Top tips for maintaining vinyl flooring

Versatile, durable and easy to maintain, vinyl flooring is enjoying something of a resurgence in British homes. It is quick and simple to clean your vinyl floor and these straightforward tips will help you to keep your flooring looking brand new for as long as possible.

Protect flooring with a doormat

Ensure you have a tough, rugged doormat at each entrance to your home to trap any sharp pieces of gravel or debris that might get trodden in from outside. Sharp stones can easily scratch even the toughest flooring, while dirty shoes and boots can quickly dull your pristine vinyl. Vacuum doormats regularly and roughly shake them out to loosen any trapped gravel or stones. You might even want to remove your shoes whenever you are in the home and wear slippers or socks instead. This is a great way to protect all the floors in your property and minimise the amount of cleaning needed.

Don’t let dirt build up

Vinyl is more resilient than many other popular types of flooring; however, the longer you leave it between cleaning, the harder it will be to get a beautiful finish. Once dirt becomes ground into your flooring, you will find it takes far longer to clean. Sweep your floor regularly – every day if necessary – and mop it every few days or more frequently if it is in a busy room of the home with constant foot traffic!

Use felt pads on furniture legs

These are cheap and readily available in a range of sizes, or you can cut them to size yourself if you find larger pads too unsightly for delicate items of furniture. These handy pads prevent furniture scraping and scratching your vinyl floor. They can be removed from your furniture if you change your flooring or move your furniture to another room.

Don’t use too much water

While vinyl is waterproof – making it perfect for all rooms in the home, including kitchens and bathrooms – try not to get too carried away when cleaning your floor. While water will not penetrate your flooring, it can easily spill over the edges of your floor, causing problems under skirting boards or in areas in which two rolls or tiles of vinyl have been joined. It is easy to forget that vinyl flooring does not mean that your entire room is completely waterproof!