it (mixed with water) in a spray bottle for quick clean ups.

A drop of dish detergent or laundry detergent diluted in a bucket of water.

Vinegar/water. Not a huge fan of cleaning with vinegar, though. I've never felt the love that so many people do.

 

I've used quite a few commercial cleaners purchased at Home Depot or Lowes, but I don't find them any better than Murphy's.

[Chris in VA]

I took a lot of the finish off my sealed hardwoods by using a light steam on them--so I wouldn't go that direction if I had laminate (for tile, absolutely). I guess maybe it depends on the quality of the laminate, tho.

 

LOVE Lemon Pine-Sol for tile. Prob horrible for the environment, but it cleans so well and smells good, not chemically. (Regular Pine-sol is gross, imo)

 

I'd probably stick with vinegar or vinegar and one or two drops of Dawn, using a flat mop. But I don't think flat mops clean very well...

 

Yeah, no help here. :laugh:

[craftyerin]

I sweep under the table and bar in the kitchen after every meal. I use my swiffer VAC (no liquid) almost every day. LOVE that thing. It takes me ~5 min to breeze through the main areas of the house before I go to bed. I have cut up some plain tshirts to use on it instead of the disposable swiffer cloths. IME, any substitute thicker than one layer of tshirt makes the vac part not work so well (lifts it up too high off the floor and it doesn't have that powerful of a suck). For bigger dirt (like the sand and leaves that get tracked in the back door), I use my regular vacuum on the hard floor setting (Shark Navigator). And once a week or so, I steam mop (I have a Bissell and a Eureka, but I prefer my Bissell). I adore my steam mop, have used it on laminate floors in two houses over the last 4 years and have had no issues.

[AmyontheFarm]

We dry mop daily, just to collect the dust, hair, etc. We steam mop every 2-3 days.

[Aspasia]

I used vinegar when I had laminate. Half vinegar/half water + Swiffer with a cleaning rag = easy and clean.

[carriede]

I have a Hoover stic vac I use to "sweep" it. Then use a Swiffer Wet to "mop". Sometimes I have to scrub with a dishcloth and water+dish soap.

[Kari C in SC]

I use my carpet cleaner with hard floor attachment. I just use warm water and vinegar in it.

[SarahW]

I have one of those Rubbermaid reusable swiffers (the one where you don't have to buy anything else after you buy the mop). I just put a little liquid castille soap with tea tree oil in the container and dilute it with water.

 

I use the tea tree oil kind because I live in Florida, and am terrified of finding a weird bug in my kitchen. I don't know if the soap has done anything really, but so far no bugs.

[alef]

I have a basic wet/dry mop--to use wet you just take the washable cover off, get it wet and wring it out, then put it back on the mop. Same process to rinse.