Luxury vinyl flooring (LVF) has become a popular choice for many homeowners and businesses due to its aesthetics and durability. Here are the top five benefits we think make LVT flooring a great choice.
- Durability: Luxury vinyl flooring is known for its high durability. It is resistant to scratches, dents, and stains, making it ideal for high-traffic areas and households with pets and children.
- Water Resistance: LVF is highly resistant to moisture and water, which makes it suitable for wet areas like bathrooms, kitchens, and basements where hardwood or laminate might not be appropriate.
- Realistic Designs: Modern luxury vinyl flooring can closely mimic the look of natural materials such as hardwood, stone, and ceramic tile due to high-quality photographic layers. This provides an upscale look at a lower cost. Comfort and
- Warmth: Vinyl flooring tends to be softer underfoot compared to tile or wood, making it more comfortable for standing over long periods. It also tends to be warmer, which can be pleasant in cooler climates.
- Ease of Installation: Many luxury vinyl products come with a click-lock design that allows for easier, glue-less installation, making it a good option for DIY projects.
How to clean and maintain your LVT flooring.
First, here's what NOT to do to clean your LVT floor.
- Never use an abrasive cleaner. LVT floor, despite its durability, can be easily scratched.
- Avoid vinegar or a low-cost cleaner like "mop-n-glow" or "Fabuloso"
- Do not wax LVT flooring
- Never use a vacuum with a beater bar. This can also scratch the LTV floor.
- Avoid over-saturating the LVT floor with water. Water will ruin the glue bond that holds down the LVT floor. This may cause the joints to bow and the LVT floor to become loose.
Improve daily cleaning and long-term floor care with proven cleaning techniques.
First, assess the cleanliness of the floor. LVT flooring is usually textured (see image below). These grooves are intentionally designed as a part of the LVT flooring in the manufacturing process for safety and to decrease slip-and-falls.
If you notice the grooves in your flooring are embedded with dirt build-up then a deep clean with the X-Scrub® PRO is STEP 1 (see video below)
With all the benefits of LVT flooring the biggest drawback by far has been how to clean and maintain these otherwise near perfect floors. Not to worry. We've got that figured out for you.
Step 1 - Deep Cleaning
Step 2 - Daily Cleaning And Maintenance
Now that you've restored your LVT flooring back to nearly new with the the X-Scrub® PRO, it's time to keep them pristine. The key to proper daily cleaning is 1) a good neutral pH cleaner and 2) a Pre-Treated, microfiber flat mop. Its that simple.
Any of our Microfiber Flat Mop Pre-Treat Systems will clean DEEP into the grooves of your LVT floor. The Microfiber Pre-Treat System uses a one-time "charged" microfiber mop that discharges cleaning solution into the floor and typically cleans 700-1,000 sqft. per mop (depending on soil-load). Once the cleaning solution in the mop is depleted, a new Pre-Treated mop is exchanged for the old one. This process ensures a clean mop is continually used in the cleaning process. Dramatically decreasing the root cause of build-up in LVT flooring.
Microfiber vs. Traditional (cotton)
The debate has been settled and microfiber is the winner, hands down. When compared to the traditional mop and bucket, microfiber is the clear choice. Microfiber cleans better, lasts longer and is more cost effective.
Cotton Absorbs, Microfiber Holds
Most importantly, cotton absorbs liquids INTO the fiber while microfiber holds liquid on the OUTSIDE of the fiber. The liquid & soils are held by the splits of the fiber. When laundering microfiber, the soil and bacterias are easily removed when the fiber is submerged in the rinse cycles, providing a clean regenerated WAVE™ microfiber.
All CPI WAVE™ microfiber is third party verified to remove 99.9% bacteria through GBAC Star Technology Certification. CPI is the creator of the i-fiber® and WAVE™ microfiber products.