Enjoy a beautiful floor how do you look after your panels?

A durable and well-maintained floor is one of the most important elements of our homes - it is where we start our interior ideas and it is what guides us through our daily activities. In order to keep the floor panels looking perfect for a long time and to be able to cope with the rhythm of home life, it is worth adjusting the care methods and cleaning products accordingly.

The care of floor panels requires us to take special care. After all, they have a slightly different function in every interior. In the living room they emphasise the character of our arrangements, in bedrooms and rooms they create warmth and a feeling of freedom, and in hallways they become a sturdy surface for shoes, wheels or claws.

In order for them to be able to fulfil their task for a long time, it is worth taking care of the floor panels every day. How do you clean them? How do you maintain their colour, texture and finish over the years? What should you pay special attention to when cleaning?

A clean floor: starting with the basics

Remember to clean the surface of your laminate regularly to remove dust, sand, dirt and other contaminants - especially in hallways or multifunctional, open-plan interiors, where they are most vulnerable. The sharp edges of sand particles can quickly scratch the surface of your laminate flooring, so regular sweeping and vacuuming is essential.

Frequent cleaning will also certainly be useful for laminate flooring with lower abrasion classes, such as AC3. Look after them with special care and use a soft-brush nozzle for vacuuming - rough and hard nozzles can cause scratches and other minor damage to the floor surface.

In a home where big and small live together, it's a good idea to allow more freedom and opt for higher abrasion grade AC4 or AC5 flooring - such as Querra flooring. Scratch- and moisture-resistant, they allow carefree play with children and pets. Dog claws and spilled drinks won't frighten them - with a resistance to liquids of up to 72 hours, cleaning can be postponed.

REMOVING STAINS AND DIRT FROM THE FLOOR

In a lively home, the floor often becomes soiled. Spilled water or juice, an oily oil stain, mud on shoes... When there is a lot going on indoors, it is difficult to avoid stains . They will not harm our panels if we use a soft, slightly damp cloth to remove them. Before wiping the surface, thoroughly squeeze the water out of the cloth - this way the dampness will not stay on the panels for long and will not affect their structure.

Be particularly quick on liquid stains. Liquids can penetrate the structure of the panels and cause damage, such as swelling. Wipe them off with soft, highly absorbent paper towels or a suitably fine microfibre cloth. When removing stains from red wine, tomato juice or milk, we can additionally soak them in water with dishwashing liquid.

Of course, not all stains can be treated so easily. Greasy stains are best treated with benzine: just soak a soft cloth in a little bit of the product and wipe the spot thoroughly. Gasoline is perfect for oil stains in the dining room, the remains of sugary snacks in the children's room or traces of shoe polish in the hallway.

HOW AND WITH WHAT TO CLEAN THE PANELS SO THAT THERE ARE NO STREAKS?

A sparkling clean floor creates a perfect surface that enhances the neat and aesthetically pleasing character of a room. However, the ideal effect can be spoilt by streaks, which are most visible under the light. To avoid streaks, use a small amount of detergent and mop the floor with a well wrung out mop. It is sufficient if it is slightly damp. Too much water will adversely affect the appearance of the laminate flooring - under the influence of moisture it may swell and unsightly damp patches will appear.

It is also important to choose the right tool. A strip mop is best for cleaning floor panels. A damp microfibre cloth can also help in the fight against streaks - just wipe the streaks gently with it and then wipe off.

And what do you use to clean the panels? Most manufacturers recommend the use of chemicals. Remember to choose products designed specifically for cleaning laminate flooring. The best products are those which do not create a lot of foam - excessive foam may cause unwanted streaks and difficult to remove damp patches on the floor.

Another product available in every home - vinegar - will also help us to get clean and beautifully shiny panels. Pour one capful into a bucket of water and clean the floor as usual. If you are bothered by a specific smell, add a little dishwashing liquid or a few drops of fragrant oil.

SHINY FLOORS: HOW TO MAKE THEM SHINE?

If you are looking for a perfect shine, use commercially available polishes. Make sure, however, that you only use products which are specifically designed for cleaning laminate flooring. These contain special polymers that penetrate the porous structure of the panels and make their surface uniform. In addition, the preparations leave behind a layer that protects the floor against moisture, scratches and rubber marks, among other things.

Their use is very simple - just spread them thoroughly on clean panels and then leave them to dry. The best shine effect is achieved if this process is carried out regularly every 3 months. If you prefer a more ecological solution, the aforementioned mixture of water and vinegar can also be used to shine the panels.

When caring for your floor, do not forget about your pets. If you have a cat or dog in the house, it is advisable not to polish the laminate flooring. They then become too slippery for their paws and make it difficult to move around.

PREVENTION IS BETTER THAN WATCHING FOR SCRATCHES

Care and regular cleaning of the floor panels is of course not everything. If our home is bustling with activity - receiving guests, meeting family and friends, playing with children - the floor can quickly become damaged. To prevent this, it's worth introducing a few simple rules.

First and foremost, the choice of flooring itself is important. Worn floor panels cannot be repaired - they simply have to be replaced with new ones. In rooms where the floor is subjected to constant use, damage can occur very quickly and even the most careful user will not be able to prevent it. It is therefore important to choose flooring that is extremely durable and scratch-resistant. When purchasing, do not just look at the price of the finishing material, but also pay attention to the wear class and how the room will be used.

Also remember that floorboards do not like shoes with hard soles or heels. Their sharp edges can scratch the floor surface. Slippers with rubber soles, on the other hand, contribute to streaking.

And don't forget to use felt furniture pads - it's a good idea to stick them to the legs of chairs, tables and other furniture. An inconspicuous scrap of material will protect the panels from scratches. If you want to protect your panels from riding chairs in the study or pupil's room, use special transparent polycarbonate pads or put rubber protective covers on the wheels.