Your Linoleum Floors Will Shine With The Help Of A Bathroom Staple
Thanks to its affordability and durability, linoleum is a popular choice for flooring. However, keeping your linoleum floors clean and ensuring they'll last a long time can be a challenge when you're dealing with a scuffed-up floor or spots left behind by spills, pets, footwear, and everyday use. However, with a bit of help from an unexpected source, you can restore your floors to their original beauty. Toothpaste possesses unique properties that make it an effective cleaning agent for your linoleum floors.
Toothpaste has a mildly abrasive nature that can remove scuffs, light scratches, and black marks left on floors by shoes. It also contains ingredients that aid in stain removal, making it surprisingly effective for cleaning stubborn dark stains like ink or dye. With just a small amount and a few simple steps, you can revitalize your linoleum floors, giving them a shine that will impress even the most discerning eye.
Using toothpaste to restore linoleum
Using toothpaste to clean your linoleum floors is a straightforward process that requires minimal materials. To start, choose a non-gel toothpaste for best results. Gel toothpaste may contain ingredients that could leave residue or streaks on your floors. Look for plain white toothpaste without any bleaching agents, as these can potentially discolor or damage the linoleum. Before applying the toothpaste, sweep or vacuum the floor to eliminate any particles that could get trapped in the toothpaste or scratch the linoleum while cleaning.
Squeeze a small amount of toothpaste directly onto a clean, soft cloth. Start with a small quantity and add more as needed during the cleaning process — a little goes a long way. Spread the toothpaste evenly across the scuff, scratch, or stain. Using gentle circular motions, scrub the toothpaste into the linoleum. Be careful not to apply too much pressure, as rough scrubbing can damage the linoleum. Scrub until the scuff disappears. To remove the excess and give your linoleum floors a finishing touch, dampen a separate cloth or mop and use it to wipe away the toothpaste residue. Allow the floors to air dry, or use a clean cloth to speed up the drying time.
Precautions and alternatives
When using toothpaste to clean your floor, be sure to test it in a small, inconspicuous area before applying it to a large area. This lets you make sure the toothpaste won't damage or discolor the linoleum. If you have tough stains or grime that you can't completely remove with toothpaste alone, you may want to use a soft-bristle brush for a bit of extra scrubbing power.
If you don't have toothpaste on hand, there are a few alternative ingredients that you can try. For instance, you can use baking soda on your floor by mixing it with enough water to make a paste and gently scrubbing the marks or stains with it. Combining equal parts of vinegar and hot water creates a natural cleaning solution that is safe for most linoleum surfaces. However, it's important to note that these alternatives may have different cleaning properties than toothpaste, so adjustments to the cleaning process may be needed.