In this article, you’ll learn about the best vinyl floor cleaner, so you can make your vinyl floors look better than you ever thought possible. If you’re wondering how to get rid of those mysterious black scuff marks that won’t come out, this is for you. By the end, you’ll know the best way to clean, protect, and brighten up your vinyl floors. Whether you have LVT, LVP, or sheet vinyl, you will love the magic of a perfect clean.
The Best Vinyl Floor Cleaners
The best vinyl floor cleaners work to perfection. There are many vinyl floor cleaners available, but you will find that these three are in a league of their own. They cut through grime with ease to keep your floors looking bright and spotless.
To maintain the beauty of your vinyl flooring, you will have to clean them regularly. Dust, dirt, hair, and more starts to collect as soon as people and pets start moving through the room.
Over time, you will encounter stubborn marks, dusty footprints, stains, and smears. Unless you’re ready for each mess that comes your way, cleaning your vinyl floor becomes a constant chore.
Fortunately, the right supplies and strategy makes it easy and satisfying.
Before Cleaning Your Vinyl Floor
First, always be aware of what you’re putting on your floors. Avoid all products with detergents, waxes, ammonias, abrasives, and hardwood-only flooring cleaners. These types of cleaners will damage vinyl.
Beware of cheap vinyl cleaners that overpromise. Cheap cleaners may seem like a great idea, but they leave behind streaks and drab coatings of film that create more work to remove.
Before choosing a cleaner and supplies, you will want to know what kind of vinyl cleaner you need. This depends on the current condition of your floor.
If your floors are brand new, or you have been maintaining them, our recommended solutions offer flawless cleaning results.
But if your vinyl floors need major cleaning (you haven’t cleaned them for months or years), you will need something more powerful for all that accumulated crud.
What do you do after months or years of built-up dirt when your floor desperately needs a deep clean? If that’s your situation, start with an intensive treatment cleaner for vinyl at least once before starting a regular cleaning routine.
Decisions, Decisions: Choosing a Cleaner for Vinyl
Search for surface cleaners on Amazon or take a walk down the cleaning aisle at the store, and you will see there’s no end to the options available. With so many products to choose from, how can you know which one to buy?
One reliable strategy is to ask the people in the know. When it comes to immaculately clean floors, commercial custodians and flooring professionals have it figured out. They’re serious about floor cleaning and maintenance, so they know which products work the best.
Using these highly recommended products as part of your cleaning and maintenance routine will work wonders. We use them on our showroom floors. Your floors will look amazing and never become filthy or sticky over time.
The centerpiece of your space will look pristine and feel incredibly smooth under your feet.
What About Cleaning Vinyl with Vinegar and Water?
You can always use 1 cup of white vinegar or apple cider vinegar mixed with a gallon of water and a mop. This is a well-known method, but it isn’t ideal. Vinegar is acidic, and using it will dull the sheen over time.
Additionally, vinegar and water doesn’t evaporate, so it has the tendency to leave streaks. Overall, it’s not nearly as effective for cleaning vinyl compared it to the high-powered, yet gentle products formulated specifically for vinyl floors.
What About Residue?
No cleaning solution we recommend here leaves behind any residue or haze. If you experience haze or streaks after using them, it’s likely that you already have residues on your floor that show up after you clean them.
That, or you’re using too much cleaner. Haze is easy to notice because you will see footprints left behind. After adhering to proper cleaning with these products, haze and residue goes away.
Simple Cleaning Gets the Best Results
For most people, cleaning vinyl floors is best kept simple using a broom or vacuum, vinyl cleaner, and microfiber mop.
You can clean in three easy steps:
- Vacuum or broom, or dry mop surface dirt and dust, hair, and larger particles before you move onto a spray cleaner prior to mopping the floor.
- Spray the cleaner on the surface.
- Wipe off the cleaner with cloth or a microfiber mop. We recommend Bona Premium Mops or Woca Spray Mops. Read more about the best mop for vinyl floors.
You can always spray cleaner in one hand while mopping with the other. Or purchase a gallon of cleaner and use a spray mop with a microfiber pad. Make sure you’re always using a clean microfiber pad, so you don’t redeposit dirt and grime back to the floor. Having two microfiber pads on hand, and switching them as needed will save you time in the long run.
Best Cleaner for Vinyl Floors
A little spray goes a long way with these cleaners for vinyl floors, which are made specifically for high-traffic areas. They work exceedingly well on vinyl to cut through grease, eliminate stains, and give you a beautiful and clean surface.
Squeaky Cleaner, COREtec Clean Spray, and Bona Pro are great for the kitchen, bathroom, hallway, and any other room in your home. They’re ideal for vinyl floors and work on a variety of hard surfaces. You can order a single 32 oz. bottle or gallon of concentrate. With ready-to-use concentrate, you get a great value: less than $30 for about 30 gallons of cleaner, which will last you a long time.
1. Basic Coatings Squeaky Cleaner 32 – oz.
Topping the list is Basic Coatings Squeaky Clean 32 oz., a favorite among flooring installers and cleaning professionals. Many people call it the answer to all their hard-surface cleaning needs.
This light-blue and low-VOC floor cleaner works like a charm, and it’s easy to use. It’s effective on vinyl, hardwood, and other laminate resilient flooring types. You can even use it to clean wooden kitchen cabinets.
Squeaky Cleaner Features
- Price: $9.08
- Cuts through dirt and grime without a buildup of dull residue
- Low-VOC formula
- Great for LVT, LVP, and hardwood flooring
- Works with an automatic scrubber
- No-rinse alcohol-based cleaner that dries ultra-quick
- Great for water-based and oil-based polyurethane-coated floors no matter the sheen
Just spray it and run a microfiber cloth or mop over the surface. Use it for daily cleaning or prior to recoating with any Basic Coatings finish. It’s perfect for vinyl and versatile, even if you have refinished original hardwood from the 1920s. You will love how irresistibly nice and clean it leaves your floors.
2. COREtec Encore 12x Clean Spray – 32 oz.
Next on the list is COREtec Encore 12x Clean Spray. This pH neutral cleaner takes care of smudges, dirt, stains, spills, spots, scuffs, and more. Versatile and effective, it works on all types of hard surfaces – from hardwood and ceramic to laminate and vinyl floors.
COREtec Encore 12x Clean Spray Features
- Price: $14.99
- Lovely scent that doesn’t linger
- Low-VOC
- Made for COREtec flooring
- No-rinse alcohol-based cleaner with rapid dry time
- Works just as well on hardwood as it does on vinyl
- No residue or tacky feel. Doesn’t leave an unattractive film on the floor or a sticky mess
If you have any doubts, put this cleaner to the test. Try it on a tough smudge and wait less than 30 seconds for the magic to happen. Order COREtex 12x Clean Spray today.
3. Bona Pro Stone, Tile & Laminate Cleaner Spray – 32 oz.
Third on our list is Bona Pro Stone, Tile & Laminate Cleaner. It’s another reliable product that gives you a deep clean lasting several weeks. Like Squeaky Cleaner, many people call it the best cleaner they’ve ever used, especially in the kitchen. If you have never used it, you won’t believe how clean your floors will be.
Bona Pro Cleaner Features
- Price: $8.29
- Fine light-purple mist that doesn’t leave behind residue
- Low-VOC and GREENGUARD certified
- Good crisp lemon-mint smell that doesn’t reek of chemicals
- Water-based cleaner that dries quickly
- Works on many types of hard surfaces
- Make your floors glow with minimal effort using Bona Pro cleaner on your vinyl floors.
Order the popular Bona Pro Stone, Tile, & Laminate Cleaner today.
Summary
Vinyl flooring will last a long time and look lovely if you maintain it properly. Regular cleaning with the best cleaners will preserve your flooring’s good looks and durability. With these mild yet effective cleaners, you can keep your floors in top condition all year long with less effort.
All of our recommended cleaners work great for removing dirt and grime from your floors and protecting the surface. We use all of these cleaners regularly on our showroom floors with great results.
Our favorite is Squeaky Cleaner by Basic Coatings. For a hassle-free and optimal solution, made with the perfect amount of cleaning power, try these specially formulated, eco-friendly products.
