How to Care for Luxury Vinyl Flooring

Luxury vinyl floors are made from various synthetic materials like polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and manufactured to look like natural wood or stone. Vinyl floors can be a solid sheet or cut into tiles or planks. Luxury vinyl is an effective flooring material, especially when properly cared for. Learn the best ways to clean and care for luxury vinyl flooring.

Best Practices for Luxury Vinyl Floor Maintenance

Knowing how to care for luxury vinyl plank (LVP) flooring ensures you’re properly cleaning and maintaining your floors. Each type of flooring needs different maintenance, so here are a few best practices to keep in mind when caring for luxury vinyl floors. Always remember to check your floor manufacturer’s instructions before cleaning to ensure you don’t accidentally damage it.

Sweep or Vacuum Daily

Dirt and loose debris can scratch your LVP or luxury vinyl tile (LVT) floors, especially as people walk on it and grind the dirt into the floor. To prevent small scratches and knicks in your flooring, sweep, dry mop or vacuum daily, especially in high-traffic areas like doorways and kitchens. If vacuuming daily would be difficult to fit into your schedule, consider implementing a robot vacuum.

Clean Spills Immediately

Our vinyl flooring is waterproof with 24 to 72 hour guaranteed protection, though spills and leaks should be wiped up promptly. If liquid is allowed to sit on LVP or LVT floors, it can seep into the seams, causing the flooring to buckle and lift. Additionally, mold can form under the vinyl, which can cause serious issues in the future.

Avoid Abrasive Cleaners

While you may think abrasive cleaners are deep cleaning your LVP or LVT floors, they actually do more damage than good. Abrasive cleaners and cleaning materials like bristle brushes will scratch your flooring and cause significant damage. Opt for non-abrasive cleaners and soft materials such as microfiber.

Limit Direct Sunlight and Extreme Heat

Extreme and direct sunlight and heat can discolor and damage most home surfaces, including LVP and LVT flooring. Filter direct sunlight to reduce fading and control where hot air and heat are aimed to prevent discoloration of your floors.

How to Care for Luxury Vinyl Floors With Pets

While LVP and LVT flooring offers great traction for pets and is easy to clean, there are a few specific things you can do to help take care of your vinyl floors and prevent pet damage:

Clean accidents promptly: As a pet owner, accidents are often expected. When they occur, be sure to clean up after your pet promptly to ensure your floor stays clean and protected.
Keep nails trimmed: Keep your pets’ nails trimmed to prevent them from scratching your LVP or LVT floors. Taking your dog for a walk on pavement or the sidewalk can help file their nails down to prevent damage to your floors.
Contain food and water: Pets are notorious for spilling their food and water. To avoid missing these messes and risking damage to your floors, put your pets’ food and water bowls on a mat to contain the spills and mess.
Use mats and rugs: Mats and rugs can be placed in high-traffic areas where dirt and moisture may get tracked inside or the floor would experience more wear. For example, place a mat inside your doors so anyone coming in can wipe their feet or remove their shoes to limit debris on your LVP or LVT floors.

How to Care for Luxury Vinyl Floors With Children

Kids are naturally messy, making LVP or LVT floor maintenance even more critical in households with children. Here are some tips for caring for your vinyl floors when you have kids:

Keep cleaning supplies on hand: Kids often create unexpected messes or accidents, meaning you should be prepared for when the inevitable happens. Keep appropriate cleaning supplies for LVP and LVT floors on hand so you can properly handle any spills or stains. Check your warranty for the best cleaning supplies to use for your floors.
Play with toys on rugs: Contain potentially damaging toys to carpeted areas or area rugs. Depending on the toy or how a child plays with a toy, your floors could get scratched. Plus, playing on the floor is more comfortable on a rug.
Use furniture pads: Moving any type of furniture on LVP or LVT flooring can significantly scratch or scuff your floors. Whether it’s a dining room chair or living room coffee table, be sure to use furniture pads to prevent scratches. Additionally, furniture should always be lifted and moved rather than drug across vinyl floors.

kids playing on floor and parents on couch

Luxury Vinyl Flooring Maintenance FAQs

If you’re considering LVP or LVT floors for your home, you may have more questions. Find the answers here.

What Should You Avoid Cleaning Luxury Vinyl With?

Always avoid using ammonia, wax and solvent-based polishes. Ammonia breaks down the synthetic coating on LVP, causing significant damage to the floors. Since LVP and LVT floors are coated in a protective topcoat, these floors don’t need to be waxed or polished. Doing so can also damage the topcoat and dull the floors.

Bedroom with black wall and light wood floors

Can You Put Heavy Appliances and Furniture on Vinyl Plank Flooring?

Yes, with caution. LVP and LVT floors are strong and durable, though moving heavy furniture and appliances can damage the floors. Consider using furniture sliders and protectors on the feet of your heavy appliances and furniture to help protect the floors.

Can You Use Rubber-Backed Mats on Luxury Vinyl Planks?

Rubber-backed mats should be avoided on LVP and LVT floors. The rubber and latex materials in these products can stain the surface of your floor.

Looking to Replace Your Flooring? Contact 50Floor Today

If you’re considering new tile flooring, 50Floor offers high-quality service and products at affordable prices. From consultation to installation, we’ll help you find the best tile flooring for your home. For more information about our flooring solutions, contact us or schedule an appointment today.

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