Do's & Don'ts for Cleaning Linoleum & Marmoleum Floors

Written by Briana Smith | May 24, 2016 3:00:00 PM

By: Mike Anderson

Linoleum (and Marmoleum) floors have come a long way design-wise from its inception in the 1860’s, but its longevity and endurance as a flooring material haven’t changed a bit. Still, as with every floor, it’s important to regularly clean and maintain them to minimize scratches, scuffs and, other damage. Here are some cleaning tips for preventing linoleum and Marmoleum floors from damage and keeping them looking their best.

DO...

Mop up spills as soon as possible – prevent SPOTS from becoming STAINS.
Remember to rinse and neutralize the floor before applying finish.
Use a clean mop head.
Try to clean your linoleum or Marmoleum flooring on a regular basis.
Make use of suitable entrance mats to help minimize dirt and grit from being tracked in and onto your floors.
Protect your floor from sharp furniture legs by placing furniture caps or similar protectors on them. If moving a heavy object across the floor, place a piece of carpet (or something similar) underneath it.

DON'T...

Mix cleaning chemicals unless specified by the manufacturer.
Apply wax, furniture polish or silicone products onto the linoleum or Marmoleum.
Apply finish to a floor with surface dirt. It'll merely seals the dirt in.
Apply thick coats of finish. Two or three thin coats are better than one thick one.
Use too much water.

Be extremely cautious with traditional stripping on linoleum and Marmoleum flooring. High pH strippers will permanently damage and remove the protective top layer of the flooring material. Additionally, high pH strippers will be absorbed by the linoleum or Marmoleum, causing it to expand and become softer. In this softened state, further damage to the linoleum or Marmoleum can easily occur with the use of heavy duty stripping pads (normally used for traditional wet stripping). Use a good neutral pH stripper (we recommend LinoSafe Stripper made by Diversey).

Mike Anderson is the Commercial Equipment Specialist and Consultant for WAXIE Ontario. He is IICRC certified for carpet and hard floors, and an expert in hard and soft floor care maintenance, restoration and solutions. You can find Mike on Twitter (@waxiemike) where he posts about his two favorite things – equipment & floor cleaning challenges!

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