Can You Steam Clean LVP Flooring?

Source: appleyayee/Shutterstock.com

Luxury vinyl plank flooring is a great choice for your home when you want to merge versatility with durability. LVP flooring opens up a world of stylistic options to match, enhance, or create your home's interior aesthetic, or if you're looking for something to match your European-style cabinets. However, you must also clean and maintain your vinyl plank flooring to keep its charm. Can you steam clean LVP flooring? The short answer is no, and you should know why this isn't recommended. Keep reading to learn the proper methods for cleaning your vinyl plank flooring.

Steam Cleaning LVP Flooring

Mopping your flooring can eat up valuable free time and get annoying. This is particularly true if you have a larger home. You might be tempted to get a steam mop, but you shouldn't do this if you have luxury vinyl plank flooring or Stonecreek SPC click flooring.

LVP flooring has good water resistance, but it isn't impervious to steam. Any vinyl flooring is still plastic in its composition. High temperatures can make it lose shape, and you might even ruin that top layer with too much exposure.

Steam cleaning might get your floors clean. However, you'll also hasten the demise of your flooring. That means you're saving time and energy now at the expense of replacement flooring sooner rather than later.

Once installed, you should only see and feel the top layer of the vinyl plank, but the printed layer underneath has the plank's finish and pattern. Underneath that is a vinyl core and a backing layer. All the layers get pressed together tightly during manufacture, but steam can unravel this over time.

Tips for Cleaning LVP Flooring

Vinyl flooring is going to take more abuse than shaker-style cabinets or other elevated hardware, simply because everyone is walking on them daily. Your care for your luxury plank flooring must also be a daily habit. Dirt and debris always have the potential to scratch flooring, so you should dust-mop, sweep, or vacuum your flooring daily. If you vacuum, use a model without a beater bar or at least one you can remove so that you can keep surface damage from happening. Daily cleaning, even of a simple nature, can keep your floor protected and sanitary.

Make sure you pick the right cleaning products. Harsh and abrasive ingredients, such as ammonia or bleach, can damage the surface of your flooring. Mopping products or solutions promoting shine are also risky due to leaving coatings that attract particles and soil that might scratch your flooring. Homemade solutions with dish soap, white vinegar, or apple cider vinegar might be better choices. Also, avoid scrubbers, such as steel wool. Clean water and a microfiber mop should be all you normally need.

Your luxury vinyl plank flooring manufacturer should provide maintenance and cleaning instructions. Read these and follow the directions for the best care so that your floor looks great and lasts as long as possible. Clean up spills or accidents promptly. This kind of flooring is water-resistant and durable, but you shouldn't waste that by leaving accidents in place to deteriorate.

If your home has a mud room, have everyone enter there so that shoes can be cleaned or taken off before walking through the rest of your home. If your family includes pets, try to maintain trimmed nails so that they don't scratch your flooring. Another great habit is wiping off pets' paws using a dry cloth whenever they return to your home.

Source: NavinTar/Shutterstock.com

Protect Your Investment

LVP flooring is economical to buy and easy to install. It's also thick, insulating, and resembles hardwood in many ways. The planks are durable and waterproof but only to some degree. Don't steam clean them because you'll risk warping the plastic and ruining the top layer everyone sees or feels under their feet. Fortunately, there are many other ways to preserve your vinyl plank flooring. Check out our selection of vinyl plank flooring at Wholesale Cabinet Supply if you have yet to discover the many advantages of this flooring solution or need new pieces.