How to clean linoleum after renovation?

The most versatile and affordable floor covering is linoleum. For any room, you can always choose a copy that is suitable in color, density and price. Not surprisingly, it is used not only for home but also for office space.

But sometimes, after cosmetic repairs, various types of contaminants remain on it, which cannot be washed off either the first or the second time. Do not despair, ordinary inexpensive means will come to the rescue, with which you can wash even the most complex types of pollution.

There are many recommendations, following which you can avoid all sorts of problems associated with cleaning linoleum.

If changing linoleum is not part of your plans, and minor repairs are inevitable, then the simplest action will be to close the floor. It is not necessary to specially buy a film to cover the floor surface, you can use old wallpaper, newspapers, boxes, packaging film from under the wallpaper. Since all of these materials are smaller in size than the surface area, then you can fix them with construction tape.

But if it so happened that the remnants of building materials still got on the linoleum, then do not use objects with sharp edges for cleaning. Drops of paint, remnants of adhered wallpaper do not need to be wiped off with a construction knife or spatula, as there is a high probability of damaging the linoleum surface.

Extreme care must be taken when aggressive agents are used as surface cleaning aids.

The use of all kinds of alkaline solutions and soda is strictly prohibited. Means, which contain alkali in different percentages, penetrate deeply into the structure of linoleum, leading to the destruction of the material. The appearance of any linoleum will be irretrievably lost, and then you will have to change the entire coating.

In order to wipe various contaminants from the surface of linoleum and, if possible, return it to its original appearance, you can use both chemical and folk remedies. Both deserve special attention, because thanks to them, you can refuse to buy a new coverage, thereby saving significant money.

There are many folk remedies available to everyone, without exception. Their high efficiency has been proven and time-tested many times. Each product is usually used for a specific type of contamination and consists of one or two components.

In order to return the original shine to linoleum, which has lain on the floor for more than one year, it is worth using milk and water. To do this, mix equal parts of both components and treat the floor surface with this solution. Let the floor dry for a while and then rub the surface with a small piece of cloth containing wool fibers. The best effect can be achieved by if you use 100% wool.

Very often, stripes form on the surface of linoleum. Most often, their occurrence is associated with traces of shoe soles. Most of these stripes are formed in the corridor. You can use an ordinary school eraser to remove them. Just rub it a little and the streaks disappear. Then you can wash the floor as usual.

Traces from a regular ballpoint pen can be easily rubbed off with ordinary sulfur... It is easy to find sulfur, it is present on matches. First you need to wet the head of the match, and then rub it on the place where there are traces of the handle. The resulting paste is removed with a piece of lint-free cloth.

Potato starch saves from iodine stains. A mushy composition of starch and water is applied to the spot with the stain. You need to keep the composition until the stain completely disappears from the surface of the linoleum. Stubborn greasy stains can be removed with elderberries.

Copes well with most all contaminants sauerkraut juice... The acid contained in the juice penetrates deeply into the structure of the coating and dissolves dirt without harm to linoleum, leaving the surface clean and smooth.

In addition to the folk remedies used to clean linoleum, a wide variety of chemical compositions are also used. Before using them, you must carefully read the information on the labels and only then, taking into account all the recommendations, apply this agent against specific contaminants.

An inexpensive and quite effective remedy is "White Spirit"... It copes with almost any kind of contamination quite easily. In order not to be poisoned by volatile compounds during its application, it is necessary to provide a fresh supply of air. And also do not forget to wear protective gloves so as not to damage the delicate skin of your hands.

Solvent "646" no less effective and easy to use. Best of all shows its activity against stains from paints and varnishes. When working with this tool, it is worth remembering that it belongs to toxic and flammable compounds.

There are also less toxic products specially designed for cleaning the floor surface.As a rule, they are used not only to remove dirt from linoleum, but also from other coatings. These multifunctional products include foam cleaner "TaffStuss". It can be used for dry cleaning. A small piece of cloth and a foam cleaner will work great on most stains.

After repair, the original appearance of linoleum can be returned by a wide variety of means. The use of this or that substance, as well as the methods of application to the surface, depends on the type of stains left. Thanks to the painstaking work of specialists based on the interaction of chemical components, it is possible to clean and wash the surface of linoleum quickly and without damaging the structure of the coating.

The most common types of contamination are lime and cement. They can settle even if the floor has been previously covered with polyethylene. A small amount is enough to make the linoleum surface dull and untidy; even multiple washing of the floor with the usual cleaning products will not help.

But there is a way out, thanks to very simple means. Wash linoleum will help table salt and soap... It is necessary to prepare a solution from these two components. First you need to grate the soap, it is enough to take 3-4 tablespoons of water in a bucket of water and lower the finished shavings into the bucket. Add 3-4 tablespoons of ordinary salt there and mix everything thoroughly. The water temperature should be in the range of 30-40? С. It is impossible to use hotter water, as the pattern located on the surface may fade.

With the resulting solution, wash the floor, and then thoroughly wipe it dry.

Very often, the walls and ceiling are treated with a special primer before painting or wallpapering. It has a liquid consistency, but very sticky, and therefore it is quite likely that it will get on the surface of even a covered floor.

A fresh stain of primer can be wiped off with a regular, soft cloth. But with dried stains of the primer you have to tinker a little. Need to cook a solution of water and acetone. If we take 100 ml of a ready-made solution as a basis, then 33.5 ml is acetone (1/3 part), and 66.5 ml is water (2/3 part). Apply the prepared solution to a hard piece of cloth and wipe off the stain, and then wash the floor as usual.

In the absence of acetone, you can use nail polish remover, which, undoubtedly, any lady has. You can use this product only in case of slight contamination, otherwise you will have to spend too much time and effort on scrubbing the stain.

Whitewashing is often used to tidy up the ceiling. Its consistency is liquid, and therefore it will inevitably hit the floor surface.

The stains left over from whitewashing can be removed using a simple but very effective remedy, which is kerosene. Thanks to its effect, there will be no trace of stains, and the surface of the linoleum will remain completely intact. Add a small amount of kerosene to a bucket of water, stir well and wash the floor. During floor surface treatment it is necessary to slightly open the window for free access of fresh air. After processing, you need to wipe the linoleum with plain water with a small addition of vinegar until the smell disappears completely.

Even after minor repairs, a layer of construction dust forms on all objects and, of course, on the floor.

You can wash linoleum with ordinary warm water, adding to the container several crystals of potassium permanganate... After adding, it is necessary to thoroughly stir the water so that the crystals are completely dissolved, and with the resulting solution, wash the floor.

Paint is often used to decorate ceilings and walls. Even if the painting work is carried out very carefully, there is still the possibility of small drops falling on the floor surface. The best solution in this case would be to wipe them off immediately, until they are dry to the linoleum surface.

An effective remedy in this case would be sunflower oil, used not only for cooking, but also as a stain remover. Sunflower oil, due to its properties, is able to soften paint stains. To do this, you need to apply oil to a cotton pad and treat the stain with it. After waiting a few minutes, you need to take a household brush with hard bristles and start scrubbing the stain.

There is another way to remove paint stains. As a means in this case, solvent or any other alcohol-containing agent.

Another problem that arises during repairs is glue spots on the surface of linoleum. Fresh formations can be removed with soapy water and table salt, but if time is already lost, then you will have to use another remedy. To wipe off dried glue residues, more radical means are used - these are refined gasoline or "White spirit". We moisten a small piece of cloth with the selected liquid and wipe off the stain, and then thoroughly wash the surface of the linoleum with conventional floor cleaning products.

When changing windows, polyurethane foam is always used, which adheres well to any surface, and linoleum is no exception.

Fresh foam can be removed with a special spatula. To do this, you need to carefully scrape it off, starting to act from the edge of the formation, gradually moving towards its center. After removing the foam from the surface, you need to treat this place with any special agent intended for processing linoleum.

With dried foam, you need to do a little differently. For this, the protruding part is cut as close to the surface of the linoleum as possible, and the rest is processed with a prepared professional tool.

Professional products include special solvents, which, due to a special chemical formula, affect the polyurethane foam. These include: "Barton SOL OFF", "Orbafoam Eliminador", "Cosmofen", "Fenosol S" and many other products that are freely sold in any hardware store.

Any coating, and linoleum is no exception to the rule, requires not only careful attitude, but also careful and thoughtful care.

There are certain rules, the observance of which will help to keep the linoleum not only clean, but also in excellent condition, regardless of the flooring time.

Before wet cleaning, you must first remove the debris with a broom, brush or vacuum cleaner. The more thoroughly dry cleaning is carried out, the faster and better wet cleaning will pass.

After removing stains, wash the entire surface of the linoleum with soapy water or floor cleaning products. After the surface is dry, you can apply a thin layer of linseed oil and polish the linoleum with a woolen cloth.

You can find out even more tips for cleaning linoleum in the video below.