- Whenever possible, place a non-staining doormat outside each entrance to your home to prevent dirt, sand, grit, and other substances such as oil, asphalt, and driveway sealer from being tracked onto your floor. Do not use latex-backed, rubber-backed, or coco-fiber mats on your vinyl floor.
- Sweep your vinyl floor regularly (at least once a week).
- Vinyl manufacturers recommend the use of latex-based driveway sealers to minimize the potential staining from tracking asphalt sealer onto your floor.
- To avoid sunlight causing your floor to fade or discolor you should always close your curtains or blinds where extreme sunlight hits the floor.
- Replace all narrow furniture rests with wide-bearing ones. Support furniture with wide-bearing, non-staining floor protectors. It is recommended that all furniture protectors be at least one inch in diameter, made of non-pigmented, hard plastic, and rest flat on the floor. Non-staining felt protectors may also be used. Casters with a minimum 3/4" flat surface width or floor protectors are recommended for all moveable furniture. Metal floor protectors are generally not recommended.
- Always use strips of 1/4" plywood or sheets of underlayment as runways to protect the floor if you need to move heavy objects, such as your refrigerator, across your vinyl floor. Runways should always be used even with furniture dollies, or even if the heavy objects are equipped with wheels or rollers.
- Wipe up spills immediately to help prevent stains. The longer a stain sits the tougher it will be to remove from the surface.
- To prevent dirt build up, occasionally mop your floor with the manufacturer's recommended floor cleaner. Follow the instructions on the bottle and do not over mix, or your cleaning solution may leave a dulling film. Avoid soaps, cleaning powders, and detergent products, as they will dull the floor's surface. Although the no-rinse cleaners do not need rinsing, rinsing will provide a better shine. If you do notice a dulling film after cleaning the floor, try a thorough rinse with warm, clean water.
- To restore the hi-gloss on a urethane vinyl floor most manufacturers do recommend the use of a polish. Do not use paste wax, and do not try to buff a urethane vinyl floor. Be sure the floor is thoroughly clean and completely dry before applying the manufacturer's recommended floor polish. If all the dirt is not removed prior to applying the polish it becomes trapped underneath.
- Vinyl floors can become slippery when wet. Use extreme caution when walking on a wet floor.
- Some of the newer vinyl floors have a low-gloss finish and the use of a floor polish may make the floor shiny.
- It may be necessary after several applications of polish to strip the entire floor and reapply a new coat of polish. This may also be necessary for excessive dirt and grime build-up. Use the manufacturer's recommended heavy duty floor cleaner and stripper product. Once the floor is thoroughly cleaned, rinse, dry, and then apply a new coat of polish. High-traffic areas may require more than one application of polish. Allow polish to dry "tack-free" between coats.
