How to clean linoleum from stubborn dirt?

The widespread use of linoleum is largely due to its unpretentiousness and long service life. But even the best floor coverings can deteriorate over time and lose their appearance.

Knowledge of simple ways to clean a floor covered with linoleum will significantly extend the time of its use and make cosmetic repairs less often.

Linoleum is functional and strong, able to fit harmoniously into any interior style. It will not be difficult for you to choose the optimal type of this material for any design.

Linoleum floors can be found in ordinary homes, retail outlets and even offices.

Scrubbing rust off linoleum is more difficult than removing most other blockages. Bleach (one part to ten parts water) will help. Do not try to use increased concentration, otherwise you will get nasty light marks instead of removing the stain.

If such a mark does appear, rinse it with clean water and wipe it with lemon juice.

Residual fat is removed with conventional utensils; dilute them with warm water in the proportion indicated by the manufacturer. When cleaning is complete, wipe the surface dry with a soft, unnecessary cloth.

If the grease or spill is fresh, remove it with a spatula or cotton swabs, but so that the dirt does not smear on the surface. The rest of the stains can be treated with alcohol solutions.

It is possible to get rid of oil spilled in the kitchen in another way:

• dissolve a glass of vodka and a teaspoon of detergent in a liter of water;
• soak a soft cloth with the solution;
• wipe the dirt thoroughly with it;
• wash the floor in the problem area with clean water and wipe it dry.

Gasoline, kerosene or turpentine can remove gouache, as well as stains left by coffee, food colors or felt-tip pens.

Wiping the faded area with a lemon wedge or fresh juice will help to restore the shine lost with such processing.

Black stripes left by shoes in the hallway are so common and stubborn that many consider them invincible. But this is not so, the school eraser copes with the problem quite effectively, with which they wipe a dirty place.

After the stripes disappear, rinse the linoleum thoroughly with soapy water - and, again, do not forget to dry it right away.

Plasticine, as well as chewing gum, are removed by mechanically peeling off the hard part from the coating, they do this with careful movements so as not to cause any harm. Then they thoroughly wash the area with a trace with soapy water, and, as always, rub until completely dry. For cleaning, it is preferable to take not toilet, but laundry soap (10 grams per liter of warm water).

The spots left by brilliant green (easier, brilliant green) are removed with camphor alcohol, ammonia or hydrogen peroxide. If iodine is spilled on the linoleum, baking soda applied with a damp cloth or ½ raw potato will help to cope.

When overly active children have painted the floor with a ballpoint pen, they rub the dirt with a pumice stone, then coat it with linseed oil. If wax gets in, the hardened mass is removed with a spatula, and the remainder of the stain is successively washed with gasoline and water; a similar method will help remove shoe cream.

If the usual methods of removing the blockage do not work, you can try to remove the old stain with baking soda. (first it is kept on dirt for a minute, if it fails - twenty minutes)... When cleaning is over, rinse the former stain with water and apply varnish or wax with a dry cloth.

Red spots are eliminated in different ways, depending on what is their nature and how long ago they appeared. You already know about the method of removing the paste of a ballpoint pen; drops of blood are washed off with warm water and soap. Printer ink and traces of felt-tip pens are removed with gasoline, kerosene, turpentine, camphor alcohol.

It is enough just to ride a bicycle on the linoleum once or put pancakes for the barbell so that dark spots from rubber appear, but it is extremely difficult to remove them. In such cases, the use of an eraser or abrasive powder is recommended.

Furniture, strictly speaking, does not leave stains on linoleum, but dents and sagging areas. In such cases, nothing else, except for replacing the damaged strip, remains. If, by mistake, rubber or other soiling pads are used for the legs, you need to proceed as you usually fight with stains of the corresponding type.

The question is often asked - how to wash linoleum without streaks after repair. The simplest thing is to prevent pollution altogether, of course: Before starting work, always cover the floor with plastic wrap, preferably in several layers.

Or get the invited team to do so.But if this preparation was not done, or at some point the film moved aside, the problem can still be solved.

Even a very dirty floor can be cleaned like this:

• remove all large residues of finishing materials with a spatula, sweep away dust and small particles in place;
• to finally cope with dust and white bloom, rinse the floor in several waters, each time with a new rag;
• remove stains with potassium permanganate solution or table vinegar;
• treat very difficult and stubborn stains with white spirit (strictly according to the instructions, working with rubber gloves).

Clean up traces of varnishes and paints as soon as possible. Water-based formulations (fresh) are removed with wet wipes or unnecessary wet rags. Oil paints are soaked with dry napkins and removed with sunflower oil, and what remains after such treatment, remove with soapy water or cleaning agents.

The polyurethane foam is carefully cut off with a knife, and the hardened crust is soaked and then gently scraped off the surface.

Just washing the linoleum and even removing dirt is only half the job. It is very important that the material shines and will help you achieve this. monthly processing with drying oil or linseed oil. Alternatively, you can purchase mastic at any building or household goods store.

Strictly observing the manufacturer's instructions, you can protect the coating from ultraviolet radiation and moisture, give it a rich gloss.

It will not be difficult to wash the floor that is rough from the mastic, it will even be easier than the usual one, and its undeniable advantage will be both bright shine and minimal slip. The correct choice and skillful use of a protective coating, even at home, will extend the life of the material by several years.

It is quite simple to achieve a "shining shine" - you need to rub the linoleum with a cloth slightly soaked in milk.

When preparing to use a detergent whose composition or properties you do not know for sure, test on a small amount of material. This will be much safer and more reliable.

It is unacceptable to use hard rags containing metal or rubber threads when washing and dry cleaning. As a last resort, use an old rag, but it will be much better and more effective to use a special type of rag.

If the room is small or filled with different interior items, you need to use narrow mops equipped with foam rollers or "tentacles" based on microfiber with a built-in water-squeezing mechanism.

Thirty days after installation, it is undesirable to carry out wet cleaning, it is more correct to sweep or vacuum the floor.

Four times a year, you can remove all accumulated blockages with drying oil and polish the linoleum with a silk rag. You can additionally enhance the gloss of the coating by mixing one part of wax with three parts of turpentine or mastic, rubbing the canvas with this composition. The protective layer will reduce the retention of all kinds of dirt and coarse debris by the material.

If clean water does not help to put things in order, you need to use special detergents. Do not be afraid to buy them, the price is relatively low, and the formulations can be used only as needed.

It doesn't matter whether you have new or old linoleum, what is its strength class, almost always fall under the ban:

• caustic alkalis (the coating will become brittle);
• chlorine and all preparations that contain it;
• abrasives;
• most paint thinners (they can deform the structure of the material and change color).

White linoleum is cleaned from ink with fine-grain emery or pumice.

Rust and grass stains that have shrunk on the light rail can be removed with a 10% solution of bleach in water, and the residual traces will be destroyed by lemon juice. When there are traces of repairs on the white surface with a relief pattern, you can use a washing vacuum cleaner.

It is forbidden to drag heavy objects along the linoleum, as well as anything that has at least one sharp and cutting edge. Place fabric rugs at the entrance to your home to reduce surface contamination.

For information on how to properly care for linoleum, see the next video.