Laminate flooring has grown in popularity over the years, largely due to its affordability and the growing range of styles, colours, and patterns available. But, any laminate owner knows, it can be prone to cracking, bubbling, and separating, as well as holding onto stains. The good news is this isn't your parents' laminate, it's not nearly as flimsy as it used to be. Today's laminate is far more durable, which means it can stand up to more effective cleaning methods.
Old school laminate was a peel-and-stick sheet designed to look like tile. New school laminate looks so much like tile and flooring, even an expert could get confused. In fact, the only way to truly know the difference is in its construction because appearance-wise, it's impressive. Laminate is made up of several layers of synthetic material and at the core is a fibre and resin combo. So, now that you know what it is, it's time to learn how to effectively clean it.
360 Australia Tips on Cleaning Your Floors
Laminate isn't waterproof and the tiny bit of space between the boards allows seepage, which can cause a problem for the individual plank. Of course, if it's a big spill it can bubble and warp several planks. It can also cause swelling, which causes the planks to rise and further separate. So, it's incredibly important that you use minimal water when cleaning your laminate.
It is safe to mop your floors, but you don't want to grab a bucket and slop water or cleaner everywhere. You need a fine spray or mist instead. But before you set out with a mop, you should carry out an initial sweep. Otherwise, the mop is pushing dirt and debris into the gaps between your laminate planks. The more that gets between your planks, the more it builds and it can also cause further separation between planks, as well as making it at higher risk of water damage over time.
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Sweep or vacuum before you mop, this is particularly easy if you use a cleaning robot mop. It can do a full sweep of your home and then mop your laminate.
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You should make time to scrape any odd spots on your laminate using a soft scraper, such as a plastic knife. With kids and pets running around, laminate tends to put up with a lot.
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As much as you can rely on an automatic vacuum cleaner, you will also need to do a deep clean once a week or month, depending on your home. The robot sweeper can handle daily sweeps, but a more in-depth clean is a must. It will vary depending on your lifestyle, but every two weeks is ideal. Once you have manually swept, you should opt for a microfibre cloth and spray bottle or floor wipes to carry out your manual mop. You can speed up the drying process by running over the floor with a dry mop. Alternatively, clean the floor in quadrants and give it time to dry before you move on to the next section.
- Don't use a steam mop, forget about abrasive or acidic cleaners – your best bet is to put felt protectors on furniture legs. If you notice a widening separation in planks, you can use a suction cup and rubber mallet to (lightly) tap it back into place. Use area rugs as much as possible, encourage people to leave their shoes at the front door, and regularly trim pet nails.
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It's not a cheap robot vacuum, but it is an affordable one. This robot vacuum cleaner mop offers powerful suction, and with 25 sensors, as well as LIDAR and SLAM, its navigation is second to none. Of course, it's also a remote vacuum cleaner, so if you want to trigger an unscheduled clean you can easily do so, whether you're sitting on the couch, stuck at a stoplight halfway home from work or lounging in the bath.
- 360 Smart Life S10
The S10 is the premier 360 robot vacuum and mop cleaner. It packs a 500 ml dustbin and 520 ml water tank, and 3300 Pa suction power. At just 8.5 cm tall, this automatic robot vacuum can easily sweep under beds, and cabinets, and with its stellar navigation and sensors, it knows when it can and can't fit in or under a tight space. It's the best automatic robot vacuum for bigger homes.
Before you buy robot vacuums, be sure to look at the specs and think about what your home needs to determine the best cleaning robot vacuum. If you have five bedrooms, then you will want a powerful battery to ensure your clean robot vacuum does its job before returning to its dock to charge. But if you have a one or two bedroom apartment, a smaller (and cheaper) auto vacuum cleaner model will be ideal.
There are plenty of 360 robot vacuum models to choose from in the 360 Smart Life shop. If you aren't quite ready for a robot that vacuums, check out the cordless vacuum cleaner instead. And don't forget that with every robo vac you can fully utilise the 360 robot app to schedule cleaning, create maps and no-go zones, and make sure your 360 vacuum cleaner is doing the hard work so you don't have to.