It’s difficult to believe when looking at it, but a laminate floor is actually just a photograph of wood.

This picture is generally attached to melamine and then particleboard and the whole strip is coated with aluminum oxide.

The floor looks like wood but the aluminum oxide coating makes it four times stronger than wood, according to the experts with Lamanator Plus.

While laminate flooring provides the attractiveness of hardwood floors with less maintenance, caring for it regularly helps to maintain its shine.

Protect the Laminate Floor

Use rubber-backed rugs at all doors leading into the room with laminate flooring to catch the dirt before it hits the floor and dulls it.

Place felt pads on the legs of furniture on the floor – especially dining room chairs that are repeatedly dragged over the floor – to prevent scratches.

Use a dry dust mop or vacuum cleaner when you clean, instead of a broom, which may leave tiny scratches that build up over time, dulling the laminate’s shine.

Keep it Clean

Routine dry-mopping or vacuuming keeps small particles of dirt from scratching the laminate floor. Although the scratches may be tiny, from a distance they make the floor appear dull.

Depending on how much and what kind of traffic the floor receives, such as crawling babies or pets, you may need to sweep or vacuum daily.

Running a damp mop over the floor also helps keep the dirt from collecting in the scratches and grooves.

Remove Built-Up Residue

If you use a cleaning product on the floor, such as oil soap, it may build up over time, leaving a residue on the laminate.

Some cleaning products also leave streaks, which dulls the shine.

Remove built-up residue with 1 cup of vinegar in a gallon of water. If the residue layer is particularly thick you may need to use straight vinegar on a cloth.

It’s time consuming to have to clean the floor on your hands and knees but once the residue is removed, the laminate will shine.

Additional Tips

Since excess water may streak the laminate floor, use a slightly damp mop when cleaning.

After mopping, go over the floor with a micro fiber or terry cloth towel to remove excess water and buff the finish. As the towel becomes damp, use another, dry towel.

Remove stains, such as candle wax or chewing gum, with a plastic scraper, or putty knife. Don’t dig deeply into the finish, but lightly scrape the material from the floor.

Then, use a rag dipped in nail polish remover to remove any residue left after scraping.