Any vinyl floor cleaning tricks up your sleeve?

[pjlla]

Just mopped my kitchen/hall/half-bathroom floor(s) and what a dingy mess they are!! They are commercial grade vinyl tiles that have a lifetime warranty for home use. They have held up well, as far as wear is concerned, but they have YELLOWED tremendously and now it seems, the closer I look, that every single tiny bit of the texturing has dirt and grime caught in it that is not coming up with regular mopping. I scrubbed a few areas with a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser and it definitely helped, but my floor is too large and those Erasers are too expensive (hence why this question fits here on the "Budget Board") to use on the ENTIRE floor.

It has always been washed with hot water and ammonia only.... nothing funky or fancy. I don't mind washing it on my hands and knees occasionally, but I would definitely not be up for a major hand SCRUBBING/SCOURING.... although at this point I am ready to try to figure out how to attach a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser to my husband's orbital sander!! Any suggestions?...........P

 

[MAJPLO]

My mother swears by Windex. Especially for vinyl floors and baseboards.

 

[kymom99]

Same problem here. I have used magic erasers but it is back breaking. Before Christmas I used baking soda mixed with dawn and SCRUBBED with my hands and rubber gloves. The floor came out beautiful, but I DO NOT recommend it! I was sore for days! I am going to try the windex idea. I already use in on the Pergo in the hallway.

 

[MickeyManiac]

I found a recipe on Pintrest using hot water, vinegar, baking soda, and Borax. My bathroom linoleum has little dimples that get dirt in them and then they are sealed with hairspray. This mixture dissolves all if it. It can leave a film so I go over it with clear water. It also smells great.

 

[h518may]

Magic Erase makes a mop, this is what we use.

 

[SamSam]

I used to always scrub on hands and knees with a scrub brush and sponge, then I got away from that and start using various mops. After a couple of years of mops, my floors were terrible.

I then handscrubbed again to get it really clean, then started using the Swifter Mop. Love it! I don't like using disposable products like this but it works so well that I will never quit using it.

 

[tina.tina]

When I mop, I use wash cloths and a regular swiffer. I have a bucket of whatever I'm using to mop with and switch out wash cloths. I wash a small load of my cleaning washcloths all together with bleach and detergent. I love borax to mop with. (Washing soda and borax are perfect to clean toilets, showers, and sinks.)

You don't have a floor that could be stripped and re-waxed do you? The yellowing sounds like a build-up- especially if it comes off with magic erasers. My Mom used to have an Anderson linoleum floor that she used Anderson products on to clean it or to strip/re-wax it.

I also have used magic erasers on showers and stuck on food on my (non-smooth top) electric stove.

 

[queenofthehive]

I use a steam mop - just fill it with plain water and let the steam/heat do all the work. Love it!

 

[kymom99]

I did some research a while ago and read that magic eraser is a very fine abrasive. Not sure if that is true or not, but I used them on my old house and the floor would look good for a day and then look awful again. I'm sure the finish was already worn off as the flooring was old, but I would hesitate to use it too often anymore. It is quite a chore getting older flooring clean but hands and knees is the most effective. My mom always insisted on it and now I know why!

 

[DVC4FUN]

I did some research a while ago and read that magic eraser is a very fine abrasive. Not sure if that is true or not, but I used them on my old house and the floor would look good for a day and then look awful again. I'm sure the finish was already worn off as the flooring was old, but I would hesitate to use it too often anymore. It is quite a chore getting older flooring clean but hands and knees is the most effective. My mom always insisted on it and not I know why!

I used a magic eraser once when I lived in an apartment several years ago. Used it to get off some black scuff marks off the white painted wall. It actually scuffed/scratched up the paint on the wall. Never used them again after that.

 

[mafibisha]

I asked the same question here awhile ago. From the replies I got, I made my own little creation lol

I mixed baking powder & hydrogen peroxide in a bowl and used a long-handled Mr. Clean brush. It worked wonders, although it does take more time than I'd like.

My linoleum sounds like yours OP and this is the only thing that's really worked in all the nooks and crannies.

The long handle Mr Clean brush has replaceable sponges (on the end) that I replace almost every other time.

(The brush is the kind when you 'can' pour liquid soap into the handle, but I don't do that. Hope that helps identify the brush if anyone decides to look for it)

 

[formill]

I used to have black and white vinyl floor tiles that got disgusting - they were
"no wax" but I read somewhere to buy floor wax stripper and use it.......so went to home depot- bought it- it takes a while with lots of hot water rinsing with mop to do each section but the difference was amazing and easier than the hands and knees scrubbing approach- the white was white again and it lifted everything out of every crevice....I then used the normal floor wax stuff over top .........I had to use the wax stripper stuff about every 6 months or so until we finally gave up on the floor and replaced it. I had tried everything before and nothing worked like that did.

 

[Tadgh O Shea]

Just mopped my kitchen/hall/half-bathroom floor(s) and what a dingy mess they are!! They are commercial grade vinyl tiles that have a lifetime warranty for home use. They have held up well, as far as wear is concerned, but they have YELLOWED tremendously and now it seems, the closer I look, that every single tiny bit of the texturing has dirt and grime caught in it that is not coming up with regular mopping. I scrubbed a few areas with a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser and it definitely helped, but my floor is too large and those Erasers are too expensive (hence why this question fits here on the "Budget Board") to use on the ENTIRE floor.

It has always been washed with hot water and ammonia only.... nothing funky or fancy. I don't mind washing it on my hands and knees occasionally, but I would definitely not be up for a major hand SCRUBBING/SCOURING.... although at this point I am ready to try to figure out how to attach a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser to my husband's orbital sander!! Any suggestions?...........P

First off lose the ammonia when cleaning your vinyl tiles as it will chemically burn the tiles, hence the yellowing effect. why not use magic eraser mop pads with a neutral pH floor cleaner as this method will keep you off your hands and knee's.

 

[donac]

My vinyl floor is over 25 years old and not in great shape. I hate to wash it and only do it when I have to. I got the Magic Erase mop head and it was so much easier than getting on my hands and knees (which don't work too well some days) I did not have them look terrible a few days later, they lasted a good length of time.

 

[LJSquishy]

Try a Hoover Floormate.