Luxury vinyl flooring, or LVF, is a high-quality, highly durable and low-maintenance floor-covering. It’s widely used in warehouses, showrooms, and large retail spaces. Often designed to mimic the appearance of natural materials like stone, ceramic tile or hardwood, LVF consists of multiple layers. This includes a wear layer specifically designed to protect against traffic damage and stains. Knowing how to clean luxury vinyl flooring correctly is key to maintaining its appearance and longevity.
Its durability and resistance to moisture intrusion make LVF an outstanding choice for environments that experience a lot of wear and tear. Sheet vinyl appears primarily in private residences—in kitchens, bathrooms, and basements. LVF is a more robust cousin with more layers for added durability. One of the best parts about LVF is how easy it is to clean and maintain. It’s ideal for keeping warehouses and showrooms looking great with less effort.
The Best Way to Clean Luxury Vinyl Flooring: Daily Maintenance
When learning how to clean luxury vinyl flooring, daily maintenance is your first priority. Whether we’re talking luxury vinyl flooring or sheet vinyl, the basic protocol is the same. Using a broom or dust mop, sweep and remove dust and debris daily. The professionals prefer using a dust mop over a broom. At times the bristles on the broom may scratch flooring surfaces.
Choosing the Right Dust Mop Size
Home and residential cleans typically use a 24″ dust mop head. Commercial settings require larger equipment. Professional cleaners often use 36″, 48″ or even 60″ mop heads. Industrial or warehouse environments need these larger mop heads for maximum efficiency.
While LVF requires gentler cleaning methods, facilities with mixed flooring types should also consider appropriate cleaning techniques for concrete floors in loading areas and storage zones.
How to Clean Luxury Vinyl Flooring: Removing Stains
After you’ve removed the daily dust, make note of any areas that may need a little extra attention. Spills and stains should be handled individually using pH-neutral cleaning products or those designed explicitly for LVF.
Removing Scuff Marks and Oily Residue
Oily black marks that resist a quick wipe up are common challenges. This includes scuffs from shoes or forklift tires. These marks are most easily removed using a magic eraser, a tennis ball or even a gummy artist’s eraser for small marks. This method might require a bit of elbow grease, but it is unlikely to mar the surface of the flooring.
Using Natural Cleaning Solutions
If your black mark or stain resists these methods, try using a paste of baking soda and water. In most cases, using a half-cup of baking soda and adding 2-3 tablespoons of water will give you the desired consistency. Use that as your base recipe and increase the quantity in proportion as needed.
If baking soda does not work, you can also try 70% isopropyl alcohol. Simply dampen a cloth and apply. For extremely difficult stains, you may need to try commercial-grade adhesive removers like Goo Gone®️ but use caution. These can damage the LVF permanently, so read the product label first and test in an inconspicuous area.
How to Clean Luxury Vinyl Flooring: Deep Cleaning Methods
Because of how resilient LVF is, many commercial settings will only require a weekly wet mop treatment to maintain appearances. This, of course, may vary especially during winter or inclement weather when more mud, water and even ice melting salts are present.
Weekly Wet Mopping Protocol
In many cases, a quick damp mop at entrances to the facility should do the trick. Once a week, mop using a pH-neutral cleaner or a product custom-formulated for LVF. Avoid strong chemicals and always be sure to use a rinse cycle after mopping with your chosen cleaner. This prevents product build-up that can leave hazy streaking or cause a slippery accumulation over time.
Power Auto-Scrubber Techniques
Sometimes people will want a little more oomph when it comes to a deep clean on LVF. Power auto-scrubbers are the best bet. Using a power auto-scrubber, and maintaining a gentle and low speed, start with a white pad. These are the most gentle and suitable.
Choosing the Right Scrubber Pad
Red pads give you a light scrub and work well on areas with heavy black rubber scuff marks. Blue pads tackle tough stains or buildup, but use them sparingly to prevent floor damage.
Green pads are far too aggressive and will scratch or wear the surface, so keep them off LVF entirely. Skip stiff-bristled brushes and steel wool as well, since they can harm the flooring.
How Often to Deep Clean LVF
How often you should deep clean will vary by how the space is used. Opt for the longest interval you can tolerate between cleanings. For most commercial settings, it will be about once a month. For others with less daily foot traffic, this can be extended as long as 60-90 days.
Establishing a documented cleaning schedule helps maintenance teams stay consistent, and a comprehensive office cleaning checklist template can help track both daily and deep cleaning tasks across all facility surfaces.
Special Circumstances Requiring More Frequent Cleaning
While it is rare that a 2-week deep-cleaning cycle will be needed, certain circumstances might justify it. Event spaces may perform deep cleans more often in order to keep up a pristine appearance. Pet and veterinary facilities may also require more frequent deep cleaning in order to keep the environment sanitary and sterile.
Understanding industry standards for different facility types helps determine appropriate cleaning frequencies, and learning about commercial cleaning standards for office buildings provides insight into maintaining professional appearances across all business environments.
Your commercial cleaning partner will be able to make a recommendation based on your unique situation. In most cases, less is more to avoid damaging the protective covering of the wear layer.
Luxury Vinyl Flooring: A Consistent Winner
The beauty of luxury vinyl flooring lies not just in its appearance but in its remarkable ease of maintenance. With a consistent cleaning routine and the right approach to stains, your warehouse or showroom floors can maintain that showroom-quality finish day after day.
Maintaining luxury vinyl flooring in commercial environments doesn’t require specialized equipment or expensive products. It just requires consistency and the right techniques. By establishing a daily dust mopping routine, addressing spills immediately, and using appropriate cleaning methods for stubborn marks, you can keep your warehouse or showroom floors looking professional for years.
When you understand how to clean luxury vinyl flooring and follow the best way to clean luxury vinyl flooring consistently, you’ll achieve professional results. Professional-looking floors make a strong impression on customers and clients while requiring far less time and effort than other flooring options. Your floors are an investment. Treat them right, and they’ll continue to enhance your space for years to come.
Contact Us Today for Expert Flooring Solutions
If you’re interested in professional cleaning services for your commercial space, contact the experts at AK Building Services. Our team can help you maintain your investment and keep your floors looking their best.