Cleaning Laminate Floors With Vinegar: 3 Different Solutions

When it comes to cleaning laminate floors with vinegar there are a lot of questions, and the main one is whether vinegar is suitable for laminate flooring in the first place – so is it safe to use or not?

Vinegar – specifically distilled white vinegar – is safe to use on laminate floors and can be mixed with several other cleaning agents to make a floor cleaning solution or simply used on its own for great results. 

In the rest of this article, we will guide you through the types of vinegar that you need to avoid, as well as how to use distilled white vinegar with other cleaning agents to clean your laminate floor thoroughly.

What Type Of Vinegar Is Best?

Distilled white vinegar – the most common type of vinegar in America – is the best option for cleaning laminate floors.

Although many people would naturally assume this, it is important to make the distinction as there are a lot of other types of vinegar out there. Some types of vinegar that you don’t want to use include apple cider, balsamic, and any wine-based kinds of vinegar as these will leave your floor dirtier than before you started.

You can also use cleaning vinegar, however, due to the availability of distilled white vinegar, we will be focusing on this instead.

How To Use Vinegar To Clean Laminate Floors: 3 Different Solutions

Distilled white vinegar can be used in combination with a bunch of different things, so we’ve rounded up the best ones here for you to choose from.

Before You Start – Check The Seal and Spot Test

The first thing you need to do is make sure that your laminate floor is sealed properly before you start to clean it.

The seal provides a barrier from moisture, which can lead to some serious issues if it makes its way into your laminate floorboards or even below them. To check that your floor is sealed follow our guide here.

White vinegar is between 90-95% water, so before you start cleaning make sure you check the seal. Once this has been confirmed, spot test each solution on a small area of the floor before starting to make sure there are no issues.

Distilled White Vinegar Solution

The first solution is to simply use distilled white vinegar on its own diluted with tap water. start by vacuuming your laminate floor thoroughly and then move on to mixing up the solution.

We recommend using a standard 32 oz. spray bottle with 1/2 cup of distilled white vinegar and the rest water. You can then spray this solution onto your laminate floor and then clean it away using either a dishcloth or a mop.

Distilled White Vinegar And Baking Soda

The next option is to use a mixture of baking soda with vinegar.

For this method, start by vacuuming and then mix one part baking soda with two parts distilled white vinegar as required. This mixture can then be applied generously to the laminate floor and left for 5 to 10 minutes.

After this time is up use a dishcloth or mop to remove the solution. For stubborn stains, you can use a non-abrasive scrubber to work in the solution before removing it.

Distilled White Vinegar And Rubbing Alcohol

The last solution to try is equal parts distilled white vinegar, rubbing alcohol and water, mixed up as needed.

This can then be applied by a dishcloth or spray bottle and left for 5 minutes. Use a dishcloth or non-abbrasive scrubber to remove the solution once the time is up.

Bonus Tip – Add Essential Oils!

If you want to spice things up you can add a few drops of your favorite essential oil to any of the solutions above.

This can help to improve the scent and is a great hack to make your room and floor smell new!

Benefits of Using Vinegar To Clean Laminate Floors

There are lots of benefits to using vinegar to clean laminate floors, so let’s have a look at a few of them in more detail.

Cost

Distilled white vinegar is super cheap, and the odds are that you will already have some around the house anyway. It can also be used pretty much on its own with some water as well which makes it an even better option.

Some branded laminate floor cleaners can be expensive so this is definitely a bonus.

Convenience

You can’t get more convenient than something that you likely have at home and can be applied using a simply dishcloth.

If you want a convenient option, there aren’t many others that are better than Distilled white vinegar

Cleaning Properties

Something else to consider is the cleaning properties of distilled white vinegar as well.

The acetic acid within distilled white vinegar has cleaning properties that can tackle grease, mineral deposit, grime as well as kill germs.

Final Thoughts

Remember that distilled white vinegar is the best option when it comes to using vinegar for cleaning laminate floors, and it can be made up into several cleaning solutions listed above to make your floor look brand new.

If you have any other questions or methods, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.