Linoleum Care
Such flooring as linoleum today is in almost any apartment. This is not surprising, because at a fairly affordable cost, it is distinguished by functionality, durability, attractive appearance, a wide variety of colors, ease of cleaning. But in order for the floor covering to please us with these qualities for a long time, it is important to regularly carry out proper maintenance of linoleum.
Content
- We follow the rules – keep the floor
- Effective preventive measures
We follow the rules – keep the floor
With all the advantages, linoleum, like any other floor coverings, has several disadvantages. Its surface is sensitive to temperature, chemical and mechanical influences. Therefore, its appearance and lifetime depend on how carefully we will treat it. To do this, you need to have at least general concepts about the proper care of linoleum, otherwise it may lose its presentable appearance quickly enough.
Proper care of linoleum will keep its attractive appearance
First of all, you need to remember that household linoleum is intended for residential premises and is usually made of materials with average operating characteristics (which is why it is cheaper) and most often does not have an upper protective layer.
In such cases, in order to protect linoleum as much as possible from mechanical damage, as well as to extend the service life, its surface must be independently treated with polymer mastic or polish. A thin film is formed on the surface of linoleum during this treatment, which will give it additional wear resistance. It will protect linoleum from many threats – mechanical damage, contact with liquids, exposure to ultraviolet radiation. In addition, traces of furniture wheels and shoes will not remain on linoleum. As a rule, two layers are applied and the material is maintained without load for at least 8-10 hours.
There are various protective films, they differ in color shades (matte, glossy), in density (hard, light) and other characteristics.
Important! To prevent cracking on the linoleum, it is recommended to lubricate the coating with linseed oil or linseed oil once or twice a month. The oil is applied with a sponge, then rubbed dry with a soft cloth. Linoleum will shine and look well-groomed.
The linoleum greased with drying oil shines and looks well-groomed
Effective preventive measures
- To protect linoleum from mechanical damage, it is necessary to put a grill or a protective mat at the entrance to the apartment, which will clean shoes from dust, dirt and small stones, as they can scratch the coating.
- It is desirable that the furniture in the apartment was on wide legs or plastic castors. The legs must be protected with stickers, for example, from felt. Do not use rubber for these purposes – it will leave indelible spots on linoleum.
- Linoleum should be protected from falling cigarettes or burning matches, as well as from possible contact with shoe cream, lipstick, alcohol-containing substances.
- Do not drag gravity along the linoleum: the coating breaks at the same time. To move objects you need to lift them, use mats or wheels.
- Any contaminants should be removed immediately so that they do not soak into the coating. Stubborn stains are removed much more difficult..
- Never use abrasive products, bleaches or chemical solvents for cleaning..
- It is not recommended to spread linoleum on the balcony: frost and direct sunlight are the main enemies of linoleum. From constant exposure to sunlight and temperature extremes, linoleum will quickly crack, lose color and collapse.
How to wash linoleum?
It would seem that there is wisdom here: take a rag and mine for yourself. However, there are some nuances that you must know.
So, linoleum – how to wash it?
It should be noted that after laying the first time, linoleum must be cleaned exclusively with the dry method. If the coating is laid in an area where people often go (for example, in the hallway), it should be treated with polymer spraying or a protective emulsion. Any contamination is clearly visible on monochromatic linoleum, so it must be treated immediately with these means, so that there are no traces of repair work on the new coating.
After laying the coating for some time, only dry cleaning linoleum with a vacuum cleaner is applicable
After a while, you can just use a wet rag to wipe the linoleum daily. We carry out dry cleaning beforehand with a broom or vacuum cleaner. If necessary, linoleum can be washed with water in which soap or powder was dissolved (the main thing is that the powder is well dissolved in water).
Linoleum can be washed with soap or powder.
How to wash linoleum with large contaminants? In such cases, when ordinary water cannot be dispensed with, we use special means for washing linoleum, they are sold in all household stores. However, they must be applied carefully, in small quantities, and then they will clean the coating of stubborn dirt and old stains.
Special linoleum care products
If disinfection is necessary, a disinfectant can be poured into the water only so that it is not too aggressive.
Interesting to know! Obsolete linoleum can be rejuvenated by washing it with milk mixed with water in a ratio of 1: 1.
In the case of using several linoleum detergents, you first need to make sure that their combination will be safe. Some products come into opposition with each other, and this can adversely affect both the quality of coating cleaning and the surface condition of the entire linoleum.
What you do not need to wash linoleum? When washing linoleum, soda and alkaline products cannot be used, as they will make it brittle, and as a result, it will quickly deteriorate. It is also highly recommended not to use too hot water when cleaning linoleum, since it also adversely affects the condition of the coating.
How to remove stains from linoleum?
There is a general rule: the stain on linoleum needs to be removed immediately so that the contamination does not have time to absorb into the coating.
Stains from linoleum need to be wiped as quickly as possible
- Stains of oil, wax and asphalt can be removed with gasoline, which can be bought at a hardware store. A piece of wax or asphalt must be pry off with a spatula, and wipe the remaining stain with gasoline, then rinse with water. Stains from shoe polish are also wiped off..
- To get rid of stains of iodine, coffee, food colors, baby felt-tip pen, gasoline, kerosene or turpentine are used. Since all these substances are harmful enough to cover, they must be used in minimal quantities, dropping a little on a soft rag and gently wiping the stain. Ink stains are removed from linoleum with sandpaper or pumice, then lubricating the coating with linseed oil.
- Stains from mold, rust or grass can be scrubbed with a solution of 1 part bleach and 10 parts water. If a small mark remains, it should be wiped with lemon juice..
- Spilled fat should be wiped off as soon as possible with a paper towel or napkin, and then washed with soapy water. If the stain is persistent, you can wipe it with turpentine and then rinse linoleum with water.
Separate conversation – how and how to wash the green from linoleum.
From life experience, it was noted that bottles with greenery very often tend to accidentally roll over, spill, break, especially in playful children’s hands. But, when you see greenery on your favorite linoleum, you should not panic: such spots can be removed. For this, different means are used:
- Wipe a fresh stain of brilliant green with a nail polish remover. If the first attempt failed, you need to change the fleece and wipe the stain again.
- Use a cotton swab dipped in a 10% ammonia solution to gently wipe the green stain. If it is fresh, then with the help of this chemical agent, as a rule, it is quickly removed. After treatment with ammonia solution, linoleum should be washed with warm soapy water..
- Soak the swab in camphor alcohol or hydrogen peroxide and wipe the stains with it, then wash the linoleum with warm soapy water.
- To remove stains of brilliant green, you can also use liquid chlorophyllipt (pharmacy).
If the stain is not the first freshness and could not be removed, then you should try to close the soiled area with furniture or another piece of furniture.
How to wash linoleum after repair
Here you can advise one thing: you need to maximize the protection of linoleum from pollution during repairs. To do this, you need to cover the entire floor with plastic wrap or paper, then less then you will have to rack your brains, how to wash linoleum after repair.
Carefully scrape away the filler from the putty with a spatula. We wash off the dust and white coating with warm water (several times). Then we change the rag (the previous one should not be removed from building dust) and we wash linoleum, adding a little vinegar or potassium permanganate to the water. For complex spots, you can use the “White Spirit” or the “646” tool. Abrasive detergents are not recommended; they can damage the protective layer of the coating..
Observing the established rules for the timely care of linoleum, you can ensure the safety of its quality and attractive appearance for many years.
